025

Erick met his new bodyguard in the morning on the front porch. His third story front porch. Aside from that awkward start, Poi was a very proper bluescale dragonkin, who was thereafter always, at most, 15 feet away from Erick at all times. With a straight back and no-nonsense attitude, Erick immediately tried to get Poi to smile, or joke, or talk, or anything, except stand at the side like a monolith carved out of sapphire, dressed up like a city guard.

Aside from that, his first day after calling it quits as a teacher was very boring. He mostly stayed inside the apartment and read Ulrick Ulrick’s book on Ancient Script for the Beginner Enchanter. There was some aura practice on the roof, but he didn’t want to wear himself out, so he kept it to one iteration.

He definitely did not miss his date with the farms. He showed up for that appointment an hour ahead of schedule. They were more or less ready for him by then, so Valok told him to let loose, and he did. He cast [Call Lightning] three times in a row. By the third casting, the rain was coming down slightly stronger than before. Maybe twice as hard? The rain was still pretty gentle, but now it came down like a proper Summer shower. Valok had planned on 4 or 5 castings, but the revelation of harder rain by cast 3 meant that Erick was done for the day.

On the way back to the Sewerhouse, Erick stopped at the market to buy some produce from several farmers, but when he went to pay, many of them dropped their prices in half. One nice older greyscale even gave him a bag of not-zucchini for free. Erick paid for the bag, though. The bag was nice, tough canvas. He made a point to overpay on that, and the man just smiled.

Taking mental stock of all the items Erick had ever bought in Spur that included canvas bags, maybe he needed to start carrying around two or three in his shoulderbag at all times.

And then he was home! He cooked dinner for himself and Al one night, and then Al cooked dinner the next. And then the process repeated. Personal [Ward] in the morning, study the Ancient Script book, a bit of aura practice, and then a stop at the farm for some afternoon rains. Cap it all off with dinner with Al, who had been doing his own things all day, too. He was still remaking the sewers and setting the Human District to rights.

The Sewerhouse settling pools were still settling, so that job was still at least 15 days away, and probably more like 20. As it was, Erick was involved in a whole lot of nothing except raising his various skills; mostly numerically, in the form of experience.

Jane would have laughed at him and called it a ‘training montage’ if she was here. She was still in the Crystal Desert, though, still hunting crystal mimics and the occasional rock elemental with Savral and his team, constantly on the lookout for crystal slimes. But thanks to Al having [Telepathy], Erick was able to check in with Jane at night and hear all about her days, while Al checked in with Savral. Erick put [Telepathy] on the short list of spells to get, but [Telepathy] was one of the restricted-by-law skills, because it affected the mind. He could buy it, sure, it was right there in the Script for 1 point, but he probably shouldn’t, not right now.

Jane had a bit of a big revelation though. Jane and Erick had apparently encountered a crystal slime on the trek to Spur, all those tendays ago. Erick remembered now; it was that jelly-like thing that had been nestled at the base of a crystal agave. All crystal slimes were over level 50, but they could sense danger for miles around, so finding one before it left the area was the only hard part. If only they had killed it, which was supposed to be really easy, they would have gotten almost 1.8 billion experience split between the two of them.

That’s when the jokes started. Jane and Erick encountering a crystal slime and not knowing the crystal slime for what it was, was a pretty common occurrence. No one hunted for a crystal slime and then actually got one, but everyone knew a precocious neighbor child who told stories of playing with a crystal slime. Or some rookie adventurer, running from a crystal mimic only to fall on a crystal slime, killing it, then immediately buying up to Scion of Strength. Or someone dying of thirst in the Crystal Forest, only to be led to water by a crystal slime.

Erick started a little argument about killing something that was obviously a good monster, but Al and Savral shut that down pretty hard. ‘There are no good monsters, don’t fool yourself.’ Slimes are as neutral of an existence as possible in the monster kingdom, but they’re mindless, and if one of them found you wounded and unable to move off the ground, there was an even chance of it accidentally smothering you as leaving you alone.

Aside from hearing about Jane’s adventures, Erick didn’t experience much of life outside of his apartment and the Farmer’s Market over the next few days. Al had suggested he lay low for a while, but that was already Erick’s plan. Poi seemed to be fine with guarding Erick in Erick’s apartment, but Erick didn’t really know how Poi felt about anything. The man was unnaturally silent.

So, for three days, Erick stayed away from the Mage’s Guild, generally in the apartment, save for trips to the farms. [Call Lightning] gained 1500 experience a day, since Valok wanted him to cast it three times in a row each time. [Ward] leveled, too, since he was putting on a 510 mana personal [Ward] every day, but the experience gained was counted without Clarity, which had leveled to 10. So every 510 point [Ward] gained him 1020 [Ward] experience. [Ward]’s blue box was getting bigger with every level, but it was only level 9.

Meditation leveled to X in all that casting. That skill read much cleaner, now.

Today was the fourth day since he had given his last lecture and then hidden away from most of Mage society. This afternoon he would return to the Mage Guild, but not before he finished up a few other tasks. One of the tasks he had finished yesterday was reading the Ancient Script book from Ulrick Ulrick, and learning the language. He could now comfortably read and write in Ancient Script. With a little bit of conversing with Al, he could even speak the language. Ancient Script sounded very beep-boopy crick-cracky when Erick spoke it. He didn’t like how it sounded, but it flowed so easily into itself that rhyming was rather simple.

Erick thought that maybe that ability to rhyme was why Ancient Script was widespread in enchanting. Al did not believe that for one second, but it was hard to argue with Erick’s creation of a new spell in Ecks.

When Erick tried to read another one of Al’s language books, it might as well have been Mandarin. [Language Acquisition] had run its course. He’d have to learn new languages the hard way, from now on. Or, he could pay Irogh 1000G and get the buff reapplied.

As for his own magic, Erick wasn’t anywhere near rank 10 with anything and thus able to actually make a real aura skill, but he was plodding forward, making progress. Right now, he was up on the roof of the Sewerhouse, preparing to put in more steps toward that goal.

The sun shone down upon Erick and the rest of Spur. Erick sat on a small jut of stone atop the center of the Sewerhouse. There were no obstacles around him; Al had [Stoneshape]d the roof mostly flat, ridding the space of any evidence there was ever a party up here. Poi waited to the side, as usual, well out of Erick’s area of effect.

Erick centered himself, activating Meditation and preparing a chain of mana connecting three of his skills, to twist what was to come into something else.

Aurify.

Altering: Bludgeoning.

[Force Shrapnel].

Orbs of hardened white mana erupted from Erick, like a hundred billiard balls, all going every direction, spaking and cracking against the stone and each other as they swirled around Erick in a mockery of orbital physics. They crashed in and out, but not against him; this was his aura after all. Erick held his mana open wide, feeding the aura. He could not sustain it for long, only 4 minutes without Meditation, and an extra 30 seconds with Meditation. And that was fine, because 4:30 was already near his limit of personal focus; it was hard to maintain all these spell effects at once.

If his Force Shrapnel was level 10, he could create an actual [Force Shrapnel Aura: Bludgeoning], and not have the spell demand his total concentration. But [Force Shrapnel] wasn’t 10. None of his spells were level 10. [Call Lightning] was close, but it was not there. Not yet.

Erick’s mana gave out. The billiard ball aura vanished like so much spent mana.

He relaxed into the sun, leaning backward, breathing. Just, breathing.

And there’s another 1350ish exp for a few more spells…

Status.

As he stared at his status screen, part of him held a deep regret for not recognizing and killing that crystal slime. His experience had grown, for sure, but it hadn’t noticeably grown since the battle with the shadowcats. Erick was going to be 19 for a very, very long time.

 

At least Meditation leveling to X made Resting as easy as flipping a switch in his mind. Now that he knew what to look for in the ambient mana, he popped scrying eyes whenever he saw them, too. The roiling shadows weren’t that scary anymore now that all the eyes were gone.

The shadows were still there, though. Erick had pointed them out to Al one night. Al told him he needed a higher focus, or to not meditate so often.

Erick looked over the new Mana Altering 8.

Force to Decay was probably what made those green fireballs in the Sewerhouse attack.

… Aurify was coming right along.

Erick was kinda scared to try a [Call Lightning] Aura. He felt like he needed to get far, far away from Spur before he started experimenting with his magic in that way. Especially if he started experimenting with [Call Lightning] and stuff like Mana Altering: Decay. Acid Rain would definitely be considered ‘attacking the populace’.

As Erick looked over everything he had to level, and realized that none of it would get him another actual level, he felt disheartened. Sure, he could make tier two spells—

Ah! Right! He wanted to make a [Call Lightning] [Grow] Aura! That would be pretty cool. Too bad Valok didn’t want him today, or he’d work on [Call Lightning] some more. Maybe he should go down to the farms anyway, plying his trade casting [Grow]. He might be stuck at level 19, but there were still goals to be won, and a [Grow] Aura was a good idea, anyway.

Smiling, Erick turned to Poi, “Hey, Poi! Let’s go to the guild!”

“Of course, Mage Flatt.”

Erick ducked back into the apartment and saw the enchanting book Ulrick had lent him. He was supposed to return that to Ulrick… Several days ago. Shit. Erick grabbed the book and put it in his shoulderbag.

And then he looked at his clothes.

He was still wearing the jeans, tee shirt, shoes, and underwear that came with him to Veird. He’d seen what other people wore for shoes and underwear, so maybe he’d keep his and not adopt the local style, but the shirt and jeans? Those could go. He could be a local.

He should do that, today!

Training montage and a clothing montage! Jane would be proud. The only clothing Jane had bought were new shirts and the shoulderbags for both of them. She still liked her jeans. … Erick still liked his jeans, too. And his shirt, for that matter. With [Mend], he could keep these clothes for the rest of his life, if he wanted.

No. Bad idea. It was time for new clothes. Be a local! Buy local clothes!

Get out of the house and get back into society!

He turned to Poi. “Where would I buy some decent working clothes? Kinda like what I have on now?”

“Market Street,” Poi said, resolute to keep his arms-distance demeanor intact.

“To Market Street we go!” Erick patted his shoulderbag. “I can give Ulrick back his book, too.”

Wordlessly, Poi followed Erick out onto the third floor landing. Erick looked down at the street—

[Blink].

—and then he was there. Poi popped into the air five feet behind him.

 

– – – –

 

“Ulrick is not in today.” A lovely young pinkscale girl behind the counter said, “Might I be able to help you, Mage Flatt? I’m Soux, Ulrick’s frontgirl and apprentice. Is there something you might be interested in purchasing?”

“Not buying anything right now.” Erick shook his head as he swung his shoulderbag around and pulled out the old textbook. “Can you give this back to Ulrick for me?” He set the book on the counter. “I told him I would return it to him the next day, but everything kinda got difficult after that. I read it all, though! Learned Ancient Script, but then my [Language Acquisition] ran out. Can you tell him ‘thank you, very much’ for me, please?”

Soux slid the book closer to herself. “Of course, Mage Flatt. Is that all?”

“Maybe— Are those [Mend] jobs still up at the guildhouse? I haven’t checked in a while.”

She shook her head. “Apologies, but no. He only posts those when I go out adventuring, or when I need to deal with some unruly shadowolves.” She smiled. “But I’m back now. And two levels higher, too.”

Erick grinned. “Good to hear. Then… Take care, Soux.”

“You too, Mage Flatt. And thank you for the rain.” She bowed. She stood. “Hearing an afternoon shower reminds me of my grandmother’s house in the rainforest mountains, far to the east.”

Erick smiled a bit wider, then nodded, and left the store. Poi kept right behind him, maintaining a respectful 5 to 7 foot distance at all times.

 

– – – –

 

Erick stepped up to the counter and set his badge on the marble divide between him and the bank teller, “Hello. I’m here to check on my account. Erick Flatt.”

“Of course. Just need to check authenticity.” The teller was a grey-black wrought dragonkin. Her metallic flesh looked exactly the same as Anhelia’s, the iron-flesh wrought incani at the Mage Guild. She took his badge and passed it over a truthstone, which had been glowing green this entire time, but glittered a brighter green when the badge passed close. She held onto the badge for the moment, asking, “How can I help you, Mage Erick Flatt?”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“Balance check, and probably a withdrawal. Have you guys sorted out the shadowcat money yet?”

“We have indeed.” She wrote down Erick’s badge numbers on a small slip of paper then turned to her assistant, a young male greenscale. She said a few quiet words, then handed him the paper. He ran off. She turned to Erick. “We’ll have your numbers pulled in 30 minutes. Would you like to make a withdrawal before your numbers are validated?”

“No. I guess not. I have enough cash on me for now. I’ll be back later.”

She handed him his badge back. “We shall see you then. Good day, Mage Flatt.”

30 minute wait for a check and withdrawal?

Erick was sorely tempted to try and reinvent the internet and modern banking. But then, he realized, he did not need any of that in his life. Not again. Fuck that noise. He liked the slow life. 30 minutes to check on balances? That was fine with him. He had clothes to buy and… 13 gold to buy them with! That was like 1300 dollars.

He was rich!

… Wasn’t he?

 

– – – –

 

Turns out cloth clothes are way expensive. Everything except leather was way more than he wanted to spend; the leather was only cheap because the shadowolves from Bulgan’s shadowcats had been turned into more leather. Erick didn’t want leather.

The problem was that Spur was both a rich town because of the adventuring opportunities of Ar’Kendrithyst, and it was very isolated. There was no cotton in the desert, after all. All fabric had to be imported. Importing wasn’t that bad with [Teleport]; many of the meat sellers actually had their farms far away from Spur itself. But the cotton fields were much, much further away than the cattle ranchers.

A third problem existed in [Mend]. The people who made clothes only made what fashion demanded, or the best damn shirts or pants or whatever, that money could buy.

Erick had to walk away from one store where everything was 14 to 25 gold. The next store was not much better, and the dragonkin vendor could not take his eyes off of Erick’s shoes. Erick’s shoes were synthetic rubber, leather and cloth sneakers. They were the most comfortable shoes he had ever owned, and Erick was not going to sell them for any price, thank you very much.

He found a much nicer store just a bit down the way, run by a nice older orcol woman. She sold him some ‘children’s clothes’ that were simpler than what he had found elsewhere. They were the right price, too. Erick thanked her, and she smiled at him, probably finding it funny that a human was wearing clothes sized for orcol kids. When Erick asked her about that, she said that the other races bought orcol children’s clothes often enough that it wasn’t a real scandal; other races liked simple clothes, too, but not many tailors were willing to work on such throwaways.

He paid her 11 gold, and then walked around for a bit, sporting a nice cream-colored shirt and nice tan pants. His other clothes were in his shoulderbag, save for his shoes and his underwear; he was still wearing those. His Silver Star was displayed prominently on the left side of his chest, over his heart, and his Guild Badge hung from a silver chain around his neck. It felt nice to wear local clothes in Spur, in the sun. Everything felt loose and breezy.

Erick ran a hand through his hair and felt his face. He hadn’t shaved in all his time here on Veird. He was never capable of growing a truly imposing beard, but what he was capable of growing had gotten a bit scraggly in the last few weeks. He used to have black hair, but it had all gone salt-and-pepper in the last few years. A lot of his hair had to be whiter since had gone through several near-death experiences in the last few weeks.

He pulled a bit of his bangs in front of his eyes. Yup, more white hairs among the black. Of course, that could just be his imagination.

His imagination, and his Meditation, had told him there was a giant shadow following him the whole day, but no one else seemed to see the shadow. Erick forced himself to think that his imagination was lying to him.

Maybe it was time for a haircut, and a shave.

But first! The bank!

 

– – – –

 

The iron wrought presented Erick with his balance.

1000 gold for one shadowcat, 100 gold for the second cat. 210 gold in various direct deposits in the last little while, and 148 gold from killing shadowolves, with the shadowolf portion available as either gold, or rads.

“1458 gold? I don’t have to work if I don’t want— Ahh. So that’s why the MCL job board is full.”

The receptionist of the Mage Guild bank smiled, saying, “But doing all those MCL jobs does help the community. We get complaints when they’re left to rot, and that’s not fun for any of us.”

“Right. Right.” Erick asked, “What about the grand-rads from the cats? Did something happen to them?”

Her perfectly practiced neutral face returned. “Unfortunately, magic of your caliber destroyed many of the rads from the shadowolves and both grand-rads we expected to recover from two of the shadowcats. Please do keep this in mind when expecting to recover rads from monster corpses in the future.”

“Ahh. Bother. Okay. Good to know. Thank you. I would like to withdraw a hundred gold.”

“Would you like that in rads, or metal?”

Erick thought for a moment.

He’d leave enchanting for another day.

He said, “Gold, please.”

“Of course.” She nodded to her helper, and Greenscale left. In moments, Greenscale returned with a small bag and set it in front of the receptionist. She counted it out in front of Erick, emptying the bag, then she put the coins back in the bag and handed that to him, saying, “100 gold has been deducted from your account. Is that all?”

“Yes. Thank you.”