Akira marched her way toward the main house, a glowstone floating over her shoulder to light the way. There were more than enough lights to cover the grounds at night, but they mainly traced the scenic paths that ran all throughout the estate. Akira was not in the mood to take the scenic route; however, she stormed through the dark and shadowy trees to get home.

She'd spent her entire day searching for the mysterious man her mother had tasked her to find, only to come up with nothing. Akira had tried—she really had—but at a certain point she saw little point in continuing. She couldn't track where the man had gone; he'd traveled through the shadows leaving no trail. Neither could she couldn't follow his previous footsteps, as that would only lead her away from where he was.

Eventually she'd come across new tracks and followed them, finding one dead beast after another. At one point she had heard another fight off in the distance. Thinking it was the man she needed to find, Akira ran full‑speed toward the sound of battle, hoping to get there before he disappeared. Except, when she arrived, all she found was some other adventurer completing their contract.

It was then that Akira knew the chances of succeeding were practically zero. She kept going, though, knowing her mother wouldn't accept anything but her all, which left her deep in the forest until sundown.

As the minutes turned into hours, Akira's anger and frustration with the man grew. Not only had he stolen multiple contracted kills from her, but she'd wasted her entire day trying in vain to find him. She swore if she ever got her hands on him, she'd punch him into the gods‑damn ocean.

As Akira entered the lodge, not even the feeling of coming home could drain away her frustration. She marched toward the section of the house meant for main‑branch family members, which consisted of Akira and her mother, Kora, as the others were all out in the world conducting business or adventuring. This included Akira's older brother and father, who were off trying to open new lanes of trade.

Upon entering the main residence, Akira found her mother in one of the lounges, speaking with a member of the household staff.

Seeing her enter, Kora dismissed the man she'd been speaking to. "You can go, Reginald; I believe my daughter wishes to speak with me."

The servant bowed respectfully before leaving the room, closing the heavy wooden doors behind him.

"I take it you didn't find him?"

"No. No, I did not," Akira said, her words clipped—not helped by her tiredness.

Her mother nodded. "Unfortunate, but not entirely unexpected. I've already sent out feelers, and the moment they have something, we'll know."

"So you knew I'd be out there all day uselessly?"

"Not uselessly, Akira—necessarily. It was in case the man stayed in the area, which he did not. We need to find him before anyone else learns who and what he is."

"And what exactly is that?"

"If the old records are to be believed, he is something called an outworlder."

***

Lukas wasn't sure if it was the magic in his body that allowed him to eat as much as he did or if it was a result of his Steel Gut ability, but he didn't care. He shouldn't need to eat for almost a month thanks to that ability and his magic, yet he'd found himself eating a lot recently. All he knew was that Leanna could cook. He'd never been much of a trier back home and had never explored new things to eat. Even now he was hesitant, but Leanna had blown any concerns away. He had no idea what the dishes were called or what was in them, but damn, they were good. He wouldn't compare her fare to Calayis' cooking—there were too many differences between the two—all that mattered was that both were great cooks.

That night Lukas went to sleep in a nice soft bed after a warm meal and a shower. After everything he'd been through, fighting to survive out in the wilderness, this was the first time he truly felt like a person again. Even when he stayed in Sera's cave he had been too desperate to learn and grasp for knowledge and power to slow down and take care of himself. But for that night, Lukas allowed himself to relax as best he could. He didn't meditate, do alchemy, or anything other than lie in bed and sleep.

Waking up, Lukas immediately sensed that he'd slept far longer than he had in quite a while. He'd gone to bed around nine o'clock, and it was now just after four in the morning. It didn't seem like much, but Lukas usually only got three or four hours of sleep, only sleeping longer when he hadn't slept for over a day.

When he woke up, Lukas knew it was time to go. It would still be dark for the next few hours, allowing him to explore the city a bit while everyone was asleep. He had some things he wanted to do and liked Lyric and Leanna enough not to do them in their home.

Rolling out of bed, Lukas pulled his mask from his inventory and slid it back into place. He also reactivated his Stranger in a Strange Land ability, having deactivated it overnight to rest his tired mind and relieve the mental strain. Throwing on his boots, Lukas made for the door.

As he stepped into the hall and made his way to the stairs, Lukas considered leaving a note for Lyric and Leanna, thanking them for their hospitality and letting them know he had left. It turned out he didn't need to, as they were already awake.

Once Lukas reached the ground floor, he was surprised to find Lyric in the storeroom. He was placing herbs and other items into a box, just as Lukas had seen Leanna do the day prior.

Noticing movement from the corner of his eye, Lyric looked up from his task. "Lukas! Good morning. How'd you sleep?"

"Fine, thanks. Uh, what are you doing up so early? It's four in the morning."

"What do you mean? This is a normal time to be up—we opened the shop about half an hour ago."

Lukas frowned before realizing that he wasn't the only person who needed less sleep thanks to wielding mana. Now that he thought about it, he wouldn't be surprised if the city had a thriving nightlife because so many people needed less rest. There would, of course, be those who didn't have magic and needed a normal amount of sleep—enough to thin the traffic—but there were probably enough people with magic that it wouldn't make much difference.

"I guess you're right. Well, I'm headed out. Thanks again for putting me up for the night."

"No need to thank us so much. Just take care of yourself out there and come by every once in a while."

Lukas nodded, smiling beneath his mask. "You got it. Say goodbye to Leanna for me."

"Will do."

Lukas made for the door and was about to step out into the cool morning air when he stopped. "You wouldn't happen to know where a library is, would you?"

*

Lukas walked down the massive street, feeling as though he were out on a highway and should be watching for cars. There were a handful of other people traveling the road as well, though there was enough space for several meters to separate them all.

The city and streets were lit with lamps similar to the ones he'd seen in towns and villages on his way here. They seemed to be powered by glowstones that directed their light downward, but Lukas couldn't be sure. Then there were the lights in the trees lining the road—tiny fairy lights that gave the branches a festive, Christmassy look. Taking the chance to study them, Lukas found the orbs were actually small balls of fire—or at least that's what they looked like to him. Overall, the lighting lent the road a distinctly fantasy‑esque feel.

Lukas also noted the clean and refreshing scent of the city, something he hadn't expected with his heightened perception.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

As he moved through the streets, following Lyric's directions as best he could, Lukas looked around in wonder. Even Sera showed interest as she walked by his side, though she seemed a little more standoffish than usual.

"What's up with you?" he asked through the blessing, not wanting to draw the attention of those nearby.

"A great deal of things," she said, admiring a particularly beautiful tree.

"Wishing you could experience being a puny mortal like me?"

"Being a goddess has its ups and downs," she acknowledged, "but what I'm mainly concerned about is the other gods."

"Why? Did one of them come visit you and tell you off for some reason?"

"Nothing like that," the goddess said, shaking her head. "It's more a concern about their reaction to me having blessed you."

Lukas frowned. "What about it? Is it a problem with me being an outworlder? Will they try to recruit me or something?"

"While I do gain benefits from you being an outworlder, they aren't so great as to be earth‑shattering. And the only gods I imagine trying to poach you are the goddesses of fertility and lust, for obvious reasons."

Lukas scoffed. "Fuck me—of course. If it isn't that, then what?"

Sera smiled slyly. "Oh, I imagine their followers would do so gladly and eagerly. But the main problem lies in the fact that I blessed you, and the other gods won't like that."

"Why not?"

"A lot of the other gods and I don't get along so well, and they'll see me blessing anyone as universally bad."

"There's bad blood between you and the other gods?"

Sera waved her hand dismissively. "God stuff—you wouldn't understand," she said haughtily.

Lukas rolled his eyes, knowing he wouldn't be getting anything out of her. "So what are we going to do? Are they going to try to pressure me into renouncing your blessing?"

"Most definitely—if they find out, that is."

"How are we supposed to hide the blessing from the other gods?"

"You won't be able to forever, the same as you won't be able to hide the fact you're an outworlder forever. They'll realize eventually, and when they do you'll just have to be strong and powerful enough to resist them."

"I could do that now. I'm not going to give up your blessing just because a bunch of dickhead gods want me to. If I can resist you, I can resist them."

"Thank you," she said, giving him a warm, genuine smile, "but it won't be that simple. I've never put all my being on you to pressure you; even when I showed you how to retract your aura, that was only a single droplet of my power. When the other gods turn to you and you refuse, they won't hold back—potentially even having their followers kill you."

Lukas shrugged and sighed. "It's just one more thing to worry about. And if you have concerns, we can practice with you putting more and more pressure on me. It'll probably help me build up a resistance to people trying to force me into being their baby factory."

"I'm sorry to add another thing to your plate, but it can't be avoided."

"So how do we keep the other gods from finding out for as long as possible?"

"Avoid the clergy of any church, from their highest priest down to their lowest acolyte. Anyone who has felt a divine aura before will sense the blessing I gave you. The good thing is you're already covering it up with your ability."

"I am?"

"You are," she nodded. "When you first experimented with it back at the cave, I noticed it could work. You created a mask to cover your real aura, and that mask hides the blessing. Of course, anyone of high enough rank will see through it, but with your soul strength it should fool most.

"I also recommend you stay far from any temple or divine square, as the gods often appear in both and keep their attention focused there. Needless to say, a god will hone in on you before you even have a chance to react."

"Done. How can I spot these clergymen before they spot me?"

"You'll feel their blessings in their auras. It's the blessing you want to watch out for—through it, their god could sense you. The blessing will feel like a mote of divinity inside a person—easy to spot once you know what to look for."

Lukas nodded and stopped in front of one of the city's many parks. He looked into the shadowy mass of trees—some lights flickered within, but most lined the pathways, leaving large swaths of the park dark. Thinking now was the perfect time, Lukas activated one of his abilities.

"Wait—!" Sera cried out, but Lukas was already gone, plunging into the shadows as he zipped through the dark woods.

He traveled a fair distance into the trees before popping out of the darkness.

Next to him the goddess reappeared, noticeably cranky. "You didn't have to do that, you know. You could've just walked."

"Oh no! You had to use your magical god powers to reappear. Poor baby," Lukas teased.

"You know that while I can't interact with anything else, I can interact with you—including, but not limited to, punching you in your stupid face."

"Yeah? Well, you can blow me," he said, opening his inventory and dumping out the two bodies he had stored there.

"Don't be gross," the goddess admonished.

"'Don't be gross'? What are you, five?" Lukas mocked, tossing her own words back as he bent down and rifled through the possessions of the dead men.

"Says the grown man mocking me like a four‑year‑old."

"If you don't like it, go hang out with all your other friends. Oh, wait."

"Wow!" Sera laughed. "That's just cold!"

"Well, I am searching two dead bodies at the moment, so cold is about right."

"Find anything good?"

Lukas shook his head. "No. I've dug through their pockets and patted them down in case they were hiding anything. The only thing either of them had was a small pouch of food. Other than that it's just their crappy weapons and armor."

"You should take their armor since you don't have any of your own. I know you're all about that masochism, but armor will keep you alive."

"I know, but the only set I'd actually wear is the cannid's, and he's a lot bigger than me—so is his armor. The scalekin looks about my size, but I don't like whatever robes he's wearing. They don't look like they'd provide any real protection."

"They're combat robes—cloth armor, basically. The quality is terrible, but it's better than nothing. Cloth stops cuts and slashes, though it's weak against blunt damage. They're also light and flexible—good for a rogue like you."

"I'd prefer something more durable, like leather."

"Then find someone selling what you're looking for," Sera shrugged. "For now, take the robes—they're better than nothing."

Lukas sighed. "I guess you're right—beggars can't be choosers. Now I just have to figure out how to get it off the guy."

"You could just loot him."

"Oh yeah! That'll work."

Standing up, Lukas stepped back before looting both bodies. As with any other corpse, a strange haze rose from them, leaving them looking desiccated. New this time was the fact that the clothes and items transferred to Lukas' inventory, leaving the bodies in plain white undergarments that definitely hadn't been there before.

He was still wondering where the underwear came from when items appeared in mid‑air, falling to the ground. Startled, Lukas stepped back and noticed a notification he'd never seen before.

Inventory full: unable to store certain looted items.

Groaning, he scrolled through the messages to see what he'd collected so he could decide what to keep and what to toss.

You have looted [Cannid].

You have looted [Scalekin].

13 [Copper Mana Coins] have been added to your inventory.

[Sword of Superior Fangs (Common)] has been added to your inventory.

[Lupine Aegis (Common)] has been added to your inventory.

[Raiment of the Winds (Common)] has been added to your inventory.

[Serpent Fang Daggers] have been added to your inventory.

Inventory full: unable to store certain looted items.

[Boots] have been looted.

[Forest Stalker Boots (Common)] have been looted.

2 [Travel Pouches] have been looted.

[Throwing Daggers] have been looted.

Lukas kept reading while the notifications listed all the useless junk from the bodies. He tossed everything but the scalekin's armor and a set of throwing daggers, leaving those inventory slots empty.

Pulling out the combat robes, Lukas inspected them.

[Raiment of the Winds (Common)] — Full‑body combat robes woven from gale‑cotton to make the wearer more agile. Effect: Slight increase to Agility.

They weren't great quality, but they were better than nothing and even provided a small Agility boost. The armor was fairly lightweight and dark green, like the scalekin's scales. It was in decent condition and bore only a little blood from the stab wound that felled its previous owner.

Still, Lukas didn't want to get all dirty again, so he pulled out a canteen and rinsed the bloody cloth, drying it as best he could. Once moderately satisfied, he tried to put the armor on—only to discover he had no idea how.

Picking up on his intent, Sera stepped forward. "Trying to put it on now?"

"Yeah. Figured I'd wear it just in case. It'd be stupid to carry armor around and not be able to use it if I get into a fight. You've got to be ready, you know?"

Sera nodded approvingly. "That's the attitude of the strong—always be prepared for a fight, no matter where."

"Yeah… only problem is I don't know how to get it on."

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