Valshade City

"Hey, Jia, Wu! Did you find any good inn for us to stay?" I ask Jia and his best friend, Wu Zhixin.

Wu Zhixin nodded his head and replied, "Yes, Master, we did. Two inns have agreed to let us keep our caravans and horses in their stable and their prices are moderately cheap. One being slightly expensive than the other but the facilities between them are heaven-hell apart!" he exclaims.

I nod and ask, "How much money do we have? Can we afford the expensive one?"

"Of course, master, we can." He replies but I shook my head.

"I said, can WE afford it? WE! That means, I, you, Jia, 10 other bastards and my two PETS." I emphasized on 'pets' and 'we.'

"We ain't your pets, dude!!" Moose rebelled on my shoulder but I gave him a 'meh' face, just like how he gives it to me when he wants to ignore me. Serves him right! And look! Pef isn't even reacting to it!

"I'm only not reacting because it is a futile conversation." He replied calmly as if he just read my head.

"And I can read minds, so think before you think." He mutters before licking his nose nonchalantly.

"…"

"Bloody bastard!"

"Anyway, Wu, come back to the topic. So, do we have it?" I ask.

Wu shook his head, "I'm sorry master, but we don't. B-but, we have enough to afford three rooms in the expensive inn for you and your … ummm…" he gulped frightened. "We will be fine sleeping in the caravans!" he assures me but I smiled and patted his shoulders.

"Get us 5 rooms in the cheaper for 3 days. If within 3 days, we are able to sell all of our junks and earn a decent amount, then we can go and get a good rest in the expensive one. Go, don't dilly-dally!"

"A-aye, master." He bowed down and dashed to get the work. I then turn towards Jia and say, "Listen, Jia. Among all the boys, you're the leader and I trust you and I want you to not throw that trust away like some toy, got it?!"

"Yes, master! My life is all yours."

"Whatever. I don't want your life, I simply want you to gather information about Theo Aldric Merci and all the recent incidents involving him. Go to the notice boards, to the pubs or anywhere and get me as much information as you can acquire without attracting any kind of attention. Remember, no alarms!

And another thing, the junks all of you carried from the Cult of Ice society belongs completely to you. Sell them for money or donate them, I don't care. Also, get a buyer for all these stuffs we took from the mercenaries but don't get rid of the horses or the caravans. I have other uses for them. From the sale of the robbed goods, you guys can have a fourth of the total profit but the rest comes to me. Got it?"

"Absolutely, master!"

"Good! Hop along then!"

…

We arrive at an inn named 'Talking Mink' and settle ourselves. The inn was NOT good! Nope, not all. It was a two-storied inn with wooden walls and floor which creaked constantly and reeked of alcohol and piss. Me, Moose and Pef took a room in the upper floor, which was relatively better and the 4 other rooms for the boys were on the ground floor, right beside the stable. Even our room was just above the stable so that I spot the boys directly if they were trying to steal something.

Yes, the real reason why I was staying in this stinking hole wasn't to show how much I loved them. It was to see whether there was any dastardly boy in this group who would want to steal stuffs right under my nose for a quick profit. I simply don't trust these boys. Yet. And perhaps I never will.

I open the door of my room and was greeted by a gale of air which tasted like mold, dust and termite. The room which I paid 20 Coppers for contained only a hay bed, a wooden table with a wobbly chair, a small cupboard and a small table for dining. This was it!

"That's it! I'm done!!" Moose cries out and jumps off my shoulder, landing right infront of me and Pef.

"C'mon, guys! We can't be staying here! I mean, look at us. I'm a Heavenly Guard, Pef is a professor in Heavens and you, you're a Foundation Stage Cultivator/Rank-2 Magus which, mind you not all that powerful and awe-worthy but still, in this whole City, I bet there aren't a dozen like you! C'mon, we can't be staying in this stink hole!"

I shrug my shoulders and reply, "Moose, don't make it hard on me. I told you guys the reason why I'm staying. I told you that I can't trust those kids with handling money! After we sell all of the stuffs, we will have enough money to stay in the slightly expensive inn. And c'mon! Don't bluff yourself with a post like Heavenly Guard!!"

"He's right!" Pef interjected me. Jumping down from my hands, he faced me and says, "What he says is true. Just a minor correction. He WAS a Heavenly Guard, now he's not. And I'm a professor in Heavens dealing with undeads and sort. That's why I was sent here and not some other douchebags. Anyway, we should really get the hell out of here asap. I don't want to stay in this place for even a second, let alone three days.

On the other hand, I get your worries. Trust is an… untrustworthy aspect of humans. I wouldn't trust them either, if I were you. So, I will appreciate your ideas."

"Really?" I cry, frustrated.

Pef smiles through his wrinkled face and says, "If you so want to stay here, stay here. I will go and take a look around. Possibly, help Jia with gathering info on Theo. Don't wait for me to have dinner, after all I'm an angelic being and I don't need to eat. So, see ya!" he says and marches out of the room like he always does, majestically.

"He can be a bit rough around the edges, Jed. Don't take it personally." Moose comforted me in his squeaky tone but I wave my hand at him. "Don't fret. He isn't the kind who will stay here willingly. He is more of a noble kind; his body coat tells that perfectly."

"Yea, he is proud of it." Moose nods his head. "Anyway, I will be right near here, so if anything untowards happens, just shout my name and I will be right back to save you. See ya!" he replies and bolts off through the open window on the other side of the room. I sigh inexplicably but then again, it's not completely bad.

I drop my leather bag, which I 'borrowed' from the mercenaries to mask myself as a common man, and then drop myself on the hay bed.

'Stinks…' I think to myself but there is a different feeling when one's sleeping on the outside and inside, even if the bed is a hay bed. I help myself with a quick nap before waking up with renewed vigor. It seems like even undeath can't keep me from my afternoon naps. Naps still feel the same no matter what class or race I have!!!!

Okay, I've been in this world for a good 2 weeks now and I should start taking things seriously. After all, it's not like Pef and Moose will be there always to protect me. I mean, they are angelic beings and I get it, but still, its not like one is Archangel Michael and the other Lucifer. I must start acquainting myself with the way the world works and the best way to start it is by reading books!!!

I upturned the jade ring on my third finger and willed 'Books.' Immediately, the ring glowed bright blue and started vomit books.

Pat! Pat! Pat! Thum! Pat! Pat! Pat! Pat! Thum! Pat! Pat!

Dozens of thin and medium sized books, occasionally a few fat leather-covered books fell on the floor from the book. Picking one book, I check out the heading and … I couldn't figure anything.

Nothing!

It was written in some weird language which looked part Sanskrit, German, Greek and inverted Urdu. It felt a bit ancient of sort and the aura from the books really bothered me. Inside, it was filled with more symbols, runic languages and illustrations, none which I could understand.

Thud!

Dropping the book, I take another one and look through.

Same.

Another, same.

Another, same and another.

Every book was written in those runic language and it really bothered me and my bookworm nature. I felt fidgety all over. And so, I called.

"Moooose!! Moose! Moose!!"

"Yea, yea, I'm coming! Stop howling!!" came his reply from the window. Moments later his white body jumped inside from the window and propped infront of me. "What's up?" he asks.

"Help me with these books." I reply and hand them a bunch of the leather covered books. The moment his gaze fell on the books his brows frowned and shocked and perhaps, a little spooked.

"Where the hell did ya get these, man??" he asks.

"Why?! What's the matter with these books?" I ask.

"A lot is a matter with these books. Where did you get it?" he asks again, a little sternly this time.

I showed him my Inventory Ring and say, "From here."

"Ugh!" he shrugs, "Of course, where else can you get these god-damned books!"

"God-damned?" I ask, my interest piqued. But he simply waves his hands in denial.

"Just a metaphor. But, seriously, these books," he points at them and continues, "are some real sh*t! These are some originals based on the experience of Abyss, some weird magical phenomena of Western Continent and whatnot. Most of them are simply Magic tomes, books one needs to learn a new spell but they are all written in the old Hermetic language, mixed with Byron, Enochian, Latin, Ancient Hebrew and Ancient Caalnamite language. It's mixture of all kinds of dangerous languages."

"Wait! There is Hebrew and Latin in this world?" I ask with intrigue.

"Of course! Why shouldn't they be? There's also Sanskrit here, you know and ancient Urdu and so many others. What?! Did you really think humans, in their earlier stages of apehood, had the ability to make something so complicated as languages!"

"They didn't?" I ask, curious.

"Of course not! It was the Gods who spread these languages in your world, just like they did to ours. Bah! Don't worry about it too much. Instead, tell me what do you wanna do with these stuffs? None of it seems like your level of sh*t." he replies.

I bit my lips and nod my head. What he says is true, indeed. I don't want to read something which I can't handle. This world isn't so simple like my dear old Earth. Heck! Even there, one wasn't allowed to learn secrets. How did I expect this world to be different!! But –

"I need to learn these languages." I insist. "Why?"

"Otherwise, how am I going to learn magic?! I can't rely on you guys for my entire life now, can I? You guys don't wanna be my mom and dad in this world, do you?!"

"Of course not!"

"Then help me!" I insist, "Help me learn these languages. Right now, I'm powerful, yes, but I will not be for long. The world won't wait for me to grow up slowly, so help me." I said to him.

Moose listened to me silently and nods his head. "Yes… I should …. It is my job after all, I mean, Heavens didnt really sent me down to teach you about this world but …. I guess, I can help you."

"Cool!" I cried, joyfully but he interjected me.

"Whoa, there bud! You do realize which path you're walking down, right. Let me tell you straight, the Path of Magus is the hardest of all Paths. Maybe. You need to kill a lot of people, leave behind all your loved ones and need to renege on many kinds of luxuries. Are you ready to take them on?"

"Killing people, cool! I like it. As for leaving my loved ones, dude, did you forget that I just arrived in this world. I, literally, don't have any families. Except you and Pef. I like you guys. And maybe the boys too. But I don't trust them."

"You said that three times today, you know." he replied but then he shook his head. "No, no, no, I don't mean to say that. I'm talking about the families of Theo! He ain't lonely in this world, you know. He has family and powerful family."

"Dude, if you haven't already noticed but I, Theo, is now a Revenant. There's no going back!" I say, smiling broadly. "And frankly speaking, I really don't care. Unless, I have some real debts to his family and if they aren't some really sweet and one-of-a-kind family, I will not stay with them for long." I assure him.

"Very well, then, I guess you're good to go." He nods his head and walks towards the door.

Frowning, I ask, "Where are you going?"

"To the library. We need to start with the basics."

I smiled broadly. "Hell yea!"

Picking up the blank books from the ground, I throw them in the leather bag and dash outside.

"You know, you can just throw them in your Inventory Ring."

"I like the feel of a bag on my back." I reply.

…

So, guys, this is the start of the second week. Is the plot andy way of writing good? Are there any kinds of mistakes that Im making? Do you guys have some suggestions?? Please comment and let me know. Also, a few good reviews wont harm the visibility of this novel, so.....

Anyway, thanks for reading this novel. Hope you like my work.