The town square was actually not on any of the main two roads that connected the Guild to the gates. In fact, if one looked at the city from above, it became evident that while the Guild occupied a central location, the square was hidden in a clutter of old buildings, yellowing stones and marble walkways once pearly white and now washed by countless rains and walked by countless feet.
It was clear that this town had been changed sometime in the past, and as Melina would later explain: this once was a small outpost turned into a farming village turned once again into an outpost and then eventually into proper city. However, with the emergence of new danger zones after the shift in magical density, the city had been once again made into a fortified outpost. Such shifts predated the volcano eruptions, the latter being a consequence and further fuel for even more changes. This time the city had been fortified not to defend against another kingdom but against the monsters that threatened to overrun the region.
Nowadays, Noctis was a place for adventurers to forge themselves, a worthy challenge for those who sought thrill and glory. Plus, she also explained what was going on with the volcano. It was a side effect of an old dungeon becoming active once again. This, in turn, explained why there were so many newcomers.
With the Labirintine Dungeon finally open, Noctis was quickly becoming a fulcrum for all adventurers of rank C and lower. No rank B and up were allowed to come in the city yet, but the ban would soon be lifted: the opening of the dungeon and the increasing mana of the area had ensured its inevitability. The logic behind the ban was something only the high-ups at the Guild could really understand, something that had to do with optimal growth for the adventurers while also nurturing the economy.
Obviously there was more going on than that. A certain sighting of a multiversal traveler, and its announcement to the whole guild network. One could not know for sure, and nobody was speaking about it in any official channels, nor in any less-official channels that Melina had access to.
None of the three adventurers were currently thinking about such issues. They were enjoying their meal at a restaurant, sampling local delicacies that were probably quite overpriced but also rather enjoyable.
“Look at this strange square. It’s sloping down towards that fountain!” Ishrin said, poking Liù.
The pixie barely gave it a passing glance.
“The fountain must be a full story lower than where we are, right? We got a full view of the city from here! Look at all those tiny people walking.”
She ignored him in favor of staring at the incoming waiter, bringing enough food to sate ten people. It turned out that the food was dirty cheap too, despite the restaurant being among the best in town, cheap at least when compared to cultivation materials, which prompted the team to give in to a bit of healthy gluttony. Liù chief among all.
They ate inside a little veranda, lit by bright white crystals and heated by magic, the cold fall wind kept at bay by hidden formations. There was no need for glass or fabric, and the view of the square was a great backdrop to their idle chatter as they ate.
Then, as they got to the desserts, a silence ward went up around them and Melina grilled Ishrin about magic.
“As you could see with the rituals I was doing earlier, there are ways to maximize the impact each tier has on your cultivation.” Ishrin explained. “All those bonuses compound together eventually, up to the point where they can even bridge tier gaps.”
“Really?” She almost gasped. “Tier gaps are no joke.”
“Indeed.” Lisette nodded gravely. “Tier gaps are like a rule of the universe itself. At least, that’s how I see them. They are inescapable.”
“You are correct, in a way.” Ishrin conceded. “But the universe isn’t all there is, is it?” He grinned.
Lisette was burning holes in him with her deep red eyes, but he knew that her corrugated eyebrows were not due to anger but a burning curiosity.
At least, he hoped. “I don’t claim to have broken the rules, or that my tiers are different than yours. I simply stated that the way you built your tiers brings out less power than the way I would build mine. Plus, we have the new knowledge that there is a multiverse, and it could be that even my tiers aren’t really the best way to optimize magic.”
“So, you didn’t know about the existence of the multiverse,” Melina interrupted Lisette as she was about to speak, “back on your planet, I mean. How did you get here, then?”
“A mistake.” Ishrin said, shrugging, but making sure his eyes communicated his intent to let the matter rest. “And no, it was just a theory but never proved to be true. One of those things that were deemed impossible to prove, like the true simulation theory.”
“It might have been a theory in your universe, but it’s more than that here. The guild knows.”
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Ishrin nodded.
“Do you know how to travel across universes, or was it just a mistake?” Lisette asked.
“I know a method. It’s more of a shortcut, quick and dirty. But I can use it, with enough preparation. Definitely not while still at Tier 1.”
The girls hummed. “You were Tier 15, right? Was it the end of the road?”
“I used to think so. Now, I’m not so sure anymore.”
“I was thinking the same.” Melina said. “If Tier 15 is the pinnacle of power within a universe, then the next logical step…”
“At the very least,” Ishrin tried to calm the fire in her eyes, “we can’t assume there isn’t more at the other end of the bottleneck anymore.”
“Right,” she wasn’t any less excited.
To the side, Lisette’s eyes glinted with the color of blood. They did so whenever they talked about gaining power.
“There is a reason I thought Tier 15 was it, though.” Ishrin said.
“What was it?”
“It’s freaking hard to keep going. The energy required? If my napkin math is correct… we are talking about enough juice to run a galaxy. Where would you take all of that energy to cultivate? Cause once a galaxy goes dim… everything in it dies.”
The conversation slowly came to an end, everyone stuck in their own head, formulating their theories and thoughts. Ishrin, on his part, had a nagging feeling that something was not right. At the very least, he doubted that there had never been anyone to ever transcend Tier 15 and reach into the wider multiverse. Especially considering the lukewarm reaction the guild had to the news that he was hiding away somewhere in Noctis, presumably none the wiser about them knowing. It all made him think that perhaps the guild did already have Tier 16 and higher powerhouses, making them a multiversal power.
Another, even more worrying thought. If cultivation became such a resource hog… people were going to be pissed. Nobody wants to see their galaxy reduced to cold, dead space just to fuel some lunatic’s growth.
What if Tier 16 was not just almost impossible to obtain naturally? What if there were also forces from outside this universe preventing people from even trying to ascend?
***
The sword felt heavy at Ishrin’s hip as he walked back towards the inn. Its weight had a reassuring feeling, but it also begged to be used for violence, eyes jumping at darting shadows and looming houses. They looked dangerous in the faint moonlight, and the volcanic ash painting them all black tasted of sulfur. The thoughts swirling through his head made every shadow and every little critter skulking in the night appear like dangerous threats, larger than what a Tier 1 could ever hope to face.
Dinner had cost him two gold coins, a reasonable price for everything that they ate. Paying had been rather simple, using the guild token like a credit card from Mekano’s world. Speaking of which, he should probably give his old friend a call when he got the chance, let him know he was still alive. Surely news of Eternia’s sterilization had reached Mekano’s world by now, and he didn’t really want to add even more worries to his friend’s already crowded worry-drawer.
Later, when he was higher in Tier, he decided.
On his way to the inn, Ishrin also decided to stop by the guild to see if his request for the Derillomouf dew had produced any results. Saying that he was impatient to perform the rituals and get out of the misery of Tier 1 was a gross understatement. Sadly, no such luck, but a commotion in the main room got his attention.
Making his way through the forest of people, all adventurers clad in heavy armor or in mage robes, carrying swords and whips and staffs alike, Ishrin managed to get to the front.
Goddard was there, recounting the events of his… unfortunate death and subsequent resurrection in great detail. Their eyes met.
He fell silent. Ishrin put on his best smile, but to say it was strained was an understatement. The two had never met after Goddard had been resurrected, and Ishrin didn’t want any problems.
“Goddard! Glad to see you’re okay!” He said, trying to sound genuine.
“You— you brought me back!” The man fell to his knees. “Thank you! I didn’t— I could never— I was so stupid. I didn’t think—”
Ishrin put his hand on his shoulder, and even Liù, who hated his guts, was moved at seeing the big man sobbing on his boots. He made for a sorry sight.
Even though Ishrin had yet to complete any rituals to increase his strength, his grip felt like iron on the higher tier man’s shoulder. Goodard shivered like a loose leaf, and it didn’t have anything to do with the drain of being resurrected. Not entirely, at least.
“Now, now. It’s alright. Everything is fine. You just felt very sick. That’s all. It was by sheer luck that I was there, right?”
How does one deal with things like this? Perhaps some dissimulation is in order.
Goddard looked at him with confusion in his eyes.
“What do you mean? You brought me back!”
“Back from the brink of death!” Ishrin slapped his shoulder like an old friend would. “You owe me big time!”
He winked at him. Goddard looked like he finally got the message.
“You’re right. You’re right. Sorry I uh… I might have exaggerated it a little.”
The crowd was already murmuring among themselves when Ishrin arrived, but now they all seemed confused. Talking to each other about what could have happened and how Goddard was known for being a pathological liar. After a while they seemed to reach a shared consensus and they all left rather quickly; the occasional sigh or laugh or veiled insult flying at the man.
It was eerie to see the ease with which Ishrin seemed to have gaslit a whole crowd, especially because there had been witnesses when Lisette straight up butchered the man. And yet, they all believed the new version of the story, rather than being forced to accept that a Tier 1 adventurer had the power to cheat death.
Ishrin motioned at Goddard to follow him to the back.
“You better not mention the resurrection thing. I can’t do it many times and… I don’t like that kind of publicity.”
“Yeah. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” The man said.
“It’s fine.”
“I’m sorry… for everything. I don’t understand how I could be so… so…” he was on the verge of tears.
“Death changes the way you look at things. Doesn’t it?”
“Please. Let me pay this huge debt somehow.” He begged.
“There’s really no reason to… it’s okay man. I was at fault too.”
“No! I could never forgive myself! Let me pay you back. However you want!”
Ishrin knew then that unless he asked something of him, he would never find peace.
“Just be kind and stop being a dick? How about that?”
“I will! I promise!”
Seeing that look of determination on a middle aged, dirty man in broken armor was a strange experience.