As I traverse through deep forests, Alexia's blushing face keeps appearing in my mind. 'She really resembled her-'
My leg slipped and fell from the tree. In panic, I covered my head as I hit ground.
THUD!
'What happened? Did someone attack?' Dora pops from my coat and asks in a hurry.
I stand up and dust my clothes, few small branches pierced my forearms. "It was… nothing. I just slipped."
Dora crawls to my arm and takes out all branches. 'What? Slipped? Are you kidding me? Did the food was drugged?'
"No! No. I just need some sleep. Let's continue to the dungeon city and complete few quests so that I can go back to sleep."
Dora stares at me for second and squeaks. I pump mana into my legs and continue our journey.
This time, I managed to reach dungeon city before sunrise. Despite it being night, the street were full of people busy strolling. No markets were open, instead they all were replaced by small chimney houses releasing dark smoke into already heavily polluted atmosphere. 'Ugh, I should get a mask or something.'
With this thought in mind, I cover my face and make way through dense crowd. At every corner, I spotted dozens of chimney houses burning something at extreme heat. Anyone who passed by these houses could feel the high temperatures, even from few metres away. As hurriedly passed by them, I felt a familiar mana connection. 'Are they burning magic stones?'
To be sure, I focused my mana field. 'Yes, they are processing high quality magic stones. But why here? So openly?'
Suddenly I felt a touch on my shoulder, my heartrate skyrocketed, everything slowed down. My thumb and index was on Melsier's blade. Just as I was about to unsheathe it, something held my arm. I turned back and saw a tall armoured man looking down at me. His large hand firmly held my arm. "Kid, are you lost? Come with me."
My throat choked as I took multiple deep breathes. 'Is-Is he a knight?'
The man was covered black plates from head to toe, green magic crystals were imbued into his body. His helmet only covered his front face with metal studs screwed into his forehead and jaw. 'No openings, no crests and sword… is he even a knight?'
Seeing me in distress, the strange man spoke once more. "Child. Are you well? You can come-"
I notice his loosened grip and broke myself free. The strange knight stared in my direction as I disappeared in the crowd.
I stand on a nearby rooftop, my heart still beating so damn fast. '300 years. In my entire 300 year of life, not one creature bypassed my mana field. What the fuck was that?'
I steal a glance at the black armoured man's initial position but he was not there. 'I sensed every living being in 300 metres around me. Yet he sneaked up to me, the crowd around me didn't even react.'
A thought strikes my mind, I urgently check my coat's pockets. Luckly everything was there, everything. Dora was sleeping in my pocket like nothing happened. I sigh in the dark night and drop down.
I arrive in the Cross guild premises as soon I step into the artificial forest the mana quality jumps up and fresh air enters my lungs. 'At least that forest hoarder did one thing right.'
As expected, the forest itself was empty even though sun is slowly coming up. I looked up at the beautiful sunrise. "That's pretty scene." I whispered.
'Even prettier than Alexia?' Dora teases while poking through my pocket. 'Shut it.'
Inside, the guild office was as empty as yesterday. Only few attendees and a sleeping Stella was to be seen. She was snoring pretty loudly on her desk. I chuckled and lightly tapped at the desk. The receptionist stood up in an instant. "Stella Brimmer! On duty at exploring and discovering department!"
"That would have been more cooler if your bow wasn't covered in drool."
Embarrassed, Stella quickly takes off her handkerchief and wipes the stain.
"Don't fret, my lips are sealed."
"T-Thank you. You are early again."
"Yes, any jobs for me?" I flash my white ribbon which is on my wrist.
"Let me see." Stella crouches and takes out an overly large register. I curiously watch as she flips the giant pages. "Oh! I have an new request by guild itself. There was some unusual disturbance detected on 2nd floor, investigate the source and report it."
Even though I have a poker face on front, I could hear Dora giggling. 'It was you right? Killing that rock cobra.'
Stella looks around and leans towards me. "Listen, normally jobs like this goes only to experienced explorers but since you arrived first, I am making an exception. The reward's good too." She winks at me in the end.
I smile at her. 'She is a good girl.'
"I take the job."
The job itself was cake walk as I already knew the source of disturbance and disposed of it. This job was essentially only free money. On the ramp, I am debating myself whether to explore into deeper floors or not. 'Are you going into lower floors?' Dora asked as if she was reading my mind.
'Well… not today, I am planning come up early so I can finally check out the guild residence.'
'Oh.'
I noticed the obvious drop in her tone. I couldn't help but smirk. "Don't worry, we will find so called Altaris's inheritance." The mouse squeak weakly as I jumped down.
In the dungeon, I decided to uncover the rock cobra's hidden body which I hid using illusion magic. After finding it, I simply sat down and meditated for 3 hours as Dora ran around the dungeon looking for something. As my stamina finally gave lied down on the ground, covered in sweat. 'There is definitely something wrong with this body, even my soul and mana quality, I could only conjuncture so less. As if something's bottlenecking my circles.'
CHIRP! CHIRP! Dora cutely ran towards me and jumped on my chest. 'What's wrong? You don't seem satisfied.'
With heavy breathes, I manage to share my thoughts with her using very miniscule amount of mana. 'I am not progressing at all. I have been exercising my mana pool for last 3 hours but shows no signs of getting bigger.'
Dora tilts her head. 'That much is natural, you are only a child and 3 hours are nothing. You should be able to advance to 2nd circle in a week or so.'
I snort at her thoughts. 'A week? It took me only a day's worth of exercising to raise through 2nd circle and reach 3rd circle.'
Dora stares at me with disbelief. 'I have read your records, the knowledge keepers titled you as the greatest mage of the entire empire. They also recorded that the 5th legion commander was able to reach 5th circle before adulthood.'
I smile at Dora for few seconds and slowly get up. 'Let's go.'
The mouse jumps into my pocket and completes her thoughts. 'I always thought the knowledge keepers overexaggerated your achievements.'
'They sure did.' I answer as stretch my spine. 'undermined me.'
'What?' The mouse screams in my mind but I ignore her and cast a gravity spell on the snake's large body. 'Undermined? What are you saying?'
I grab Dora and extract mana from her which causes her feel extreme pain. 'Shut up, you damn battery. I reached 5th circle at age 15, a year before adulthood. I defeated every mage in my county and won the title of youngest Alter hunter ever. Now stop babbling shit and focus on directing your mana into me.'
For a second, I genuinely felt bad for Dora but this cursed body fouled my mood enough.
BAM! I slammed the rock cobra's body in the guild office. The large noise alerted everyone as few knights bearing the guild insignia appeared out of nowhere. 'Hmm, forbidden arts?' I obediently raise my hands.
"Kid, get away from the alterum!" The knight shouts at me.
"Altaris?" Among the gathered small crowd, Stella spots me and steps in front of the guards. "Drop your weapons! This person here is respected member of Cross guild. He has done nothing wrong."
Few minutes later, the commotion has fully died down and I am sitting with Stella in the meeting room behind the desk again. "So, you are telling me, this 28 foot long rock cobra was crushed by collapsing rubble? And you happened to find the dead snake?"
"Yes. That's what I think, judging by the injuries on the snake."
Stella puts the pen and paper down on the desk and rubs her forehead. "By protocol this should be handled by a high ranking official but none of them are present and the others told me to handle it myself."
'I know that's why I did it.' I smile at her.
"Okay let's wrap this up, you did not directly confront the alterum, right?"
I nod at Stella.
She scribbles something on the paper. "Any other alterum sightings? Or anything strange that you want to report?"
"No."
"Nice, that concludes this report." She signs the paper and leans back comfortably. "But really, this is strange it's not mating season yet then why would a rock cobra be so close to the surface?"
"I don't know. It could be anything."
"Yes, you are right. Anyways, let's return to the desk so I can give you the reward and submit this stupid report."
I follow Stella back to the main office. "Here's your reward, 50 bronze coins."
I take the coins pouch. 'Sweet this will feed the kids for a few days.'
"As for the rock cobra, it will register as your kill in the guild archives and your reward would be handed to you in 1 to 3 business days."
"That's fine. Anyways, I wanted to inquire about the residence that was allocated to me."
Stella immediately becomes stiff. "About that…"
"You didn't do it?" I ask in a cold voice.
Stella bows to me and starts apologizing. "I am extremely sorry! I would do it tomorrow! I promise! Please just this once!"
I sigh at her actions as I couldn't really be mad at her, she already helped me plenty. "Just this once, okay?"
"Huh? Thank you!!!" She grabs my arm from the other side and shakes it like crazy. "How about this? I treat you for a late breakfast."
I smile awkwardly and refuse her. "There is no need. Really! There is no-" My stomach suddenly makes noises which embarrasses me. 'Fuckkkk. I skipped dinner yesterday.'
Stella laughs at me and pats my head. "Then it's decided!"