It took a lot of swearing and cajoling, but Lukas eventually managed to get the combat robes on—with plenty of help from Sera. She couldn't do much more than tell him he was doing it wrong and laugh at him, but she made sure to make up for it by laughing even more.

Once he was finally in the robes, he did a few quick movements to test their fit. Suffice to say, the scalekin and Lukas had different builds. The armor draped poorly in some areas and felt too loose in others. Lukas didn't think it was enough to hinder his capabilities in a fight, but it would take some getting used to. Other than that, the armor wasn't all that bad—it had a good weight to it, giving the impression it could actually protect him. It was also surprisingly breathable, helping keep him cool, something he hadn't actually thought about. He imagined it got hot under so many layers during the summer months.

When it came to the enchantment, he didn't notice any effect on his mobility or agility. Lukas chalked that up to having so many stats that the boost was negligible, lost under all his titles.

Finished with his light testing, Lukas turned to Sera. "What do you think?"

"It's not bad," she said, tapping her finger to her chin and looking over him critically, "It's good armor for your fast and nimble fighting style. You look like an actual adventurer in that armor instead of the crazy person you used to."

"Gee, thanks."

"The color is also good."

"What about the color?"

"It's a green so dark it's almost black. It looks like poison. It's obvious the guy got it to match his scales, but it looks good on you. Makes you look like an actual combat alchemist—especially with the mask and glowing orange eyes."

"You think?" he asked, looking down at the flowing robes.

"Absolutely," she nodded. "All you need now is a good cloak and some gloves, and no one will be able to see any part of you. You'll be all spooky and mysterious, just like you wanted."

"I'll look into that later. For now, I'm going to the library to get some answers—since you don't like telling me things."

"I tell you lots of things," Sera protested, "I just don't tell you the big stuff. And shouldn't you be looking for a place to stay first?"

Lukas waved what she said away dismissively, "The sun hasn't even come up yet. I've got all day to find a place. Besides, I have a decent amount of mana coins, so I think finding somewhere will be easy enough."

"You say that while not knowing how much those are worth."

"I'll figure it out. I've got an entire day. Now, I think it's time to get back to the road and get going."

"You're just going to leave those bodies and items there?"

Lukas looked down at the two bodies and the small pile of loot he'd dumped and couldn't carry. "I can't store them—I have almost no room in my inventory, and I'm not going to fill two spots with corpses. It'll be fine. We're deep enough into the trees that no one will find them any time soon."

"If you say so. Just don't shadow travel back to the road and—"

Before Sera could finish, Lukas melted into the darkness, a grin on his face. A moment later, he was out on the street, an irritated goddess appearing at his side and thumping him on the arm.

"Ow!" Lukas complained through the blessing, rubbing his arm.

"Didn't I say not to do that?" the goddess glowered.

"That's rich coming from you," he scoffed.

"Yeah? Well, I'm a goddess. I can do what I want, and you should do what I tell you."

"Maybe if you actually acted like a goddess instead of a toddler—"

They continued to bicker and banter as they made their way toward the library, the streets starting to come alive as daybreak drew closer. As the eastern sky began to lighten and the stars dimmed, Lukas and Sera appeared before a rather large building. It was the library, pointed out by someone Lukas had asked for directions.

The library resembled one you'd find on a college campus—grand and expensive-looking. Most buildings in this section of the city were rather simple, made of stone and living trees. The library was similar in construction but had more intricate architecture and was made of more valuable materials.

As Lukas walked up the front steps toward one of the sets of doors, he found out why the building was more elaborate than the rest as he read a plaque:

This library was built and paid for by the Church of Wisdom and Knowledge. Any and all donations to the church are appreciated.

Stopping to read the sign, Lukas frowned. "Is that going to be a problem?"

"No. The church is all about knowledge and learning. That means building libraries, schools, museums—that kind of thing. There are probably libraries like this all over the city, the biggest being the temple in the Temple District."

"So is this like a temple or church to the god of wisdom and knowledge? Am I going to run into clergymen here?"

"This is just a basic library. You might run into a follower of the god here, but not a priest—unless there's some special ceremony going on. Even if there are any blessed in there, they'd be too low-ranked to see through your ability and notice your blessing."

Heading in through the doors, Lukas was immediately impressed with the sight before him. The library had multiple stories, each one terraced to look down on a central area full of long tables meant for studying. Bookcases full of all kinds of books and scrolls filled the building, giving it the pleasant scent of old paper. Glowstones embedded into the sides of bookcases gave the building a soft and comfortable light, easing the mind and readying it for learning.

Looking around, Lukas didn't see anyone but a middle-aged cannid woman. He could tell she was older due to the fur on her face and muzzle beginning to gray and dull, like an aging dog's. She was sitting behind a large circular desk in the center of the room, and Lukas guessed she was the librarian.

Lukas considered just grabbing books off the shelves to see what he could find, but he had no idea how they were organized. Instead of wasting time, he headed toward the only other person in the building.

As he approached the desk, the cannid woman looked up from the book she'd been reading, surprised to see him.

"Oh, hello!" she smiled warmly. "Sorry I didn't notice you. We don't usually have people in here this early. Is there something I can help you with?"

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Yeah, do you think you could help me find some books I'm looking for?"

Twenty minutes later, Lukas was sitting at one of the long study tables, a small pile of books next to him. In short order, he began looking through them, searching for the information he wanted to know. One of the first subjects he delved into was the geography of his new world, and one of the first things he learned was its name. Adona.

He found maps and charts for the whole planet and quickly realized Adona was nothing like Earth. There were five main continents—some linked by land bridges, others separated by oceans and seas. One thing that was similar to Earth was the biomes: from temperate forests to tundras and scorching deserts. There were notes on how ambient magic affected climate and weather conditions in certain areas, but they didn't go into detail.

At one point, Lukas found the imaginatively named Pinewood Forest and the city that shared its name. The city sat on the coast, roughly in the center of the massive forest. The forest spread far to the east before turning into plains. Further north, the forest was stopped by a wall of mountains that held back the tundra. To the south, it petered out and merged with another forest.

It quickly became apparent to Lukas—through experience and the map's scale—that this world was larger than Earth. By how much, he couldn't say. Even if he had the exact diameter of this world, he didn't know Earth's. In the end, it didn't matter. It just meant there was more for Lukas to explore.

***

Akira was out on the estate grounds in the early morning, doing her training. The first hints of daylight were scrubbing away the darkness of night, brilliant oranges, reds, and pinks lighting up the sky as it grew ever brighter.

In an empty training field, Akira went through her flowing combat movements, using her spear to slash, stab, and sweep at the air. She used the frustration built up over the week to fuel herself, imagining each strike aimed at that masked man. It was satisfying to picture herself putting him on the back foot, forced to defend against her relentless assault. Executing a complex combination of attacks, she finished with a strike that would've ended with the tip of her spear bursting out of the masked man's back.

Huffing and out of breath, Akira stared off into space before movement at the corner of her eye caught her attention. Turning to look, she found her mother hurrying toward her. Frowning, Akira went to meet her.

"Akira!" Kora shouted. "You're going to the city immediately!"

"That man?" She asked, her frown deepening.

"Yes. One of our people in the city reported seeing a man with a black mask, glowing orange eyes, and a strange aura. I ordered him to follow the man at a distance. I need you to go to the city and retrieve the outworlder."

Akira's grip on her spear tightened. Maybe the morning's training would come in handy. "Where in the city? It's a large place with a lot of people."

Her mother produced a lightning-blue crystal and tossed it to Akira. "A communication crystal. The location of the man who reported it is stored inside. Find him, and you'll find the outworlder."

Akira scowled at the crystal. "Why me, though? Why not just send a group to go get him? Why don't you go?"

Kora spread her hands in a gesture of helplessness. "If we send a group, it'll draw too much attention, and the last thing we want is other people showing interest in him. The best thing we can do is try to convince him to come here willingly. If he tries to run, we can flush him out of the city and capture him away from watchful eyes."

"How do I get him to follow me back here? I can't pressure him without making a scene—that's what you wanted to avoid."

"Tell him the truth. That you know what he is and that you want to help him."

"But I don't know what he is. All you've told me is that he's an outworlder, but not what that means. You haven't even told me what we want to do with him. And I don't particularly want to help him—I'd rather throw him off a cliff for stealing my contracts."

Kora gave her an indulgent smile. "Akira, I promise you'll get answers in time, but being too loose-lipped with information regarding this man is dangerous—not only for us but for him. Tell him we want to help him. Be honest and forthcoming. I trust your judgment in this, and if he refuses to come with you, we'll figure something out. Now go. The sooner he's behind these walls, the better."

Akira nodded, although reluctantly. Slinging her spear over one shoulder, she started running, quickly blowing through the estate gates and heading toward the city to the south. She blazed down the near empty roads, populated only by patrolling adventurers.

The only solace in Akira's mind was the fact that the city was much closer to the estate than the northern forest where she'd first encountered the masked man. In total, it wouldn't take her more than fifteen minutes to reach the city walls.

The entire journey, she cursed the man who had turned the last week of her life into one giant goose chase. She just hoped that when it was all said and done, her mother would let her spar with him at least once after she brought him back. Even if she didn't, Akira would find a way to get even with him.

Reaching the city walls, Akira passed through the gates with ease, recognized by the guards. Once inside, she pulled out the communication crystal and made her way to the location stored within.

Communication crystals like the one Akira held were expensive and relatively new—much like the crystals that showed a person their stats. Only, the communication crystals only worked in and around a city with the required infrastructure. For that reason, not many people had them; they weren't worth the high cost for such a small convenience. Maybe if they worked across the world, more people would be interested.

Akira pushed through the streets, the rising sun drawing more and more people out to start their day. Soon enough, she approached a man sitting on a bench at the side of the road. The moment he saw her coming, he stood.

"Lady Anuk," he greeted quietly, giving her a small bow.

"Where is he?" Akira asked.

"He entered the library some time ago," the man said, indicating the large building across the street. "He hasn't come out yet."

Akira nodded. "Stay here, and if he leaves, follow him discreetly. If we come out together, you and the others will follow the two of us at a distance. If he separates from me, follow him and don't let him get away."

"Of course, my lady," the man said with another bow. "Shall I call on the others in case he manages to slip away?"

"Yes, but tell them to stay removed—observing from a distance. We don't want to scare him off. Do not let him know he's being watched."

Turning from the man, Akira steeled herself and marched across the street to the library. Storming up the steps, she pushed the doors open and scanned the room. There were only a handful of people inside, and it only took a second to find the person she was looking for.

He was almost completely unrecognizable—except for the mask and the eyes. He'd gotten himself cleaned up, no longer covered in blood, sweat, and grime, and no longer wearing bloody rags. Instead, he wore dark green combat robes that didn't quite fit. Even so, it was definitely the same man. The aura was slightly different, but there could only be one copper ranker with a soul that strong.

He was surrounded by a small mountain of books and was scribbling in a notebook, paying no attention to his surroundings.

Taking a deep breath, Akira forced herself to walk over calmly instead of marching over and dragging him across the table.

***

Lukas had grabbed a few books on basic magic theory. It was all very enlightening, and having Sera there if he got confused or had questions was a big help. She actually seemed eager to answer, thrilled that he was finally interested in magical theory. But how could he not be? He was from a non-magical world, for god's sake.

He was, however, slightly peeved that she was only answering his questions now. She explained that, since he had the material in front of him, she was acting as a learning aid rather than a teacher.

One of the first topics Sera suggested Lukas look into was rituals. They were among the most commonly used forms of magic and would make a good foundation. This led to Lukas jotting down a great deal of notes—from required materials to iconography, scripts, and symbols. He even copied various rituals onto paper to try later. They were simple ones, like those one could use to track and find beasts or smooth out the ambient magic.

Lukas was deeply focused, copying down a ritual and making sure he got it right. Sera had warned that a small mistake could cause the whole thing to go awry.

The goddess nudged him with her elbow.

"Hmm?" he asked through the blessing, not looking up.

"We've got a very pretty elf heading right toward us, and she looks like a woman on a mission."

"What?" he asked, suddenly panicked.

Looking up, Lukas spotted a startlingly beautiful elf woman heading straight for him. She had tawny, almost bronze skin and silky black hair tied into a tight ponytail that swished with each purposeful step. Her features were sharp and elegant, giving her a dangerous beauty. If Lukas didn't know better, he'd have thought she was Southeast Asian.

She wore light leather armor a shade darker than her skin, and had an intricate-looking spear strapped to her back.

Stunned and dazzled, Lukas couldn't help but stare as she approached and sat across from him. The moment she did, he snapped out of his stupor and tensed. Anyone marching up to him like that had a reason to.

"Hello," she said. "Let's talk."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.