[Notice: You have no Ether remaining in your body.]
[Notice: Shadow Weave is attempting to heal you.]
[Notice: You are critically wounded.]
I know, okay, System. Don't tell me what I already know, I grumbled internally, coughing up another speck of blood.
Ahh... my body. That Raphael guy was fucking strong. I had to use a direct ability from my Cenotaph, and it completely drained every last drop of my Ether. Shit.
I had been thrown out of the Mirror Dimension clutching the Tier 4 and Tier 5 crystals in my bare hands. I had told myself I needed these to become strong, but now that my adrenaline was crashing, the cold reality was setting in. I couldn't even use them. I'm only Tier 2. If I tried to absorb a Tier 4 or 5 core right now, my soul would explode. I still need a Tier 3 Ether crystal to rank up, and I still need to figure out my actual advancement ritual.
[Notice: It means you are fucked.]
What the hell? I blinked, staring at the blue holographic screen hovering in the fog. When did you start talking like that, dude?
[Notice: You can consider it an upgrade caused by your total connection with the Cenotaph of Pride.]
Okay, that makes sense, I sighed, leaning my head back against the damp wood of the docks. So tell me what to do with these crystals if you're so smart, then.
[Notice: You can just sell them. Easy.]
Oh, right. I can do that. Wow, never thought about it. The sarcasm in my head was thick, but honestly, it was a practical point. I needed Tier 3 resources, and these were worth a literal kingdom.
Also, please heal me.
[Ability: Shadow Weave Active]
The familiar, cool shadows began to stitch themselves over my bruised ribs and the deep aches in my muscles, pulling the worst of the pain away.
Thank you, System.
Now that I know Raphael is actively hunting us Sins, I am going to have to be a lot more careful. I also realized something else—something my Pride absolutely hated admitting. I needed help.
Didn't Raphael mention the Four Horsemen? War, Fate and Time, Preservation, and Death.
Now that I was actually putting the pieces together, the picture was terrifying. Raphael was War. And Fate and Time... that was our guy. Seraph.
If Seraph really controlled Fate and Time, did that mean he already knew exactly who I was? Did he know my fate? Did that mean I needed to be walking on eggshells around him, too? Should I just casually ask him what he thought about it?
Nah, that would be way too risky.
[Notice: Seraphim knows everything as the Angel of Fate and Time.]
Wait, what? I stared at the blue text floating in the fog. He's an actual Angel? I suspected he was something crazy, but I didn't know that for a fact! How can you even be sure?
[Notice: I can read the Ether signatures on others' bodies.]
Oh. Okay then, I mentally sighed, my bruised ribs aching. I will never question you again, my good sir—or ma'am. Seriously, what even are you?
[Notice: I was created for the Sins. That is all I can say while your Tier is low.]
What? This was completely new. My mind raced, the cold dampness of the docks momentarily forgotten. If you were created specifically for the Sins, then what about the normal Awakened or the Virtue users? Do they have a System as well?
[Notice: Yes, they do. However, they only possess a basic System meant for displaying information. They do not have an all-rounder, sentient being like me.]
Ahh... I am never going into a Mirror Dimension with a stranger ever again.
There's an old saying about never taking candy from a stranger, and man, it makes a terrifying amount of sense now.
Sigh.
That entire dimension was an absolute horror show. Damn. It was just way too much stuff, too many layers of manipulation and death going on at once.
[Notice: ...]
What now? I groaned mentally, walking through the thick, salty fog.
[Notice: Let me finish speaking. The Emperor is dead. Did you forget that part? That means London doesn't have a ruler right now.]
My boots stopped on the damp wooden planks. Oh, shit. My mind raced. Without Charles, the capital was completely destabilized. That means the city could get attacked by a rival kingdom at any time.
I stood there for a second, staring into the gray mist, the cold settling into my bones. Then, I just shrugged.
Well... who cares.
[Notice: Oh. Right. Who cares.]
Interesting, I thought, a genuine smirk creeping onto my face. You've picked up my rotten tone as well.
[Notice: I take after my user.]
I didn't even reply to that. I just shook my head, shoved my hands deep into my ruined coat pockets, and started heading toward the town center. I needed to see how I could sell off my new fortune without getting myself murdered in a back alley.
Actually, the smartest move would be to only sell the Tier 5 crystal. I should probably keep the Tier 4 Boss core locked down tight. If I'm going to survive Raphael hunting me, I am definitely going to need that for my own advancement later down the line.
As I left the docks, the quiet, heavy fog gave way to loud noise and movement. I stepped into the Bransy Town market, and it was absolutely bustling. Even with the damp chill in the air, everywhere I looked there were people. Merchants were shouting, hunters were trading supplies, and locals were haggling over strange, deep-sea fish.
It was loud, messy, and wonderfully normal compared to sinking clocktowers and burning angels. Now, I just needed to find a buyer who actually had the coin for a dead Emperor's soul.
We have one more day in this town, so we'll be moving out tomorrow.
As I walked through the bustling market, I couldn't help but notice one undeniable fact: everywhere I go, absolute ruin follows me. First, it was that massive serpent, then the whole war in London, and now a literal Tier 7 Grounded Angel of War.
Am I really that cursed? I asked myself, shaking my head as I tried to figure out how the hell I was going to sell the Emperor's core without drawing a massive target on my back.
[Notice: You can sell it at the Guild.]
I blinked. Oh, right. I totally forgot about that. Taking my snarky new partner's advice, I changed directions and headed straight toward the local Bransy Town Guild branch. It was the exact same tavern-like building where I had first met Raphael. Truly, the worst meet-and-greet of my entire life.
I pushed the heavy wooden doors open and entered the dimly lit room. It smelled of stale ale and wet wood. I immediately spotted the same bartender behind the counter, casually serving drinks to a few rough-looking Awakened customers.
I walked up to the bar, leaning over the worn wood. "I need to sell something," I said quietly.
He looked at me, pausing his rag on a dirty glass. A flash of recognition crossed his face. "Oh. You actually finished the quest given by that... gentleman."
I knew exactly who he meant. I just gave a stiff nod.
Behind me, the heavy fog outside finally broke into a cold, pouring rain, rattling against the Guild's murky windows. I was pretty lucky I made it indoors before it started pouring.
The bartender leaned in closer, his voice dropping into a soft, cautious whisper. He was trying very hard not to let anyone else overhear.
"Tonight, there will be a gathering," he murmured. "Held at exactly 9:00 PM. It's an underground exchange. There will be a lot of high-tier Awakened buying and selling black-market goods. If what you have is truly valuable, you might find someone there who can actually afford to buy your stuff."
He wiped the counter between us. "Come back here at exactly 8:50. I will tell you where to go and what to do."
"Understood," I muttered.
I pulled my silver pocket watch out of my ruined coat. The glass face was cracked straight down the middle from the dimension collapsing on top of me, but the hands were still ticking just fine. It was exactly 5:00 PM.
I had three hours and fifty minutes to kill.
That was just enough time to head back to the hotel, get some actual rest, and attempt to make contact with the Sin of Lust. If the Four Horsemen were actively hunting us, I needed to start gathering information from the other side of the board. I had some very important matters to discuss with my fellow Sins.
I gave the bartender a final nod, pulled my collar up against the chill, and stepped back out into the pouring rain.