Chapter 14: Spiritual Contract - Registration in Vora City
After a couple of hours of walking, the Sskarn acted like a cheerful little dog. It ran ahead, then fell behind, then popped up next to Soren again, wagging its tail. It hadn't said another word, and once its hunger was satisfied, that strange earlier behavior had vanished.
Soren didn't feel bad either. After eating from the Nest of Hot Potatoes, his body felt lighter. Dried mud still stained his clothes, but at least he wasn't covered in blood anymore.
The sky was starting to darken when Soren saw them: tiny lights in the distance. Torches. Windows. Lanterns. The city. Audrey stopped, and the Sskarn almost bumped into her leg. "Alright," she said. "Time to negotiate. Or at least… make a plan before you walk into a city with an unregistered illegal monster." The Sskarn looked up.
"By the way," Audrey added with curiosity, "what's your lizard's name?" Soren had never thought about it. Honestly, he hadn't even considered giving it a name. He looked at the little purple crocodile, now sniffing some rocks with absolute concentration.
When Audrey asked the question… Soren felt something strange. A fleeting sensation. Familiar. As if that name had already existed before, as if he'd said it many times… somewhere he couldn't quite remember. He didn't think of a name, but his mouth moved on its own. "Grim."
The little crocodile raised its head. Its purple eyes blinked slowly, and then it wagged its tail enthusiastically. Soren stayed quiet for a moment. Why… that name? He didn't know where it came from, but something about it felt… old. And at the same time, strangely melancholy, as if that syllable carried a weight his body didn't yet understand. Audrey raised an eyebrow. "Suits him." Soren nodded without saying anything. He tucked the feeling away in some corner of his mind, then crossed his arms again.
"Now then… back to the problem. You're just an apprentice. How do you explain having three assimilated singularities? They've probably already registered you as dead." "If you were in my situation," Soren asked, "what would you do?" Audrey smiled slyly. "Tell the truth… halfway. You can say I found you, saved you, trained you. But don't mention the tier-three singularities. Or that your chunky crocodile is tier three." Grim looked up. Audrey ignored him.
"Besides," she continued, "I already know you won't give the lightning one to Russett. You're too greedy. What will you do?" Soren didn't answer right away. He didn't know what the city was like. He only knew this body came from there. He was in deep trouble. But… lying, cheating, manipulating. Hadn't that been his life before? He let out a small laugh. "I'll do exactly what you said."
Audrey studied him carefully. "And the loot? If you register everything, it'll end up in Russett's hands. I can move it for you. I have privileges." "That's already covered," Soren replied. "I have a way to hide them." Audrey looked at him suspiciously but didn't push.
"You're helping me because you want me to help you kill Russett… right?" "That's right," Audrey admitted without denial. "I'm helping you because I need your help." Soren nodded. "Then tell me: what exactly do you need?" "I don't expect you to fight," Audrey said, clarifying. "I just want information. Nothing more."
Soren raised an eyebrow. "Two conditions," she continued, holding up her fingers. "First: if you get useful information over the next few weeks… I'll teach you the secret to assimilating tier-three singularities. That alone closes the first part of the deal." Soren felt a chill on the back of his neck. The secret to assimilating tier three? That knowledge was priceless. In this world, tier-three singularities were monstrously powerful, but their assimilation requirements were insane. Knowing how to do it… was worth more than any treasure.
Audrey pressed on without flinching. "Second: if that information, plus what you keep giving me week after week, lets me kill Russett… then you'll get half his singularities. Once he's dead." Soren stared at her. "You wouldn't have to get your hands dirty," Audrey added with a slight smile. "Just watch, listen, and tell me."
Soren stayed quiet for a few seconds. If I just feed her information, I already gain tier-three assimilation knowledge. That's a treasure in itself. And if she actually kills Russett… I get half the singularities of a veteran seeker. Without lifting a finger. This isn't a slavery contract. It's a damn good deal. "Sounds fair," he said finally.
"Then there's one last problem," Audrey said. "The loot you're carrying." Soren leaned toward Grim. He pulled out the tier-three lightning singularity, held it in front of the little crocodile. "Store it." Grim opened its mouth, and the singularity vanished. Audrey blinked. "It can store treasures," Soren explained. Grim opened its mouth again, and inside, floating in a deep void, was the singularity.
Audrey was silent for a few seconds. "That's not a common ability." "It's useful." She smiled. "Then we won't have any problems." She extended her hand. "Let's close the deal."
Soren hesitated for a moment, but finally took her hand. At that instant, a small violet light appeared between them. A tiny purple mist spirit floated in the air. "A tier-two singularity," Audrey said. "It's called Contract Spirit." Soren watched the creature with fascination. Spirit-type singularities existed? The world kept expanding in front of him, stranger and more interesting by the minute.
"The rules are simple," Audrey continued, her voice more serious. "If either of us breaks their end of the deal… they die. If you don't get the information I need, or if I don't teach you the assimilation secret… the spirit will claim us." She paused briefly. "And if either of us leaks this information to a third party… they die too."
Soren felt a shiver run down his spine. The little spirit floated between them with an almost innocent calm, but its presence was undeniable. "Perfect," Soren murmured. The spirit spun once, a violet light enveloped them for a second, and then the creature slowly faded into the air. The contract was sealed. Audrey let go of his hand. "Good." Soren looked at the city lights in the distance: a new world, a dangerous game, lies, pacts… and power. "I'd say we have a deal."
The next morning, the city stopped being just a cluster of distant lights. In front of them rose gray stone walls, enormous and silent under the golden light of dawn. The city of Vora. Everything was ready to enter. Soren's bags were full of hot potatoes and two tier-one Spine Blade Rat singularities. The rest of the singularities were inside the Sskarn: the white tier-two, the purple one dotted with green from the translucent spider, and the tier-three lightning one. Grim happily fluttered around him; storing the loot inside seemed to have put it in an excellent mood.
Soren and Audrey approached the main gate. Looking up, they could make out a few sentries guarding the entrance from the top of the towers, their silhouettes standing out against the clear morning sky. Moments later, the melodic sound of a horn echoed in the air: sweet and deep, like a signal announcing the start of the day, or maybe their arrival. The horn's echo faded slowly among the walls.
A moment later, one of the massive wooden doors began to open with a deep sound of wood and iron. The hinges creaked as a section pulled back just enough to let people through. First came the guards. Their armor was simple but sturdy: gray metal plates over dark leather. Each carried a long spear and a short sword at their side. But they weren't the ones leading. A woman walked at the front. Her stride was firm and confident, and though her armor was lighter than the others, the way the soldiers subtly stepped aside made it clear who was in charge.
Her dark hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. A short deep-red cloak rested on one shoulder. Her eyes scanned the line beginning to form in front of the entrance: merchants, travelers, Seekers covered in dust from the outer fields. Finally, she spoke. "Form a line." Her voice wasn't particularly loud, but it cut through the air clearly. "Entry registration and singularity verification." The guards moved immediately, organizing the people in front of the gate.
Audrey watched the woman calmly. "Station chief," she murmured under her breath. Soren didn't take his eyes off her: the way she walked, the way the guards reacted to every gesture. It was obvious that woman controlled the city's entrance. Grim raised his head, staring at the massive gate with curiosity, then looked at Soren and wagged his tail, as if all of this was just an interesting new place to explore. Soren breathed slowly. The city was right in front of him, and now… the real game began.
They positioned themselves at the very end of the line. Some merchants started passing through the entrance slowly. The verification seemed quick. Some just said their names; others showed a badge or document and crossed without trouble. But not everyone passed directly. Several were diverted to what looked like a small office built between the wall and the gates, a place guarded by several armed soldiers. Audrey watched the scene calmly. "We won't go through directly," she said quietly. "I have to register with the station chief." Then she looked at Grim. "But don't worry. He doesn't look like a tier-three singularity. Looks tier-one… at most. Just try to stick to the story." Soren nodded. "Relax."
The minutes passed. The line moved slowly until finally they reached the front of the gates. A guard stepped forward. "Identify yourselves." Audrey spoke first. "My name is Audrey Nova. I'm a seeker from Lunaria." She pulled a small document from the pouch at her side and handed it to the guard. "I've been transferred and need to register." Lunaria…? Soren frowned slightly. So she comes from a place called Lunaria.
The guard nodded while checking the document. Then he looked up at Soren. "And you, boy? Who are you?" "My name is Soren. No last name. I'm a seeker apprentice… and I belong to the Red Fox group." The guard stared at him for a few seconds, then stepped back and began flipping through a thick registration book resting on a table. He turned several pages, and then his expression changed slightly. His face grew more serious. He closed the book. "You'll both complete your registration in the station chief's office." Audrey had expected that answer. She just nodded.
After about ten minutes of waiting, they were finally called. A guard led them to the office. The place looked like a small stone and wood cabin situated exactly between the wall and the main gate, built right into the wall itself. Bare rock walls protruded in some spots inside. Two armed guards stood at the entrance, and one of them opened the door. "Station Chief Vance will see you now."
When they entered, the first thing they saw was the station chief reviewing some documents on her desk. Soren's breath caught for a moment. Seeing her sitting there, surrounded by papers with an aura of calm authority, surprised him. Her black hair was elegantly tied back, contrasting with the red cloak draped over her shoulders. She was a truly beautiful woman, looking around thirty. Soren sighed almost without realizing it. In his past life, that was exactly the kind of woman he'd always been drawn to. Focus, he told himself.
"You can sit," the woman said in a calm voice. They both took seats across from the desk. "My name is Elara Vance." She kept reviewing the papers for a few seconds, then looked up. "So… Audrey Nova from Lunaria?" Her eyes scanned the document with a hint of disdain. "Your papers say you're royalty from Lunaria. What are you doing in a place like this?" Soren froze for a second. Royalty… from Lunaria? What the hell…?
Audrey answered calmly. "Miss Vance, that's correct. I am royalty, and that's precisely why I'm here." She rested her hands on her knees with composure. "I started my path as a seeker very young. Currently, the heir to the throne is my older sister. After my brother's death, she became next in line." She paused briefly. "I asked my father to recommend me for a transfer here, to Vora City." Soren listened in silence. So this is Vora City…
"Lunaria City is stable," Audrey continued, "and it's not a suitable place for my personal growth." Her tone remained respectful. "I'm not asking for any special treatment. I just want to specialize further as a seeker, join one of your orders, and rise through my own effort." Soren was still processing the information. Audrey's situation is that complicated? So… she's a princess? But she was already a pretty strong seeker.
Elara Vance nodded slowly. "I can understand that." She folded her hands on the desk. "Lunaria is heavily fortified. Most seekers there are saint-ranked. Any problem or attack on the city would be stopped within minutes." She flipped a page of the document. "Also, the missions and incursions there are extremely dangerous for someone without that rank. I can understand you looking for a place with more… difficult conditions." Her gaze turned slightly sharper. "But you shouldn't underestimate Vora City."
Soren lifted his head slightly. "Here, if you're not competent, you'll probably end up going back where you came from." She tapped the document lightly with her fingers. "The city is too big. Inside and outside the walls, there are underground businesses, criminals operating with some impunity… and monster attacks are quite frequent." Her eyes sharpened a little more. "Many missions can be deadly." Audrey nodded with respect. "I chose Vora City precisely for that reason. That environment can help me develop my skills." Elara Vance watched her a few more seconds, then closed the document. "Alright. You may pass."
The silence lasted a few seconds. Then the station chief turned her gaze to Soren. "And you're Soren?" She flipped back to his sheet. "No last name… and you reported being a seeker apprentice from the Red Fox group, correct?" "Yes, Miss Vance." The woman frowned slightly. "The problem with you… is more complicated." She checked the records again. "According to these documents, you went on an expedition two months ago with two Explorer-ranked seekers and one apprentice." She turned another page. "Of the four, only one Explorer and one apprentice returned. One Explorer died… and you were reported dead in combat."
The silence in the room grew heavy. "And honestly… I can't explain how you survived two months in the Great Ash Forest." Soren and Audrey froze. Two months…? Soren's mind went blank. I woke up three days ago… Three days ago, he'd opened his eyes in the Ash Field, surrounded by five severed heads of three-eyed wolves, with corpses still warm on the black ash and vultures with human eyes circling slowly in the sky. How the hell am I supposed to explain… two months?
Elara Vance watched him in silence from across the desk, waiting for his answer.