Inquisitor Marceus Von D’Gulio did not go straight to the town hall when he reached Blossomfell. No, his first stop was a hotel.

  It was a nice place, the Inquisitor decided as he made his way through the quaint, cobblestone streets. Festive gourds adorned doorways and windowsills, markers of the approaching autumnal equinox and the corresponding celebrations. The shops he passed were neither crowded nor deserted, and nothing looked out of place. Blossomfell was all the very best parts of Verdanport, shrunken, distilled down, and nestled within the loving embrace of its namesake forest.

  And beneath this aesthetic of innocent beauty and charm, a foul corruption was brewing. Masked by the floral aroma of red blossoms and mingling with the hearty scent of fresh baked bread was the acrid and unmistakable stench of a demon.

  And it was hardly alone. Marceus’s eyes watered against the harsh fumes of a dozen different infernal magics, the nauseous, sickly sweet odor of blight wormed its way through his nostrils, and even that was not the worst.

  Below even the discordant cacophony of tainted essences, a darker vibration thrummed an impossibly deep note. Well past the domain of hearing, a cold, empty, and incredibly alien pressure crawled over the Inquisitor’s skin. It was faint—so faint that the Inquisitor second guessed his own senses. Marceus struggled to focus on it. It defied all his, attempts vanishing as soon as he tried and only returning as the faintest echo of a phantom chill.

  The High Inquisitor was right to send me here, he decided. Something has become truly rotten within this place’s core. The first step to exorcising it, perhaps before locating its source, will be to determine its nature.

  To that end, the Inquisitor would pay a visit to the mayor.

  But not with the face and outfit he wore now. Marceus had arrived in Blossomfell in the plain clothes of a civilian traveler, and that was how he intended to stay. Inquisitors rarely did their best work in uniform.

  The room Marceus booked was on the third floor of the hotel, the highest floor available to guest and no lack of windows. Neither was necessary, but they would make his job easier. His room afforded a view of the main road into town—the road from which a uniformed inquisitor would arrive shortly.

  After ensuring there would be no direct witnesses, the illusionist channeled his sole Rank A skill. The mana expenditure left him a touch wearier, but not so much as to give him any trouble. Yet he still sat down for a light rest.

  Marceus opened his eyes as he rounded a turn in the road and approached the gate to Blossomfell. The guards on duty snapped to attention when they caught sight of him—or rather, when they caught sight of the convincing illusion he’d swapped his consciousness to. Such a convincing illusion was a useful ability in its own right. But the ability to transfer not only his perception, but also his other skills through his puppets was what made the skill truly powerful.

  Now, he would meet with the mayor. And perhaps he should take a longer tour of the town while he was at it. Who should enter blossomfell next? A scrappy band of young, roguish adventurers, perhaps?

  Marceus couldn’t keep a smile from crossing the features of his real body. I’m looking forward to our meeting, Mayor Stokes. Something tells me your input on the state of your town will be… enlightening.

  _____

  The upper levels of the mine weren’t densely inhabited. It took Zoe a few minutes of wandering deeper into the mountain before she encountered anything else interesting. The only creatures she’d seen since the skeletons were small critters and a few bats that flew away at her approach.

  Making sure to pay enough attention to her surroundings to not be caught completely off-guard, Zoe used the downtime to pull up her full status. She’d meant to take one last look at it right before entering, but she got distracted by dealing with the guildsmaster and the lift.

  [ZOE BLACKWELL]

  Level 31 | Rank F

  Sanguine Disciple, Demagogue

  Higher Demon of Disdain

  -Alignment-

  > Infernal

  > Blood

  > Disdain

  > Carnage

  -Active Quests-

  > Claim Your Right

  > Get Out

  -Active Titles-

  > Outsider

  > Usurper

  > Humanitizer

  > No Love Among Fiends

  -Stats and Bindings-

  Power 233

  Perception 142

  Acuity 125

  Durability 120

  Vitality (Blood) 257

  -General Skills-

  > Identify 4 (Rank C)

  > Hallowed Touch (Tierless)

  > Mana Channeling 5 (Rank F)

  > Manasight 5 (Rank C)

  > Mana Manipulation 3 (Rank B)

  > Hellfire Blast 1 (Rank E)

  > Hellfire Eruption 2 (Rank D)

  -Primary Class Skills-

  > Rejuvenate 18 - II (Rank F)

  > Mending Touch 14 - II (Rank D)

  > Rending Touch 10 - II (Rank D)

  > Surgeon’s Eye 18 - II (Rank E)

  > Blood Whip 10 - II (Rank E)

  > Blood Siphon 1 (Rank D)

  > Flesh Manipulation 2 (Rank E)

  > Life Ray 1 (Rank D)

  > Reap 1 (Rank C)

  -Secondary Class Skills-

  > Acting 5 (Rank D)

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  > Persuasion 6 (Rank B)

  > Mirage 5 (Rank E)

  > Lesser Disguise 4 (Rank C)

  > Cloak of Scorn 5 (Rank E)

  System Display Privileges (Sys-Tier)

  [JUVENILE BLOOD FIEND CORE]

  49% Developed | Rank A

  -Traits-

  > Natural Weapons (Rank E)

  > Arcane Antennae (Rank E)

  > Bloodshaper (Rank C)

  > Heart of Alchemy (Rank B)

  > Personal Inventory (Rank B)

  > Magic Resistance (Rank C)

  -Effects-

  > +60 Power, +60 Durability, +82 Vitality

  > Infernal Alignment

  > Disdain Alignment

  > Blood Alignment

  -Available-

  > 105 stat points

  > Class upgrades (various)

  The list that came up in her mind’s eye still struck her as somehow both minimal and verbose. It was more than a mouthful, that was sure, and yet she was limited to basic regeneration and healing, her disguise skills, some cool fire attacks, and what must have been the amateur mage’s starter kit. At least my stats are higher than they have any right to be. That was the biggest benefit of becoming a demon so far—the fact that she got three times as many points to allocate with each level compared to a regular human.

  I’ve also been sitting on some upgrades for a while. I have those really strong class upgrades for my demagogue class, as well as a bunch of elemental awakening gems I can use to finish awakening the rest of my stats. Not to mention that juicy buffer of free stat points.

  The biggest thing holding Zoe back right now was uncertainty. She kept a buffer of unallocated stat points because she didn’t know what she might end up needing, and that went double for awakening any other stats after vitality. Figuring out what she wanted to do with all her options was the hard part—and one of the main reasons for this excursion. If I can get some more experience and understanding of my current abilities, I can figure out the best path forward.

  Her current path led to a round, expansive chamber with four different paths leading away from it—not including the one she’d just come from. The overall shape made Zoe think of being on the inside of an enormous glove. Aside from serving as a nexus connecting the multiple converging tunnels, the dusty and flat floor of the chamber was entirely unremarkable.

  “Hmm.” Zoe didn’t like just how plain it felt. Chewing her lip, she mulled over her decision in a low whisper. “There’s definitely more magic mixing around here, and it kind of feels like some of the tunnels have stronger mana currents than others.” Aside from that, the cave itself felt empty. Zoe decided to test it.

  Hellfire Blast!

  Her improvised light spell did wonders for her understanding of the local geography as it blazed across to the far wall. Zoe’s demonic biology might give her an uncanny ability to still see in the near-darkness, but it was a far cry from the detail the crimson flare of her magic revealed. When nothing moved to flee or attack, Zoe stepped into the area with increased confidence.

  A spark of hellfire at her fingertips provided the illumination she needed to scope things out. But first—I should make some sort of clear markings for which one of the tunnels is the exit to the surface. While Zoe liked to thing she wouldn’t get turned around, there was no point in risking getting lost when she tried to leave. It would be terribly embarrassing.

  As it turned out, the tough, onyx-like material of her claws was more than up to the task of carving deep grooves straight into the living rock. It may have been a far cry from a hot knife through butter—the weight she put against her 233 points in Power were testament to that—but she had to admit the so-called ‘demonite’ of her claws was stern stuff. Not only were they not blunted—the material wasn’t so much as scuffed. Natural weapons indeed. Zoe idly wondered where ‘demonite’ would fall on the Mohs hardness scale. I still think its a stupid name, though.

  “It’s not really that stupid,” Lilith chimed in. “Definitely not as bad as Cummingtonite. That’s a real thing back on Earth, you know.”

  Zoe was well-aware. She and Lilith shared a large proportion of their memories, after all. She said as much, then went to investigate the other tunnels without waiting for any form of answer.

  The leftmost tunnel wasn’t much of a tunnel, ending only a few strides in with a dead end and another, equally rusted lift platform. It’s probably not a dead end if you can keep going along the vertical axis—but I’m really not keen on trying that. The one lift she’d already experienced was more than enough.

  The next two tunnels were more promising. While one of them continued roughly straight with a downward slope, the other became a tangled mess of drastically steeper cracks and fissures descending ever deeper, accompanied by lush mosses and the sounds of dripping water. That one reminded Zoe of the cave system with the ancient temple she first woke up in. Oddly enough, the thought came with a rising tide of nostalgia, despite those events being a month or so ago and Zoe almost dying.

  The fourth and last tunnel, however, was the most intriguing. Like the first, it wasn’t a true tunnel at all—not at the moment. It had been so thoroughly barricaded with wooden beams, rubble, and discarded equipment that Zoe struggled to catch a glimpse of the enchanted metal door behind all of it. She knew it was enchanted for two reasons. First, the magic-antennae property of her horns picked up on the wards baked into it. Second, she could glimpse fragments of faint, glowing symbols through the assorted blockage.

  “Someone really didn’t want whatever was in there getting out, huh?” It was painfully obvious that Zoe was on the side of the door it was protecting. The heaps of rubble were suggestive of a desperate barricade, not an attempt at concealment. “I guess I’ll need to bring something with me next time to clear all this out. No way I’m moving all that.”

  Taking form as a miniature plush doll on Zoe’s shoulder, Lilith coughed to get her attention. “If the miners went to so much trouble to seal it off, doesn’t that mean they thought it was really dangerous?”

  Zoe thought about it. “Yeah, it does. But if someone says something is really dangerous and goes to a bunch of trouble to stop you from accessing it, that means it’s valuable too and you should figure out how to profit off it.”

  Silence. Then Lilith cleared her throat again. “That is… You know, I don’t think that’s true, but if I’m going to be stuck mentoring a moron, I might as well get stuck mentoring a moron who does at least act like a proper demon.”

  Zoe’s eye twitched. She had a nagging feeling she was being insulted.

  Well either way, I don’t think I’m getting through that door anytime soon. That’s probably for the best. There are limits past biting off more than you can chew. I’ll consider coming back to this one at some point. With that in mind, Zoe set about choosing between the other three tunnels. The first one was easy to eliminate—Zoe had no desire to try her luck with the rickety lift. That left the middle two.

  This should have been an easy choice as well. One of them was less of a tunnel and more of a vertical drop through sharp rocks that had been put through a blender. The other was a normal tunnel. And yet, Zoe’s magical sense tingled at the energies wafting up from the former. There was a tangible abundance of life, magic, and an assortment of different, for lack of a better word, flavors. The other tunnel, in comparison, was muted and plain.

  Zoe eyed the sheer drop. It wasn’t nearly as dark as the rest of the cave system, owing to the glowing moss and mushrooms adorning the rocks. “Well, what’s the point of going spelunking if you can’t commit to a climb?”

  Zoe had a variety of items leftover in her inventory, and that included several coils of rope. Taking one out, she set about tethering it to a sturdy-looking outcropping of rock near the entrance. She wasn’t planning to rely on it—her claws had proved more than capable for the coming task. That being said, Zoe thought it was a good idea to stay prepared. Look at me, being responsible and taking safety precautions. I’m growing up!

  Zoe threw the rest of the coil off the edge. It unraveled as it fell, the tip vanishing into the faint, cyan glow of the depths below. Next, Zoe kicked off her shoes. Storing them in her inventory, she flexed her talon—and began to climb.

  _____

  Inquisitor Marceus was not surprised to learn that the mayor of Blossomfell was corrupt. He had expected it, and his suspicions were confirmed. Not that he good about it—there was no satisfaction to be gained from understanding the obvious, and it was really only disappointing.

  What the inquisitor had yet to determine was whether the mayor was involved in the deeper evil brewing beneath the cobbles of the town, and if so, if he was aware of it. Not every corrupt official was culpable for regional cult activity, and those that were often proved to be pitiably ignorant of just whom they were assisting.

  Not that it matters. Ignorance was seldom an excuse, and the sympathy Marceus had for those tricked into aiding cultists and demons was reserved for those with honest intentions. Mayor Stokes was no such man.

  There were two other major leads for the inquisitor to follow. The first was an abandoned mine just outside the town. Closed down several decades prior, the mine was known to be full of low rank monsters and rumored to be cursed. The main entrance was on the property of some retired adventurer, and the mayor had warned him that the man didn’t take kindly to anyone trying to enter it.

  While none of the information was suspect on its own, such a place was bound to be involved in the current cult activity in at least some way. A dangerous, abandoned mine was like a beacon for all kinds of spooks, without fail. Widespread rumors of a curse in such a place, and an old loner who refused to let anyone take a look? It was insultingly obvious.

  The other lead Marceus had was the presence of a higher demon. He had been tracking down the source of the infernal stench ever since his meeting with the mayor, and now he stood at the doorstep to its lair. There was no doubt in the Inquisitor’s mind that he had the right place—but he was surprised nonetheless. Managing a business at the heart of the town’s shopping area. Bold.

  Boldness was to be expected. It was a demon of disdain, after all. And as much as Marceus was tempted to strike now, Marceus knew the situation called for a more cautious approach.