Micheal wore a look of apprehension as he flipped the cover. The yellowing pages of the book contained text that he could barely decipher.

  “Celt?” After a few seconds of searching his brain, Micheal recognized the neatly arranged symbols and dotted lines. It was the racial language of the Druids.

  He scanned the first page for a while, before flipping to the other side. There, he found a rough sketch of a plant and symbolic labellings.

  The boy's eyes widened.

  He exclaimed with pleasant surprise, “Potion making? It's an Alchemist’s tome!”

  Even though Micheal could only translate a few of the symbols, he held no doubt that this was indeed a book belonging to an Alchemist. Alchemists were mostly of Druid descent, as they were a race that adored and worshipped nature.

  Due to this, they could identify a lot of special plants and their various effects. Even the most regular Druid had the knowledge to make at least three potions with amazing results.

  They were natural born Apothecaries, just as the Dwarves were innately bound to the art of the forge. Although, Micheal couldn't quite understand the reason for that.

  Of course, this wasn't to say that only the Druids were able to produce Alchemists. Each Kingdom had their own fair share of Alchemists and Artificers, most belonging to the Royal Families, Churches and relatively powerful factions.

  Having an Artificer in one's ranks could mean a world of difference, as only Radiants at the Luminary grade and above could effectively craft artifacts.

  As for Alchemy, as long as one had the necessary knowledge, it was possible to become very skilled, irrespective of grade. The only reason Alchemists remained rare was because they were very particular about their art. They guarded their secrets with caution, and only passed down knowledge to direct apprentices.

  This is extremely valuable… Micheal couldn't help but draw a gasp. He looked around, suspecting if this was some sort of trap or enticement prepared by the terrifying lady.

  Too bad I can't read Celt. Hm, there's the option of taking the book when I'm leaving this place. I can learn the language and earn a fortune through selling potions. Well, this is all under the premise that they allow me to leave in the end. I wonder what sort of task I have to complete…

  Micheal exhaled softly and closed the book. He pulled away from the table and lay on the bed. Despite his wariness in an unknown environment, he still fell asleep rather quickly.

  …

  The 3rd of Florae, Manday.

  In the lively streets of the grand capital, in a certain dilapidated building. A malnourished girl with thick and haggard hair slowly sat up. She rubbed her eyes and coughed lightly.

  “He still isn't back?” Marie's voice was extremely low, and it seemed like every word she uttered was bound to make her lungs collapse.

  After reading the letter her brother left for her at noon yesterday, she went back to sleep and unknowingly slept till the next day. Marie woke up feeling hungry, having no choice but to leave the bed and get something to eat.

  With weak steps, she tottered towards the door, pushing it open with quite a struggle.

  A mixed aroma of ale, soup and roasted meat pervaded the street, making the little girl subconsciously smack her chapped lips. Looking at the money in her palm, she rapidly thought of a way to make the most of it.

  After a few seconds, she bit her lower lip and muttered, “I'll just get bread. I don't know if Micheal has any money on him...”

  Black bread cost just a Moppet, and as one would guess, it was in no way pleasant. Despite the poor taste, however, it was one of the most purchased staple foods amongst the poor.

  People simply had no choice. They matched it with inferior mutton soup or broth. As for Marie, since she needed to save money, she simply was going to eat the bread and force it down with saliva.

  The little girl exhaled and walked along the stone-paved road. She wobbled from time to time, and could only find something to support her weight.

  …

  Royal District, Castle.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  After having breakfast, Esau hid a yawn behind his palm as he followed Heather down the stairs. The golden-haired beauty glanced at him.

  “You didn't get a good night's rest?”

  “Nightmares.” Esau succinctly replied. He yawned once more and said, “Heather, I wonder if you know,”

  “That?”

  Esau organized his words and asked, “I wanted to know if Dreamers have the capabilities to enter the dreams of the deceased?”

  Heather's fingers slid over the surface of the railings as she affirmed. “Of course. However, this is only possible when the person hasn't been a corpse for more than a day. High level Dreamers can certainly wander the dreams of the dead and access memories, scenes or directly ask questions.”

  “Pose questions to a corpse?”

  The beautiful lady nodded.

  “Precisely. In fact, it's quite similar to how Ushers are able to communicate with the spirit bodies of corpses. But, due to the collective belief of Dreamers to let the dead slumber peacefully, it's seldom practiced. Hehe, what I'm saying is based on my knowledge of a handful Dreamers at the Paragon grade. After all, your great ancestor has been the only Dreamer Ascendant till date. Who knows? Maybe he could do way more.”

  Heather's last statement was going off what she could achieve at the Ascendant grade. After embodying the concept of ‘gap’ and ‘gateway’, she could bypass quite a lot of the fundamental rules regarding the Void Ascent. Therefore, it was without question that an Ascendant from the Dream Ascent could do the same, in their own uncanny manner.

  Esau nodded in enlightenment and thought back to when that corpse had risen. What would've happened if he fought through the discomfort and demanded answers from the dead fellow named Sodom?

  “Why did you want to know about this?” Heather's question pulled him out of his thoughts. Esau shrugged and said, “I was just curious about the powers I'd be able to manifest as a Dreamer.”

  Heather chuckled and ruffled his hair. As they passed the guards, she said, “You don't have to worry. At the very least, you'll be a Luminary. Although, I have a feeling that you'll be measured as a Paragon.”

  “You're always having a feeling.” A rare smile appeared on Esau’s face. He shifted closer to Heather and let his mind wander as they walked out of the yard towards the castle walls.

  Heather had to meet with one of the commanders of the Imperial Order and relay the King's orders.

  …

  South of Oralio, Harrows Port.

  The scene here exuded vitality as horns blared and traders displayed their various specialties. People moved about in great numbers; some boarding ships, others mooring their boats.

  Seagulls took to the skies, rotating above the seawater and sometimes swooping down to steal food.

  Micheal stepped out of a wagon and pressed down on his leather pouch, ensuring his money was intact. As he looked around and took in the smell of roasted fish and clashing waves, he couldn't help but feel wistful.

  Scenes from the past surfaced in his mind.

  I'm back here… He sighed.

  After securing the wagon, Esmerelda walked up to him and said, “What you need to do is quite simple.”

  Micheal instantly tensed and nodded stiffly.

  The lady with a hood covering her ethereal face continued, “You are going to replace one of the dockworkers and board that...” She gestured with a nod towards a grayish white behemoth docked in the distance.

  Micheal followed her gaze, and after observing the Merchant ship, he asked, “Then?”

  Esmerelda smiled and produced a black orb swirling with bluish specks of stardust.

  “All you need to do is slip this into the pockets of one of the sailors.”

  Micheal took just a glance at the orb and seemed to enter a state of trance. Esmerelda quickly snapped her fingers and warned, “Do not look at it directly.”

  Micheal nodded repeatedly and asked, “Will I get caught?”

  “That's entirely up to you.” The beautiful lady smiled. She then added, “However, if you're able to complete this, maybe I'll let you take that book.”

  Micheal instantly knew what book she was referring to— the Alchemist’s tome!

  He had thought of various ways to take the book away undetected, but now the lady was directly offering it as a reward. As Micheal felt a wave of joy, he suddenly frowned.

  Wait, if this is so simple, why isn't she doing it herself? She even has the ability to influence minds, so this is a task she can easily accomplish. What is so special or dangerous about that ship? It affects her powers, or there's someone on board who can detect her?

  As Micheal arrived at various conclusions, Esmerelda chuckled and said, “That's right. I can't get close to the ship or influence any of the sailors. There's another Visionary on board.”

  Visionary referred to those from the Mind Ascent.

  Micheal had a sudden premonition as he asked warily, “What grade?”

  Esmerelda retained her smile and responded casually, “Luminary.”

  The boy almost broke into laughter. His lips twitched at the ends as he said, “You're joking, right?”

  Upon seeing the lady's silence, Micheal mumbled in an abnormally low tone, “There's no way I can evade the detection of someone that powerful.”

  “You were able to free yourself from my influence. I'm sure you can do it again.” Esmerelda said simply.

  Micheal wanted to refute, but he quickly shut his mouth under the lady's emotionless glare. After a while, he clenched his fist and nodded, “Alright.”

  “Brilliant! Let's go.” Esmerelda’s smile returned. She spun around and began walking towards a concealed alley, humming a tune. Micheal reluctantly followed behind her.

  …

  After an unknown amount of time, a group of teenagers emerged from a two storey quarters at the end of a certain street. They wore similar outfits and had a gray sash around their biceps. This indicated that they belonged specifically to a merchant group.

  As they walked past a certain alley, one of the boys suddenly crouched to adjust his boot. When the others had walked quite a distance from him, he rose and switched directions.

  The boy's eyes appeared unfocused as he hurried to a certain alley, arriving before Esmerelda and Micheal.

  Without needing any spoken instructions, he took off his clothes, leaving just his undergarments.

  “Your turn.” Esmerelda glanced at Micheal.

  Micheal was a bit slow to understand what she meant. Soon as he realized, he chuckled dryly and began taking off his clothes. He hesitated before keeping the pouch of coins in a corner, in the case of things going awry.

  After donning the uniform of the dockworker, he pressed down on the brown cap handed to him by Esmerelda, hiding his hair. Then, he received the strange orb and tried his best to not look at it.

  He tucked the orb into his belt pouch and proceeded out of the alley. Luckily, he could still see the group of boys gathered in front of a warehouse up ahead, so he simply jogged forward and blended with the group.

  As the seconds trickled by, the warehouse was finally unlocked and the boys familiarly began their work. They loaded barrels and crates into wooden carts, before wheeling them out.

  Please don't talk to me… Please don't talk to me… Micheal cleared his throat and pressed on the cap once more. He kept his gaze to the floor as he copied the others. After a brief while of lifting, he began pushing the cart towards the docked merchant ship.

  Micheal's heart raced as he walked along the gangway with a few other boys. When he stepped on the deck of the ship, he suddenly felt a wave of fresh air blow at his face.

  This “air” seeped into his skin and directly invaded his cognitive body. Almost immediately, an instruction reverberated in his mind.

  The instruction was to finish up his work without conversing with anyone, or probing into the contents of the barrels. And when he was done, he should immediately leave the ship and return to the quarters.

  Micheal's eyes glazed over as he fell into a trance. At that moment, he forgot all about his actual task on the ship and felt an innate desire to finish up his “work” and leave.

  However, a strange ripple spread throughout his mind and the reverberating instruction quickly turned faint and distant. In no less than three heartbeats, Micheal regained clarity.

  The boy snapped out of his daze and forced himself to continue walking forward, acting like nothing had happened.

  Just now, he had clearly been influenced by the powerhouse on the ship. However, due to a strange trait of his, he was able to snap out of the person's influence and regain his thoughts!

  To not appear abnormal, Micheal quickly walked forward and acted as though he was in a slight trance, just like the others.

  He drew in a cold breath as his gaze swept across the faces of the sailors on the ship. He quickly picked a target.