I am well aware that I took no less than a minute to get here, crossing the mountains to the north of the peninsula but weirdly enough I saw fog and the sun beginning to set. As much as I hate it, using the ring takes its toll on my body. As I entered the city I saw every nook and cranny lit with lamps. There was a food joint around the corner and I walked up to it. Surrounding it were two-story houses with that signature Eastern-style look. Then I entered the joint and asked for some food. Of course, I didn't know the language and pointed at the item in the menu. I put out a silver coin from my pocket and the lady present there presented me with fifteen copper coins in return. I am lucky when it comes to purchases, whatever I have ever bought never failed to satisfy me. With books especially, the better the cover looks the better the read. I took a table that could have two people so as not to take up unnecessary space. I got a hearty big bowl of stew with vegetables and noodles. Though there was space, a slightly elderly man sat in front of me. I felt awkward but he was unassuming and harmless so I didn't mind. "'Army stew' it's called." Well quite amazingly I found someone who I understood. He had a thick accent and long hair. Quite the good-looking man, I must say. "So what brings you here?" "Nothing much, just making a short pit stop before going south. I have to reach the Empire for some work." I replied while eating my food. He also got himself some fried chicken. It was glistening with the glaze and the crunch was unsettlingly loud, imagine eating them late at night! He gave me a feeling that he was some kind of pickpocket but I could be wrong. Back home I have traveled quite a bit between places and usually been well off in the not-getting-robbed department. If you stay away from cheap places, the chances of you getting ripped off are low. Like, take this dinner for example. Had I wanted, I could have gone straight for the street delicacies which would've cost me half or even a third of this but why am I paying this much or what exactly am I paying for? The security of my bowels and my pocket.

I think I should ask this man about this place. "So what kind of a place is this?"

"Oh, this? It a… a… nice place. Here is a town on the outskirts, very good. Please be careful in the night because of them." I see quite a broken speech.

"He them?" I followed up.

"They are an organization of the night which has lately been terrorizing this city. You can come inn." He replied. I wish either he could speak my language more clearly or I could speak to him in his. This is hurting my head. I wanted small talk and now that my food is finished I will get up and leave.

"Please come inn." He insisted.

"Sorry, mister I do not understand."

"Inn! I owner of place, you can stay where." An 'inn' he is talking about, I see. Quite the clever man. I think I might check it out. "Thank you so much," I said. The farther east we go, the more polite people become. We walked out of the restaurant, immediately approached by a blonde elf. She, as I had suspected, picked up my pocket but in her hands, she had the fake wallet. My money is actually in my inventory which I access through the spell. He seems as though he knows something but wouldn't tell me. "She picked my pocket, should we stop her?"

"No! No! No! She is one of them. They very strong, no one has ever done anything to them. Please don't invite yourself into trouble. I promise I pay you your wallet." Well, now I am curious as to who they are and what their motive is. Perhaps some criminals at most. We walked further and just beside the diner his inn came. "Please come in inn"! He began chuckling afterward. This joke of his was indeed funny from a language learner's standpoint. In the empire, a system of writing is used where different concepts have their different and specific characters. Some have the same pronunciation for example the words for 'man' and 'god', both being pronounced 'Jin'. The language is more complicated so the joke will lose its humor if I explain further but 'man and god are the same' is what I came up with. It was a decent place with all the basic amenities and the one which caught my eye was the bathroom arrangement. The bathing part and the 'other' part were built separately. There was no furniture but a soft mattress and a lamp with a table. "How much?" I asked. "Don't worry, no pay. You got robbed." Well free it is then. The more money the better. This man is quite courteous and kind it seems. I slept the night.

In another corner of the city, the blonde elf met up with a man clad in black. "Master," she said, "the individual we had been notified of has been received."

"Do not tell me, I was there. Why exactly did you pick him.?"

"Crap! How did he know" she thought, saying, "Is that a problem?"

"Two problems! First is that you did a really bad job and second is that this isn't even his real wallet." He took it from his hand revealing a note that said 'he who takes this wallet is a son of a bitch'. The poor girl looked devastated and his master looked at her in disappointment.

"The task at hand is a very profitable one, and with the cost of handing him over alive, we can make billions. Take it seriously and do not mess up." He stated.

"Master, how strong do you think he is? He seems decently clever."

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"His strength might be of great magnitude but what he has in raw power, I make up for in combat. He can not defeat me."

"Understood master."

They both lightly hugged each other to make it seem as though they were two ordinary residents. This left the elf trembling and blushing. He on the other hand was pondering how best to spend his money. Soon he receives a message by thought communication from another confidant "Master we have captured a hostage who knows his whereabouts."

"Good, bring him underground. We must talk with him at once."

"I will spend the money I get from this to bring betterment to these girls." He thought.

Soon afterwards they all found themselves in the underground sewers with light shining from above. This particular section was dry so the smell wasn't as terrible. The poor man begged for his life, Charles stepped forward and put his hand on his shoulder saying "This is for our sake. We will not harm you. This man you have is a dangerous being. Him being around here is a threat to all of us." Hearing this he eased himself and sat comfortably on the ground and went from begging for his life to staring at the girls around. Not that they liked it, but for the sake of their master one measly old pervert was not a lot. There were eight of them including the blonde elf. They were the Nightshade Order!

I am awake in the middle of the night and feeling an odd sensation. I went to the loo and it still isn't going away. Perhaps ask the old man for something to calm myself. Walking down the stairs of the inn it seemed quiet as though no one was there. I see a room in worse shape than my own and I think this one belongs to that man. To my surprise, on the door, a note was pinned by a dagger.

"Meet us! Or this man gets it" My first thought is that this letter is so amazing. It just gave me so much information perhaps now I can solve the Collatz conjecture or make ambrosia. No 'where', no 'when'! Was this written on the spot? And even for that, it's bad. I have gotten into quite the mess, haven't I? Luckily I hover just the form for this kind of job.

His head swelled and his body shrunk. A pair of legs came out like that of a crab. His hands changed into pincers. He was now a Crab, or more specifically a think tank. He got out on his way to save the man.

On the other side, an unexpected problem came up. "I do have to ask you, how did you give him instructions on reaching here?" Charles asked

"Oh, that!" Lilly the blonde elf answered, "I… perhaps…"

"'Forgot' it seems!"

"No no, I did give details."

"About what? Your garment preferences?" Adding, "If he takes long then you will see me in my office tomorrow" He stated scaring the crap out of her. She quietly stood there praying for this person to come. Knowing full well that the odds of that happening were very unlikely as she had given no instructions at all. Admitting it would lead to. Two things she thought first being that her master would never trust her again and second being that all of them would have to retreat and this would cause great embarrassment among the elite eight.

Steps could be heard descending the stairway. Slowly slowly they reached the bottom. "Hello." A crab-looking creature answered. "So you speak my language. Seems there will be no communication."

"Wrong. I am just making up words that you coincidently understand."

"So you can't speak then?"

"No Charles. 'Water' and 'agua' mean the same thing but as a speaker of English you would need to be very lucky and guess if water is referred to in something with 'aquatic' then It's just a matter of finding the correct form."

"So you do know my name and can speak any language from guessing it. Fabulous!" He clapped.

"Now I want the man back or otherwise you and your friends will get a beat down." Thinktank proclaimed sending a little spark at the closest girl standing. "Resistance to electric attacks, you have it seems." He found it hard to live up to his claim. His head opened and sparks started to appear quickly changing to small bolts of lightning. He then launched a beam of lightning at all of them. Screams could be heard and everyone besides Charles was paralyzed by the shock. Charles was unfazed.

"Electric shock in small doses can repair muscles I have heard." He said patting himself to dust off.

"Estimated recovery time: half an hour." Thinktank proclaimed. "I know I will win against you. That much is assured but, as things are now I have no chance." He stood there reading himself knowing the disparity of power. Thinktank might be intelligent but besides his electricity, he couldn't fight especially underground where flight was useless. Charles lunged at him parrying many attacks quickly in rely to which all Thinktank could do was use his electricity to deploy a defensive shield.

"Why don't you use that big brain of yours to come up with a way to defeat me?"

"I will win in the end but I won't waste any time. Besides I have found your weakness.?

"Then why don't you exploit it?" Charles mocked him.

"If I put enough power I can damage you." He proceeded to launch a powerful blast of electricity which illuminated the whole tunnel and after landings left that taste of metal in one's mouth. Charles collapsed from the impact with his muscles twitching. "Goldbach!" Thinktank cried. He knew he couldn't rest easy but took the time to consider how could he defeat him.

"Activate Skill!" Charles managed to speak with what little strength he had. Suddenly he got up with no sight of damage.

"So he was right, you are dangerous. Because I lowered my guard I was almost gone for.

"The time has come." Thinktank overjoyed.

From the manhole above someone crashed right in the middle of battle.