„All right, so here is the plan I got so far. We're going to go do some house visits. I need a list of all the houses that are under watch, the timing of deliveries that happened so far, their schedule. Everything. You and me, we are going to find some lesser dealer, do me a favour and list them in accordance of how much of a piece of shit they are. Prepare a car, ropes, I'll write you a name of a drug you will need to get a prescription for from a pharmacy and we will try to kidnap one of the guys. I'll interrogate them later. Prepare me the cellar in the bottom where I was kept with some scalpes, tazer, copper wires, metal tongues, a car battery...”

„Jesus! Wait, wait, wait, I'll get something to write on and make a list” Sebastian interrupted him and started scrambling through the mess to find the notebook and pen he bought for Luke.

Almost resembling a student taking notes during a lecture, the man sat there in full concentration and focused on each word that was to follow.

„All right, write down what I already said” and as that took place, Luke allowed himself to enjoy another beer. In the time it took Sebastian to write all of what he said before, he managed to finish the can and crush it in his grip. With a slight burp, he cleared his throat and continued.

„All right, I'll just dictate you a list of items for interrogation. I will also tell you another list of some miscelanous items I will need, I remember there used to be a metal depot near here, you will get me some stuff from there and some other items for my personal preparations. I hope to be wrong, but if I ain't, I rather be prepared. Now, is Baldie in control of any pawn shops?”

„Erm, yeah? Fifteen are in our control right now,why?”

„I will need a loan, tell him I'll pay back for that but I will need some jewelery, specific kind. Everything will be on the list.”

„Sure, but why?” he asked perplexed.

„Well, that's a trade secret buddy. Always hope for the best but expect the worst. And trust me, if I am correct, I need to prepere as much as I can. Too many unknown variables here.”

„And you need jewelery for that?”

„Jesus, just think I need some bling to look good, feel good, and work good.”

„Is that why you have that ring? Don't fucking hit me, but I tried to take it off you when you were unconcious and it was almost glued stuck, you should take it off sometimes or it will fuse to your finger, you know?”

A sad smile rose on Lukes face as he rubbed the ring on his finger with gentle care, caressing it.

„This one is special. It's diffrent but also usefull. It's a momento of a person who helped me greatly. But let's not dwell on this and focus on the job. I will need a week, maybe two to prepare accordingly and parse through all the info you will bring me. I will also need to have some talks with Baldie about what change, and what to expect on the White Stone. I don't want to step on anyones toes while we play in there. I will have you accompany me from a distance.”

„Yeah, boss was quite insistant on not making any more enemies in there. We are on good terms with most right now and it's been quiet, and boss likes quiet.”

„Exactly, we want it quiet and peacefull, and to do that you will need to stop throwing those infant like tantrums every time I say something that boggles your mind and you will need to follow my words to a T.”

„I'm not throwing any!!!... all right I see what you mean.”

„Hah, I see some potential in you, and trust me, it's more for your safety than anything else. When I say run, you run, when I say shoot, you empty the clip. You get that?”

„Yeah. I'm not a newbie. I'm proper hard you know!” He flexed his biceps while saying that.

„Yeah, sure, sure.” he responded by flexing his biceps as his elbows rested on his knees and clenching his fist. Just that small gesture made the other man flinch.

„Proper hard you are” Luke joked.

This time Sebastian kept his mouth shut, even though some veins popped on his forehead.

„Good, you're learning.”

A moment passed and Sebastian calmed down enough to start scribbling down the list of items needed for a proper kidnapping, and the other one following that, the list of materials needed for Luke to prepare some of the more etheral protections.

Being by no means a specialist, and only after a crash course in inscription and basic warding spells, he knew his preparations would be ad hoc at best, but even that is better than nothing.

That was half the reason for getting all this. He had to be real with himself. Magic was enticing, it was beautiful, with endless potential. He could conquer any previously set upon him barriers and limits, create, explore. Since he was young, he was always frustrated with the limts of human body, ingenuity limited by the material wealth and access. Magic negated alot of that, allowed for a wider breath of possibilities, and he loved that.

Luke thought back to his first spark, to the warding inscriptions, hell, even to his Void Cowl. It was amazing, it was breathtaking. It gave him pleasure to drown in the mystic.

He decided. Once this was over, he will recuperate, advance his knowledge and no matter how long it will take, he will avenge Monsoon. Not in the heat of the moment, not without thought or preparation. He will do as he was asked by his mentor and develop, advance and become better. He owed him that much.

Playing with his ring and probing it subconciously with his power, he noticed something odd about it. A feel similar to his own storage space that was bound to his clavicles.

From what he remembered, spatial items could be separated into diffrent categories. The one he was given in the Nest was a somewhat common if not expensive version of a soul bound storage. Only he could access it as it was conjoined with his soulspace, it drew power directly from him and was growing with him, the inner space expanded as his power rose.

It was explained to him that these kind of storege items used to be really unpopular from the simple fact, that in the war times, if you were found to posses one, enemies would be sure to kill you to steal all of your valuables. The only way to access the inner workings of this dimensional crystal was to kill it's previous owner.

Apparently, during the war, both armies created spatial crystal farms, using people and monsters to grow such crystals, pumping the creatures with rapid growth serums and boosters until they died from being burned out as their bodies became unable to handle the increase in power, leaving behind storage crystals with large enough storage to use for normal use artifacts.

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War is ruled by it's own rules.

Both sides needed items capable of transporting ammo, provisions and materials and using such items is the easiest way to run logistics. A good artificer could improve on the space, mana usage and such but the better the source material, the better the outcome.

As it turnes out, such crystals are natrually hard to come by, manifesting only in space where the space itself is either supercompressed or extremely disrupted, like the edges of mana dense dungeons or places where portals and gateways shattered, destroying the fabric of reality.

Both being quite hard to reach, not even mentioning how long it takes for such things to form or even be located.

Thinkning about it, he really appreciated the gift, and it once again brought him to the small source of space collapsing on itself within the ring. It was really well contained, almost invisible even under his direct probing, and possible to feel only because it reacted weirdly to his own energy signature.

Luke tried to dive deeper with his senses into it, and something clicked. Both magically, and literally, the mechanizms in the ring shifted, some cogs spun, and suddenly his mind could view the contntens of additional space, resting on his finger. He was so shocked he lost concentration and the mechanizm shut itself back, locking him out of the space.

Immidietly, he dismissed Sebastian, barely remembering to set up some meetings with Baldie and pushed the man out of the doors, hastingly closing them behind him.

With his back facing the doors he shook his hand carrying the ring for a bit to relax and once again dwelled in deeper, and as the almost inaudiable click resounded, he dived deeper into the mentalscape of the ring.

It was smaller than what he had bound to him, the ring contained maybe 20m2, but it was filled to the brim. Luke could immidietly recognize the handyworks of his mentor, the only unfamiliar thing was that they were properly segregated and stashed in order, and not strawn around a mossy, damp floor in the underground.

Books, hundreds of them, separated by thin scrolls. Materials, organic and inorganic, locked in stasis, in a space without time. This ring seemed to be of a quite high quality. It was beyond Luke's knowledge what it was made of, but even he could recognize quality when presented. Even the fact how difficult it was to inspect the ring from inside was a proof to that, and the ring seemed to allow his energy to pass at least. It was packed dense with inscriptions, lines, runes, wording, set in multidimensional pattern that seemed to loop, criss-cross and interwine endlessly, revealing diffrent picture from even a slight change of perspective. It was a headache to even gaze at it, so he turned back to it's contents.

At the very top of the pile of items laid a scroll, wrapped up in a deep blue and brown silk ribbon with a wax seal and a crab claw mark stamped into it.

Immiedielty sending the mental command, it manifested in his hands. It was a heavy parchment, thick, and smelling of dampness and moss. It brought him back to the times he was sharing with his mentor. Melancholy wrapped around him like a blanket.

He held it gingerly in his palms, savoring the moment. Unsure if he was ready to even open it. He knew he had to, and he knew it will hurt, but he owed it to his mentor.

Breaking the seal with by gently ripping the wax seal, making sure to preserve it as well as he can, he stashed it away within his personal storage.

With a feathers touch, he unfurled the scroll and laid his eyes on the beautifly written, cursive text that covered it.

It read:

„Lukas, my unexpected protige, since you are reading this I presume I finished this damned contraption of a ring and Avian managed to pass it onto you. I was told your education is going well and you are showing lots of promise, especially in antagonising Jerzy. It's a good thing, he needs his snout rubbed viciously sometimes.

As you are aware, the Sewers have become a dangerous place for you, under enhanced surveilence, it has become a trap meant for you. I have been visited by my worst of enemy, and his hatred and anger was laid bare. It brought great shame to me, but also great joy. To spite him by harboring you was one of the most fulfilling things I have done in the last years, and I thank you for that.

To be frank with you, my boy, our meeting and every second that followed was extremely fulfiling, it gave me something I lost long time ago, a purpose and will.

Someone to care for.

While my time as your mentor may have been short, I couldn't be more proud of what and who you have become.

I know you harbor a dark past, that is evident, and the forces you clash with, resulting from it, and how your powers are immense and dangerous for you and everyone around you.

But you conquered it, lost control and reclaimed it. You held on to youself amidst a storm of pain and madness. You did not yield. You did not faulter. You carry numerous wounds, many of which would kill lesser men, yet, you walk on. Forward. I dare to say, it is me who should learn from you.

I believe in you. I saw great potential in that poisoned, wrecked man that destroyed my favorite flesh puppet, and I see it even more now that you have recuperated from being lost to the Void.

You are one to be Unyielding, one to Stand in Eternal Vigil. I can only hope, and wish that your future will be one of fulfilment and joy. And that you will share all that with people around you. You now posses great power, potential to bring harm, but also good. Do not get lost in the past, do not allow it's burden to crush you.

You are more than that. You can be made even greater. As you say, there is no glory without suffering, my boy, but I see great glory in your future.

Don't dissapoint me.

To help you with that, I prepared a small parting gift. The first book from the top is a leadger with all the items, their discriptions and methods of use. I emptied my Vault quite a bit for you to have a good start. You have no background, no support, no one to rely on when it comes to the mystical, so I ask you, as a friend, and your mentor, to allow me to provide you that support, even as pitiful as it may be.

Alas, this should sadly be our parting gift. I would like to meet with you again, and exchange some stories while sharing my mushroom risotto with you, but, I can't leave the Sewers, and I forbid you from coming here. For many years to come, it will be too dangerous for you to stay in the City of Hundred Bridges. Not untill you can become a self reliant bastion of power, able to stand up for yourself. Stand up for yourself like I was unable to.

I lay my hopes for better future in you.

I leave with you my inheritance of benevolence, of better times.

I leave with you my best wishes, and my warmest words.

Become better, become a man I can be proud of, become someone, who can stand with his head held high, smiling through tough times, while taking care of those in need.

Succeed, where I have failed.

I bid you farewell, my friend.

It has been a pleasure knowing you, and I hope we may see eachother again someday. „

P.S. This item is unique in alot of ways, it will help you blend in, and should restrict your influence on fate and hide your energy signature and your True Form from most magical prying eyes. It should also make you harder to track, but still, be careful. I made this for you to be able to live in peace, with Mortals.

With people you love.

P.P.S. This item is an exception to the rule, never, under any circumstances put one spatial item into another. Especially one that is soulbound to you. It will cause a spacial collapse with you in the center of it and an implosion that will erase you down to the molecule and everything in vicinity.

~Monsoon, The Granite Shelled.

A lot of time have passed in total silence, Luke did not move a muscle, even as his face was burning. The deep gashes he tore on his face bleed with black ichor, Tears of Void fell on his lap and onto the floor.

He felt warmth.

He felt shame.

He felt disgusted with himself.

A reminder to his failure, to his guilt in his mentors demise. Monsoon would not blame him for it, but Luke could not forgive himself. He couldn't forgive himself for what he couldn't do, and he could not forgive Klaus Senior for what he has done.

He was a terrible pupil. Unable to even comply with his dear mentors last wish. But some things can not be left unresolved. He had to get his revenge. He had to see that man kneel before him.

With renewed vigor, he stashed away the scroll and started looking through the ledger quickly. Segrageting books in accordance to what he could learn from them and what he needed for now.

Promising to himself and to his mentor, he dived into the arcane lore, he made a vow.

To become stronger.

To become worthy.

To be better.