I left the temple once again, feeling a sense of dismay as I looked down at my simple white robe. If this kept up, I was going to have to dedicate a whole closet just for them.

Isabel hadn't left me with much - only a handful of coins, my trusty staff, my magic cube, and my boots, but at least it made for an interesting look. I adjusted my robe and made my way to a nearby park, taking a seat on a bench with a slight groan. I needed a moment to relax and reflect on everything I had just been through.

First though, I scrolled through my notifications. I knew that wallowing in self-pity would have to wait; I had work to do.

Congratulations

Illusion Magic has reached level 17

The ether consumption of spells has

Decreased Moderately

You have gained the title:

Experienced Masochist

(Evolved From Connoisseur of pain)

Seemingly unable to avoid getting mortally wounded,

Or perhaps not willing to, you have learned to embrace the pain.

You are now able to better resist pain, it will still exist,

But not feel as intense as it otherwise would.

In addition, You are now able to ignore pain, as an activated ability.

you receive an additional bonus 6 points to endurance

Congratulations

You have earned the title:

One eyed

People are intimidated by your scarred visage.

Passive effect:

People will be more wary around you. You have a dangerous

Air about you, and you gain the ability to momentarily freeze

weak minded opponents in fear.

you receive a bonus 3 points to mental attributes

I scrolled through the notifications and let out a heavy sigh. It seemed that even in my moments of vulnerability, I was still being granted abilities that would make my enemies tremble. If there were gods in Aethoria, one of them must have had a twisted sense of humor. And if there weren't, well, then I supposed I had only myself to blame.

Taking a moment to assess my situation, I realized that we had succeeded in neutralizing Christof, at least for the time being. However, we had also revealed our identities to our enemies and had only scratched the surface of what we knew about them. On top of all that, I had sustained yet another set of injuries, this time losing an eye in the process.

"I'm going to have to figure out how to fight with one eye," I grumbled to myself, but before I could dwell on the thought, Grim's voice echoed in my mind. "Did you forget about me, my ever darker partner?" he taunted.

"Um... no?" I replied tentatively, feeling slightly caught off guard.

Grim cackled, clearly enjoying having surprised me. "No matter, put on the mask."

I raised an eyebrow. "You want me to put it on here, in a public park?"

Grim didn't answer, but I could feel his impatience mounting. I shrugged and reluctantly complied, feeling a sense of unease as the mask materialized on my face. To my surprise, as I looked around, everything was clear and in focus. "Fuck yes, Grim! I can see! But how?"

Grim's laughter grew even more smug. "You don't see with your eyes when you wear it, dear partner. You see with mine!"

I couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards my ever-creepy companion. "That's awesome, Grim. This will let me fight efficiently despite my eye."

Feeling a renewed sense of positivity, I stood up and weaved an illusion around myself. I appeared to others as a young noble, dressed in a well-cut suit and with an unmarred face. I checked my ether and was pleased to see that minor illusions like this barely made a dent in my reserves. In time, I was sure I could get to a point, where I could conjure illusions around myself indefinitely, effectively becoming invisible to people or appearing as anyone I chose.

An those kind of thoughts, they were likely the reason my abilities and titles were all aiming me in the direction that they were.

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I began walking out of the park, feeling invigorated and energized. There were people who needed to be taken down and a girl who deserved a kiss. I was confident that this day could still turn out to be great.

Later, I returned to the house only to find it empty. Frustrated, I grumbled to myself but decided to take a bath. I made sure to keep Grim, one of my images, on watch to avoid any surprises.

As I soaked in the tub, I relaxed and let my mind wander. After the bath, I headed upstairs and dressed in my armor and blue battle robes. Then, I went back downstairs to grab some food. I was just finishing my meal when Isabel, Lyra, and Viktor returned.

As they entered the lounge, they were surprised to see me sitting there fully prepared for battle. Lyra appeared worried, but Isabel had a fierce grin on her face. "Happy to see you're not wallowing in self-pity, David!" she exclaimed.

I grinned back at her. "Who needs eyes anyway, right?" I replied sarcastically. Isabel approached me and studied my scarred face. "Yep, that's a pretty nasty scar, David. Lyra might not find you as pretty anymore," she said, chuckling.

Lyra stepped forward and glared at Isabel. "That's not true!" she protested vehemently.

I smiled at Lyra, and we shared a kiss. I wanted to reassure her that I was okay, despite my injury. Viktor looked a little uncomfortable, but Isabel took charge and pulled him into the lounge. "So, David. Ready to get to work?" she asked.

I nodded confidently. "I didn't put this armor on for nothing. Let's go find Sigen!"

"I agree. That asshole needs to be put in the ground," Isabel said, nodding. "The other groups are already scouring the city for cores as we speak. We found 11 ourselves in the trade quarter."

Impressed, I voiced my thoughts, and Isabel gestured to Viktor. "Viktor is the one to thank for that. His devices are very efficient in finding them, and we are hopeful we can get them all before all hell breaks loose."

Viktor looked embarrassed but smiled at the praise. "Yes, well, it wasn’t all that difficult truth be told. Now that I am finished with that job though, I suppose our cooperation is concluded." He looked a bit sad at those last words, but I smiled at him.

"Doesn't have to be," I said. "You could stay around, help us with our gear, securing the house in case of another attack. There are plenty of things you could help with."

Isabel and Lyra both went quiet, and we waited for Viktor's response. Recruiting an enchanter to our team, even temporarily, would be an amazing boon to us. Besides, I liked the guy.

Viktor studied the table intently for long moments before answering. "I...I would like that actually. I would have to inform my master, of course, and he will not like me doing it for free, but..."

I cut him off with a friendly wave. "You won't have to do it for free, Viktor. Sure, right now, we are in the middle of a grand conspiracy, possibly city-ending crisis and all that. But eventually, we are going back to good old monster hunting, and you would have an equal share in that." Isabel raised an eyebrow at me, and I just gave her a grin.

Viktor considered it for another few moments, then said, "Alright then. I will join you. I am no fighter, so it would be more of an auxiliary role though." Isabel clapped him on the shoulder. "I can get you up to speed, I can make you a proper warrior in no time!"

Viktor looked pale, and Lyra and I laughed. "Don't mind her, she is a little overenthusiastic when it comes to training," Lyra said.

The rest of the day was spent with Viktor working on my gear, adding layers of protective enchantments and enhancing its durability and strength. He explained that while it was easier to add these minor improvements while crafting the item, but they could still make a significant difference in the long run.

Viktor had shown great interest in my mask and had even asked for permission to study it for a while, which I had granted with Grim's approval. "You know, David, given enough time, I could probably craft something like this! It won't be easy, and I suspect we are talking many years, but imagine the possibilities!" he said excitedly.

I gave him a tight smile. "Yeah, um... I think one crazy spirit in my head is enough thanks!"

Viktor shrugged. "I would still like to do it. Can I ask you something?" I gestured for him to continue.

He looked at me with genuine interest. "Why are you using a staff? Why not something with more potential lethality?"

I shrugged. "My fighting style is about sending ether into my opponents' body, and blunt weapons work fine for that."

Viktor looked contemplative. "I see... I still think a blade might be useful in certain situations. Can I try something with your staff?"

I nodded and went to pick up my staff from where it was resting against the wall. I handed it to Viktor, and he studied it closely. "Yes... this is quality work. I can improve on it, though," he said with a small smile.

I watched as Viktor pulled out his wand and began whirling it around in intricate patterns. The purple spell circle appeared again, and he began to do something. I honestly had no clue what he was doing.

After a long while, Viktor smiled. "Done! I think this could be useful to you. Try it!" he said, handing me my staff. I took it from him and frowned, not sure what to do next.

Viktor was staring at me expectantly, and I met his gaze with confusion. “Well, go ahead! Infuse it with your ether,” he said, urging me to use my powers. I finally understood what he meant and nodded my head. As I did, a third of the staff in each end started to glow, and the energy coalesced into two energy blades. I couldn't help but grin, feeling thrilled by the weapon's power.

Without hesitation, I stepped out into the yard, where we had a battered training dummy from our previous practice sessions. I walked over to it with confidence, and Viktor followed behind, observing my movements. I got into a combat stance, and with a swift motion, I swung the staff. To my surprise, the blade cut through the dummy cleanly, splitting it in two. I stared at the staff in disbelief, and then glanced over at Viktor.

He was grinning. "Pretty slick, eh?" he said, clearly pleased with the result.

I nodded in agreement. "It is at that. Makes me feel like a Sith!"

Viktor looked confused. "What's a Sith?" he asked.

I grinned. "Don't mind that, thanks Viktor."

He nodded, smiling. "It won't cut flesh, David. It will only cut inanimate objects. So you'll have an easier time fighting an armored opponent, for example, able to cut through his armor and then hit him with the blunt part."

I nodded in understanding. "That's great! Thanks, Viktor. Really!"

As we walked back inside, Malik came through the door, and I gaped at him in shock. The huge man looked even bigger in his plated armor, which was of high quality. He looked like a mountain of steel.

He studied my face with concern, but when I gave him a big grin, he seemed to relax. "Good to see you're doing better, lad. I was worried."

I shrugged in response to Malik's words and said, "No worries big guy, thanks for the help."

He nodded and smiled before asking, "How are you adapting to the sight limitation?"

I gave him another grin and summoned my mask over my face. With Grim's voice, or what I was beginning to think of as my Harlequin voice, I replied, "While I wear this, I can see as well or better than I ever did."

I dismissed the mask again, and Malik clapped me on the shoulder, saying, "I see! That's great. It's a shame about the eye, of course, but having bonded with that spirit makes it somewhat bearable."

I nodded in agreement, and Malik's expression turned serious as he said, "Well, that's good. Go get the girls. We're going to find Sigen. I have questions for him!"