Mythshaper

"It's really a shame you aren't joining the academy this year with us," Tellus said, gobbling a large slice of raspberry cake.

The day before my departure from Elinum, the group decided to call for a small gathering of only the five of us in a coffee shop near the Monster Hunter Guild. Today would have been the end of my chasm run, having only a couple of elite demons left to complete the quota of twenty-five. Sadly, we had to cancel due to the high storm last night.

"Yeah," Marcus said with much more decorum compared to the boy still chewing and licking his finger. "You'd have crushed the tests utterly."

I was unsure about crushing, but I did have full confidence in gaining admittance. Even Mum said I met the bare minimum capabilities of the Oracle Academy, and that was some months ago. With the relic pushing me to the fourth step of Noble Class, my capabilities had grown exponentially in the span of a single month.

"Well, for now, my focus is on crushing the provincial tournament," I said, sipping my coffee.

I had come after having breakfast, so all the pastries, cakes, and other beverages they had ordered were more than my stomach could handle. Thankfully, it seemed the other four had arrived on empty stomachs.

"That you'll manage fine," Marcus snickered. "I'm certain of it."

I smiled. It seemed my new friends had more faith in me than I realised.

"For someone who could kill an elite demon on his own," Valeria said, "you seem to lack some confidence."

"I'm not lacking in confidence," I said. "Merely having an unbiased view of reality."

"Your view is too screwed for it to be unbiased," she said. "I guess you'll find out what kind of monster you are after you face a few opponents."

Everyone at the table agreed. Even Lauren, who was mostly silent, nodded along.

"I'll say it now," Tellus said, gobbling a pastry.

Valeria slapped him on the shoulder. "Say it after you finish eating."

"Nah, I'll declare it now!" He stood up, his voice growing louder and drawing attention from other tables. "Once you gain the Demon Hunter Honour, you'll be undefeatable in the tournament."

Embarrassed, I bowed my head, hoping nobody would see my face over the partitioning wall.

"Then there's us plebeians," Valeria said, "who'll need to reach Prestigious Class to have a shot at upgrading the Honour."

It would take another day. Even after working tirelessly yesterday, I still lacked a couple of numbers to upgrade the Honour.

That was not precisely true. She was merely being theatrical. While there were elite demons as strong as high Prestigious Class awakened, there were easier targets equal to the later stages of Noble Class as well, like the Demon Lily I hunted. Defend against its toxin, and you would have no trouble slaying it. The issue was that targets like that were rare. The same applied to something like a corpse fly. Hunting one might be easy, though you would be unlikely to find a lone corpse fly.

"Well, being a Shaper does make it easier," I said. And I was fortunate enough to be born to two Fabled Class parents.

"It sure does," Marcus said, "though I have seen Noble Class Shapers who cannot manage half of what you are capable of."

"Oh, by the way, I may be able to complete a pair of levitation boots for you before the admittance test."

"Truly?" The young noble boy's eyes gleamed.

I nodded. "You may have to get them from Klearon, however."

"No matter." Marcus' face lit up. "It's merely on the other side of the Waygate."

"What about my equipment?" Valeria leaned in, resting her palms towards me.

"You never mentioned what you need." I moved away slightly.

Her lips curled up. "Heh, I was merely pulling your legs."

We talked more about various topics, easing all the tension until, finally, I bid my goodbyes, informing them where to contact me in Klearon.

Despite the heavy downpour last night, there were no patches of mud or puddles; the dry red soil absorbing the water in no time. Still, there was a dampness in the air, bringing the temperature down by a couple of degrees.

Walking down the familiar cobblestone path, I headed to the more unfamiliar side of the developing city. There were too many smithies and metalwork outlets in Elinum. Most of them were only used for refining and reinforcing mined ores before exporting them to other cities in the empire.

Since I had the entire day free, I decided to work on the spoils I gathered from the chasm. To refine the material I obtained from the Stonegorger and the demon cores, I needed a couple of essential alchemical solutions. Although there were not many alchemy shops in Elinum, there were more than a few where I could get my supplies.

Ludie's Alchemy sported a two-storey building that might have seen better days a few decades ago. With crumbling plaster and paint chipping away in places, the edifice did not seem to have been a regular smithy before being transformed into a potion shop glued to an alchemy lab.

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As soon as I entered, a thick smell of chemicals drowned my senses. The interior was not much cleaner than the outside, with shelves upon shelves crammed into the wide room, stacked with various shapes of colourful vials, flasks, and containers. A partitioning oak counter stood in the middle, working as a dividing line between the proprietor and the customers.

Alchemy was a growing business, and it was evident even in the disarrayed state of the shop, with half a dozen patrons present early in the morning. The potions were rarely cheap, but they had become an essential commodity for anyone diving into the chasm.

"Welcome, young sir," a handsome, plump woman greeted from the counter. A thick odour of lavender wafted from her, as though compensating for the chemical stench of the shop. Her hair was in a top bun, and she was dressed in a fine robe, with a smoke pipe on her lips, looking every bit as matriarchal, opposing her cheerful greeting. "How may I help you today?"

A gangly-looking youth stood to her right, working as a helper, while an older man sat on the far left, paying no attention to the customers.

I got to business immediately. "I would need a kilogram of borax, a flask of sulphuric acid, chromium—"

My eyes suddenly darted to my left and paused on a man. My pupils contracted immediately.

"Young sir?"

I did not reply, still gazing at the man standing off to the side all alone. A tallish man in hunting attire, sporting two battle axes. For a flicker of a moment, my Fractal Sight opened, and my suspicions became evident.

He noticed me staring, and I did my utmost best to look unfazed while looking away.

"Young sir, is something wrong?"

I looked at her concerned face and could not help but peek at the stranger.

"Ma'am," I whispered, leaning towards her ear. "That man over there, at my nine o'clock, he is a Half living."

"What?!" The woman's eyes could not widen further as she immediately gazed at the man. Then it seemed to occur to her. "Listen, kid, if it's some kind of prank, I'll have you—"

"I'm serious."

"How can you tell?" She released a twirl of misty smoke through the pipe.

"Don't look at him, he might get suspicious." I wetted my lips. "We need to call the enforcers right now."

The woman nodded, her face solemn. "Do not act recklessly, I'll…" She sucked in a deep breath. "There is a back door. I will get the enforcers."

She gave the half-living man one last look before turning to the older man. "Old Rez, if you will."

She took off with the elder, creeping through the inner door, which probably led to their stockroom.

I did not give the Half living any more attention, fearing I might give it away. Exhaling a silent breath, I loosened my hold on my essence, though I did not let go completely. It was not the same Half living I met in the market some days ago, but even with the brief examination, I could tell he had strength equal to Prestigious Class.

Someone shifted behind me. I quickly turned to find a girl about my height. In a form-fitting leather jerkin and trousers, she cut a severe figure, with a sword hanging on her back. Her ebony hair was in a messy braid, as though she had just come straight from monster hunting. She was pretty, stunning even, but more in a regal way, especially those piercing violet eyes, akin to finely cut amethyst, glaring straight at me.

"You," her voice was a whisper, yet it came rough, as her expression suggested. "You do not know what you are getting involved in."

A frown developed between my brows as I scrutinised her. Did she perhaps hear what I said to the shopkeeper? Wait, was she… My arcane senses picked up nothing, and even when Fractal Sight attempted to penetrate her system, it was obstructed by something. A veil of some sort, obscuring her essence seed and inner channels from prying eyes.

"Don't." She seemed to notice my attempt, and her glare became blatant.

My eyes returned to normal, but her expression did not ease.

"Are you a blighted fool?" she said, her voice still low. "Get out of here now. This does not concern—"

She faltered, noticing the door opening and the matriarchal woman returning with a cotton satchel.

"Young sir, your supplies are here." She presented a smile, though the solemnity did not go unnoticed.

I turned to her when the amethyst-eyed girl shifted to clutch my arm. I lurched a step away, evading her.

"Get out," she said, gritting her teeth.

The shopkeeper came forward, holding the bag full of my supplies.

"The enforcers?" I whispered. "Did you call them?"

"Do not worry, kid. I have everything under control."

Then she threw the packet at my face, her form shooting forward to clutch my arm. Instinctively, I shifted, but she managed to clutch my arm, her grip iron cast, before she spun me on my centre of gravity to hold a curved knife at my windpipe.

"No sudden movement!" the woman shouted.

My aura, even [Vigil of Protection], was ready to flare at any moment as panic gripped my heart.

What in the blighted hell?

It took me a moment to realise her voice was not directed at me.

The purple-eyed girl exhaled deeply, eyeing me. "I told you to get out."

Meanwhile, the Half living had already moved from the wall and pulled the shutters down, confining me with the rest of the patrons.

"What's the meaning of this?" cried an older man. "Why are you threatening a child?"

Everyone but the purple-eyed girl was clueless about the situation.

"That man, he's a Half living," I rasped, still unable to comprehend the situation. "Why are you capturing me?"

"Silence!" She heaved a breath. "How many years had it been we managed to keep this business alive under the nose of the enforcers, and now to be found out by a child that oozes the smell of milk..."

The thick smell of lavender drowned my senses, making my head cloudy. I surged my essence to clear whatever machinations were playing within my system.

"You can only blame yourself for playing the hero," the matriarchal woman said. She was of Noble Class, an augmenter, with none of the Half living taint present in her system. "You there?" She pointed towards the girl. "You seem like a sensible lass. Throw away your weapon if you want this kid alive."

The girl did not move immediately, her cold eyes staring straight into the woman's. Finally, she loosened the straps and was about to toss the sheathed blade.

"Do not," I said.

She hesitated, her eyes shifting from the Half living to me.

"Looks like someone has a death wish," the woman snickered, the knife drawing ever closer, piercing my skin and drawing a thin line of blood. "Well, I intended to keep you alive for other purposes, but I would not mind emptying my hand—"

All two hundred and fifty-six of my essence threads fired at once to strike the woman, followed by a piercing blade aura. Her form crashed into one of the shelves, shattering dozens of alchemical solutions, before she slumped down with a gaping wound on her chest, her inner organs bloodied and visible, and lifeless.

A look of terror overtook me. She was dead. All it took was a single move I did not even intend.

I only wanted to throw her off.

Shell-shocked, I found myself frozen for a fraction of a second. The Half living screamed, bolting straight at me, all pretence blown away.

The girl intercepted, her sword swinging in a threatening arc. She was swift and without hesitation as she released a penetrative sword aura.

"I'll take care of him," she shouted. "Take the others and leave."

Shoving aside whatever upheaval I was feeling, I rushed towards the frightened customers. Only a couple of them seemed to have any experience in battle; the others frozen in fear. They were already trying to break open the entrance.

"Stand aside," I said, as a spear of flame extended from my palm. But my attention was soon diverted by a cry.

"Look out!"

The molten flame exploded inside the alchemy shop.