The passengers unloaded from the shuttle bus. The first step onto the hard paved surface gave everyone a sense of relief. They stretched while waiting for their luggage and then quickly dispersed. Ian entered the visitor building and looked at the various maps of Halland City. Most available maps online only provided landmarks and detailed maps were traded through private servers. Most people recommended buying the map from the visitor's center, which was $1,000.
“Where are you heading?” Jory asked.
“Aulux Hall,” Ian replied.
Jory took out his version of the Halland City map and showed it to Ian. “This map is $750!”
$750 was a good deal that would save him some time copying the map. He took out his coin bag, but then realized he was still wearing the borrowed tunic. “How much is the cooling tunic?”
“You can buy one for $150,000 at the Pingten store,” said Jory. “It’s one of the items that is sold exclusively by them, so most small-time merchants like me don’t have access to it.”
Ian returned the tunic to Jory, and almost immediately sweat beaded down his back. The violent rays of the big red star in Halland City were known to burn the skin within 30 minutes of direct exposure. He covered himself with a regular linen cape.
“If you need anything else from me, you can find my stall at the merchant hall,” Jory said. “I also have a camp at the western campsite.”
After they parted ways, Ian roamed around the main market street. The street was unpaved, but made from compacted sand from the foot heavy traffic and the rehana horse carriages. Single-story adobe buildings with overhanging canopy lined both side of the street. The small crowd were mostly rankers, and some non-rankers who were either completely covered from head to toe or carrying an umbrella. There wasn’t anyone who looked older than fifty, and they were mostly male. There were some children, but they were rare. Halland City had introduced a new policy five years ago to encourage population growth by paying higher salary to female applicants.
Ian's stomach grumbled, prompting him to retrieve one of the many protein bars he had packed. On the side of the road, there were many vegetable and fruit vendors. His parents did tell him to eat more fruits and vegetables. Remembering their suggestion, he stopped at a fruit vendor and bargained with a woman for six cactus pears.
“Mister, do you know how difficult it is to live in Halland City?” The woman, a non-ranker in sandy colored robe, asked him. “I can't survive on $30. The lowest I can go is $50.”
Most non-rankers took on menial roles and labor jobs like customer service work and custodial. In Halland City, they were at the bottom of the totem pole.
“I am aware you’re a regular employee, but you have a stable income,” said Ian. According to Jory, most stall vendors were employees of a large corporation with their designated area within the market. It created a false sense of competition when in reality, they were all working together. Bargaining on all items was the expectation. Otherwise, people would be paying 500% markup. “I am just an unemployed exam taker, so the best I can do is $10.”
The woman shrugged. She didn’t trust anyone wearing a mask. There were two types of people who wore masks in Halland City, bandits and infamous rankers. Bandits looted other rankers and was considerable highly profitable if the job was successful. There was a time when looting was common within the city. Afterall, Halland City was founded on strength and survival of the fittest. However, the chaos made it difficult for many non-rankers to live and many sought to return to the rela world. Without the non-rankers, who else was going to maintain the city? The City Council enacted a restriction within the city limit to protect the peace. If a ranker was found stealing from the non-rankers, they would receive a public beating in the plaza.
"If I was a bandit, I would use less conspicuous disguise," said Ian.
The woman somewhat agreed. Most rankers had magical spells and items to hide their identity. “It's still going to be $50.”
“Look, I am here for an exam. If I don’t pass, I will have to pay back the ticket here, and you should know how expensive that is. If you sell this to me for $20, you could still be making a 30% profit.” The corporation likely paid $15/pound for transportation alone.
The woman sighed. She was just a regular store clerk for the Pingten corporation. She was lucky to win the lottery for her position, but even her $75,000 salary meant little in Halland City. “We still have guidelines, so I can only sell it for that low. If you buy 5 pounds worth of fruits, I could sell it for lower.”
“$20 for 2 pounds and I promise to buy from you for the next four weeks.”
The woman sighed again. “Fine. But why four weeks? Are you taking the alchemy union test?”
Ian nodded.
The woman made a scary face. “Yikes, good luck! The name is Mel. I expect you to be here next week.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Ian took one pear and munched on. As he walked toward Aulux Hall, shadows covered the street. Up above, one of the flying platforms floated by slowly, providing the cooling shade. Ian felt relieved to be away from the sun, but heated up again as soon as the platform floated away. There wasn't any clouds in the sky, and he doubt clouds existed inside the Holyoke Realm.
Aulux Hall was a large 2-story courtyard building with colonnades and arches surrounding all sides. There were all sorts of people going in and out of the building. Ian didn’t enter, but looked around for an identification stall. For most rankers, identification was simple. They simply needed to input their mana into the item, and information about the item would appear in their mind. For non-rankers, they needed a ranker to identify the item for them. Ian wanted to verify the dynami pill and amyma pill he had created in the unregulated realm.
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The identifier, most likely a D-ranker with SP in the teens, confirmed both the pills for $500. The information came at a steep price, but it was the safest way to confirm that the pills were safe to consume.
Around Aulux Hall, there were many shops and vendors selling all sorts of plants. Ian documented the plants into his item creation space. With less than 4 weeks before the exam, Ian needed to increase his odds. Whether it was alchemy or apothecary, the success rate was low. If they tested him on plants from other parts of the world, with his limited knowledge, he was going to fail. More than likely, the exam would include local plants.
After sketching around the market, Ian headed toward the Nurata Lake, Halland City’s main supply source of water. A written signpost all over the lake park with clear instructions for people to not pick any of the plants. The fine for defacing public property was one finger. The punishment was harsh and unusually cruel, but one wouldn't expect less from a place known for absolute strength. It was odd that Halland City had rules given how they were also known for lawlessness. Perhaps, even the people of Halland City knew how important it was to protect the natural order of the oasis.
The olive trees and palm trees growing around the lake provided much needed shade. Ian sat underneath the palm tree and drew as many as possible. The desert didn’t offer much, other than variations of cacti, succulents and desert grass. None of the palm trees had any ripe dates, most likely already harvested by workers. If imported fruits and vegetables average $50/pound, the native non-spiritual plants were at least $500/pound. Only the elites were willing to pay the price for such extravagance.
By late evening, Ian headed toward the outskirts. There was an open designated campsite for people who didn’t want to pay for an inn. Besides Ian, there were several dozen groups already stationed there and setting up campfires. It may be 100 degrees in the day, but the temperature dropped to 40 as soon as the fiery red sun set. The merchants at the campsite were the thrifty variety. They would rather save up some money camping out than staying in the comfort of an inn. The other adventurers felt the same way, but some also preferred the outdoor camping culture.
At night, three moons appeared in the night sky. People say there were four, but one appeared every 60 days. The wind picked up, swaying the palm trees back and forth. It was amazing how sturdy they were underneath the constant abuse.
Ian couldn’t sleep. The cold breeze that bypassed his tent and jacket, but it wasn't the cold that kept him up, but the adrenaline from the new locale coursing through his veins. Several new plants appeared within his item creation space. They were all spiritual plants that could be found within the Holyoke realm. He stood up as soon as he smelled a strange scent nearby. However, with so many people around, he knew the plant already had an owner. He looked around the campsite. Even late into the night, there were still rankers talking and drinking together.
Ian walked closer to the source of the smell, and saw a man in dark clothing and a fur cap over his head. He had different plants and items lined out, trying to sell it to the other rankers.
“Come on gents, look at the glow on this jupine plant,” the man said, outlining a plant with a green glow. “It’s bright and dazzling.”
The surrounding rankers laughed. “Come on Alzo, you know jupine is one of the most useless plants out there. It’s so common that even a kid could grow one.”
“But most spiritual jupine are cultivated by the alchemists,” Alzo explained. “This particular specimen is one I have personally harvested from the southern dunes.”
While the adventures teased the merchant Alzo, Ian sketched the jupine and several others in front of him. He listened in to the conversation around him. It was a good way to understand the dynamic within the Holyoke realm.
“Yeah, like we are going to believe that," a drunk ranker asked. "What party is willing to take you in?”
“You know Boris’s crew value my gift of the gab,” said Alzo.
“The only reason Boris let you into his crew is you’re good bait for those flame scorpions.”
They continued their conversation in jest, with some campers buying the plants from Alzo. Hunting strategies were different within the S-rank realm. Instead of a party, expeditions were done with crews, made from multiple parties. Crew can range from twelve people to hundred people.
After the crowd dispersed, Alzo looked at Ian, the only person left. The oil lamp in his hand lit up just enough for him to see a young man sitting on a nearby log and sketching the plants.
“Hey kid, are you going to buy anything or not, I’m about to pack up,” Alzo asked.
“I should be done,” Ian replied.
Alzo was curious at Ian’s sketches, and took a look at the drawings. “You have some skill. What are you? A botanist or illustrator?”
“An apothecary,” Ian replied.
“Hmph, that’s impressive,” said Alzo. “I’ve met a few of those.” Alzo set down his oil lamp and loaded the plants into his wooden wagon. “Are you sure you don’t want to buy anything? I sell these cheaper than anyone else in the area.”
“Not really, I can usually track down plants on my own.”
“I see, you have a tracking ability then. Are you on a crew?”
“No, but I am hoping to see if there is a crew that needs a tracker.”
“Tracking skills are niche, but most crew already have a designated tracker,” said Alzo. “You may be able to negotiate a position with your apothecary pills.”
“Where does Boris normally go on expeditions?”
“His crew goes on expeditions every week,” said Alzo. “Since it can get really dangerous, most crew only goes out once every three weeks or once a month. Boris’s crew travel out every week, but they don’t travel as far out. They only search within the day limit line.”
The limit sounded good to Ian. Any monster within the Holyoke realm could probably kill Ian within a second. “Is it difficult to get on his crew?”
“It’s difficult to get a position in any crew,” said Alzo . “Boris is one of the original mercenaries that protected the city, so he’s more experienced than most people. I can help you talk to him.”
“Are you close with Boris?”
“Of course we are!”
Alzo’s obvious lie was not missed by Ian. In reality, Alzo was simply an acquaintance who transported things to Boris’s hometown. They lived in the same country and it was easier for Alzo to travel with his merchant pass. Ian didn’t care about Alzo’s relationship with Boris. As long as he was able to get into any crew, he was willing to negotiate.
“What do you want in exchange for an introduction to Boris?” Ian asked.
“Since you’re an apothecary, can you create the mallia pill?” Alzo asked.