I watched my back as I made my way out of Unarith. That sensation from before— the brief feeling that I was being spied on— did not return. I left the tunnel and found myself in a rather large house, surrounded by a small field. They gave me some directions— some robes to remain inconspicuous.
I gratefully accepted their help, and left the city without an issue. I hurriedly made my way through the rocky hills, until I saw the green forest canopy ahead. There was no one following me, I was almost certain of it. So, where did that feeling come from?
I met my companions as they were eating their meals. Edithe was having a stew made from some plants and mushrooms, while Daniel decided to eat some of the rations he had on him. And by rations, I meant a literal dish served in a restaurant.
“Where did you get that?!”
I pointed at the filleted fish, seasoned with a brown sauce. He gestured at the pen on his lap, and Edithe sighed.
undefined“Apparently, he has a dozen fresh, expensive meals kept in his Dimensional Storage Unit. In case he ever craves some good food, he can just summon one and have it right away.”
I blinked.
“Huh. That is convenient.”
“It is. Yet he doesn’t want to share any with me.”
“Why not?”
I shot him a questioning look as I sat on my knees, kneeling as Kobolds did. If I wanted to pretend to be a Kobold, I had to get used to acting like one.
Daniel scowled.
“Don’t do this to me right now, Salvos. I don’t have much left, and I am starving, ok? Using my [Hero] Skills isn’t as simple as you think— it’s very draining. And the Plaguelands isn’t really the nicest place to be in. Everywhere I go, I smell rotting flesh. I just want a nice, decent meal to relax.”
“You could share some with her, at least.”
He drew his lips into a thin line. Glancing over at Edithe, he hesitated for a moment. The red-haired woman tried to avert her gaze, pretending to be apathetic to the food. Finally, his guilty conscience won out and he offered her a slice of the fish.
“Here.”
She gobbled it down without saying a word. I stared at her in disgust, and Daniel blinked. She lightly covered her mouth with a hand, letting out a soft cough.
“Um, thank you.”
“Right… you're welcome.”
With that settled, I explained the situation to my companions. They were surprised to hear that I still had the Totem of Incense on me. I showed them the Bag of Holding, nodding.
“Yep. She asked me to take care of it for now. While she sets up the ritual for Dragon flame.”
“Dragon flame, huh?”
Edithe rubbed her chin. Daniel and I exchanged a glance.
“I’ve only heard about Dragons in my world as a… mythical creature. As in, it doesn’t exist.”
“The first time I heard about them was in Unarith.”
I shrugged. We faced Edithe.
“Do you know anything about it?”
“I… do. And honestly, what I know about Dragons here isn’t too dissimilar from what Daniel said.”
“You mean this world doesn’t have Dragons?”
Daniel raised a brow. She chewed her lips uncertainly.
“That’s what I used to think— I mean, there are stories. Tales that came during the Kobold invasions of the past. But they were mostly heard from prisoners. Kobolds we had taken captive, who cursed Humans, claiming that their Old Gods would smite our Species for our sins, delivering divine retribution to all of Humankind.”
“And did that ever happen?”
I leaned forward, almost excited.
“No.”
“Aw.”
I deflated. Edithe rolled her eyes, ignoring my disappointment.
“We’ve never seen a Dragon before. We’ve only heard about their kind from Kobolds, and I’ve only read about it in history books. So, I never really thought much about it. However, if these Dragons really exist, then this Dragon flame has to be a powerful spell. Grand magic, even.”
“Well, that makes sense, doesn’t it? Any magic that can destroy a Mythical Grade artifact has to be super powerful!”
“That’s not necessarily true.”
Edithe shook her head, and Daniel agreed. He held up his hand, summoning my blue jacket. I had given it to him to keep when I left for Unarith. I didn’t want to stand out, after all.
“This is a Unique Grade artifact, Salvos. And honestly, it isn’t really special.”
“Other than the fact that it repairs itself over time— without using any mana from me.”
I folded my arms, giving him a flat look. Edithe nodded.
“Daniel’s right. It really isn’t that special. Not for a Unique Grade artifact. The only thing that stands out about it is how it draws in mana from its surroundings. Otherwise, that’s a simple restoration spell. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
I scowled. I knew they weren’t insulting me, but I couldn’t help but feel offended on behalf of my blue jacket. It was mine, so it had to be special! Sure, it belonged to Daniel just a year ago. He did bring it from his world. However, it was mine now! And I was going to take good care of it.
Snatching the blue jacket from Daniel, I cradled it gently in my arms, protectively covering it like it was a Human baby.
“There, there.”
I whispered. Edithe chuckled, pulling out the Totem of Incense. She placed it down on the ground, steadying it so that it was standing upright. It was white— whatever color it once had faded away with time. Patting it on the shoulder, she began to explain.
“This is an example of an artifact that befits its status. I’ve never heard of such magic that could not just destroy the blight, but repel it in its entirety. It’s Mythical Grade, yes, but it can even be considered a higher grade.”
She left the statue behind, walking to my sack. She produced a piece of parchment, gesturing at it.
“On the other hand, this Runic Scroll of Starfall— it’s something I know should be a higher grade than it is. Perhaps the reason why it’s considered High Grade and not Mythical is because it’s a one-time use item.”
I felt my jaw drop.
“Really?”
“Yes. At least, if I’m reading its enchantments right, I believe the destruction it would cause is superior to most High Grade artifacts out there.”
The red-haired woman pointed at the new pendant hanging around my neck.
“That Pendant of Greater Protection Xidra gave you is a better example of what a normal High Grade artifact is supposed to be like.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“You mean it isn’t special?”
“It certainly does what it says it does. You can even test it out, if you want.”
I glanced over at Daniel. The Human man was listening from the side— well, he was pretending to listen. In reality, he was extremely focused on finishing his meal peacefully.
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