Kai’s mouth stood agape, unable to utter a single word as he looked at the mysterious contraption. The texture of its white, eerie frame, resembled dried bone sent a shiver down his spine, and the black rock pedestal exuded a horrifying chill that almost dug into his flesh. He shivered, his gaze switching to the twisted branches, whose surface seemed to pulse with life, as blood-red vein-like creases ran along their exterior.

“Is this…?” He barely blurted out a question with a racing heart, the simple thought of it being real rocking his mind.

“Yeah, it’s a transportation portal, like the one at the entrance,” Aina confirmed his thoughts, making him reel back in shock. She smirked and flicked her hand, causing a spherical object to appear in her hand. It emanated a wild amount of mana, seemingly unable to conserve the unfathomable amount of energy within. “I’m not going to into details, but it creates a temporary portal between two places, however, it’s very expensive, depending on the distance.” She explained, placing the sphere within the branches, the vein-like creases of which immediately glowing with a strong light. “To go to the dwarven mountains, we only need mana cores from Second Rank beasts, however, the cost increases exponentially with distance.” As she spoke, the inscriptions carved within the rock began lighting up, spreading upwards towards the portal’s frame.

“Now that I think of it, you cost me a pretty penny when you were born.” She quipped, placing her hand over the frame. “It costs one core per person and we had to make the trip a few times, I almost went bankrupt!” Her palm emitted a soft light as it ran along the frame, inscribing symbols or words Kai could not understand onto the white surface. “Only to find out there was nothing wrong with you! Ha… you should have seen Elizabeth’s face back then…”

Uh… I did… Kai thought, almost saying it out loud as his mind still tried to accommodate the idea of teleportation.

As Aina’s hand reached the end of the frame, the interior of the portal lit up with a spark, glowing with a blue, purple-ish light. Elizabeth wasted no time and walked through it, her figure disappearing in a few breaths.

“What?!” Kai gasped in shock as Aina loaded in another core.

“No time to be shocked now, it’s your turn to step through. And don’t forget your mask, we don’t need everyone knowing who you are.” She beckoned Kai, breaking him out of the shock. “Zarman doesn’t know either, we only told Sverik because he was gonna train directly with you so it would have been impossible to hide. And also he’s… never mind that.” Pulling out the mask from his robes, he placed it over his face and walked toward the portal, not questioning Aina’s reasoning. He gulped, letting the insane amounts of concentrated magic crash against his body as he took in this marvel of magical technology.

“What are you waiting for?”

“Right…” He stepped in, and it seemed like time had slowed down as he did so. Like his first time entering the manor, the mana inside the portal seemingly wanted to crush him. However, unlike before, it took a gentler approach, and before he knew it… he disappeared. His thoughts, vision, hearing, his whole being had seemingly vanished from the world, only to re-appear somewhere else.

He felt himself become nothing, a being that wasn’t here nor there, existing in a transient state caught between space and time. Visions flicked before his shut eyes, vivid yet ephemeral glimpses of landscapes rushing past his body as he traveled like a bullet shot from a bolt action sniper rifle. A multitude of colors, both cold and warm flickered in his mind, painting a canvas of an infinite gallery of images. With time they faded away, leaving Kai with more questions than answers, and they were instead replaced with a hazy, dimly lit room, but finally breathing the air of the real world again.

He felt a gentle pair of hands holding him up, his blurred vision slowly coming to normal as muffled chatter echoed in his ears. Blinking a few times, he was greeted by Elizabeth’s lively smile and found himself in her arms. “Are you alright?” She asked, helping him stand up properly.

“Yeah… that was… weird…” Kai managed, his words carrying the echo of the transition that had just unfolded.

“The first time is always a unique feeling.” She said, patting him on the shoulder and fixing his unkempt hair. “Now we just need to wait for Mom to Ah, she’s here.”

Simultaneously turning their heads, they saw Aina’s figure appear seemingly out of thin air, with only the slightest magical distortions fading away behind her.

“So, what are we waiting for then?” She said, smiling brightly while walking in front of them.

…

The sound of rattling minecarts invaded their ears as soon as they stepped out of the room, accompanied by lively chatter and an intoxicating mixture of flavors and ingredients. Along them, the smell of charcoal, fumes, and smelted metal lingered in the air despite the distinct lack of lit forgeries. Kai’s eyes widened as he looked around, greeted by the magnificent sight of a tall statue made out of a shiny, seemingly ethereal metal. In its center, a large, flaming yellow sphere illuminated and warmed up the cold, dimly lit cave. Looking up, he could barely see its top after squinting, and yet he could not discern exactly what it was. Around the statue, dozens upon dozens of sturdy, suspended minecart tracks beautifully decorated the environment, adding to the atmosphere Kai had always imagined of a dwarven city. The ceiling looked like a beautiful night sky as ores and crystals shone upon the ground below, which was in turn lit up with countless lamposts and scattered minerals.

Taking a step forward, his feet emitted a slight clopping sound as he stepped on the stone path, which in turn housed an uncountable amount of little shiny shards, compressed into the stone and pebbles to create a sturdy, breathtaking road. Kai looked around curiously, staring at the houses and shops which, contrary to his expectations were non-dwarven-sized. Despite that, the people living inside or managing the stalls were anything but. With comparatively short stature and robust body, these elves looked exactly like what Kai had imagined. A muscular frame with pale, yet dirtied skin and large, beady eyes, fit the description of a dwarf he had in his mind to a T.

Elizabeth and Aina watched the young boy with amusement as they slowly followed behind him, turning heads wherever they went, as they seemed to be the only guests dressed in such intricate, fancy clothing. As they walked forward, the houses, stalls, and shops became more and more common, and so did the variety of guests attending. Humans, beast folk, lizardmen, and other elves began appearing amidst the crowd, although very scarcely. Going deeper, the vendor’s voices became louder and louder as they began advertising their products, taking on a more aggressive approach. One such voice grabbed Kai’s attention, and he lowered himself slightly to look at the assortment of weapons and tools displayed on the stall. His gaze switched toward the seller, a young woman whose features resembled that of a twenty-year-old. She had a fairly slimmer figure and wore a head full of dark locks tied into a bun, her mesmerizing green eyes staring straight into his soul.

“Did you make these?” He asked, taking notice of her calloused hands.

“Yes, me and my father.” She said confidently as Kai inspected her merchandise, a good amount of kitchen tools, mostly made for butchering and preparing animals, but also everyday items like lock pick sets, spoons, and the like. Next to them lay a large assortment of weapons, from axes and maces to swords and daggers, this girl seemingly had an entire battalion’s weaponry at her disposal. A little bit behind, on a few crudely made armor stands lay a few sets of armor, ranging from leather to chainmail, iron, and materials Kai had not even heard of. An item shone in the corner of his eye, grabbing his attention. It seemed to be calling to him, pulling him closer as his interest in it depended.

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At first glance it seemed like a normal iron sword, nothing putting it aside in terms of appearance from the others, however, Kai’s curiosity peaked, and he decided to send some mana into it. The bloody figure of a two-legged deer flashed briefly before his eyes, followed by a painful screech and a splitting headache. His pupils widened almost immediately, his face reddening while taking a step backward. Gasping, beads of sweat dripped down his forehead while staring at the weapon. “Aina… is that?!” He asked, turning to the two women with an expression of disbelief.

“Seems to be, a sword infused with a spirit, or a spirit born with the sword, though it doesn’t look like it’s old enough for that.” She said confidently, her eyes shining slightly before looking at the girl.

“Madam is right,” the dark-haired woman said. “This is my dad’s best creation, and only a few of its kind exist in such markets. Not because it’s a bad weapon… it’s simply inferior compared to true spirit weapons.” She explained, blushing humbly, looking at Kai and Aina.

“Interesting… What kind of spirit is inside?”

“Dad used an animal he trapped, something called a Vrgosir. He said it’s quite rare and couldn’t wait for a second before locking himself into the forge. Three weeks later, he came out with this sword, however, this cost him slightly less than his life. He is now bedridden, unable to stand or work anymore....” She said casually, a half-broken smile creasing her lips. “He can barely move, and left the business to me…” Her soft voice brought an expression of pity to both the women’s faces, and even Kai’s expression saddened behind his mask.

Elizabeth chuckled softly and took the sword, swinging it around a few times. “It’s quite light and not that big. Mom, this sword is perfect for Kai, even if it has an artificial spirit.”

Aina nodded, turning toward the girl. “How much is it?” The girl’s face lit up instantly and she pulled out a golden plaque with the number twenty inscribed onto its face. On the other side, what seemed to be a certificate of ownership along with a small place to put your handprint on was also inscribed. “Twenty gold coins huh? Quite pricy… but not bankruptcy pricy!” She flipped her hand, a small pouch appearing in her hand as the ring she wore shone with a faint light. Throwing it toward the girl, she signed with a magic-imbued finger before grabbing the plaque and turning around with a smile, grabbing Kai by the shoulder.

Elizabeth smiled and put the sword away in her spatial ring, keeping it safe. “You should be grateful, twenty golds for such a quality sword is a steal! The material alone is worth a third of that, and the craftsmanship is intricate. Sadly it’s only a lower beast spirit, but it’s a good start! I can also feel the smith’s will coursing through the metal, and it’s also his last work… it’s practically invaluable.”

Kai looked at the two with a dumbfounded expression, his head turning lighter. “If it’s that valuable why did you buy it for me? I already have Dad’s sword anyway…”

“Don’t be foolish, Kai,” Aina said with a smile. “Anyone close to a hundred years with eyes would recognize that sword anywhere, even if it’s turned black.”

“That-” He wanted to fight back, however remembering the mess he almost caused at the tavern, he kept his mouth shut and continued following behind them. An artificial sword spirit huh… I thought only wands could have spirits but it looks like swords can too. If swords can… does that mean any tool can have a spirit? How could they only brush past the topic and not even say anything anymore… Urhg! So infuriating! He thought, lowering his gaze. Although the thing I saw… it seemed afraid, why did it call out to me?

With this new concept gnawing away at the back of his mind, both excited and curious about the new sword, Kai could not be bothered to explore anymore, making the way to the main area much faster. Although, he still looked around, observing his surroundings, scanning the hundreds of different doors dug into the walls, some bigger, some smaller, with dwarves frantically moving about on the different levels. All of this reminded Kai of a small colony of ants, one of those personal ant farms he saw ads for on TV. That’s a weird comparison but… it’s close enough. He shrugged and kept advancing, the joyous atmosphere starting to mess with his mood.

Eventually, the road forked, some turning thinner and some becoming wider, lively chatter coming out of either type as the crowd gathered at the event area. Rows upon rows of stone seats were placed around a round arena, big enough to accommodate a few hundred people and tall enough to fit a small hill. Kai watched with amazement, having never seen such an uncountable amount of people in a single place. Although most of them were dwarves, the few other species didn’t look to be ordinary members of their race. Each of them wore a beautiful suit, dress, or carefully crafted armor, all of them wearing the emblem of their respective families or clans. Of course, there were also the occasional solo, unaffiliated individuals, whose simple attire fit more into the crowd than the others.

“Why are there so many different races gathered here?” Kai asked, looking up at Aina, expecting her to answer. However, to his surprise, Elizabeth’s voice echoed in his ears instead.

“It’s for them to reserve one of the younger members, which they deem suitable enough to become one of their many smiths. It’s a competition between whose pockets are deeper, or which dwarf is more desperate.” She didn’t bother to hide the disdain within her voice, gathering a few silent glances from the surrounding crowd. One of the bystanders walked toward them, wearing a gentle, yet unfathomable smile.

“Elizabeth, Miss Aina, It’s been too long.” He said, bowing toward them in greeting before straightening himself. He wore a four-piece black suit with a white shirt and a black tie and wore his equally dark hair backward with what seemed to be an awful amount of gel. His sharp ears and slick figure quickly gave away that he was an elf as well, however, he didn’t have any accessories, save for a piercing under his nose, slightly above his lip.

“Zvaran, it’s been… not long enough,” Elly said, not bothering to bow toward the man nor hide her displeasure. “I didn’t know you were interested in smiths?” She inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“Haha,” he laughed awkwardly, “Likewise, I thought Niku was more than enough for you.”

“We’re not here to hire,” Aina interjected, her voice cold and stern like never before. “We were invited to watch one of our pupils’ friends, is all.”

“Oh?” Zvaran looked down at Kai with a curious expression, his smile fainting slightly. “So this is the boy I’ve been hearing so much about? ‘Euphridia’s prodigy’? I didn’t know he had three teachers.” He said, barely hiding the venom within his eyes. “Why is he wearing that foolish mask?”

Kai looked back at the man, raising an eyebrow behind the fox pattern covering his face. Weird, he either doesn’t care that I’m a vampire… or doesn’t know. Judging by his reaction, it’s most likely the latter.

“I could ask you the same thing.” He blurted out, taking both the women and Zvaran by surprise. A chuckle escaped Elizabeth’s body, shortly followed by Aina before they broke out in light laughter. The man’s face, however, turned a brighter shade of red as the smile creasing his lips completely disappeared.

“You…! Kid, you should learn some manners!” He said angrily, glaring at Kai as he raised his hand, quickly lowering it. However, before his hand could get within ten inches of Kai, the man felt a sharp pain on his wrist, wincing as he looked up. Meeting his gaze was Elizabeth’s anger-filled eyes, her hand tightly clenched around Zvaran’s own.

“You should be the one who should learn some manners.” Her raspy voice echoed in his mind like the Grim Reaper’s. “Daring to raise your hand against him in front of us? You must have gotten tired of living.” She said, tightening her hold even further, making Zvaran fall to his knees as he yelled out.

“Argh- I’m sorry Elly, I-” However, the morbid sound of crunching bone reverberated in the air, inviting a shrill scream of pain to escape his body. Kai watched in horror as Zvaran’s wrist almost turned to dust inside Elizabeth’s grasp, not letting go even after crushing it. The man’s face turned from red to blue as tears fell down his cheeks, accompanied by drool which quickly crashed on the cold floor. Elizabeth undid her grasp, letting Zvaran’s hand fall to the ground, prompting another scream from him as he looked up at her, his pupils red and dilated.

“You should know better than to piss me off by attacking my pupil!” Elizabeth said as she walked away, glaring at the man with the corner of her eye. The bystanders all let out a collective gasp, giving Zvaran a pitiful glance before turning away and minding their matters. The man’s body convulsed, his pupils trembling as he looked at the unnatural shape of the wrist, and any attempt to bring it up would only result in more pain. Eventually, he forcefully prompted it up, using the adrenaline to stand up before slowly walking away, gritting his teeth in anger.