Zach leaned back against the tree he had climbed earlier, the thought swirling in his mind like a spark catching fire. “With this kind of knowledge,” he mused aloud, “I could probably become a merchant. Selling everything from poisons to cures… the money I’d make would be insane.”

Abram snorted, he tinkered with a small vial. “You want to be a merchant too?”

"I want to think of ways I can make money. Extra money."

Abram paused, then straightened with a groan. “I wonder when you'll have the time in the day for that.” he added, stroking his chin, “Let me give you something to work with.”

He reached into his coat and pulled out a folded map, the corners creased and worn from years of use. As he unfolded it, Zach saw five cities, towns, and villages marked. Scattered around these were various symbols, each one unique. Of course, the Third city had the most symbols around it.

“This,” Abram said, holding the map up for Zach to see, “is one of my hunting/harvesting ground maps. The symbols mark areas where certain plants, animals, minerals, and other resources can be found.”

Zach flipped the map over, noting the detailed notes on the back. The list was exhaustive, explaining certain animals' venom glands, scent organs, brain matter, tree barks, sulfur stones, and other bizarre items.

Abram jabbed a finger at the map. “Your task is simple. Bring back two things: one that can kill a grown male and one that can cause immense suffering without killing.”

Zach raised an eyebrow. “Is that really all?”

“Looking for lethal and near lethal substances means you're at risk of them too,” Abram replied. "The making of a substance will be done after you have proved you can harvest dangerous poisons and the like without dying."

"Got it."

Zach rolled up the map and pointed at the nearby storeroom. “I didn’t exactly get to keep my old gear. Mind if I borrow a weapon for this little errand?”

Abram shrugged, already half-focused on another vial he was mixing. “Go ahead.”

Zach jogged over to the storeroom, eager to see what was available. Inside, rows of weapons gleamed under the faint light streaming through a small window. He ran a hand over the racks, eyeing the options.

“Sword’s not bad,” he muttered, testing its weight briefly. “But not exactly exciting.” His gaze shifted to a spear. “Smart, but… nah.” Then his eyes landed on a massive great axe, its head dark and etched with faint, glowing runes. The weapon was nearly three-quarters of his height, heavy but manageable.

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“Now we’re talking,” Zach said with a grin, hefting the axe. He swung it experimentally, testing its balance. It felt good in his hands, solid and dangerous.

Suddenly, with a sharp click, the axe head discharged from the shaft and shot forward, spinning violently.

“What the—?!” Zach yelped, gripping the axe tightly in shock. The spinning head stopped mid-air, hovering for a moment before retracting back to the shaft with alarming speed. Zach barely managed to dodge, nearly falling over in the process.

He stumbled out of the storeroom, the axe held at arm’s length. “Uh, Abram?”

The old man barely glanced up from his concoctions. “Hmm?”

“This thing just… shot its head off. What kind of weapon does that?”

Abram waved him off, muttering something incomprehensible.

Zach gritted his teeth and tried again. “Seriously, how do these weapons work?”

Abram sighed, finally looking up. “Some use animal organs. Others, specific minerals. That one? Not entirely sure, but I’d bet it’s powered by sand called sanmanidum that suspends objects in the air and some kind of magnet. Nothing too fancy.”

Zach stared at the axe, turning it over in his hands. “Not too fancy, huh?" *Sure felt like magic to me.*

Abram rolled his eyes. “It’s all in the materials. It’s science at its roots. A ‘safe’ level of power, let’s call it.”

Zach nodded, still intrigued. He looked back at the storeroom. “Should I grab some armor too?”

Abram shrugged again. “Might as well. Just don’t expect it to fit perfectly. You’re not exactly the average size.”

"Fuck off. I got the height."

Zach darted back inside, rifling through the armor racks. Most of the pieces were too big or too small, but after some digging, he found a set of blue and silver armor that fit reasonably well. He strapped it on and walked out, striking a pose.

“Look at me,” Zach said, grinning. “Might as well make me a knight now. I look the part.”

Abram didn’t bother responding, already preoccupied with another vial.

Zach frowned, patting the chest plate of his armor. “How do I figure out what this can do? I’m assuming it’s got some kind of trick, like the weapons?”

Abram pointed lazily at his chest. “Press the chest plate.”

Zach did as instructed, and a sudden weightlessness swept over him. His body felt light, like he could jump ten feet in the air without effort.

“Whoa,” he muttered, testing the feeling with a few steps.

“Speak,” Abram said without looking up.

“What?” Zach asked—and the moment he spoke, the weight returned, grounding him abruptly.

He staggered, blinking in surprise. “Wait, so talking cancels it?”

Abram nodded, still not bothering to look at him. “Activates when you’re tap hard. Deactivates when talk loud. Simple enough.”

Zach tried it again, marveling at how effortlessly the armor shifted between modes. He grinned, turning to Abram. “This is awesome."

Abram waved him off. “Get to work. You’ve got materials to gather.”

---

Zach made his way to the wall gate of Mapil. He used the power of his armor to lighten the load on his body to get there as fast as possible. It took about two and a half hours.

By the time he reached the gate, sweat dripped from his brow despite the cool air. The armor wasn’t perfect—long walks like this still drained him, and his legs ached faintly.

At the gate, two guards stood at attention, their expressions hard as stone. Their eyes flicked to the necklace hanging around his neck, the tomb-shaped pendant gleaming in the sunlight. With a nod of acknowledgment, one of the guards stepped aside and opened a smaller side door built into the massive wall.

“Go on through,” the guard said gruffly.