“And how exactly do I enter the rift through these… unofficial means?” Luke asked Greta.
Now that he knew the theme of the dimensional rift was tied to the forge of a demon blacksmith, most of the puzzle Azazel wanted him to solve had already fallen into place. Luke was almost certain the demon wanted him to find something inside the rift. That something could be anything. A stone. A plant. An object. Or maybe just a conversation with the right person.
When it came to riddles, Azazel never played fair.
From the chess-based trials in the Forgotten Temple Dungeon to the old enigma involving the correct profession tied to witchcraft, the pattern was always the same. It never mattered how much Luke struggled, or how long it took him. What mattered was reaching the answer.
So he had to be ready for anything. Still, for now, a large part of the work was already done.
“The military locked down pretty much every convenient entrance,” Greta explained. “They shut down a lot of businesses and ended up monopolizing almost everything. But I know people who still have access to one of the rifts and offer passage.”
“I’m interested. Where do I find them?”
She smiled without warmth. “It’s not that simple. It’s not cheap. And I don’t give that kind of information away for free.”
She rubbed her fingers together, the universal sign for money.
“How much?”
“The information costs two thousand crowns. The intermediaries charge ten thousand crowns per person.”
That was a lot of money, and Luke knew it.
“There’s still the risk you’re just stringing me along for cash. Or that it’s a lie. You’re sharing this pretty easily with someone you just met. I’d expect a secret like that to be more… guarded.”
She shrugged. “And who exactly am I supposed to sell this to if not clueless newcomers? Veterans in the city already know where it is. There’s no profit there.”
The logic checked out.
“Then why haven’t the military seized that entrance too? If mercenaries know about it, information like that should be easy to sell. I doubt an informant would turn down the chance to make some money.”
“Not worth the effort,” Greta replied. “It’s far from the city, hard to maintain, and the area’s controlled by a gang. For ten thousand crowns, they’ll let you use the rift entrance they control.”
Technically, I’ll be the only one using it. Charlie and Angie can stay inside my soul.
“I accept,” Luke said.
***
Luke, Charlie, and Angie walked through the forest outside the city as dusk settled in. Greta had escorted them part of the way, then turned back toward Sirius. Before leaving, she gave him strict instructions. No extra money. No flashy gear. Anything that drew attention would get him robbed.
He was to carry only the ten thousand crowns. Enough to be robbed. Enough to negotiate passage to the rift. It could have been a setup. This might have been Greta’s real business all along. He didn’t care.
When they reached a certain point, Charlie raised her hand, signaling them to stop.
“Husb-, I mean… Master Luke,” she corrected herself quickly. “I hear people talking in that direction.”
She pointed into the trees.
Stolen story; please report.
Charlie’s hearing was exceptional. Luke activated one of his rank skills on her. The soul-cat leapt into Charlie’s body. Through it, Luke could see and hear using the senses of whoever housed the cat. With Charlie, the effect was absurdly powerful. Her vision and hearing extended perfectly across a two-kilometer radius. The synergy was excellent.
“It’s them,” Luke confirmed after listening in for a while.
He moved closer and surveyed the area. A camp stood before the mouth of a cave. Two people lingered near a pair of tents, while six others were scattered around the site. Stepping out from the trees, he was already dressed in his assassin’s gear. Luke crouched low and moved forward in silence.
“No one’s brought in anything this week? What the hell is wrong with the pickpockets in this city? Getting soft?” one of the men muttered.
“Next time they miss the quota, we beat one of them half to death in front of the others. That’s the only language they understand.”
When the one who answered turned toward the campfire, drinking from his mug, Luke went for the other. He grabbed him from behind, clamped a hand over his mouth, and slit his throat in a single smooth motion.
[You have slain a human…]
[+1 Soul Fragment]
“Don’t you agree?” the bandit asked again.
What he saw instead was Luke driving one blade into his chest and the other into his neck.
[You have slain a human…]
[+1 Soul Fragment]
With both dead, Luke moved through the camp and stopped between the tents. Four figures were sleeping inside them. He raised both palms and activated his magic [Shadow Ball].
A sphere formed in each hand. Luke fired into the tents and immediately generated more.
The fabric was torn apart by the explosions and ignited in black fire. He heard screams, bodies scrambling out in panic, running while burning. A few more volleys of Shadow Ball were enough to drown the place in silence.
[You have slain a human…]
[+1 Soul Fragment]
[You have slain a human…]
[+1 Soul Fragment]
[You have slain a human…]
[+1 Soul Fragment]
[You have slain a human…]
[+1 Soul Fragment]
**Your second class [Witch] has reached Level 8!**
[You have acquired a Witch Skill]
“Negotiate with these guys? Yeah, not interested,” he muttered.
The dead humans could have been used to further refill Charlie’s Blood Core, but she had made a vow. The only human whose blood she would ever drink was his.
I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
Luke turned and headed back toward where Charlie and Angie had stayed. When he arrived, he stopped short.
“Why are you both covered in mud?”
“I heard a boar nearby, Master Luke,” Charlie said. “I thought it would be better to kill it, but then it spat a jet of mud at me.”
“I managed to kill it, my lord,” Angie added, proudly displaying the carcass. “I threw a spear and got some experience out of it.”
“At least we’ll have dinner,” Luke said.
“Yay, dinner,” Artemis cheered.
***
After putting out the remaining fires on the tent fabric, Luke went deeper into the cave to look at the rift. It looked like a tear in reality itself.
“According to what Greta said, each entrance throws you into a random location. So we need to stay alert for whatever’s on the other side,” he said.
Angie was dragging several chests across the ground and opening them. She sorted through the contents, setting aside what looked useful. Most of it was junk, torn clothes, scraps of bone, and other worthless debris.
“I found three things that might be useful,” Angie said, turning to them.
[Forest Traveler’s Boots (Common)]:
Description: A sturdy pair of boots crafted for those who travel long distances among trees and tangled roots. Lightweight and comfortable, their soles are enchanted to adapt to forest terrain, providing firm footing and balance with every step, preventing slips and stumbles along the way.
[Brown Wolf Trousers (Uncommon)]:
Description: Trousers made from the hide of one of the wolves that roam the riverland forests. In addition to excellent protection, they retain body heat even in the harshest cold.
[Brown Wolf Mantle (Uncommon)]:
Description: A mantle designed to withstand cutting winds and cold weather. Its construction ensures thermal comfort and lightness, allowing greater agility for the wearer, while also providing an extra layer of protection in combat.
They decided the equipment would go to Angie. Out of the three of them, she was the one still stuck with the weakest gear.
While Angie and Charlie went to wash up, Luke stayed behind, tending the campfire as chunks of boar meat slowly roasted over the flames.
Sitting on the ground, he focused on the system interface.
Luke could have eliminated all the criminals stealthily, clean and efficient. But using Shadow Ball had one clear advantage. It fed a massive amount of experience into his second class.
“That gave me exactly what I needed to level up,” he muttered, “and a new skill on top of that.”
He selected the option. Five choices appeared.
As he read them, his expression froze.
You’ve got to be kidding me. Telepathy.
https://discord.gg/znGSjCxhkR
