Silas pushed the door open and was greeted by dim lights and the smell of alcohol. He looked around the room, trying to find someone who was waiting for potential mercenaries.

If this were a game, the guy would have a giant exclamation mark on his head; too bad.

The only option was to talk with the bartender.

"How about you give us a couple of glasses of your recommendation, and maybe you can tell me what you know about this?" He showed him the medallion.

The bartender was some kind of rock humanoid; reading his expression was difficult. The man took two small glasses and poured crystal-clear water into them. On top of it, he put a small piece of fruit inside the glasses.

"A clear sky made with distilled water from the Water World's oceans. It’s expensive, but it's what you’re looking for, 200,000 credits for both."

It was the payment for giving them information. It was everything he had left, but there was no choice; he wasn’t going to wait and let the clue slip through his hands.

"Can't wait to try it," he said, passing his badge and paying the credits to the bartender.

"You can use the third room to the left; it has a nice view of the city. Perfect for this drink." He pointed to the stairs on his back, and another rock humanoid let them pass.

It was more obvious how the client set up his recruitment. The man behind this whole thing pays the owner of the bar to use this business as cover for recruitment. The 200,000 credits were the cost of letting him carry out his meetings in the VIP zone. The question now is if the man waiting inside this room is the client or one of his employees.

He knocked on the door with a drink in hand, and a voice gave him permission to enter.

"Welcome, gentlemen; if you made it this far, I assume you want to join our operation as mercenaries. If I’m assuming wrong, then you should leave without asking questions." It was a human, a tall man wearing green robes and a wizard's hat.

"Pleasure to meet you. My name is Silas, and my buddy here is Jacob. Are you the human looking for a way back home?"

"Hahahaha, straight to the point. Well, we’re humans, so there is no need to pretend or dance around the subject. Take a seat; those drinks are incredible; I guarantee there is nothing like that on Earth."

They did as told and tasted the "Clear Sky."

"Uuuhhh!"

"This is delicious; I’m a beer kind of guy, but this. It's like the alcohol is perfectly mixed with water, but it's not normal water; it tastes sweet like a strawberry but also has a strong scent of something I can’t describe."

"Hahaha, I see you know your drinks Jacob, this drink was the first one I had when I arrived in this world. I was thrown into Water World. I almost drowned if it wasn’t for the power I was given by the System." He took a sip of his drink.

"I’m sure you two have seen and felt things that would be impossible back in our home. Things that only existed in the imaginations and dreams of people. But we know that this is not a fantasy. I looked around for over a year, grasping at my old life, thinking I could return, and now I have found someone who can do that."

"Then is this whole mercenary thing real?"

"Yes, I found a man with the power to break through the System's barrier. I saw it with my own eyes, but he needs more power. We’re looking for anyone that is willing to join us and work together to find a special relic."

"What type of power is it? We need to see your boss before we decide to trust you. This could be all a trap to capture humans that want to return home and use them for whatever things you’re really planning."

"It's good to be cautious, Silas, but you already know that if that were the case, why would we go through all the trouble hiding behind some bar in a random city of the Empire? If our intention is to bait people, wouldn’t making them chase us by following clues and making them pay be counterproductive?"

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

"Yeah, I can see that, but we still need to know the details."

"The job is to find a relic in the desert world. My boss pinpointed the location. Most of the mercenaries and groups we hired have been gathering there. I’m not going to lie; the job has a three-star reward according to Empire's estimates. It’s going to be dangerous, and you’re responsible for your own survival. That’s why we only look for smart and strong people; useless fighters could end up killing us all."

"What’s in it for us if we help you find this relic?"

"A chance to come with us and go back to Earth. If that doesn’t interest you, then we can give you magic items and 50,000,000 credits if you decide to stay here."

"50,000,000, how did your boss get his hands on so much money?"

"Well, it's going to be divided among all the groups who help us, but that’s still more than the average reward for a three-star bounty. The expedition is going to begin in approximately one month. Are you guys interested?"

There was no need to discuss.

"We want to join mainly for the chance of going back home, but if your boss's plans fail, we’ll take the credits."

"Excellent, I need to confirm with the boss, but he should say yes to your group. Come back tomorrow for the coordinates of the mission site. Oh, I almost forgot." He grabbed his own badge and transferred back the 200,000 credits.

"Now we’re even."

"One last thing, what is your name?"

"Kieran."

The negotiations were done, and Silas and Jacob returned to "The Sleeping Mole."

***

"Over there. That looks like a magic store." Nadine pointed to a house with a strange decor. Small trees grew on the side and through the windows.

Emily took a look, but she remained unconvinced. "That looks like a flower store or something. I don’t think he's going to have any clue about what a Bors is."

"Well, there is no harm in trying. Let's see what’s inside."

The inside was just like she imagined, all kinds of flowers and plants decorated the room. She recognized some of them from the forest, but others were new.

"Welcome! What do you need? The owner came to greet them; the man wore elegant clothes in contrast to his fearsome face. The way he smiled reminded her of a hyena. "I’m Huy, the humble owner of this store. Tell me what you’re looking for when it comes to plants; my knowledge is unrivaled."

"Nice to meet you. My name is Nadine, and she’s Emily. We are looking for rare plants or medicines, do you happen to know about the Bors?"

Huy squinted his eyes; the menacing look was just a side effect since his voice was filled with sincerity. "The Bors? I have heard of them, but you won’t find anything of theirs in my store. The magic I have heard about that race is one of the most powerful forces, if you believe the legends."

"See? It was a waste of time." She was about to exit when Huy kept talking.

"And yet I can say with certainty there is someone who had more than just contact, Lady Emily you’re walking the Path of Azasie, don’t you?"

They didn’t say anything about Azasie; she recalled the words when she gained the orb and her body was transformed into a half-bors. But, as if her mind were being read, Huy continued talking.

"You have become one of them; I could feel it the moment you walked into my store. A force of nature like an earthquake or a massive tree had just come here. I can’t promise that the information I have is useful to you, but if you stay and let me understand a bit of your tremendous power, I’ll answer everything I can."

She looked deep into the beastly eyes; to a normal person, it would look like a cold stare, undecipherable and hidden. But Emily was used to seeing beyond the surface. That’s how she gained Meliea's favor and became her master.

"You’re lying; you’re acting carefully because you’re afraid I may be a danger. You want to give me the information as a favor to spare your life."

"…"

"There is no need to be so tense. I won't hurt you if you don’t try anything bad. I want to know, because I want to be a full human again." She said the truth.

Nadine didn’t say anything in the conversation, but she was glad they found a lead.

"Over here, I’ll close early today." Huy walked to the front and changed the sign. He invited them to the back of the store, where there was a small table with a teapot made of fine emerald. He poured the tea and began his explanation.

"What do you wish to know first?"

"What is exactly the path of Azasie?"

"Good question. Do you know who is Azasie for the Bors?"

"Yeah, some form of goddess. She’s like the mother of all Bors and nature. The River in the Forest World is named after her."

"Yes, if you have been there, then it is no surprise you met the Bors. The path of Azasie is the way the Bors have contact with their goddess. They can cast magic, use other powers like controlling plants, and recover their health with incredible speed.

"You don’t have to tell me that; I saw it firsthand."

"There is more to the rumors; it is said that Azasie is not just a metaphorical entity but instead a real tree in the middle of the Bors jungle. A tree that gave birth to all the living forms in the forest world."

"I mean, won’t that mean they just chose an old and massive tree and called it Azasie to fit the criteria? Like a representation of their goddess."

"No, it is not an idol meant to represent their faith, but the real body of Azasie. She's the most powerful Bors, and she’s sleeping surrounded by her children."

"How do you know that?"

"My master went to the jungle to try to get close to the Bors village. He had a team of mercenaries defending him; he wanted to find the rarest plants in existence. They managed to get close until he saw the village in the distance. The sight of the tree was enough; a voice talked inside his mind and spared his life."

Huy told the story with such detail that it was like he was there.