The next day, I went down for breakfast instead of having it in my room. The biomancy had increased my appetite and it would apparently remain high for a few more days and I really didn't want to skip breakfast or wait for Nerry.

  Medea was still full from yesterday's feasting and so we only stayed until I finished shoving bread and some unknown meat to depart for the guild. Maybe I might have spent an inordinate amount of time lying in my bed and reconsidering culling and maybe I was overcorrecting for it but no one could prove that!

  This time I moved quickly and made an effort to avoid meeting my fellow contractors but one of the aforementioned contractors didn't have the same plans.

  “Hey you, spider scorpion girl!” The girl that had called out to me was a tall pale girl my age wearing a brown dress that looked like someone had attached a ceremonial robe to a gambeson. Transparent glass bangles glittered on both her gloved arms but I was almost sure that the bangles were burning orange for a moment.

  “Yes?” I hedged uneasily. The other girl looked much stronger than me, although I couldn't quite pin down how I knew it. She was also absurdly pretty.

  “Hi, I'm Fahria Shakirn.” She extended a clawed hand, presumably the local equivalent of a handshake. I tentatively matched each finger with one of my own. “Do you want to team up? Our sectors are right next to each other and we can keep an eye out for one another.”

  “Uh what?” I had expected a lot of things, the bulk of them being mockery but not an offer to team up. It also didn't explain why the girl chose me instead of any of her other neighbors.

  “Well, you see, slimes aren't that dangerous alone but some of them can be sneaky. And if you are busy fighting one and the noise attracts a couple more when your back is turned? You get the idea.” Fahria shrugged.

  “Sure.” I returned the shrug and nodded. Oh well, I would just keep an eye out. If we encountered another mutant or multiple slimes or something, having an extra body would help. That didn't mean that I trusted the other girl, even if she was really pretty. I wasn't that shallow.

  “Yeah I think we can do that.”

  The arrangement was simple. Fahria would act as backup for Medea when we were clearing my sector but wouldn't interfere until and unless we were in actual danger and vice versa. No stealing experience from anyone. I had reservations but agreed to it if Medea could eat all kills afterward.

  “So, whose sector do we tackle first?” Fahria asked.

  “Uhh.”

  “Alright. Pick one stat and whether I have an odd number or even number in it.” Couldn't we toss a coin or something? Oh right, Aetherite crystals were symmetrical top and bottom.

  “Attunement. Even.”

  Fahria smirked. “Wrong.”

  Fahria’s bangles melted into white hot glass that partially rehardened into a sharp tip. It was attached to a tendril of molten glass. It lashed out and impaled the core of a slime as Fahria continued to probe me instead of paying her prey attention.

  “Wait, you were attacked in the forest?”

  “Yeah. And then Rani tried to fight the slavecatchers off or at least buy us enough time to run away. We never saw her again. ” I had memorized my cover story well. I was supposedly an escaped slave girl who was to be sold to Khagra. Khagra was a port city also connected to the Central Sea like New Delport and it was a slave based martial society where the aging and criminals were often killed to improve the classes of citizens. And citizenry was not universal but had to be earned or inherited. It sounded a lot like the martial societies of antiquity, I wasn't an expert but Rome and Athens came to mind but I could be misremembering or just going off of made up pop history.

  Khagra functioned because of the power of their infamous geass skills that were passed down through an exclusive order of royal priests since the time of the Catri Empire’s collapse. That geass was what I would supposedly be under forever if I hadn't escaped in time. I had the feeling that as the Catri Empire collapsed, warlords with powerful skills just took over what remained by force.

  “And what about you, Fahria?” I changed the subject before she could me about my home. I was now Anya, the formerly illiterate girl from a small self sufficient village that barely eeked out a living. I didn't have any good classes or knew much about anything.

  “Well it's complicated but basically I'm training for a competition the Shakirn clan holds to determine its next heir. This is just training“ I could tell there was more to the story but it wasn't my job to pry. Same way she didn't pry beyond what I myself volunteered.

  “Have you been doing this for long? Slime culling I mean.” I asked as we watched Medea devour a still living —and very much struggling— slime whole. Poor thing thought it could sneak up on them.

  “Not really, I've been at it for only a bit over a month at this point. If I'm not mistaken, this is just your second day. Right?”

  “Yep. I was wondering if you have ever seen a mutant slime?”

  “A mutant… WHAT. Did you find a mutant on your very first day?” Fahria practically yelled and I jumped. Medea chomped down on its food and hissed with its tail raised.

  “Y-Yeah.” I admitted, not really expecting such a reaction.

  “Well that explains your… appearance yesterday. In any case I must congratulate you for killing one. They are slightly uncommon and I have only encountered two myself so far but I've heard that every mutant is different. What was its core worth? Some of those can sell for more than several months’ worth of contracts.” Fahria asked innocently. I pointedly did not look at Medea as my heart sank. Quiraion and his dumb Knife.

  “Look on the bright side, your pet evolved and your skills consolidated into something better. Personal growth is almost infinitely more important than whatever that core was worth.” Fahria tried to cheer me up.

  I knew she was telling me the truth and it was likely that I wouldn't have sold the core anyways but it would have been nice to know how many crystals I could have had. I still didn't know what my total debt was!

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Eventually, we were back in the guild again and no one was covered in slime juice. Well, Medea was but that didn't count. Fahria turned to me and gave me a quick smile.

  “It’s completely fine if you don't want to but I have to ask, can we do this again? It is… dull hunting slimes without any company every day.”

  “Oh, of course.” I didn't mind the company.

  Before I left, I had one last thing left that I had to do. I strode into one of the many side rooms that I had been shown earlier and activated a hidden teleporter.

  “Can I trust the Multitheist church to be discreet about my condition?” I asked Tiamim.

  She genuinely seemed surprised at the question and closed her eyes to think. She pondered for what felt like a long amount of time to me before finally reopening her eyes and nodding.

  “Yes, it should be safe. The clergy are bound by their class to not do anything that is or could be considered an affront to the gods. Still I would suggest that you ask for a High Priest of Quiraion at least. Now go.”

  The Church of Multifaceted Theosophies, or the Multitheist Church as it was known in common parlance was the primary place of worship in New Delport for all gods and goddesses. There were hundreds of gods and it was simply absurd to have temples for them all. Only Arshanara, the patron goddess of New Delport had her own dedicated temple separate from the Multitheist Church.

  The church was a massive white building that seemed almost Roman in design. Neoclassical architecture, if she had to describe it but for all she knew, it had been standing since the empire's times: actual classical architecture. There was no security before the building, only destitute monks begging for alms. And that made sense to me, who would be stupid enough to attack a church of all the gods when they were tangible entities?

  “Welcome, young one. I am Nehu. How may this humble servant of the divinities aid you?” A young priest in the Multitheist Church’s pearl white raiments smiled at me. His teeth were so white that they seemed to almost shine.

  “Er, I want to know more about Lord Quiraion?” I hedged, not really sure what else to say without seeming suspicious. The man was practically glowing in his white outfit and I could feel a lightness in the air that I had never felt before. My mana, which felt like water earlier now felt like cold alcohol.

  “Priest Laikon is the archpriest of the System Maker. He should be at the third altar of the Fire Mother.” He gave md the directions to it and I turned to leave.

  “Wait! Young one, just indulge this servant for a moment more. Do you seek knowledge of the System Maker because you have found your divine calling?” Nehu called out to me, an eager expression on his face.

  “Yeah, something like that.” I fled inside while Nehu was looking like he was about to start reminiscing about his early divine classes. Maybe because everyone was running around to flee the rising sea and the stroke inducing heat but preachers were never the chillest people around in my experience.

  Priest Laikon was an older wizened man with dark skin and greying hair. He had his eyes closed in supplication before a wall relief of what I assumed was the Fire Mother. Right before the relief was a large altar with a round stone basin on it. A fire burned in the basin that sent shadows dancing across the relief. I couldn't really make out details on the relief, carved waves like flames and smoke played off the altar’s own fire and drowned out everything else on to the relief and it was just incomprehensible. He dipped his head in acknowledgement when he spotted me but no moves to approach or speak.

  “Greetings, are you Priest Laikon of Lord Quiraion?”

  “Yes. I am. It is not often that those that seek guidance of Lady Arshanara’s father find themselves in these halls. How may I help you?” His voice was smooth like velvet and his eyes gleamed with the fires of the altar.

  “I wish to learn about Lord Quiraion. What he did and what he was and represented. Actually, I'm not even sure what the correct questions to ask are.” Laikon chuckled at that last bit. “I'm always pleased to enlighten a potential fellow adherent.”

  He walked up to the relief and ran his fingers gently, reverently over a section of it. I could almost make out a hint of a crowned figure in the haze. A fleeting sensation of heat.

  “The Veiled Flame. God of hidden truths, light within shadow, and the fire that burns unseen. Lord Quiraion, all that he is and much more.” Laikon began. “He is most known for the System, that's but that's only a part of what he is, a major part but only a part. He was also a lesser keeper of secrets before becoming a god of magic. Some knowledge is only his to divulge and only his to obscure. That is, among other things, Lord Quiraion. Now, before I continue, would you be so kind as to sacrifice some spices to the fire? There's a basket to the left.” I did as asked and the fire flared up into a bright green blaze as the powder ignited.

  The shadows writhed on the walls and Laikon slowly intoned. “Long ago, Lord Quiraion and his nameless twin brother were born out of the eruption of a volcano made of black rock that could cut diamonds. The volcano, now lost in name and location, harbored a terrible secret within. And the two brothers disagreed on whether this secret should be revealed. And over this disagreement, a battle to the death commenced.” Laikon threw some more powder and the flame roared with renewed ferocity.

  “Is that why he is a minor secret keeper?” I asked.

  “Indeed. A secret is like a coin, on one side it can bring great progress and yet on the other it can spell ruination. Lord Quiraion foresaw the way this particular secret would flip. And he killed his own sibling to prevent that. From the ashes of his brother and his own broken soul, Lord Quiraion created the system. Do you know why, child?” I shook my head.

  “To empower us all! To grant us power, power from death, from souls reaped from the monsters that hunted us at night and laid waste to us during the day. And all he asked for, all he demanded was a tithe, a portion of the power harvested by the system in turn.” Laikon spoke calmly, his face remained kind and placid but a maddening fervor was creeping into his tone. Religious zealots, wonderful. Meanwhile, I was thinking about my trait. The Knife of Quiraion’s primary effect was that my skills and classes levelled up faster and consolidated more often and if all it really did was not take Quiraion's cut then… Quiraion must have been accumulating power for ages before his death.

  I frowned. It sounded like a problem. “How long ago was the system created, archpriest?”

  “It has to be at least a few millennia at least. We don't know the exact date as no mortal diviner can see something as magically momentous.” That was a long time for a god to recover and become even stronger than before. And if the system was subverted then my enemies were also feeding off tithe meant for Quiraion. I tried to look just casually interested while trying my best to keep my face neutral.

  Laikon continued. “There are numerous other stories about his accomplishments but bards can sing for weeks about them all and still not be done. Are you considering a divinity based class? There are doctrines of Quiraion that you should know before taking on one though.” Doctrines? That sounded like something similar to my trait’s compulsion.

  “What are doctrines?”

  “Doctrines are what a god likes to see in their followers. Break them and a god will no longer answer your prayers, provide guidance or grant miracles.”

  “Wait! Can you communicate with a god?”

  “Of course! Why wouldn't we be?” He looked legitimately confused at the question. “Although it is rare for people as insignificant as to get a divinity’s full attention. By sacrificing like you and I did, we can garner notice. The flames turning green meant that Quiraion acknowledged us.”

  Oh no.

  I had messed up, again. The flames had turned green but there was no Quiraion left to acknowledge it. There was one other entity who could have answered when I foolishly called. After all, if a system can be subverted, why not a faith. Why not take the offerings meant for your enemy? Why not lie to the believers if all you had to do was watch over them when paid in offerings and faith? And if that entity was watching, I had to better make sure I was boring enough to not necessitate a closer look.

  Cold Blooded activated instantly and with such intensity that I would feel numb and disassociated

  for hours afterwards.

  There was no I, only an Anya. She listened stonily as Laikon enumerated the virtues of Quiraion. Discretion in sharing knowledge, trickery, scholarship, secrecy and more. She emoted the appropriate faces and adjusted her tone until it was late. She finally made her excuses with an suitable amount of embarrassment and interest that she didn't feel, smiled and thanked him with gratitude that was foreign to her and a girl, little more than internally dead, returned home while a torrent of skill level notifications flashed in her periphery.