Chapter 120: Shopping Suprise

There was a moment of silence that felt as though time itself had stretched thin, and in that space, Magnus's mind wandered to the very image Monlam had painted—an end marked by the final thread of reality snapping.

Up to this point, Magnus already knew glitches were dangerous. That's why he had Luden constructing a special, magically fortified house in Arlcliff City. If he encountered more glitches in the future, he'd need a way to contain them. Still, his concerns had been mild at best. His worries were based on his own theories and assumptions. He didn't know how quickly the glitches appeared or just how dangerous they were. And he certainly hadn't considered that their mere existence was straining reality, like a rubber band stretched to its breaking point.

But now, with Monlam's explanation—coming from someone who understood glitches even more than he did—the weight of the situation pressed down on Magnus. It was enough to make him break the silence with a question.

"You said your teacher sent you here to meet me. Why? Why tell me this?" Monlam paused before answering, his calm demeanor steady.

"I cannot be certain. My teacher sees many things, things beyond my own understanding. But I believe he sees potential in you, one that might change the outcome he foresees." Listening to that, Magnus wanted to ask why Monlam's teacher would think that. Aside from the Command Console, what made him so special? But looking at him, he knew the monk didn't have the answer. Monlam was here to deliver a warning, a message even he might not fully comprehend.

"So what now? Now that you've met me and delivered your message, will you return to your teacher?" Magnus asked, his tone curious. But Monlam shook his head, answering in a measured voice.

"No. While meeting you and sharing this warning was my task, I am also on my own journey. I seek to experience the world—the joy and the suffering. I will remain in this village for some time. But there is something else my teacher wished me to share."

Magnus leaned in slightly; his interest piqued as he asked, "What is it?"

"He extends an invitation—to visit his temple in the western Sunridge Region. I do not know his exact reasons for wanting to meet you, but I suspect it is to discuss this crisis further. Even if it is not, I am sure a conversation with him directly will be far more enlightening than what I can offer," Monlam stated humbly. Magnus definitely hadn't been expecting an invitation, but he couldn't deny his interest in it. Up until now, dealing with the glitches had been a slow and solitary endeavor. Sure, he had Celia and Eveline, who also knew about them, but they were as much in the dark as he was.

All three of them were building their knowledge from scratch. But speaking to someone who already seemed to have a strong grasp on the situation could make all the difference.

"Well, I'll definitely have to take him up on that offer," Magnus said as he stood from the table.

"But not yet," he added, a bit more thoughtfully.

Monlam nodded.

"Yes, I understand you are on a journey of your own. That's why my teacher left me with one final warning to share with you." Magnus paused, watching as Monlam looked up at him.

"Whatever is wreaking havoc in the northeastern region is no ordinary beast. My teacher suspects it's an abnormality—and one that's had time to thrive for quite some time." Magnus frowned at the news.

"Really? Did he tell you what kind or what it was capable of?" Monlam shook his head at the question, his voice calm yet serious.

"No. My master can see many truths, but his sight is still limited all the same. Even so, you should be cautious. These anomalies are unpredictable." Magnus nodded slowly at his warning.

"I see. Well, thanks for the heads-up." Magnus never realized how much of a relief it was to finally meet a group that didn't require some sort of deal to be struck for them to help him out.

"It was my pleasure," Monlam said in response.

"I wish you luck on your path, whatever may occur." With that, Magnus turned to leave the hut, feeling the weight of the conversation settle in. Monlam mentioned he would be spending a few days meditating now that his message had been delivered, and as Magnus stepped into the open air, he glanced up at the sky from the porch, exhaling deeply. The conversation hadn't been long—maybe twenty or so minutes—but it had left him both enlightened and drained.

I wonder how many glitches exist in the world now? And I wonder how many more it will take until we reach the threshold Monlam's teacher warned of?

The thought stayed with him as he began making his way back to the well in the heart of the village, his mind drifting toward the other entity that shared his thoughts.

What do you think about all this, Basker?

[What we've just learned has caused me to reevaluate many of our previous theories. However, with the existence of a new potential cutoff point, I can't help but compare it to one we've already speculated on.]

Magnus knew what Basker was referring to. A while back, he had recognized Seraline from the splash art of the game he'd downloaded—the same game that seemed to have set all of this in motion. In the artwork, she looked older than she did now, and, more importantly, she appeared to have been permanently injured at some point, missing an eye and arm. Seraline was already an Adept-level knight, and Magnus was certain she'd reach Master-level in the future. So what could possibly hurt her that badly, especially given her family background? At the time, he had theorized that some kind of catastrophe was going to happen in the future based on the clues.

After all, games usually begin shortly before or after some major event, right? But the link Basker was bringing up was one Magnus hadn't considered. What if the catastrophe he had theorized was related to the glitches—or even caused by one of them?

It's not impossible... but still, it sounds a bit odd. Whatever injured Seraline had to be part of the game's original timeline. So, if glitches were responsible, it would imply they were part of the game's story all along, but I never saw or read anything about them. It was supposed to be just a fantasy game.

[Yes, however, although we know this world mirrors the one the game depicted, we don't know which came first. If the game came first and this world was based on it, then the theory of glitches being the catastrophe falls apart. However, if the game was based on this world, it could explain a few things—like why a glitch seemed to be responsible for bringing you here in the first place.]

A game based on an alternate reality, one riddled with illogical glitches. When put like that, it didn't sound entirely impossible for some kind of glitch to exploit that link and pull him from his world into this one.

Still, nothing's certain. Even if it merges one potential catastrophe into another and ups the difficulty quite a bit, we need to stay focused on what we can control—with the top priority being the potential glitch that Mia and the others are facing, without even knowing it.

Still, nothing for certain. Either way, whether it's true or not, all it does is merge one potential catastrophe into two and increase the difficulty of dealing with it. We should still keep on focusing on what we can. With the most crucial focus, being the potential glitch that Mia and the others are dealing with unknowingly.

He had been wondering what kind of creature could put Mia, Gerald, Marcos, and so many other knights in such a rough situation. But if it was really a glitch, then things started to make more sense.

[The creature being a glitch may work in our favor.]

Magnus raised an eyebrow, curious.

What do you mean?

[If there is indeed a threshold on how many glitches the world can handle before it collapses, then perhaps killing this creature could act as a countermeasure and slow the process.]

Magnus tilted his head slightly in thought. That was something he hadn't considered, but it did sound plausible. If glitches were the problem, then wouldn't destroying the creature or object hosting them help reverse their effects?

If that's the case, then it's just one more reason for us to get to Mia and the others as soon as possible.

That was something, both he and Basker seemed to agree completely on.

"But first, I need to figure out where Seraline went off to," Magnus muttered to himself. He had wandered back to the well in the more populated areas of the village, but since he hadn't explored this part yet, his mental map wasn't of much use.

I guess I'll have to wander and ask around a bit.

Fortunately, this village wasn't one where the locals were wary of outsiders. Nearly everyone Magnus asked for directions was more than happy to help. His search eventually led him to the western side of the village, near the road that connected to the western gate. Beyond the gate lay the farmland he and Seraline had seen earlier on their way here. Close to the gate was the market area, where farmers mostly sold livestock and fresh produce. Merchants used to frequent this spot, but that part of the business had clearly slowed down for obvious reasons.

Still, Magnus figured it was the best place to search for Seraline. And sure enough, after about half an hour of wandering through the area, he spotted her standing along one of the branching streets. She was outside a large, luxurious trading wagon being pulled by four massive, three-meter-tall beasts. They resembled horses in the way they walked on four legs and were covered in fur, but instead of hooves, they had claws. Their heads were adorned with horns and thick bony armor that extended down their backs, blending seamlessly with their soot-colored bodies.

Hearing Magnus's footsteps as he approached, Seraline turned around and spotted him.

"Finished your talk with Monlam?" She asked.

Magnus nodded and replied, "Yeah. How about you?"

"I found a farmer willing to sell us two trained horses. Now I'm just replacing the supplies we lost." As he listened, Magnus turned his attention to the trading wagon. It was enormous, almost like a miniature mobile home rather than something built to be pulled by beasts. A door at the back had stairs leading into it, and on the side where he and Seraline stood, there was an open window serving as a counter for customers. From inside the wagon, Magnus could hear someone moving around, searching for something.

That's when he noticed the name "Hazle Merchant Guild" printed in bold white letters on the front of the glossy green wagon.

Wait a second...

Before he could finish the thought, a voice erupted from within the wagon.

"Alright, that's two steel-reinforced threaded tents, two sets of sleeping gear, a fire starter, eight sets of activewear, and provisions to last about two weeks!" As the merchant listed off the items, he placed them on the window counter. Only then did Magnus get a clear look at him, and his face instantly filled with disbelief.

"Howard, is that you?" Magnus called out, catching the merchant's attention. The older man's expression froze for a split second before recognition dawned, and his face broke into a wide, beaming smile.

"Ah! If it isn't my savior, young Magnus! Who'd have thought we'd meet again in a place like this, eh?" Howard's energy, as always, caught Magnus off guard, but he managed to push through his confusion long enough to ask a question.

"Wait, how are you here? I thought you were still in Arlcliff City," Magnus said, gesturing behind him with his thumb.

"Huh? Oh no, I wrapped up my business there a while ago. I was just delayed by that whole kidnapping ordeal. I left a few days after you rescued me, actually," Howard replied with his usual enthusiastic smile.

"But… what about the monsters? I thought it was too dangerous for merchants to leave the city," Magnus asked, his confusion deepening.

Howard laughed heartily.

"Ha! Dangerous for novices, maybe. But a good merchant always finds a way! Don't you smell that?" He tapped the side of his nose with a grin. Magnus blinked, starting to focus more on the scents around him. He had noticed a spicy aroma earlier but figured it was just from the fact he was in the farmer's marketing area. Now, as he paid more attention, he picked up a mix of sweet, spicy, and other unfamiliar smells blending together.

"What is that?" Magnus asked, curious.

"Ah, glad you asked!" Howard said, dipping below the counter for a moment. He rummaged around before popping back up with what looked like an oversized spray bottle.

"This, my friend, is Monster Away! I've made one for each region." Howard beamed, holding the bottle up proudly.

"It's a blend of herbs and spices that the local monsters can't stand. Keeps them away while you travel, so no need to worry about getting attacked. And if that doesn't do the trick," he added with a wink, "those four beasts pulling my wagon aren't just for show."

Glancing between Howard and Magnus, Seraline saw an opportunity to ask, "You two know each other?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah, sort of," Magnus replied, a bit awkwardly.

"No need to be modest!" Howard chimed in.

"Young Magnus here saved my life. I owe him a great debt of gratitude."

"Oh, I see. Well, how much do I owe you?" Seraline asked, getting straight to business. But Howard just shook his head with a smile.

"Nothing, my dear. Any friend of my savior is a friend of mine. Consider this a small part of repaying my debt. I'll even throw in two Monster Aways so you won't have to worry about any pesky beasts on your journey. Or better yet," Howard continued his enthusiasm building, "I can show you some of my newer products. I just got a shipment of-"

Magnus quickly raised his hands, cutting him off mid-sentence.

"Thanks, Howard, but we'll have to check those out next time. We can't carry much on us right now." Magnus had a feeling that if he let Howard continue, they'd be here for hours.

"Ah, that's a shame, but I understand. But at the very least, take this," Howard said, reaching over to his right, and pulling something off a shelf that Magnus couldn't see from his angle. He held out a hand as Howard handed him something.

"Ah, that's a shame, but I understand. At the very least, take this," Howard said, reaching over to a shelf and grabbing something out of sight. He handed it to Magnus with a grin.

"It's dangerous out there, so if you ever find yourself in trouble, just close your eyes and throw this." Magnus looked down at the object in his hand and blinked a few times.

"Is… is this a bomb?" The thing looked like something straight out of a cartoon—a black sphere with a fuse sticking out of the top.

"Eh, sort of. Just don't drop it unless you want to use it. The fuse acts as a timer." Howard winked. After hearing that, without hesitation, Magnus tucked the bomb into his storage ring.

"Well, thanks, Howard. But, are you sure you want to give us all this for free?" Before coming to this world, Magnus didn't think twice about accepting freebies. But after his dealings with Luden, he'd become a bit wary.

"Of course!" Howard replied, waving a hand dismissively.

"How could a few items like these compare to my life? Like I said, I'll make sure to repay my debt."

"Well, if you say so." With that, Magnus and Seraline gathered their supplies, said their farewells, and headed off. Their next stop was the farmer who had promised to sell Seraline two horses. As they walked side by side, Seraline couldn't help but comment.

"You have some strange acquaintances." Magnus chuckled at that.

"Yeah… well, believe it or not, he's only the second most eccentric person I've met."