Stefan followed through on his newfound resolve and cast the soul-search spell on every living child—the information porters—in the dugout, resting in between to restore his state. One after another, they became stringless puppets and collapsed, slipping into a vegetative state with only their hearts barely pumping blood. Without proper care though, that too wouldn’t last long, and their fate would follow the bloated corpse in the corner.

  “Why didn’t the albino just search them for info?” Kidd muttered. “Why’d he keep them?”

  “This place looks like his personal stash house,” Ewan said when Stefan just about finished shifting all the information into Nyte’s database. “He was either collecting them for sale or for his son in the picture. If it’s the latter, there might be something more. Let’s take the bodies out and search the room one last time.” His scans had netted him not a thing, even when he seeped into the crevices. So, if there was something else here, it must be a small storage artifact that melded into its surroundings, hidden deep enough that he overlooked it.

  Stefan exhaled a weary sigh of relief when the transfer ended. “There were four unique lists, others just repeated those four,” he said as Lance and Kidd dragged the children’s bodies out, probing and poking every nook and cranny of the room for a response. “You, Kidd, and Lance are on them, it’s pretty detailed even. It mentioned you as a Potioneer too, even has your family background.”

  “Did it mention me as a mass murderer?” Ewan asked.

  “It did, something about the blood festival,” Stefan said.

  Ewan nodded. “It’s from Obria, Drarith, and Vestal then. They got mine at Obria and Drarith, and they had Kidd’s and Lance’s at Vestal,” he said.

  “Who do you think is behind all this?” Stefan asked.

  “I do have a guess, but it’s farfetched,” Ewan said. “We met them in Drarith where they could’ve obtained my info, and we met them in Vestal where they got these two’s. But I don’t remember them being in Obria…” He recalled their insignia, the crest of two slanted laughing-masks—it was the church of smiles. “A report I read had mentioned something related, so if they were, then their reach is far more harrowing than we imagined.”

  “Why though…” Stefan muttered.

  “Chaos can be an apt tool for misdirection,” Ewan said. “Either it’s related to some rite of advancement, or they just want to see the world burn, or could be both. Anyway, the information will soon spread, and mayhem will come, we need to be prepared for it.”

  “The total number in the four lists combined feels a lot short,” Stefan said. “There should more unique lists.”

  “We’ll take any we can get our hands on, let’s gather as many as we can,” Ewan said. “When we return, I’ll transfer all the info into our database, will make it easier for us to access.”

  Finally, when the storm let up and a rainbow unfurled against the pale clouds, Kidd chanced upon a black spider hidden behind the dense cobwebs, lifelike but without any reaction from his poke—it was a spider-shaped brooch.

  “Found it, Boss,” Kidd shouted, and brought it outside with Lance. “It doesn’t have much though,” he said, and took out two tattered books and a handful of Anima Crystals from it.

  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

  The first book was a Cerade’s inheritance, a meditation technique that covered all elements—it could be a good reference for Kidd to modify his own. While the other had recipes and brewing methods for Anima based wines and liquors—it was a guidebook for Winemakers.

  Ewan threw the Cerade’s inheritance to Kidd, and shoved the Winemaking guidebook in Stefan’s hand, putting the meagre Anima Crystals back in the spider-brooch.

  “Who wants this?” he asked.

  “Me!” Kidd shot his hand up, looking at Stefan and Lance. But the two shrugged and let him have it.

  “All done then,” Ewan said, tossing the brooch to him. “Let’s set sail.”

  ….

  Stormfalcon, Top Deck.

  The thrusters roared and the warship sailed the waves away from the isle, voyaging under the drab weather.

  “Sir, what are we going to do about the payment that Guardian was talking about?” Lance asked as they headed inside, down the stairs, their boots clacking in a rhythm on the metal floor.

  “He said Novas won't cut it,” Stefan said.

  “Didn’t the fox damage the area, Boss?” Kidd asked. “It’s unfair.”

  “It is what it is,” Ewan said with a sigh. “They say we have to pay, so we have to pay. And he probably meant paying with non-native resources. This payment will most likely go to Airadia. So, we can't pay with Novas or native Astylind Cores since their origin is on this plane, just like how we rent on the hub.”

  “Don’t we have to go to wars and expeditions to earn that?” Stefan asked.

  “Can we do that if the hub is closed?” Kidd added.

  “It can be done, but it won't be a well-organized gathering. The dissemination of recruitment news alone will be an issue,” Ewan said. “Instead, the quests in the Enclave might give us some non-native rewards. Now, scatter all of you.” He stopped in his tracks and shooed them away. “I need to go placate your Sae’sa, hope she doesn’t rip my hair off.”

  “Rest in peace.” Kidd joined his hands and prayed.

  Stefan patted his arm. “Good luck, I hope you survive.”

  “Sir, I’ve decided to continue as a Reaper,” Lance said, standing at attention. “I thought I should tell you now, since later you might not be alive.”

  “Fuck off!”

  . And it has 40+ chapters ahead of the Royal Road release on it!

  You can also join my

  Note: Members are charged on the day they join, and then monthly on that same date. For example, if you join on the 10th, you'll be charged on that day, and then monthly on the 10th.