“Stop right now.” Rufus Lysand shouted.

The blonde guy stopped before he could touch Toby.

“If you cause any more trouble, you will not get paid. I will report your behavior back to the Adventurer Guild too.” Rufus squinted his eyes.

“THIS FUCKER HIT ME. ME.” The guy shouted as he pointed at Toby.

“And how much more trouble do you intend to cause? Deducing from the damage you did to my ware, your pay already falls to three-tenths of what you could have earned if you acted like a civilized person. That’s one gold coin and seventy-two silver coins worth of material you destroyed.”

“You.” The guy pointed at Rufus. His hand was shaking as he gritted his teeth. He turned toward Toby, who had already returned to Lily’s lap.

“You better remember my name, Jerek Voss, the Hero of Swiftness. That will be the last thing you hear.”

“Did you seriously just threaten to kill me in front of multiple witnesses? Wow. Genius.” Toby clapped. “Sure. If I die, at least everyone will know who did it, and the guard will catch your ass.”

Thinking about killing made Toby want to hurl. He still couldn’t get what he did out of his head. He had so many sleepless nights afterward. But just because he wouldn’t kill, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t fight back for himself or his loved ones.

Jerek grabbed his blanket and pulled it over his head, pretending to sleep in the middle of the day.

“Toby.” Lily looked down and rubbed his head. “Good job.”

“I can’t say the same, little Toby. Making friends is better than making enemies.”

“And you think we can be friends? With that?” He pointed at the guy under the blanket.

“Big bro Toby…I” Lukas said as his voice trembled.

“Remember this, Lukas, if you want to be a Hero, never, EVER, let anyone step all over you. Stand your ground and fight back. Even if the world becomes your enemy.”

Lukas nodded. “Okay.” Lily smiled. While Grillion shook his head.

Once the group joined Rufus’s caravan, it was smooth sailing from there. No monster nor bandit attacked them. The group had a lot of time to get to know Rufus and to train. It was especially great for Toby since he got time to read the previous Dark Lord’s notebook. With the System being the translator, of course.

There was so much great and useful information inside. Information that could help him get stronger much faster. Information that could help him remove the curse and increase his mastery over Mana.

As they talked with the caravan's members, Toby’s group found out something interesting. Turned out, Rufus was a Builder from the Builder Guild but he decided his services were needed elsewhere and became a construction material merchant. He was heading to Eldium to supply the city with more Sea-stone and Driftwood for the upcoming Water Element Tide.

“Sea-stone and Driftwood? Is there anything special about them?” Toby asked Rufus as they sat around the campfire.

“You see, Eldium is a port city near the Howling Sea. That’s why they have to withstand frequent storms and heavy rains. Even during Fire, Earth, or Wood Element Tide, Air and Water Elements are still the dominant elements throughout the year.” Rufus took a sip from the cup in his hand.

“That’s why they need supplies of materials like Sea-stone and Driftwood, materials imbued with natural resistance to Air and Water Elements.”

“Is there no Sea-stone near the Howling Sea mister?” Lukas asked.

Rufus shook his head. “There used to be. But legend had it that when the ruined district was sunk beneath the sea, it affected the formation and Elemental balance and caused the safe mining spot to change. From then on, Sea-stone could not be found in the safe mining spots anymore.”

Toby was about to ask more when the air changed. He sniffed the air and looked up.

“It’s about to rain.” He said.

“Oh, that’s good.” Rufus nodded. “That means we are near the city. At most, three more days. The closer we get to the city, the more rain there will be after all. Let’s get some rest.”

“Before that Rufus.” Toby stopped the merchant. “Can I ask one last thing?”

“Sure, go ahead, lad.”

“How can you supply material for the entire city if you only have three carts?” Toby pointed at the carts.

“I was curious about that too,” Lily commented. “How did you successfully replicate the Heroes’ Skill [Inventory]?”

“Oh, that.” Rufus laughed. "That's us merchant's secret, I’m afraid.”

As he laughed, the merchant went to talk to his worker and prepare for the night. They were setting up some kind of barrier using wooden stakes as linchpins. When they were done, a transparent dome covered the caravan and everyone inside.

The only bone Toby got to pick during this trip was with Jerek Voss, aka jerk ass.

Since the dude was prohibited from attacking Toby’s group, he kept on badmouthing them at every chance he got. It was fine to badmouth Toby; he was used to things like this. But it wasn’t fine to do the same to Gramp, Lily, or Lukas.

Of course, Toby didn’t take that lying down.

Too bad Voss wasn’t used to having his pants pulled down at random times of the day. Or got slapped by an invisible hand out of nowhere. Or having water poured on his head every, single, time duty call. Or woke up and found out he was sleeping on some random tree branch, only to fall to the ground and eat dirt the moment after.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

The guy was furious. One time, he couldn’t control himself anymore and slashed at Toby with his sword. The result? He missed and got his ass whopped by the collective effort of Rufus, Rufus’s workers, Grillion, and Lily. They tied him up, gagged him, and threw him inside the second cart along with the material crates.

It was glorious.

What could he do about it? Everyone knew it was Toby who messed with him, but no one was on his side. That was the price for being a dick.

In Toby's opinion, having a Hero Path wasn’t that big of a deal. It just meant being able to use Light Element. That was pretty much it. Nothing special.

Two days later, they arrived at Port City Eldium in the middle of the afternoon.

The view was breathtaking.

Nested along the coast of The Howling Sea, Port City Eldium stood tall like a giant symbol of the people’s resilience. Its high, curved walls slope toward the sea or the rivers that were flowering from inside the city toward the sea. The walls were constructed from seashell-like Sea-stone reinforced with so much Air Mana that it was thumping like a beating heart. According to the notebook, these kinds of city structures weren't just a barrier. No, they also served as conduits for Elemental Mana whenever the Element Tide shifted. Their role was to make sure the city was safe.

Beyond the port, chained down by what looked like clay chains, was a mega L-shaped structure – a massive dam - that slept where the sea met the rivers. The structure remained unmoved as tsunami-like waves crashed against it. No matter what, water only flowed out of the city through the rivers beneath the dam, never from the sea in.

Toby had seen that design on Btube before. The L-shape used the water forces against itself as it changed the water direction when the structure was hit. Not only did it help keep the structure in place, but it also negated the water’s pushing force. It was used to stop floods on Earth. He thought he was lucky to see the same design, with magic added on top, used against strong tsunamis.

“Beautiful, isn’t it? No matter how many times I see this. The design never ceases to impress me.” Rufus said, almost with awe and reverence. “Let’s get inside and away from this rain.”

When they were at the city’s gate, two guards in full body armor stopped them.

“Halt. Identify yourself.” The one on the right said.

Rufus pointed at the badge on his chest, then took out a paper document with three different Mana Signatures. One of which had Rufus’s Mana Signature on it.

From the notebook, Toby knew that each person had a different signature. But only when their Mana were recorded in writing using a special type of ink did the differences between one person and another become clear. It was almost like fingerprints but with extra steps.

“Certification approved by both Eldium Builder Guild’s leader and Eldium Merchant Guild’s leader.” The guard nodded. “Proceed.”

The two guards stood on the side and let the caravan pass through.

“That was easy,” Toby commented.

“What can I say, lad.” Rufus fixed his collar while his nose grew longer than his body. “I have some prestige.”

Once they got inside, the marvel that was Eldium showed all of her glory. Much to Toby’s awe.

The houses were constructed from Sea-stone and some kind of dark, purplish wood that looked like it was rotten wood but was able to stretch out like rubber. It was most likely Driftwood. Every building had the same kind of rounded, sloping roof that directed the rain toward the river below.

Toby's eyes traced the rain as it fell down the river inside the city. No, it wasn’t a river. It was a network of deep, stone-lined canals crisscrossed throughout the city like blood veins. Looking at how all these canals were directed toward the sea, they must have been designed to quickly carry the current brought by storms and rains away, keeping the city flood-free.

As they moved further inside the city, tall and needle-like towers scattered throughout Eldium.

“Those are Storm-breaker Spires,” Rufus said. “They collect Air Element to create a barrier to redirect the heavy storm away, keeping the city and the people safe.”

“Now that you mention it.” Grillion looked around. “The storm is much calmer in the city. Almost like turning a raging fire into a small one used for stewing.”

“Do you know a lot about this place, mister?” Lukas asked.

“I do business here from time to time.” Rufus smiled.

The further inside the city, the fewer people wore these dark green cloaks crafted from some kind of sleek and smooth-looking fabric. As the wind blew against the cloaks, raindrops glided on their surface and slipped off.

“Those are Storm-cloaks. They are crafted from seaweed to repel the rain and resist tearing during strong wind.” Rufus introduced something new again. He was acting as their free tour guide.

When they stopped to let the sailors pass first through the road leading straight to the port, Toby heard the sailors singing.

“♫ Oh, down we go to the deep, dark blue,

Where the sun’s lost light can’t follow you,

There’s a place where the fish don’t tread,

In the silent halls of the ocean’s bed. ♫

♫ Sing, me lads, of the sea so wide,

Where secrets in the shadows hide,

In the ruins where the currents sleep,

There’s a treasure the ocean keeps. ♫

♫ In the caverns cold, where the waters swirl,

Lies a wonder that changed the world,

But beware, for the waves do guard,

The mysteries deep and the secrets hard. ♫

♫ The sailors speak of a whispered tale,

Of a place where time grows frail,

Where faces shift like the tides of night,

And the truth lies hidden from the sight. ♫

♫ If you seek what the sea holds dear,

Tread with care and steer with fear,

For the depths below may give or take,

And what you find may not forsake. ♫

♫ Sing, me lads, of the sea so wide,

Where secrets in the shadows hide,

In the ruins where the currents sleep,

There’s a treasure the ocean keeps. ♫”

“A sea shanty?” Grillion asked.

“Remember the story I told you about the ruined district that sank into the sea?” Rufus answered with a question.

The group nodded.

“This sea shanty came after that. Legend had it when the district sank, it also carried with it a great treasure that once shook the very foundation of the world. The one who can gain that power is the one who can control the world, change their fate, and even confront the stars.”

“To change their fate and confront the stars is simply foolish.” Lily shook her head.

“I disagree,” Toby said. “Our fate is our own. We are the masters of our own destiny.”

“Many sailors and divers also thought the same.” Rufus sighed. “They thought that if they could find the treasure in the sunken district, they would have the power to move the stars and change their lives. Foolish lads.”

“Did anyone find the ruin and become Heroes?” Lukas asked.

“We did find the ruin, little lad. But there was nothing there. Everything was washed and corroded by the waves. Not even Mythril can remain in that place, let alone some stupid, made-up legendary treasure. Not only that, the ruin itself is a big headache to us right now.”

Rufus stopped the cart in front of the Merchant Guild. “This is my stop. I’m sorry, but you four must walk the rest of the way.” He pointed at an inn right around the corner. “You can go to The Dancing Song Inn over there. Tell them Rufus sent you. The owner will treat you well.”

“Thank you, my good fellow.” Grillion bowed politely.

“It’s nothing. Travelers like us should give each other a hand in times of need.” Rufus waved the group goodbye. “I’ll see you around then.”

“Wait.” Toby stopped Rufus. There was something he wanted to know. “Why is the ruin a problem now?”

Rufus scratched his left cheek. “Well. Because of diver vampires.”