I walked through the streets with my new usher at my side. Evelynn was ecstatic to be rid of me and didn't seem to have much sympathy for her replacement. Which was all the better for me. Having the leader of the town guiding me would certainly open up some doors that would otherwise remain closed.

I turned towards him, "What's your name anyways?"

The old man glared at me a moment before grumbling, "Harold."

"Oh I used to know a Herald. The dumbass blew off his thumb playing with fireworks."

"Fireworks?"

I waved my hand, "Ignore that, it's a cultural thing. You wouldn't have it here. Besides, we're getting off topic. I need you to show me where you keep your spellbooks."

He stared at me for a moment, "Why don't you just ask to take everything in our armory as well while you're at it?"

I chuckled, "I didn't know that was an option, you can take me there afterwards."

"Oh bugger off."

I grinned, "The goddess has decided to grant me immense talent in illusion magic, and a spellbook would certainly help the process along."

He grumbled, "Why would she ever choose one of your kind as a champion? What kind of deal did you make with her?"

"Deal? We simply have similar ideals. The goddess was practically falling over herself to give me the position. Called me the perfect candidate for the job if I remember correctly."

"...uh huh."

The old man didn't take his eyes off me as he guided me through the winding streets. With the conversation stalled I could finally take in my surroundings, and unsurprisingly the world seemed rather different. For one, I could feel the mana around me, and with each breath I took it seeped into my body.

The ceiling over the town no longer looks to be made of stone. Thousands of wires made from magic seemed to be intertwined across the sky, where sitting atop it was the biggest dragon I'd ever seen made of the same strands of magic.

It was a good way to prevent monsters from approaching, I could give the goddess that, but that raised the question of what exactly I could achieve with this school of magic. I probably could have asked for something more basic. Like talent in fire magic, but where would that get me? The spear and my gun were already lethal enough, and this would be far more versatile. Even if the examples left here by the goddess were a tad uncreative.

Harold came to a stop in front of me and I was drawn from my thoughts. A veritable mansion stood before me and I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Your home?"

"Indeed."

"And I can expect to find what I've asked for in there?"

Harold nodded slightly, "All of this town's spell tomes are stored in my residence under lock and key. So yes, you can expect to find what you search for here."

"Fair enough."

He guided me through the halls of the mansion until we came upon a thick steel door. Harold quickly fished a set of keys from his pocket and began to open it."

As he moved to turn the lock I chimed in, "Just a reminder. Everyone in that church saw you agree to guide me, and everyone along the way saw as well. I don't think they'd take kindly to their goddess's champion mysteriously disappearing. Wouldn't you agree?"

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

I could practically hear the old man's blood pressure rising, "Luckily for you this is the safest place in the town."

I grinned, "I would hope so."

He pushed open the door and I was greeted to a vault of sorts which he proceeded to carefully guide me through with eyes that never left me.

I stopped for a moment before what looked to be a helmet crafted from gold.

"What's this?"

"It's mine is what it is."

"Well I figured that much. I am in your house. It's an artifact, isn't it?"

I placed my hand atop the helmet and Harold quickly grabbed my wrist.

"No touching. I don't give a rat's ass that you're the goddess's champion. Touch any more of my stuff without permission and you'll lose that hand."

He held my arm for several seconds with superhuman strength before I eventually pulled my hand back, "You have my apologies, I simply have an appreciation for the magic of this world. Speaking of which."

I walked over to a section of the vault where a bookcase sat. On its shelves were hundreds of spellbooks, and after a bit of perusing I found one on illusion magic.

I turned towards Harold with a voice dripping with sarcasm, "Would the magnificent leader present please allow me to pick up this book?"

I could see him gritting his teeth, "Just take it."

"You're a saint.", I said while stuffing it into one of my many pockets.

The spellbook now secured, I stood up and clapped my hands together, "Well then, next I'd like you to take me to see any earthlings you have locked away."

Harold stared me down, "I never said there were any."

"Not specifically, but you've called me an underworlder. Which in all fairness, could have been in response to a warning given by your gods, but that wouldn't explain some things. Such as how you knew I was one."

He looked me up and down, "... do you not see what you're wearing?"

"I'm well aware, but I'm also aware that you people don't like to travel. I could be from any neighboring settlement and you'd have no idea. It could simply be how they dress there. Furthermore, you didn't sound uncertain in the slightest when you called me an underworlder."

I leaned in towards him, "So let me ask you this. Is the earthling you came across still alive?"

…

"I can see why the goddess of lies took a liking to you."

He sighed, "Allright, I'll take you there."

Harold placed his hand on my shoulder, and in the next moment I was no longer standing in the vault. The space around me had suddenly changed to be dome shaped, and it was small enough that I could walk from one side to the other in about fifty steps. Evermoving black tendrils that almost seemed to be alive made up the walls and floor, and not far off I could see a dozen or so jail cells set up. One cell contained a man wearing a Metallica shirt and jeans with long black hair. The other cells were empty.

The prisoner looked towards me with surprise, "Oh what are you doing here? You're not the jailor."

"Great observation."

I began to walk towards the cell as the sound of a man wearing plate armor landing on the ground sounded out from behind me.

I didn't even bother turning around, "Your jail house is rather unique."

"You can thank that little twat's power for that.", Harold said from across the room.

"So what power did you ask for?"

Harold walked up beside me, and the prisoner's eyes cut towards him. There was fear there, and the prisoner didn't dare speak a word before Harold gave him permission to.

"I wished for biomancy."

I raised an eyebrow, "What's that?"

The caged man sat up slightly straighter at the question, "My friends and I knew about the demon. There were tons of forums online talking about him. So we brainstormed up the best power we could think of, and biomancy is what we came to."

"Yeah, that's great, but what can you actually do?"

"Eventually a lot, but the demon nerfed my power quite a bit. At the moment I can incorporate the bodies of monsters into people. Like with what I did for the Elder behind you."

My eyes shifted over to Harold, "He looks human enough."

The prisoner shrugged, "It's not obvious unless I want it to be. His ability to make this place is thanks to my power."

I turned towards Harold, "Is that so?"

He sighed, "Yes, the ability comes from a certain type of lizard that houses their young in a pocket dimension."

I turned back to the prisoner with a large grin on my face, "I have a job for you."

------------------------

Meanwhile, at the entrance to the town an unknown man riding a beast passed through the illusionary wall as if wasn't even there. He had a bored expression on his face as he rode the beast all the way up to the main gate where guards stood with spears readily pointed towards him. Suddenly an alarm started up that echoed throughout the town.

One of the guards edged closer to the man with his spear raised, "Who the hell are you?"

The man reached behind his back and gripped something, "Nobody you should be concerned with."

Then in one fluid motion something metal struck the guard in the chest, and he immediately doubled over. The other guard's caution rose to new heights as the unconscious guard's position was quickly filled by another as he was dragged behind the spear wall.

The man held his arms wide as the guards readied their attack.

"Ah, I love this part."

He smiled, "Awaken."

The spear wall crumbled instantly as something of incredible mass materialized behind them. It was covered in scales and heat practically radiated off its body. It was marvelous, it was deadly, and it was a dragon.