Managing to find a food vendor that wasn't selling rat, just around the corner from her tower. After a revelating conversation over the price of food, Sarah purchased the man's entire display of meat after realising that she was rich. Well, not rich per sé, but the dozen silvers she had in her ring were a lot more than had previously thought it to be.

The currency of Ciria was broken down into four categories. Bronze, silver, gold and heavenly gold. Each category was then broken down further based on size. 100 small bronze pieces was the equivalent of a single, regular of bronze piece. Subsequently, 100 regular bronze equated to a large bronze and 100 of those was the same as a single small silver.

Based on that scale? Yes, Sarah - with her dozen average silver, was already quite rich. Who knew that people would pay so highly for the chance to increase their intelligence.

Each of the skewers cost 10 small bronze and each slab of meat was worth 5 regular bronze. The cost of living compared to taking her tower's trial were far cheaper than Sarah had realised, but people were paying and that was what mattered.

Three dozen skewers and ten joints of meat, everything combined came to less than one small silver, disappeared as Sarah placed a regular silver on the merchant's counter. for the goods, leaving the merchant's jaw hanging.

"Do you have anything smaller, miss? I'm afraid I don't have the coin on me to give you enough change."

ever had beenand stores it in her ring. Much to the surprise of the merchant, his entire stock vanishing before

"Keep the change. You're more than likely to see me again anyway, so if you wouldn't mind storing me some juicy cuts for next time. That would be great," she smiled.

"A-Are you sure? Absolutely. Of course I will, miss."

"Thanks, see ya." Sarah gave the merchant her best smile, the excitement at being able to purchase food was beaming out of her and she skipped back to her tower.

'He didn't even bat an eye at my outfit.'

Sarah was still wearing the white Necromancer outfit. Because of how it looked and the additional features it offered, Sarah was reluctant to take it off once it was on and she had decided to see how people would react after seeing it. There wasn't all that much to say though. A few passing glances, to and from the tower, was all the attention she recieved.

After hearing from Leo that Identify was a rare skill, Sarah wasn't as worried as she had been about being singled out as the evil sorceress in town. Due to that one and only fact, Sarah vehemently rejected the notion of changing back in to the drab, green clothing she had first ventured out in.

The few glances she recieved, which Sarah assumed were due to the bright nature of the dark-mages clothing, were all giving with passing smiles and a couple of people even bowed to her.

'I look more like a holy woman than a Necromancer. Make way. Saint Sarah coming through.'

"Really? Saint Sarah?"

'What? I'm only joking,' Sarah laughed as she stopped infront of the cottage-dressed tower and couldn't help but notice Ariel's well-placed sign.

[Trial of Intelligence!

Defeat the Game Master in Wartide to earn permanent stat points, or time-based buffs, in Intelligence.

Attempts at the trial cost 1 Silver.

If you are interested turn around and walk towards the building in front of you. There is no door, but that is only the first test and costs nothing to find.

Aggression towards staff will not be tolerated and participants will be removed if they fail to adhere to this simple rule.

Sarah was quite pleased with Ariels brief, but alluring, poster. It had probably been hard for her to come up with something enticing, but descriptive, at the same time. Turning around, Sarah was still upset that she couldn't take the trial herself.

Ariel had done a good job, but Sarah was imagining how much easier it would have been for her if people could actually see the door. She then wondered if was able to remove the hidden function somehow.

'A sign above a clearly-visible door would be much better. And then it would be even better if they didn't avoid that area as they currently do. Is that also part of the camouflage?'

She watched as people passed by unseen the doorway, giving it - and the area it, its own unique space in the universe. Unknown to them, the people on the street casually veered around as a young woman disappeared from sight.

As soon as Sarah entered the tower, she took out some food for Ariel and praised her hard work. The petite receptionist lit up with joy before Sarah started to make her way up to the master room. She only made it to the top of the first flight of stairs, however, as an anxious Sebastian was waiting for her.

"W-Welcome back, Master. Please, I have a request." Sarah was curious to see had Sebastian so tense so she allowed him to continue. "Since miss Ariel was granted permission to inhabit the young girl's body, I was perhaps wondering if I could do the same to the boys?"

Hearing that her worries were misplaced, Sarah smiled at her butler. She then noticed that he was acting the exact same way that Ariel did when she had posed the very same question.

"Of course you can, Sebastian." I was going to offer you the corpse anyway.

Sebastian disappeared into thin air, causing Sarah to become aggrevated once more.

Is it just me? Am I the ugly duckling? Can you teleport, H.B?

"Unfortunately not, Master. What is a duckling?"

It's a baby duck, not that it's important.

She offered, continuing her journey upstairs. At the top, Sarah drank from the waters of sin before heading to master room. She was greeted by a pouting Solus and, after promising to summon him a new friend now that Sebastian had been put to work, was eventually let in. She was growing concerned that another death might have been on the cards, but it wasn't to be.

Sarah didn't want the job of babysitting the old door that was supposed to guard her room and the notion that the last master commited suicide after hearing Solus prattle on for too long was a high possibility. Damned door had stories coming out of his frame and it was a trial on its own listening to him go on and on without falling asleep. If it wasn't for the power Sarah knew he possessed first hand, Solus would have already been shipped off downstairs and turned into trial number 2.

Inside the master room, the familar crackle of wood welcomed Sarah home as she unloaded the meat from her ring. Sarah's runic-preservation shelf was fuller than it had been when she first spawned in the master room. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as Sarah knew she woudn't be starving any time soon. Hell, she'd even managed to start making an income whilst she had been asleep thanks to her capable souls. Best of all was the fact that Sarah had not died in over 24 hours.

She felt great.

Sitting in her chair, Sarah ate until she was full.

That was nice. I can't believe all that food cost less than one silver. Including the shopkeepers silence. Knowing that I won't starve to death is a weight of my mind. Sarah took the staff from the ring and placed it on her lap. She then proceeded to examine it, along with her clothing and class, to calculate the accumulated boost they provided.

[Robe of the Necromancer - Rare - Part of a two piece set: Boosts Necromancy by 100%. Increases natural regeneration by 100%. When concealed beneath the hood, you will become unnoticeable to prying eyes and detection spells. Self cleaning.]

[Outfit of the Necromancer: 2/2 - Boost all stats by 100%. Boosts Necromancy by 200%. Increase mana regeneration by 200%]

[Karinthian Necromancer - 100% boost to Necromancy and 100% to natural regeneration.]

[Staff of Death - Unique - Created with branches taken from the devil's tree, the Staff of Death is now a relic of the past. Increases the user's stats by twice their original amount when supplied with mana. Necromancy will not fail when cast with the Staff of Death. Necromancy is twice as effective when cast with the Staff of Death.]

I'm not complaining, but aren't I ridiculously overpowered with all these items? It also begs the question, how did the last Master die? I know where he died, just not the how. Other than my titles, shouldn't he have had the same boosts as me?' Sarah brought up her status while questioning how the last master ended up at the bottom of the tower.

Name: Sarah-Jane Kemp

Unspent Points: 10

Class: Necromancer - Level 3

- Create Undead Level 2

- Eyes of Death Level 2

- Revigorise Level 2

- Necrotic Body Level 1

- Necrotic Soul Level 4

- Form of the Necromancer Level 3

Title: What Death?

Skills:

- Cirian Language MAX

- Identify Level 2

- Mana Manipulation Level 1

- Fear Resistance Level 4

- Lightning Resistance Level 3

- Pain Resistance Level 3

Specialised Skills:

- Immortality

- Second Chance

- Indomitable Will

- Breathless

- Amplification of Death

Status:

- Vitality: 85

- Strength: 32

- Endurance: 36

- Dexterity: 25

- Intelligence: 35

- Wisdom: 55

Health: 950/950

Mana: 650/650

Stamina: 460/460

Sarah added her unspent points to intelligence. She briefly debated placing them in dexterity to bring up her average, but after the thoughts about the previous master and his unknown death, Sarah felt the need to raise her intelligence as much possible.

It's a shame I can't increase my own stats through trials... Sarah remembered when she earned points in both strength and Endurance after her workout. ...Maybe not through trials, but potentially through my own hardwork. Sarah believed that she had stumbled onto something great until she was immediately shot down.

"The higher the base stat, the more time it takes to earn another point through repetition."

So how do I earn stat points quickly then?

"When you defeat an opponent you take part of the experience they have acquired over the course of their life. That in turn goes towards leveling up your own class. Each class level will grant you unspent points to use so that you can increase your stats."

So I have to kill people myself? As much as I need the souls, I don't really want to do that.

"There are also monsters, or wanted criminals, to test yourself on, Master."

Monsters? Like actual honest to god monsters? So not everything walks around here on two legs and can talk then? The conversation took a new twist and sparked Sarah's interest.

"No, Master. There are some truly dangerous creatures out there in the world. They would be the type to grant large amounts of experience, but you are not capable of slaying them yet."

Damn right! I'm not going to be running off to fight no dangerous monsters. That's for sure. And especially not straight off the bat, you know? Let's start with something small. Just so I can see what I'm up against. Where do you think I can find something like that?'

Sarah wondered how fast a class could advance through fighting. So far she had only earned two levels in hers and she'd been there for four days. On the otherhand, she hadn't really been necromancing it up round town, had she?

"Probably outside the city, Master."

I should have guessed that would be the place to start. It makes sense. After all, why would I expect to find monsters in the city?

Leaving the master room full of purpose, Sarah bid a gloomy Solus farewell and made her way downstairs. Sebastian, who had taken the undead child's body as his own, was actively engaged in a trial and his master smiled happily as she continued on her way. Arriving at the ground floor, however, Sarah found the waiting area quite full and three men were even leaning against the wall as there wasn't enough seating.

This trial is more popular that I thought it would be. Although I'm pretty sure that a chess-rip-off isn't what I'm suppose to be using the tower for. It will do for now though as it's bringing in the money. Although I thought Ariel's price was high, it seems enough people can afford to pay for it to be profitable. Maybe the price of food is just cheap? Not that I'm complaining. That's a bonus in my opinion.

"I'll be back in a bit, Ariel. If anyone manages to beat Sebastian, I'll grant their blessings when I get back."With a quick wave, Sarah stepped out in to the busy street. The warm, evening wind blew against her skin and she stood motionless for a moment. Appreciating life and the fact that she was still able to enjoy its little luxuries.

Let's test out my stealth skills on the way to the guard house.

Sarah pulled the hood over her head and walked towards Leo's place of employment. Not one a single person paid her any attention even though she could easily be mistaken for holy woman in her bright-white attire. She decided to test it even further and, after finding a suitable target, snuck up behind him as he paid for his food. Slipping around to his side, Sarah was curious to see what he had purchased.

All thoughts of stealth or testing her robes had left her as Sarah began to drool. White meat kebabs. Specifically, Silk Rabbit kebabs, or so Identify had told her. Sarah was close enough to eat the meat straight off the skewer in his hand when she remembered her task.

She could smell the grilled meat and, was close enough that, of she wanted to, could

Sarah approaches a man buying some food, close enough to eat the meat from skewer while he pays. She doesn't but the thought isn't lost in her.

They really act like I'm not here. The last master must have been incredibly incompetent to die down there in the waters of sin with this gear,'

Sarah couldn't help but think ill towards her predecessor as she made it a plan to come back to that stall after her visit to the guard house. The main street was packed and unseen necromancer weaved her way through the traffic until she reached her destination.

Guard House 3, was written in big letters above the door as she entered the building. The two guards on duty didn't blink at the small woman entering on her own accord. Neither one of them had actually seen her. Sarah approached the desk and introduced herself to the bored-looking guard. Still going completely unnoticed.

Oops. This hood is fucking amazing. Again, all I can think is how useless my predecessor must have been to die for real with all this gear.

Removing her hood, she tried once more to catch the guard's attention. "Hello. My name is Sarah Kemp. I'm here to see Guard Captain Leo." The man behind the desk finally took notice and looked up from his ledger. He had dark circles beneath his eyes and Sarah was imagining that his shift must be coming to a close. Either that, or he just didn't get enough sleep. He looked her over twice, the second-take being much slower and asked, "What're you supposed to be?"

"Are you deaf, or just ignorant? That's twice I've had to address you now only for you to respond in that manner. My name is Sarah Kemp and I am here to see Guard Captain Leo!" The Lance Corporal in Sarah was coming out as she was almost shouting at the clearly-lazy guard on duty.

Obviously used to a tone of authority, the now-awake guard snaps out of his daydream and begins fumbling around in the drawer beside him before he pulls out a runic device. This one, however, is different from the one Sarah had seen on her last visit.

The runes start to glow, indicating that the guard has activitated the device, and it enforces the suspicions Sarah had that the night-shift guard with orange hair was most certainly a rookie. Once the light had left the cube with no words given or heard, the tired guard looked to Sarah before pointing at the waiting area.

"If you would." He huffed at Sarah, indicating that he wanted her to sit down and stop bothering him. Sarah, however, didn't move however. She was still alternating her gaze between the man's finger and the seating area, wondering how one individual could be so rude.

"Is that it? Is he coming?" She couldn't help but ask. When she recieved an eye roll in response from the impassionate employee, Sarah was about to lose her shit.

"Have you never seen runic communication before? Are you sort of country bumpkin?" He laughed in her face at the lack of common knowledge she was exhibiting. This only served to infuriate her further. Before Sarah had the chance to flare up Form of the Necromancer and sucker punch guard A to show him who was higher in the pecking order, her flaming rage was quelled by the sound of a familiar voice. Which was good timing too, an unwarranted attack on a city official, justifiable or not, would have probably ended with Sarah spending a few nights in a cell.

"Back so soon?" Leo greeted Sarah after entering through the only door.

"I needed information and instead of suspiciously standing around, I decided to come to you before you came to me," she joked.

"Depends on what type of information you need. If it's about what the bank holds then you're fresh out of luck, I'm afraid," Leo kept the gag going, only now there was a small audience of one not fully comprehending their inside joke.

"Are you two talking about the guild bank!?" The desk guard exclaimed in shock. He would have never expected to hear words like those spoken from the guard captain's mouth no less.

"Shut up, Holden. It's a joke between friends. Actually, when was the last time you slept? You look like shit." Leo said the words that had most definitely crossed Sarah's mind.

"Sorry, Captain. It's er, been a while," he replied sheepishly. Gone was the contempt he had been showing Sarah only moments ago, replaced with reverence for his superior.

People respect Leo here. It makes sense seeing how he's the guard captain and all, but it's still a little weird seeing as though he a gigantic lion that could easily rip out another person's throat in the blink of an eye. More so due to the ridiculous amount of points he's dumped into his strength. Still...

"Well call for a replacement for Kor's sake. We don't need you pissing off everyone that comes in now, do we?" Holden took out the runic communication device again and as it lit up, Leo turned to Sarah. "Shall we?"

Sarah followed Leo through the empty cell blocks, up two flights of stairs and along a beautifully-decorated corridor before they arrived at his office. "Come in. It's a bit of mess, but paperwork really isn't my thing." He explained as Sarah laid eyes on the bomb site that was the captain of guard house 3's office

'Shit! That is alot of paperwork. And that. And that! It's literally everywhere.' She couldn't help but notice the varying-sized piles, strewn across his desk, floor, couch, bookshelf and everywhere else that had a flat surface.

Messy bastard.

Some still standing, others collapsed completely like dominoes. "A bit?" She asked, slightly disgusted and not knowing where to put her feet. Leo just shrugged before taking a seat behind his desk.

"So, Miss Kemp. What do I owe for the pleasure of your eccentric company?" Sarah was still doing a double take as her eyes darted around the room. Eventually, the words she'd heard caught up with her and Sarah turned her gaze on Leo.

"First of all, that sounded pervy as fuck. You're paying for my service are you?" The guard captains fur, whiter-than-white, turned a shade pink. "You need to rephrase that sentence, or just never say it again. That would be best. Second, you could probably benefit from taking some lessons in speechcraft from Ariel. She's a smoother talker that one. Last, which still isn't related to what I want, but there's no way in hell you can help me until I've helped you."

"What do you mean?" Slightly confused, the white lion's senses were screaming at him. He was sure that the strange woman infront of him was about to suggest something truly devilish.

"It's time to clean this room, soldier!" She smiled maniacally. Leo's heart sunk as he let out a loud roar, "No!!"