The Beginning After The End 08

by Turtle Me

  “Then please proceed,” Regis responded calmly.

  “Anyway, I’m sure you two noticed already, but unlike zones, the first two floors are all interconnected,” Alaric explained.

  “Wait,” I interrupted. “So all of the ascenders end up in the same place in these first two floors?”

  Alaric raised a brow. “You sound confused. It would be impossible not to notice other ascenders in these two floors.”

  “I wound up in the Relictombs in an… unconventional way,” I said. Regis l scoffed beside me but I ignored him.

  “Not interested anyway,” the old drunk said, raising both his hands placatingly. “Just know that these two floors are vastly different from the zones you’ve explored.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “These two floors represent how far Alacrya has come in colonizing the Relictombs,” he answered in a low voice. He paused for a moment, then seemed to shake himself out of whatever reverie he had just lapsed into. “The first floor consists mainly of mine pits but it's also where beasts native to the Relictombs are bred and raised for specific raw material. Oh, there are quite a few merchants on the first floor as well—never buy anything from the merchants on the first floor!”

  I gave Alaric a curious look.

  “There are loads of scammers on the first floor that prey on new ascenders who don’t yet know any better,” he explained, shaking his head.

  “Were you one of those scammers?” Regis asked with a chuckle.

  “Hush, pup,” Alaric snapped, though he couldn’t quite hide the sly smile that crept onto his face. “Anyway, the second floor is where the majority of ascenders actually spend their days. You’ll also be able to buy some new armor and weapons there if you need it.”

  “Is that why I haven’t seen any armories or weapon shops in Aramoor?” I asked.

  “Yes,” the old man replied. I realized that he no longer gave me strange looks when I asked questions about what was probably common knowledge amongst the Alacryans. Apparently he had grown used to my ignorance. “You might find some small ones on the surface, but the majority of them are on the second floor.”

  Alaric went on to describe what seemed like an entire city built within the second floor of the Relictombs. Aside from the smithies and shops, there were training grounds, inns, merchants who would buy your accolades, and even restaurants.

  I shook my head. “I get that having some of these things in the Relictombs would be convenient, but is there really a need for an entire city catered to the ascenders?”

  “You have to realize that the shop owners and workers there are also ascenders,” Alaric said, taking another swig of his rum. “It’s very hard to open a store on the second floor, but being right there when a party of ascenders stumbles half dead out of the Relictombs is good business. Some hardly ever leave, just returning to the second floor to rest and regain their strength before diving back in again. There are other perks, too, though. For example, there aren’t any taxes on goods or services within the Relictombs.”

  “Another way for Agrona to promote the livelihood of ascenders?” I asked, gazing at the simple oval drawing and trying to picture a thriving city built around ascending alone. I thought of the Wall before the horde of mana beasts attacked; it hadn’t been so different there, where an entire economy had grown up around the Wall’s defenders.

  “Yup! There’s even bigger rewards if you actually manage to find a relic, but it’d be foolish of us to bank on that,” Alaric explained.

  After the drunkard finished his brief explanation of the workings of the first two floors, he explained what I should expect during this preliminary ascent. There was only so much he could tell me about the zones, since the portals from zone to zone could take me anywhere, but he explained where to look for a party and what to look for in potential party members that would be useful. Some of what he told me I could have worked out on my own, but it was Alaric’s insight into the ascender culture that I knew would prove invaluable.

  “I understand,” I repeated for the fourth time as we left the room, Regis safely back inside of me. “A good party composition is the key to success. I should find ascenders who compliment not only my own skills but each other's. I’m only required to go to one zone, so don’t overdo it. Got it.”

  Alaric narrowed his eyes as he looked at me. “You’re a very boring person, have I ever told you that?” he grumbled.

  Ignoring him, the two of us walked down the brightly lit hallway, following the signs that directed us toward the ascension chamber, which was sensibly located right beside the ascender building.

  The hallways got busier as we approached the edifice housing the ancient portal that would take me back to the Relictombs. Unlike adventurers in Dicathen, ascenders came in all shapes and sizes.

  It was particularly amusing to see a herculean warrior, who must have weighed over three hundred pounds, standing politely in line behind a petite girl garbed in what looked like an academy uniform.

  “This is as far as I can go,” Alaric said, gazing toward the portal with that faraway look I’d seen in the conference room. He jumped when a passing ascender accidentally bumped against him, then scratched at the back of his head awkwardly. “I’ll stand by in our room back at the inn.”

  “Don’t trash the place,” I said, turning toward the line.

  “Ah—”

  I turned back to see him reach out as if wanting to grab me.

  “Was there something else you wanted to say?”

  “Er…” Alaric cleared his throat. “Just… don’t die, kid. And don’t ever fall into one of those parties that require you to pay a ‘fee.’ They’re always scams.”

  ‘Aww, he cares about you,’ Regis teased.

  “Thanks, Uncle. Did you want a hug as well?” I asked with a smirk.

  “Snarky brat. Just hurry up and get your damn badge so you can start making money,” he grumbled before turning to leave.

  I stepped into the growing line, excited at the prospect of making progress once more, frustrated that I wasn’t moving fast enough… and scared for what the future held. Pushing down the cacophony of emotions, I focused solely on the entrance to the Relictombs ahead.

  295

  How to Survive

  “I can tell by your wandering gaze that you’re new here. Well, you’re in luck! We have—”

  “Not interested,” I interrupted, waving away a thin man with shiny, slick-backed hair.

  It only took four steps to be stopped by another resident of the first floor. A petite girl wearing a short battle-skirt—way too short to provide any sort of coverage in a fight—brushed her arm against mine and glanced up at me.

  “Would you like to join my team? There are only us girls, and we’d really like a strong, cool man like you around,” she said, batting her eyes.

  I had arrived on the first floor less than ten minutes ago and this was already the seventh time I’d been stopped. Even after all of Alaric’s warnings, I hadn’t expected things to be this bad.

  Losing my patience, I exerted a light pulse of aetheric pressure.

  A ripple ran through the surrounding crowd as they stiffened and shied away from the source of the pressure. The girl’s eyes went wide and she stepped back, staring at me as though I were a demon.

  ‘Begone, foul wench!’ Regis declared theatrically in my head as the girl scurried away.

  Aside from the constant movement of workers and the ever-present hucksters, there wasn’t much to look at on the first floor. The air was stuffy and it smelled of sweat, dirt, and excrement.

  The first floor stretched out for miles on either side of me, and I couldn’t even see the ceiling above us… if there even was one. From what I could tell, there was no ambient light. The wide pathways were lit by a combination of torches, and cranes holding up a web of light orbs high above our heads.

  Most of the space I could see from the main path was dominated by huge qu
arries and even larger fenced fields of tall orange grass, where cattle-like beasts roamed mindlessly.

  The entire area was a cacophony of grinding metal, breaking rock, distant bestial crooning, and a lot of loud conversations fighting each other for supremacy. Meanwhile, ascenders filed toward the teleportation gate leading to the second floor in droves.

  As I got closer to the gate, the crowd of ascenders funneled into yet another single-file line. A pair of imposing guards—their rune-scored backs proudly displayed by their armored uniforms—were checking each person for their ascender’s badge before letting them through.

  When it was my turn, the guard stuck out an armored hand, looking me up and down. “Badge?”

  I gave him my badge. After a quick scan, he let out a scoff and handed it back to me. “Good luck on your prelim, wogart.”

  Though irritated by the obvious pejorative, I ignored the comment and stepped cautiously through the glass-like portal leading to the second floor.

  I was tired, annoyed, and hot from the half hour I had been on the first floor, but all of those negative feelings were completely washed away as I took in the sight in front of me.

  ‘Damn… ’ Regis let out a whistle.

  The second floor was nothing like the industrial wasteland I had just come from and completely different from what I myself had imagined.

  It was an entire city, miles wide, built under a radiant, sunless sky. The streets were paved with decorative tiles that sparkled under the glowing blue expanse overhead.

  Along the avenue, hovering orbs of soft light filled neatly placed, elegant street lamps, giving the streets an almost ethereal quality.

  “Get out of the way!” a husky voice barked behind me.

  I snapped out of my daze, apologizing to the burly man, then walking forward. It was a lot to take in, even for someone who had lived in a flying city.

  The streets were busy but never congested, with ascenders everywhere. It was like being back in the Adventurers Guild Hall in Xyrus, if it had expanded to take over the entire city.

  As Alaric had suggested, businesses catering to ascenders were ubiquitous. The embellished signs hung above the multi-level storefronts advertised everything from blacksmiths to butchers. I saw several shops specializing in the creation and repair of certain weapons, markets where one might find simpler needs, such as dried rations or a new pair of boots, and I even found an impressive building advertising imbuing services for artifacts and accolades.

  However, what I saw the most were inns. In fact, most of the multi-storied brick buildings of varying colors and decorations were inns, all of which were advertising long-term rental of rooms, most often paid by the month rather than the day.

  “Alaric was right. You can spend your entire life here,” I muttered under my breath.

  ‘Focus! You look like a country bumpkin. Remember that we’re here for your ascent,’ Regis chided, even though he was just as absorbed in sightseeing as I was.

  I realized I had become so sidetracked that I wasn’t sure which direction to go to find a team. Alaric had provided several tips for what to look for in potential teammates and what kind of negotiations to expect, but his guidance on navigating the second level had, I realized, been pretty shallow.

  Making my way back toward the portal that I had arrived from, I searched for any sort of laborer or guard who could help guide me in the right direction. On this side of the portal, however, there was only a constant stream of ascenders.

  “Excuse me?” I said, tapping a passing man on his shoulder. “Do you know where I can find a team for a preliminary ascent?”

  The bearded man, whose golden chainmail vest made him practically glow, cocked his head toward me and shot me a glare. “Shove off.”

  After receiving several such colorful rejections by other ascenders, a younger gentleman that looked only a few years older than me actually looked willing to help.

  “Are you serious?” he asked with an amused chuckle.

  “It’s my first time here,” I admitted, scratching my cheek.

  “Come on,” the man motioned with his chin. “I’m actually heading over there anyway.”

  Walking out of the main avenue, the two of us walked across a less crowded street. I sized the man up as we walked; he wore a fitted set of dark leather armor, well crafted but much less opulent than what I’d seen some of the other ascenders wearing, like the man with the golden chainmail. He moved confidently, clearly knowing exactly where he was headed.

  “So what academy are you from?” he asked languidly. “Probably a slim chance, but maybe I’m an alum.”

  I shook my head. “I didn’t go to an academy. My uncle trained me.”

  “And you managed to pass the assessment? Congrats,” he said with a smile before sticking out his hand. “I’m Quinten, by the way.”

  “Grey,” I responded, receiving his gesture.

  “So have you had a chance to tour the city, Grey?” Quinten asked, looking up at the buildings towering over us.

  “A little. The city is even more amazing than the stories I’ve heard.”

  “Well, what do you expect when you have a city made exclusively for powerful mages,” he said with a chuckle. “You should see the Summit Estates.”

  My brows furrowed. “Estates? As in homes?”

  Quinten nodded. “I’ve only ever peered past the gates, but it’s a gated area of villas for highblood ascenders.”

  “And considering how many long-term inns I’ve seen just walking down the street, I’m assuming these houses are astronomical in price?”

  “Astronomical would be an understatement,” the ascender snorted as we turned right into a narrow alley between two buildings. “No, even if you had the money, the real problem is exclusivity. The number of properties there is pretty limited, and it’s rare that the highbloods would give up the prestige of owning a house on the second level. They generally only go up for sale if a highblood is struggling.”

  “I see.”

  The ascender shouldered me with a smile. “Just giving you some dreams to try and reach.”

  I chuckled. “Thank you.”

  Quinten then leaned closer to me. “You should also check out the girls on Blossom Street.”

  “Huh?” It took me a second to realize what he was referring to. “Oh… wait, they’re ascenders as well, why would they—”

  “Ascents are dangerous.” He shrugged. “A lot of us—not just our lovely escorts—have been through enough that we’re fed up with them. The smarter ones have realized that there are easier ways to make money.”

  “Like leading poor mages just trying to become ascenders into dark, out of the way alleys and mugging them?” I asked innocently.

  Quinten blinked before stifling a laugh. “When’d you notice?”

  I looked around, ignoring the ascender calmly leaning against a brick pillar supporting a bridge several stories above us. There wasn’t a single ascender in sight aside from my amicable mugger.

  “Early enough,” I said, lowering my gaze to meet Quinten’s. “I assumed you would have a group of other thugs waiting to help you, though.”

  He let out a chortle. “Why would I need a group to handle one little wogart?”

  Quinten’s form blurred as he rushed toward me, a blade of condensed stone coalescing around his arm.

  ‘Need help?’ Regis asked lazily.

  I got it.

  I reached for the stone blade that had manifested over Quinten’s entire hand. Gripping his wrist with my left hand, I guided the blade safely past, stepped back with my left foot, and brought my right elbow up into his chin.

  With the momentum of his own dash, I barely had to use any strength aside from shrouding myself in aether.

  Quinten’s head snapped back and he crumpled to the ground, his stone blade dissolving.

  Fortunately, the mugger hadn’t died, and his body was sturdy enough that he regained consciousness
within a few minutes, giving me enough time to use his own clothes to tie his hands and feet together.

  “Had a nice nap?”

  The ascender let out a groan before realizing that he was half naked and his limbs had been tied. “I don’t know what you did, but do you really think leather bands can hold me?”

  “No, but they’ll give me just enough time to knock you out again if you try and do anything troublesome,” I said with an innocent smile.

  Quinten nodded awkwardly from his position on the ground. “What do you want?”

  “What I wanted from the beginning,” I answered. “Where do I go to find a team for my preliminary ascent?”

  The half-naked ascender wiggled on his side until he was able to point in the direction with his chin. “Just follow that road until you hit Vritra Avenue. Make a right and follow the road until you see a tall building with a giant clock on the top.”

  “Thank you,” I said, walking toward him.

  “Hey—hold up—you know it’d be really stupid to kill me here, right?” he asked, panic laced in his voice. “Y-you’ll be banned from—”

  I bent down and snapped the leather bands around his wrists. “Relax. I know you weren’t trying to kill me either earlier. And I assume you know it would be really stupid to hold a grudge, right?”

  Quinten simply snapped the thick leather bands around his ankles. “The most important thing we obtain through our ascents isn’t knowledge or strength—it’s how to survive.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” I turned to leave when I remembered another question I wanted to ask. “One more thing.”

  Quinten visibly flinched at my sudden movement. “What is it?”

  “What does ‘wogart’ mean?”

  Quinten looked at me, deadpan.

  “Wogart,” I repeated. “What does it—”

  “I heard you the first time,” he grunted. “I just never heard someone ask me what it was before.”

  “I grew up fairly sheltered,” I lied. “Practically had to escape from my father to become an ascender.”