Chapter 1 - 4: Settling In

After passing the fountain, Tsukasa turned left into a broad alley and eventually came across a shop with a sign that read 'Luminaris Item Trade-In'. It had a red, corrugated tile roof like a vast majority of the other buildings but had walls that looked sturdier than most. The door was a similar affair and looked a bit like Rayfield's front gate. Tsukasa walked to the door and knocked loudly on it three times. After a few moments, a muffled voice rang out.

"Come in! We're open!" Tsukasa pushed the door open and walked in. The interior of the shop was... cluttered, to say the least. Strange items lined the wooden shelves that adorned the otherwise bare walls, and a large wooden bar lay in the back. A young woman wearing large spectacles sat at the counter, fiddling with something hidden from view - probably a safe or container where money was kept. Once she spotted him, she took off the large glasses and wiped them on the front of her shirt before setting them aside.

"Welcome. How may I help you today?" she said, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"I'm looking to sell some items," Tsukasa glanced at the walls, noticing the price tags on the goods. "and perhaps purchase a few as well."

"Okay then. Would you mind setting them on the counter for appraisal?" Tsukasa stepped forward, then placed his hand behind his back, withdrawing a few items from his inventory. He selected a gold amulet with a dull beryl stone embedded in the center which raised the wearer's speed by 6. This was a lowly Tier 2 item and a rather common drop from mid-level monsters, but Tsukasa just wanted to check out this world's currency value compared to the treasure in his inventory. Just as he was about to place it on the counter, he decided to withdraw another item - the Tier 4 [Mist Dagger], whose blade was shrouded in mist. It was popular amongst [Assasins] who used the spell [Mist Shroud], which made it virtually invisible. He placed both items on the counter and the lady took them gingerly, then closed her eyes.

"[Middle Appraise Item]!" A bluish-white light appeared above the items and a few lines emitted from the light ran over the surface of the dagger and amulet. After a few seconds of scanning, the woman opened her eyes, slightly paler than before. She seemed to have expended a lot of mana on such a low tier spell. Maybe she had a low aptitude for magic.

"W-where did you steal these?! And from who?" she exclaimed, drawing them closer to her. Her right hand also slipped away from the counter, reaching for something below. A crossbow, maybe?

"I didn't steal them!" Tsukasa replied, flustered. "I bought them a while ago for a hefty sum - I'm in dire need of funds, so I'm kinda forced to sell." She calmed down a bit hearing that he purchased them for a 'hefty' sum.

"Alright then. Um, I apologize for the fuss I made." The clerk blushed, clearly embarrassed at her outburst. This amulet is worth around..." she put on the spectacles once more and began flipping through a large catalog. "E-eighty gold marks. And the dagger is about sixty-five gold." Tsukasa was slightly disappointed at the dagger's selling price, but was very happy at the amulet's - he had much more of those than [Mist Daggers].

"I'm sorry, but I'm not from here. Uh, could you please give me an overview of the currency?" he asked, nervous. What if she asked about where he came from? He should have asked the guard about the surrounding region.

"Of course, sir." Tsukasa noticed her change in attitude but dismissed it as trivial. "Well, a gold mark is worth 10 silver marks, and a silver is 100 copper. There are also null marks, which are made of mithril and have a hole in the middle." The made a little 'o' shape with her hand to demonstrate. "Those are worth a hundred gold marks."

"Thank you very much," he replied, glad to easily have gotten enough to pay the toll.

"Er, your welcome. Would you like a null mark and forty-five gold, or a straight up 145 gold?" Tsukasa thought for a moment, then decided.

"Just gold, please." A null mark would bring more attention than gold, and he didn't want that. She fished out a leather pouch with a drawstring and opened something, and carefully poured 145 gold pieces from whatever she opened into the pouch. At least he thought it was 145. It looked like it.

"[Chrono Accel - Rank II]," he muttered before casting his next spell. "[Instant Appraise Item]." He appraised the pouch, which was composed of cow leather and string. Inside were a perfect 145 gold marks. He then released the spell - he didn't want to lose too much health. Since no one appeared to have [Time Stop/Freeze] countermeasures he probably should use them instead - he had a rather large MP pool. He then released the spell, and the flow of time returned to normal.

"Thanks again," Tsukasa said. "but do you mind if I buy another pouch for 1 gold?" The young woman seemed to understand why.

"Not at all. One silver is enough. I can convert some gold as well. Um, would it bother you if I asked your name?" she said timidly.

"That would be good - and my name is Ts-" Tsukasa paused. This might not be a great idea. "Yuuki."

"... Tsuki-san?" She asked.

"Uh, Yuuki. Sorry, I kinda mispronounced it. Yours?" Tsukasa Yuuki felt like facepalming himself with the force of a thousand suns - this was so embarrassing!! At least they had the same honorific system. He gave her 5 gold marks, then she put a mixture of copper and silver marks into a bag, which Tsukasa appraised in a [Time Stop] break.

"Melissa," she replied.

"Have a good day, Melissa-san," he said leaving the shop, storing the lighter pouch in his pocket and the heavy one in his inventory.

"Y-you too, Yuuki-san!" he heard faintly as he walked out the door. He fished out a silver and two copper from his pouch and ran off to the guard, passing the fountain as he went.

"Back already?" the man said, looking down at Tsukasa from the wall. "I guess you couldn't sell those items. That's okay, rea-"

"Uh, I have the money."

There was an awkward pause.

"Oh, well, in that case, I'll take it." Tsukasa handed over the coins, and the guard thanked him. "Do you have a place to stay?" the watchman inquired.

"No, actually. Do you know any inns here?"

"Yes, I do. There's a fairly cheap one to the right of that fountain, but from the looks of your purse you might wanna stay at the Silver Eagle. It's a tad pricey but a lot cleaner, so I recommend it. Even if your pouch was full of copper you could afford it. Just walk all the way down to the inner wall of Rayfield - which is straight past the fountain - and it's beside the portcullis. You can't miss it." the guard said.

"Thanks a lot!" Ts-Yuuki said as he ran off past the fountain.

Tsukasa reached the inner wall after two minutes of running, and sure enough, the Silver Eagle Inn was right beside the gate. He caught a glimpse of the interior through the portcullis' bars and saw that it was clearly for the 'upper-class'. While the exterior was no slum, the interior seemed much more opulent. However, he noticed a few beggars in the alleys surrounding the gate, hoping for scraps of food or marks. This was the same thing as his old world - however, the class divisions manifested in the form of a wall. Was this world truly better?

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Discarding those trivial thoughts, he walked into the Silver Eagle. The interior was painted mostly white, and a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, bathing the walls its mottled light. Tsukasa noticed a receptionist sitting behind a desk to his right, and walked towards them.

"Excuse me, can I please rent a room for one?" he asked the seated man. The receptionist glanced briefly at his attire before replying. I should probably get some normal clothes, Tsukasa thought. He made a mental note to buy some later.

"Of course. How long will you be staying?" the man replied smoothly. Tsukasa sighed in relief - he didn't want to get thrown out based on his strange appearance.

"Well, I haven't given that much thought. Could I pay for a week, then extend at a later date if needed?" Tsukasa asked.

"Very well. That will be 5 silver and 25 copper, please." Tsukasa withdrew six silver marks from his pouch, but the receptionist frowned slightly. "I'm afraid there is a no change policy for denominations below 1 gold." Unfortunately, Tsukasa only had eight copper marks left. He'd have to pay an extra 75 copper.

"Just keep the change," Tsukasa said, trying to appear confident - and willing to waste a few dozen coppers. The receptionist nodded and accepted the money.

"Your name, please?"

"Yuuki."

"Enjoy your stay, Yuuki-san." The man said, writing his name down neatly in the ledger. "Your room is on the second floor, at the end of the right hallway. Here is your room key - make sure the number on the door is the same as that of the key."

"Thanks," Tsukasa replied, accepting the key. The number '207' was indented neatly onto its surface. Tsukasa headed to the stairs and up to his room. Once he was inside, he locked the door and gazed at the room. It wasn't the largest room, nor was it 'special' in any way, but that didn't matter - he had primarily come here for information.

"[Barrier of Effulgent Bery]!" Tsukasa said, feeling the noticeable MP drain, comparable to that of [World Teleport]. However, it was worth it - the door and walls were completely immune to physical attacks until he released the spell or the infused mana ran out. However, he didn't feel completely safe.

"[Negative Mana Field]. [Fire Resist]. [Gas Filter]." He chanted, directing the wards around him. "Should I make a golem as a sentry?" He mused, taking his [Incantation of Awakening] fro his inventory. However, he decided against it. I'd like a more... intelligent servant. Golems are rather nice, but the higher end ones are a bit costly and not too bright. I don't know if I can acquire any of the required materials in this world, so I should save the ones I have. Suddenly, he remembered something that would serve quite nicely as a guard, and perhaps even a traveling companion. Last year, Avalon had received a new update - the [Age of Adventure] expansion. Since most of the events required 3 or more party members, the devs had decided to add the feature of Guardians. Most players at that time had trouble getting into groups above 2, so these Guardians could be summoned to replace party members if necessary. They also had decent 'meta' skills and spells, but as a drawback, they were generally weaker in terms of raw strength than an average player of equal level. 

[Guardian Summoning Crests] allowed a player to summon a Guardian (hence the name) but were an extremely prized and rare commodity, contrary to their original design. Tsukasa had never killed the event bosses that dropped these for the sole reason that he was too weak. He was rather frustrated at the time, but after a few weeks, the Guardians were deemed 'trash' because the game gained popularity and players, leading to their decline - right before Tsukasa got transported here, no one used them - but he still thought they were 'cool'. Luckily enough, Tsukasa had beaten a player in the PVP event, the [Aegis Tournament], and got to take half a dozen items from that player's inventory. He had sold half of them for materials to build his guild hall/base, but he also had looted two [Guardian Summoning Crests]. To his dismay, the Ritual Spell used to activate a [Crest] required a catalyst - a raw material of the Divine tier - exactly what Tsukasa had obtained at the [Alchemist]'s shop. He originally wanted to forge a weapon out of it, but he already had obtained several powerful ones, so this was simply a pet project - which he would discard in favor for another. 

"[Teleport Anchor - Set]!" This spell essentially created a gate where he and his guildmates could teleport to with the [Teleport] spell, the most basic variety of instant transportation. "[Guild Teleport]!" he cried, then arrived in the iNCITE base. Ignoring the familiar sights, Tsukasa headed toward the side door to his guild's treasure room. He stepped inside, then placed his hand on the elegant doors. He certainly hoped that the search function worked the same way it had in Avalon - he could access his items by simply thinking about them, similar to his inventory. 

However, he had no such luck. Crap, I guess I'll have to sift through the entire treasury. It should be near the front though. It was the last thing I deposited here, anyways. He thought, bracing himself to heave the massive gates open. Before he could do so, and an idea came to him. He manually opened the slot, then attempted to peer through, but it was too small and couldn't see the item. That was fine, though. 

"[Eagle Eye]!" Tsukasa cried, activating his skill - it was a weaker version of the Tier 7 spell, [Hawk Eye], which let him have an unlimited field of vision and expand vision through small holes. It was very popular when peering through keyholes, but Tsukasa had never bothered to learn it, because he had several skilled [Thief] class guildmates who knew this spell, amongst others. [Eagle Eye] did nothing about blind spots, but still expanded one's field of vision and the 'keyhole' thing. He spotted the catalyst at the very front amidst a pile of gold coins. 

"[Steal]." Tsukasa ironically stole his own item with the low-level thief skill, and it appeared in his hand momentarily. He probably could have used [Lesser Telekenisis], but this would suffice. "[Teleport]."

In a flash, he had returned to his room at the Silver Eagle. The room appeared untouched, but Tsukasa left [Eagle Eye] active for a few moments, ensuring that he was alone. He took his catalyst then cast the spell [Planear Slash] which cleaved it in two - he didn't need the whole thing, and he had two [Crests] - and each one required a catalyst to activate. He withdrew the two [Crests] from his inventory, then placed them gingerly down on the bed. He knew couldn't  be destroyed without the use of the [Destroy Greater Item] spell, but he just wanted to be careful. The [Guardian Summoning Crests] were surprisingly a viscous liquid, not unlike mercury and were contained in diamond vials with a vellum scroll tied to the side. From what he had heard, you had to spill it on a clean surface in order to activate it, preferably devoid of cracks as to not let any liquid seep through. Tsukasa cast the spell [Mana Barrier - Rank IV], and a wall of pure mana escaped from his MP pool. It formed a membrane on the floor, akin to a rug. Tsukasa gulped an [MP Potion] to restore the reserves he had drained, the popped open the first [Crest]'s vial - and poured it onto his flat [Mana Barrier]. The magical energy crackled when it came in contact with the crest, but due to its strength, it held fast. Once all the silver liquid had settled, it started to form an intricate pentagram encircled by foreign runes. Tsukasa unrolled the vellum scroll and began to read. 

"O mighty spirit, accept this offering, reclaim thy strength, and rise upon my command.

You shall be my sword, and slice clear the path to my victory.

In exchange for your noble service, I grant you form, freedom of will, and this sacrifice to your glorious name.

Spirit, Guardian, I call upon thee!"

Tsukasa held the catalyst above the summoning circle then released it. However, it was not captured by gravity but rather caught in a beam of bright light. The light flashed, and the half of the catalyst Tsukasa had offered the Guardian disappeared for a moment, he panicked - had something gone wrong? It had taken him almost a year to collect the [Eclipse Amulets] necessary for its creation. In quite a literal flash, half of it was gone. Fortunately, his ritual had succeeded. The drain on his mana reserves was immense - despite having a racial bonus for mana and high MP as his primary class was [Battlemage], roughly 80% had disappeared in an instant. However, it was enough to cast the spell which he had forgotten. 

"[Soundproofing]!" he cried, pointing at the door before the rest of his mana was leeched away by the greedy force. Higher tier [Crests] required higher quality catalysts and these required vast amounts of mana. Normally, a few players of the [Magic Caster] class would share the burden, but Tsukasa hat to face it alone - this left him exhausted and unable to guzzle [MP Potions]. Suddenly, a high pitched sound rang out from within the room, followed by an explosion. Luckily, it didn't actually damage anything. Tsukasa peered through the smoke at where the explosion had come from. In the place of a pentacle stood a Dragon Avatar - this [Guardian Summoning Crest] was a [Mirror Crest], which summoned a guardian with the same race and one of the summoner's classes. From the looks of it, the spirit was either a [Paladin], [Warrior], or [Magic Caster] - Tsukasa would have guessed [Battlemage] if it was not a unique class. The Guardian pounded her(?) stave on the [Mana Barrier] below, which shattered into glowing shards, then disappeared entirely. The figure landed on the ground with a soft thump. Tsukasa was impressed. I guess these Guardians aren't just collector's items, he mused wryly.

"Greetings, summoner. I assume you are my master?"