“This isn’t a technique scroll or a skill scroll, it’s actually a body enhancement scroll,” Sam announced to no one in particular as he continued to research the multi-race perception scroll.

Jen’s eyes were closed as she absent-mindedly replied, “That’s nice,” and she continued to try and create the mana circulation pattern she learned when activating the mana manipulation scroll. She was a little disappointed that the scroll didn’t instantly allow her to manipulate her mana in the new method, but instead only gave her the knowledge of what could be done. She was hoping to get the “App” not just the knowledge of how to build the “App”. What she now knew was that each of her skills or spells that drew on mana needed an optimum amount to work efficiently, and different components of the same skill also worked more efficiently with different amounts of mana. Previously she had been just activating her skill or spells and she didn’t even think about how her skill pulled the mana from her core. It was like she was flooring the gas pedal from stop light to stop light. She was now trying to circulate the mana in her core so that different areas of her fishing spool would release at different densities. When she eventually trained the mana in her core to circulate properly, she would then have to train her skills to pull on the most optimum “thread” of mana. Jen was used to compressing and spinning all the mana in her core together, separating it in different thickness of “strings” of mana wasn’t a natural process. Her mana seemed like it was “mad” at her for asking it to do something different and was revolting against her efforts.

Jen opened her eyes as she heard the door of their room open. She then said to Tamako, “Thank The Seven Decks you’re back! Did you get everything?”

Tamako replied, “Yes, somebody had to, since Sam decided to go on a scroll spending spree instead of doing his job and getting a large pan for the shower floor and his enchantment tattoo ink ingredients. It took a little longer because the streets on the way back here were even busier than yesterday. There was a big crowd around the fourth street city square.”

“What was going on?” asked Jen.

Tamako replied, “One of the daughters of the City Lord in Coin Toss City was getting caned by the guards for trying to break in a line of people waiting for City carriages.”

“Holy crap! Lady Domino is strict.”

Tamako nodded in agreement, and said, “Yea, apparently there are a lot of people in the City familiar with the City Lord’s daughter, and they were all really trying to get a good view of her getting punished.”

Jen got up from the bed and said, “We need to get a copy of the city rules and read through them before we screw up accidently.” She then sat down next to Sam on the couch where he was studying his scroll, and said to Sam, “How ya feeling old man? Can you take a moment to set us up with a bathroom?” Jen was taking it easy on Sam, she knew how frustrated he was. He’d explained how strongly his gut was telling him he needed to activate the multi-race perception scroll, but by doing so, it would set back their timeline for going to the Third Deck. She could tell he was also upset because it wasn’t just his gut, but he was personally excited about the possibilities of how an expanded perception could improve his enchanting skills. Hence the guilt he was also feeling for causing a delay in getting Kelly.

A few hours later, with the bed and couch shoved together and up against the wall, their 3ft by 3ft “wet bathroom” was in the corner of their room. It was a shower and toilet all in the same ridiculously small space. When it was finished, Sam said, “Move!” as he entered the bathroom and started to pull the leather curtain around him for privacy.

Jen said to Sam, “Good thing you put a silencing rune on the curtain.”

Tamako laughed, and said, “Too bad you don’t have anything to stop the smell!”

Sam turned a little red with embarrassment, but before closing the curtain, fired back with, “In a few moments, you going to be smelling those words!”

Jen groaned, and said, “I don’t even think they sell scrolls powerful enough to stop the stink your body makes!”

Tamako raised an eyebrow towards Jen at her comment, and said, “Good point, let’s go take a walk!”

Before Sam closed the curtain and they left the room, Sam hollered, “When you get your asses back here, be ready for me to tattoo them.”

Jen shook her head at him in disappointment, and as they left said, “You’re getting old boomer, if you have to recycle your bad puns.”

“Whatever,” Sam grumbled as he closed the curtain to ponder on his throne.