After leaving the Seekers Guild, Aiden found himself an inn that could give him shelter and food. A room was two copper coins instead of one, but Aiden had enough to spare at the moment, and he rented an entire week.
The room was rather small, with a single bed, a desk, and a small cupboard. There was no bathroom, as it was shared by the entire inn.
"If there's an ability to create an interdimensional bathroom just for me, then I want it," Aiden said with a sigh. "My experience with bathrooms so far has been anything but pleasant."
Aiden threw the bag of tea leaves into his inventory, which was full now. As he sat on the bed to rest, he received a notification from his system.
[You have a new magical item in your inventory.]
[Do you wish to analyze?]
[Yes / No]
Aiden blinked.
"Of course, even the tea is magical," Aiden said before choosing to analyze it. "I did it to manipulate the Guild Master, but I guess it was actually rare."
Aiden enjoyed the tea, but not enough to make him demand it. However, he didn't want to let the Guild Master trap him by giving him something actually valuable.
And even more, he wanted to leave an impression on her.
"I've never seen a woman that beautiful," Aiden muttered as he threw himself onto the bed. "I've seen many beauties in the streets too. Is this a common thing in this world?"
A grin appeared on his face.
"Maybe it's easier to find myself a girlfriend here in this world."
Aiden was not bad looking — his ashen hair and grey eyes gave him a certain charm. However, when he lived in the slums, he couldn't afford to have a girlfriend.
Ronnie told him how much girlfriends cost money — fancy dinners, gifts, and even asking to live together. Aiden was rather content with his freedom to pickpocket and sleep without worry.
"I don't have to worry about money in this world," Aiden muttered. "I can just go and hunt monsters, and it would give me enough money to live. But living isn't the goal, is it?"
Aiden sat on the bed as he opened his system. This thing, regardless of whether it was a curse or a blessing, gave him rewards and power. The last thing he obtained was the Starflame.
[Starflame (Unique)]
[A dying ember of ambition, clinging to purpose. Bind it to a Desire, and it will kindle with your growth.]
[Type: Crafting Flame – Level 0]
[Binding Requirement: Must bind to a Desire — abilities of the flame will depend on the chosen desire.]
[Do you wish to bind this flame to a desire?]
"A crafting flame?" Aiden muttered with disappointment. "I wanted something that's more… offensive."
A crafting ability was nonetheless… magical. Aiden had no qualms about becoming a crafty person, since it could earn him a lot of money.
"Wait— I can use this flame to cook. Would it make the food taste better?"
Aiden grew excited for the idea of having his own magical flame. He turned to the system and chose to bind his desire, but he was presented with four options, each with different abilities.
[Starflame of Rift: a law-breaking flame that lets the user craft weapons and enhancing potions.]
[Starflame of Bond: a fate-weaving flame that lets the user craft communication items and healing potions.]
[Starflame of Void: a world-erasing flame that lets the user craft stealth items and damage-negating armor.]
[Starflame of Rise: a soul-igniting flame that lets the user craft empowering elixirs and growth-enhancing gear.]
"These are rather powerful," Aiden muttered with a gulp. "But where is my Starflame of Cooking?"
The four flames each had their own uses and would dictate the path that Aiden takes in this world.
He could become a weaponsmith, focusing on combat and enhancement.
He could become a scientist and invent smartphones, or a doctor who cures diseases.
He could become a ninja that crafts stealth items and armor.
Or he could become a master training disciple using his enhancement gear.
Rift promised power.
Bond promised wealth and authority.
Void promised survival.
Rise promised growth.
"I'm inclined to choose Void, but… I don't like the idea of going back to being a thief. It would feel like I went back to something I did not enjoy just because it's familiar."
Aiden decided to leave this for later.
Maybe fate would decide for him.
"I still need to meet with Raymond, but I'm not sure about his motives behind giving me such a skill book," Aiden muttered with a sigh as he lay down. "He asked that we meet tomorrow, so I have time to figure it out."
Aiden closed his eyes.
He was tired from the fight in the maze, and no amount of cream could solve his fatigue. In the end, Aiden fell asleep.
At midnight, Aiden rose from his bed. He heard the noise from outside and realized that the inn was beginning its nightly activities of serving drunken seekers.
Since he was unable to fall asleep, Aiden opened his Wish Log, hoping to train his Moonlight Dance. He was surprised to see a new memory that he could access.
[Desire Fragment: Borin Earthhand.]
Aiden looked at the wish log and felt a pit in his stomach. He didn't know Elias Mourne, so he had no problem viewing his memories. However, if he accessed Borin's memories and stole his skills, he might actually feel guilty for killing him.
"Maybe later when I need to master the Starflame," Aiden muttered as he accessed Elias Mourne's memories. His training began once more, and Aiden lost himself in the Moonlight Dance.
The next day, Aiden traveled around the city and spoke to different people. He began gathering intel about Raymond and the Cross Family, their allies, enemies, and their reputation.
Before he could execute his plan, Aiden needed to understand his enemies and his allies first. The next step would be to plan a fake rumor about a fake drop-off of the skill book — one that Aiden could witness from a safe distance.
If Raymond's enemies don't attack, then it proves that the skill book being a trap was their idea. If they do attack, then Aiden wouldn't be able to trust Raymond.