It seemed that others could tell if he came across a Hungerborn, but they looked at him with pity rather than suspicion.
Aiden wondered how they could tell, and that Lycanthos also figured it out. It could endanger him if he allowed it to show, so Aiden made a mental note to find a way to hide it.
Bamba waited for him on the other side of the wall, with the cart having been searched thoroughly.
"It looks like they threw the items into a blender," Aiden muttered with a sigh as he tidied them. "At least I don't have much. I understand why merchants would bribe the guards."
After arranging his items, Aiden jumped on his carriage and pulled the reins. Bamba ran forward, and Aiden left the walls after successfully smuggling the item.
He turned around.
The caravan had just reached the gates.
As expected, the search was more thorough than it had been with him.
[Analysis completed.]
[Do you wish to review the report?]
"Oh, it has already been three hours," Aiden muttered. "Let's put some distance between us and the walls before I check it out."
Beyond the outer walls of the city were not buildings, but farmlands filled with crops. The golden fields stretched far into the distance, with farmers tending to them like twinkling stars in the sky.
Aiden rode with Bamba, taking a leisurely pace toward the city. Merchants and families traveled as fast as they could, passing Aiden's small carriage and leaving it in the dust.
As for him, he was curious to review the new changes to his system.
★★★
[Desire Fragment: Raymond Cross]
[Type: RISE]
["I wish to be the Rising Star of Argan."]
[Reward: +50 RISE.]
[Failure: TERMINATION OF CHARACTER: AIDEN VALERO]
★★★
Aiden let out a sigh as he read the windows in front of him.
He had indeed become a Slave of Dreams.
As long as someone exhibited a desire in front of him, he would have to fulfill it. However, doing so would grant Aiden access to their memories and most powerful techniques—the same reason he was still alive.
The Moonlight Dance he was studying from Elias Mourne's memories was not a simple technique. It utilized the moonlight to enhance his senses and precision. It was as graceful as the moon, but as deadly as the night.
"And it also gives me these points," Aiden muttered, tilting his head. "They raise my desire meter, but I can't tell if they're any good. If reaching a hundred turns me into a Hungerborn, it sounds like a curse, not a reward."
Aiden could feel the desires within him, but he couldn't tell if they were useful or just harmful. Either way, Aiden would have to research this without raising suspicions.
"Let's forget about Raymond Cross for now," Aiden muttered as he closed the window. "I have a report to receive. I'm curious to know what this skill book is, after all."
[Analysis Report: Skill Book]
[Title: "Veinblade Art: Crimson Lotus Strike"]
[Type: Martial Skill (Sword Technique)]
[Rank: Advanced (Disguised as Intermediate)]
[Elemental Affinity: Blood/Fire (Dual Aspect)]
[Description: A high-level combat technique that presents itself as an enhanced swordsmanship form. The art focuses on converting the user's vitality into offensive power, creating blade projections that appear as crimson flames. Initial instructions emphasize offensive capabilities while obscuring critical drawbacks.]
[Hidden Mechanics:]
[1. Vitality Consumption: Each activation permanently drains the user's life essence, with effects accumulating exponentially with repeated use.]
[2. Blood Dependency: The technique creates psychological dependence, gradually eroding the user's restraint in combat situations.]
[3. Bloodmark Curse: Mastery leaves an identifiable energy signature recognizable by specialized hunters and assassins.]
[Disguised Attributes:]
["Superior armor penetration" - Achieved through life-force expenditure.]
["No energy cost" - Draws directly from the user's vitality instead.]
["Adaptive growth" - Effectiveness increases as the user's lifespan decreases.]
[Identifying Characteristics:]
[Manuscript pages exhibit faint blood residue visible under certain light conditions.]
[Final technique diagram contains concealed sigils detectable through advanced analysis.]
[System Evaluation:]
[This technique represents a high-risk knowledge artifact. Its design suggests deliberate misinformation regarding its true nature and consequences.]
[Available Actions:]
[Learn Technique (Warning: Significant RISE affinity gain, permanent vitality reduction)]
[Destroy Manuscript (Generates RIFT affinity, may trigger defensive enchantments)]
[Preserve Artifact (Potential value for specialized collectors or researchers)]
A long report appeared in front of Aiden, who had nothing to do but steer Bamba away from the crops. He read through it, and his expression hardened the further down he read.
"This skill is… a trap," Aiden muttered. "This complicates things."
If Raymond knew about this skill being a trap, then it meant he was using Aiden as bait. His rivals would probably wait for Aiden in the city, attempting to steal it.
The other possibility was that Raymond didn't know about this skill, and that whoever gave it to him wanted to mark him for assassination.
The two possibilities made this job more than a simple smuggling job for Aiden. His choices would dictate the fate of this man, and possibly the fragile politics in the city of Argan.
"How do I know whether Raymond is using me… or being used?" Aiden muttered as a plan slowly formed in his mind. "I mean, it depends on what happens next."
If the rivals that Raymond mentioned wanted the skill to be used by him, then they wouldn't attempt to seize it. Raymond would be simply playing into their hands, with a false sense of security once he smuggled the book.
On the other hand, if Raymond was the one baiting the rivals, they would be eager to steal the skill book from him. The unknown factor in these two possibilities was Aiden himself—and his actions.
"If I want to test out my theory, I would need to make quite the fool of myself," Aiden muttered. "I guess there is no time to sightsee the city of Argan—not yet. For the time being… I have a conspiracy to uncover."
[---]
The inner city had tighter security than the outer walls. Aiden had to stand in line behind rows of people, all going through a giant arch of light. As he waited for his turn, a few events unfolded.
"I don't know how that got here! I swear to Oblivion that—"
"The Iron Court will be the judge of that," the guard said as he pointed at the man. "Take him away. Arrest him for smuggling gems without a Seeker Badge."
"Please, wait!" the man struggled and cried out.
Aiden watched from afar. He thanked his lucky stars that he had received the inventory before he came to this city. Otherwise, he would be like that man—awaiting trial.
Jack had given him the gem, but Aiden never thought it was forbidden to carry them unless one was a seeker. It now made him wonder whether the hunter had some kind of plan to smuggle it inside or simply didn't know about this law.
"What a fool," a traveler ahead of Aiden said. He was wearing light armor and a large bow on his back. "Who even dares to smuggle gems without a seeker backing him?"
"Is it illegal to carry gems?" Aiden asked, and the man turned toward him like he was an annoying fly.
"Of course it is," the man said with pride. He flashed Aiden a round badge with two swords and a sun engraved on it. "This marks us as the only people authorized to hunt in the wild!"
"Wouldn't it be better if everyone could do that? You know, to lower the number of monsters," Aiden asked again.
The man snorted. "You are truly ignorant. If the Seeker Guild allowed it, countless corpses would fill the wilderness. People and their desires cannot be controlled or trusted."
The man finished his words and walked forward, as his turn arrived. He flashed the guards his badge, and they treated him with utmost respect. The arch of light revealed the gems in his bags, but no one said a thing.
Aiden wondered what kind of reaction his gem and skill book would generate if he didn't have them in his inventory. His turn arrived, and Aiden walked underneath the arch of light.
He became a little nervous as he felt the light search his very soul.
"Don't waste our time, lad!" the guard shouted. "Go ahead and enter!"
Aiden realized that the light elicited no reaction, making him rush into the city with a beating heart. As he shuffled through the crowd of people either walking in or out of the city, he felt excitement over his new ability.
'I could be the greatest smuggler in the world!' Aiden thought, but quickly corrected his mindset. He should aim for bigger things in this life.
Aiden looked at the bustling city and somehow felt right at home. After reuniting with Bamba, who came through a separate gate with a guard, Aiden made his way through the city, searching for his first destination: the Seekers Guild.