The Deal

Xander shifted his attention from the Soul Collector to the bartender girl. "Oh yes, Loren asked me to come here, saying this place might be able to help me," he said.

"My name is Ann Julia. You can call me Ann," she said, introducing herself to Xander. "I was once saved by Loren from our family's curse. She did her best, but I am the only survivor. I swore that I would aid her no matter what after that. So if she wants me to help you, of course I will help you as long as it's something I can," Ann added.

Cedric abruptly rose from his seat and made his way upstairs, as if he had more pressing matters to attend to. Xander and Ann were left alone at the bar counter

"I'm new in Noxburg and I just lost my memories. I just needed a place to stay and maybe a way to get money," Xander lied, feeling guilty, but he had no other choice.

Ann looked concerned when she heard that he had lost his memories. "I see. Wees Whisky House has rental rooms upstairs. Since Loren asked me to help you, I can give you one of them for free," she said, pointing to the stairs that Cedric had just climbed. "As for a way to get money, you can work here as a waiter or cleaner, but the payment is underwhelming," she added, sounding disappointed.

"I understand. Thank you for your help. I will pay for the room when I have a stable income. As for working here, I will consider it," Xander replied, thanking Ann. He was tempted to refuse the job offer, as he didn't want to spend his life in a menial, low-paying job. After all, he had just been transmigrated; why should he waste his time working as a waiter?

As there are still more supernatural elements to explore, Xander was inspired by Loren's way of escaping Leviathan. He looked forward to finding a way to become powerful. In his past life, Xander was a very unnoticeable person who always followed others and did what the majority did, leading a rather boring life.

However, Xander has decided to take a turn in this new world. As a first step, he needs to adopt a different persona. Typically shy and timid, he has decided to become more independent. This change will not only help him mentally but also provide him with more opportunities to become stronger.

"Then let me show you to your room," Ann said, leaving the bar counter.

"Thank you so much. I really appreciate it," Xander bowed and followed Ann up the stairs.

"Haha, don't mention it," Ann laughed, covering her mouth. "I'm curious about your age. You look so young," she said, giving Xander a quick glance.

"I'm 17," Xander replied honestly, sine his body had remained the same after his transmigration, he was undoubtedly the same age as he was before.

"Wow, you're really young. I'm almost 21. How did you and Loren meet each other?" Ann asked, looking back at Xander.

"That...I don't know. I lost my memories, after all," Xander lied once again, inwardly laughing at his continuous fabrications since arriving in this new world.

"Oh, I apologize. I completely forgot about that," Ann immediately apologized, sensing that she may have offended Xander.

Xander quickly reassured her, "No need to apologize. You haven't offended me at all," although he was taken aback by her sudden concern.

As they chatted on the way to Xander's room, they arrived at the door just two doors away from the staircase. "The room has a decent amount of space, so feel free to let me know if you need anything," Ann said kindly as she opened the door for Xander.

As Xander stepped into the room, he took a good look around. The walls were painted in a calming shade of green, and a soft carpet covered the floor, feeling pleasant under his feet. In one corner of the room sat a small wooden desk and chair, and a framed painting of a serene landscape adorned the wall. In addition to the desk and chairs, the rental room also had a cozy bed that was adorned with soft pillows and a warm comforter, inviting me to curl up and relax.

However, it was a strange device, about the size of a light bulb, that hung from the ceiling that caught Xander's attention. The metal frame of the device was intricately designed, with a series of interlocking pieces that moved and shifted slightly. Emitting a soft glow and humming with the same Numen energies he had seen in the prison door and Loren's ring, Xander couldn't help but notice it. The energy seemed to flow through the device like a current of electricity, causing it to vibrate slightly.

Xander couldn't help but ask, "What is that little device hanging from the ceiling?" He pointed to the small metal frame with interlocking pieces that emitted a soft glow and hummed with Numen energies.

Ann chuckled and replied, "That's a temperature changer. It's infused with Numen, and they were quite expensive when they first came out. But now that the government has increased production, they've become a lot cheaper." She sighed, as if reminiscing about the past.

Xander's amazement was visible on his face, once again struck by the wonders of this unexplored world.

Ann noticed his expression and teased, "Do you like those kinds of things?"

"Oh not really, I was just impressed by it after seeing it for the first time" Xander answered after taken aback by Ann.

Ann realized again that Xander had lost his memory and cursed herself for possibly offending him. She had been about to ask for his name, but decided to ask how to address him instead.

"What should I call you, then?" she inquired.

Xander smiled and replied, "You can call me Xander."

"Xander... okay, I'll be going downstairs. I have a few customers," Ann said, waving at him before leaving.

As Xander waved back, he couldn't help but reflect on the kindness of yet another stranger who had helped him. He felt like he had been transported to a world where everyone was nice.

However, his thoughts were interrupted by Cedric's deep voice calling him from the next room.

"Hey, you! Come here. Don't forget why I called you here," Cedric barked.

Xander walked towards Cedric's room and asked, "How did you know I was there? Were you eavesdropping?"

"I'm a Numenist," Cedric explained pointing at his ears and gesturing for Xander to close the door.

"Numenist? What's that?" Xander asked after closing the door and taking a seat on one of the wooden chairs.

"You don't know? Aren't you a Numenist too? You're emitting Numen energies," Cedric questioned, looking puzzled and still intense from the previous night.

"No, I'm not," Xander replied after a few moments.

"This is the second time someone has said I'm emitting Numen energies," Xander thought to himself.

"Only Numenists emit Numen energies. Also, the ritual you told me about last night... If you and that old man were telling the truth, the effectiveness of that ritual is not something an ordinary human could achieve," Cedric explained.

"Really? But it's true. I didn't do anything special. I just performed the ritual as usual," Xander replied, feeling like he was being interrogated.

Cedric's voice carried an unmistakable air of authority. "You already know I'm a raven, right? I can arrest you for being an unofficial Numenist."

Xander tried to sound as sincere as possible. "Trust me, I don't know anything about it. I just lost my memories a few days ago." He had already fed this same lie to Ann. At this point, only his name and age were truthful.

Cedric's expression remained unchanged. He had already heard similar claims with his keen senses. "How about this? Since you have seen and interacted with the Soul Collector and seem to be able to use Numen, help me find that bastard. If we succeed to catch him in next 20 days, I will recommend you to the ravens and make you one of us." Cedric's tone implied that Xander had no choice but to accept or face arrest.

Xander maintained eye contact with Cedric for a moment, trying to gauge his sincerity. "Do you trust me with that?" he finally asked.

"One can only perform moon rituals effectively when the moon itself allows them to," Cedric explained. "As a devoted believer in the moon, I will trust its judgement."

Cedric then added, "Of course, if you break any laws, that's a different story."

The room fell silent, the only sounds being the click-clack of the Numen device and the ticking of the clock. Xander finally broke the silence. "I will help you find the Soul Collector, but you have to pay me a decent amount upfront and after catching him." Xander had more reasons for helping than just money. He was curious about the Soul Collector and wanted to become more involved with the ravens and learn about Numen abilities.

"Deal," Cedric answered without hesitation.