Chapter 203: A New Adventure!

Zoey flew out of the state after deciding to help Peter and Jelena. Since her students were busy in their fighting circuits, her departure was a lot less tearful than it would have been if they had shown up. Only her mom, dad, and brother came to see her off at the airport. If it was up to her, they wouldn't have even been at the airport, but their only daughter couldn't just get up and leave for who knows how long without them knowing and caring about it. Zoey may be an adult who could really do whatever she wanted now that she was eighteen, but that didn't mean anything to Alicia Winters. Zoey was and always will be her baby, apparently.

Peter and Jelena apparently had their own way back, not that Zoey would've spent money on tickets for them in the first place. They needed her help. It would be messed up if she had to go help them out, but they haven't even prepared anything for her. She'd actually laugh at the ridiculousness of it if she had to do everything.

So, Zoey enjoyed her first-class flight with Tink hidden in her clothes. A few hours of peace, relaxation, and comfort. Something she could've gotten if she had stayed at home and decided not to help some strangers out, but still. Bringing about peace between two eternal enemies sounded pretty exciting! Even if she had to do a side quest before being able to move on to that main quest, it was still something to look forward to.

'Aren't you afraid of a peaceful world?' Inner Zoey giggled.

'Why would I be afraid of a good thing?' Zoey replied, still a bit pissed at her other self.

'You're probably gonna blow your brains out if you do accomplish it, you know that, right?' Inner Zoey said confidently.

'Shut up.' Zoey tuned out her other half as she and Tink secretly played a competitive game on her phone.

When she arrived at the airport in Bigguns, Rhede, Peter, and Jelena were already there waiting for her. They didn't lead her to a car or anything, unfortunately. She was expected to carry her suitcase and walk alongside them as they left the airport. So far, she has not been very happy as their guest and help. Hopefully, they had a nice place for her to stay. If she had to pay for a hotel for herself, she'd be even more upset.

"Where are we going?" Zoey asked. She had half a mind to tell them to carry her suitcase for her.

"Our OM branch," Peter answered.

"I've never been to another magjistar community. I wonder if it looks any different from Luminaurora!" Tink chatted.

"I wonder if they have magjistars that aren't humans," Zoey replied.

"Probably not." Tink laughed. "Magjistars are a humans only job!"

"Why?" Zoey was curious.

"If something happened while they were taking care of daemons, regular humans would learn about the existence of them!" Tink confidently explained.

"Oooh." Zoey clapped as the thought didn't register in her mind. "But don't they have magji disguises or something they can use to disguise as humans? Or do they live in those magji communities all their lives without ever leaving?"

"I don't know!" Tink's tone of voice was just as confident as before. "I lived in Luminaurora all my life before I met you."

"But daemons have access to magji disguises that let them disguise themselves as humans. How the.." Zoey censored herself. "How come the OM can't do this when daemons can?"

"I don't know!" Tink happily responded.

Zoey would've turned her attention to Peter and Jelena, but she doubted these two really knew anything. They didn't seem like anyone important or know anyone who would know about stuff like this. Actually… That reminded her of something she probably should've asked them when she agreed to help them out. "What grade are you two?" Zoey brought up.

"C-Grade," Peter answered.

"B-Grade." Jelena raised her nose with pride.

"Really?" Zoey inexplicably blurted out.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Jelena turned to Zoey.

"I didn't mean any offense. Peter just seems more like a B-Grade." Zoey admitted.

Peter let out a chuckle as he gently rubbed Jelena's head in an attempt to calm her. "You aren't exactly wrong. I would be a B-Grade magjistar, but I got mixed up in some trouble that prevented me from advancing in rank." He explained. Zoey was surprised, to be honest. When she compared them to Alexander and Lindsay, these two didn't seem that talented. But then again, Zoey personally trained those two for some time. It wasn't exactly fair to compare Peter and Jelena to those two when they received the benefits of Teaching. 

Lindsay and Alexander were both B-Grade magjistars despite being stronger than their actual ranks. She wondered if the OM branch was weaker over here compared to her old one. Because she knew for a fact that neither Lindsay nor Alexander would lose against these two, don't ask her why she was so confident in that thought. It was just a feeling she had as a fighter. Lindsay or Alexander would be able to wipe the floor against these two by themselves.

Maybe it was her pride speaking as their teacher, but then she thought about Caroline or Joseph or even that one girl with the spiked metal bat. Zoey stopped thinking about it. Eventually, she would see how strong they were for herself unless they were planning to make her do everything for them. Then she'll have to take more of a cut than she was planning to after helping them out.

"What trouble?" Zoey asked. She didn't really have anything else to talk about.

"He beat up the son of someone high up in the OM. Now, no one wanted to approve him to rank up to B-Grade because they don't want to be on the bad side of the jerk's dad." Jelena explained.

"Oh, you guys have corrupt guys over here, too, huh?" Zoey wasn't surprised.

"Haha! Zoey nearly took down the whole branch because of people like that!" Tink remembered.

Both Jelena and Peter went silent at that instead of laughing along. They were processing the words that came out of that fairie's mouth and trying to comprehend what they meant despite them being fairly straightforward. Taking down a whole branch? By herself? Even as a joke, that's a little much.

Eventually, they arrived in the magji community in this state. One second, they were standing in front of a brick wall in the middle of a ghost town. Peter tapped on the brick wall with mahna infused in his hand, and the wall spun sideways. When they walked through, Jelena introduced her to the magji city in Rhede. "Welcome to Dhara." A rare smile formed on Jelena's face.

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Dhara, a city of steel and glass, sprawled across the landscape. Here, modernity surged from the bustling core of commerce, proving that magjistars and the modern world were evolving alongside each other. The city embraced the zenith of innovation, its skyline punctuated by towering skyscrapers that nearly reached the clouds. These giants of architecture, adorned with digital billboards and brilliant lights, bathed Dhara in a luminous glow, creating a visual symphony that harmonized with the pulsating heartbeat of the amazing metropolis.

In Dhara, commerce and social interaction twirled in tandem. Magjismith shops flanked the bustling streets, each one a battleground where an array of enchanted tools vied for the attention of discerning customers. Magjistars and magji races engaged in spirited discussions about the latest magji innovations, their eyes sparkling with the thrill of new possibilities. Dhara's markets, a mixture of color and wonder, boasted stalls teeming with magji spell books, savage mindless daemons for aspiring summoners, and a cornucopia of daemonic objects that whispered promises of extraordinary powers at a cost.

As lively conversations filled the air, the animated city reveled in the bright sunny day. The street performers in Dhara were a dynamic ensemble. Their vibrant expressions, and lively performances captured the attention of those walking down the sidewalk. Using their learned magji and connate magji for the sake of earning money or to expand their own careers as entertainers. The sounds of melodic tunes and rhythmic beats filled the air, creating a vivacious backdrop that enhanced the overall atmosphere of the bustling streets. 

Beneath the sprawling branches of the majestic tree in the tranquil corner of the park, a diverse circle of magji creatures had gathered, representing a colorful group of magji beings. A Doppelganger, their form fluid and ever-changing, engaged in conversation with a Winged One, a Wendigo, a Fishman, and a Minotaur, completed the ensemble.

"You guys should be screaming for joy that a group of magjistars is finally seeing it our way." The Doppelganger said, their form shifting as the others.

"I still think it's a stupid trick. Probably just a test to see who's stupid enough to join them for their hides to get skinned and used as ingredients for magjistars." The Minotaur grumbled.

"It would be nice to fly around the world without having to worry about being taken care of because a gully spotted me flying." The Winged One added, their large wings stretched outward.

"I always hated living under the thumbs of both gullys and magjistars. If I join them, I could get rid of one of those two things." The Wendigo noted.

"You should be more careful saying stuff like that aloud. You know we're not supposed to talk bad about magjistars." The long-necked Fishman jabbed the Wendigo's shoulder.

"I'm just saying what we're all thinking." The Wendigo shrugged. "You guys planning to go check it out? I am."

"I'll go take a look." The Doppelganger responded.

"Too risky." The Minotaur firmly denied his involvement.

"I agree. I'll wait and see how everything plays out from a distance. If it turns out well, then I'll think about joining." The Fishman agreed with using caution.

"Heh, some things you gotta snatch it when you can. I'm confident this is one of those times." The Wendigo grinned.

"Tell us how it goes if you're still alive in a week." The Minotaur told him.