Chapter 29: Demands

The thing Lorn noticed immediately about Belo city was the wall again. A giant, ten-meter-tall concrete structure that was so thick you wonder if they sell its insides as apartments to people. Something told Lorn that some cities must have soulless living in their walls.

After all, in the capital, they would have to have an even bigger wall. According to Sybil, the larger cities had higher walls, as the gatherings of so many people always lead to more monsters and possessed spawning around those areas. The cities culled their numbers diligently with the help of Hunters, but still, monster waves occurred frequently enough to need gigantic walls.

It was dangerous to live around those areas, but of course, those places were filled with riches, as some materials could only be obtained from certain monsters.

The bigger the city, the stronger its military power had to be.

Belo city wasn't considered a powerhouse in the country, but its standard was still much higher than a small town like Silt.

"There are a few names you should be wary of," Sybil was speaking as the two waited in a line of travelers wishing to enter the city. "The Sinclairs you've heard of before are the most important. They're definitely the most important people in Belo city. There are other clans, but they mostly fall below the popular guilds."

Some other people in the line curiously gazed at Lorn, but it wasn't as bad as Silt. There was news of Undying appearing in Belo city, so Lorn wasn't as exotic as he was in Silt.

"The Warrior's guild here is the most influential, as they consistently produce behemoths of battle. Shekh's actually one of them. The Pale Warrior he's called and is said to be most ruthless Warrior in all of Vox. Add to that his sparse words, his killer gaze, and his stubborn insistence on staying in a small town like Silt… well, many rumors surround the man."

Lorn definitely felt what Sybil was talking about. He always felt that the giant albino was off somehow, and after the few interactions he had with him, the feeling only became stronger.

"Anyhow, then comes the Mage Guild. That one's actually three guilds combined into one: the Manipulator's guild, the Conjurer's guild and the Invoker's guild. I loosely belong the first and until you Rank up, you will as well, so if someone comes wanting to recruit you, just tell them you belong to us. We'll be visiting them first thing anyway, so it shouldn't be too problematic as long as no one stops us on the way."

"We'll probably be fine."

"Any questions?"

"I'm guessing the Manipulator's guild has many different branches in it too, right?"

"Of course. I was mostly self-taught, since gravitational magic is too rare. I received some help, sure, but it was still hard," Sybil sighed. "Pioneering stuff is a pain in the ass, so follow the herd."

"I feel that I'll be following you most of my journey."

Sybil waved his hand dismissively. "Actually, go pioneer something and give me cool skills."

Speaking of new skills, Lorn was feeling slightly impatient lately.

"I was actually thinking of Ranking up these past couple days."

"Did you get any new offers for specializations?"

"No."

"Did your stat benefits become bigger?"

"I'll receive 0.6 points every time I level up a skill, and my spirit consumption will reduce by 9% and the total capacity will increase by 2.1 times."

"Aside from the stat bonus, that's still too low."

"Really?"

"Did you unlock more benefits that were mentioned? Weren't you supposed to get six in total?"

"Oh, actually, I unlocked one more benefit. It's related to our Spirit bond. Let me read it out for you. 'You will receive a skill that benefits your Spirit Bond. It will be shared with your partner.' "

"Oh? Finally, you're showing some of your worth," Sybil smiled. "But it's still too early. Try to at least unlock one more benefit and then keep grinding for those stat increases. 0.8 might be impossible, but 0.7 is definitely within reach. And consider yourself lucky. Most F ranks can only realistically receive a 0.5 bonus."

"Why?"

"Didn't you notice? The more you level up your skills, the more the benefits of the next rank are. Since most newbies only have two skills, they can never go beyond 0.5…" Sybil said and her hand went to her chin. "Actually, I'm getting kinda pissed thinking about it all, so let's just focus on Belo City."

Lorn smiled. His conversations with Sybil were becoming better and better. There was none of the forced friendliness that lingered before, and even the silences felt more calming.

They became companions through obligation, almost, but that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy it.

Slowly, they progressed through the line. When their turn came, Sybil explained everything on Lorn's behalf and they were admitted soon enough. The two told Clay to put their horses and carriage in a stable and find a decent inn for the two of them.

They then walked under the gazes of the soulless for a bit before arriving in the Inner City.

Here, Lorn attracted more attention, but he didn't stop to let others gawk at him. Few people who seemed to be Hunters took notice as well. His head high and frowning slightly, Lorn boldly walked through the streets of Belo, looking like he had the most important business to attend to.

The act seemed to work as none dared to step in his way. Even street merchants walked out of his way when they saw him approaching. Sybil noticed what was happening and mimicked Lorn.

Sometimes, Lorn couldn't help but feel prideful of the tricks he learned when he was homeless.

They came before the Manipulator's Guild and entered.

"What's your business here?" a guard stepped in front of them.

Tricks could only get them so far, though.

"I'm here to apply our friend here as a new member of our guild," Sybil answered.

The guard looked at Lorn, noticed the gem on his forehead, and immediately, his eyes widened a bit.

"Of course," he replied hastily. "I'll inform the Guildmaster of your arrival. Please wait here for a moment."

The guard went running immediately. Seeing the sight, Lorn couldn't help but smile satisfactorily. When he looked at Sybil, he found her doing the same.

A couple minutes later, the two were sitting in a fancy-feeling office, facing a woman who looked to be in her sixties. A few items of gold and silver decorated her neck, some matching her style, others not so much. Two servants were pouring tea for everyone and cleaning the office slightly. After they were finished and walked out, the old woman spoke.

"Sybil. It's good to see you here once more."

"Master," Sybil replied respectfully. "It's been a long time."

The atmosphere was cordial, but not friendly. Like Sybil said, she learned here, but mostly by herself. There was no reason for her to be close to the Guildmaster.

"And who's the gentleman?"

"His name's Lorn. Lorn, Ms. Freida here's the Guildmaster of the Manipulator's guild," Sybil introduced the two of them briefly. "Lorn's an Undying who appeared near Silt. Some stuff happened and I'm now accompanying to sever our Spirit Bond."

The old woman's eyes widened slightly at that. She eyed Lorn once more, then Sybil, and hummed to herself. She almost looked proud.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, offering her hand.

Lorn shook it. "Likewise."

"And what brought you two here?"

"We're hoping you'll accept Lorn as an honorary member of the Manipulator's guild," Sybil said. "Of course, he'll receive the benefits attached to it. As customary, he will receive a prize from the Guild's treasury. He'd prefer something that boosts his spirit or reduces its consumption. If you have anything that boosts his rank up somehow, it would be even better."

The Guildmaster's eyebrows creased. Lorn was also surprised. He thought they were only there to become members, not demand all these things from the old woman. But Sybil wasn't finished.

"I, too, want a prize. I feel that my foundations are pretty good, so I want something that'll help my firepower. A relic, not a onetime use talisman. Of course, I'll trade something of equal value."

"Sybil," the Guildmaster's voice was cold. "Just because you've brought an Undying to the guild, doesn't mean you can act however you want. In fact, our guild recruited three of them already."