The Southern district

Just as Alex was considering methods to deal with the problem, there was a knock at the basement door.

"Open, it's me." Arthur's voice came from the other end.

Sighing helplessly, Alex rose to his feet and walked over to open the door, allowing Arthur to come in.

"Is everything okay?" Alex asked upon noticing the grave expression Arthur had on his visage.

Arthur first gestured for him to close the door which he did before he finally spoke up.

"Hah, this is troublesome," Arthur remarked with a hint of annoyance and vague worry.

Alex furrowed his brows. "Did something happen?"

"Never mind that," Arthur remarked as his eyes glowed a bright golden color before he added. "The connection between your soma and pneuma is still vague. Did you do nothing today but frolic with Nadia?"

Alex pursed his lips. "I encountered a problem."

"What problem?" Arthur quickly turned apprehensive.

"Is it possible for the Pneuma to be stronger than the Soma?"

"Stronger?" Arthur raised a brow.

"Yes. To the extent of dominating the soma when making contact with it."

Arthur pondered for a moment, taking a drag from his pipe as he studied Alex.

After a minute passed, he finally responded. "It isn't unheard of for the pneuma of a newborn Mystic to be more developed than their soma. Normally, such people are referred to as gifted. Of course, there are also cases where the soma is just unusually weak. Such people would be called defective."

"So how do I make a connection with my pneuma if any attempt would end in my death?"

Arthur pursed his lips. "There are two known ways to deal with such a situation."

"I'm listening."

Arthur turned away from Alex and after walking further into the basement, remarked. "At least offer an old man a seat before bombarding him with questions."

"..."

Taking a moment to breathe, Alex followed him and they soon found a place to sit, a wooden table between them.

Setting his walking stick beside him, Arthur took yet another drag from his pipe before setting it on the table.

"Now then, where were we?" Arthur remarked before snapping his fingers. "Ah yes. The two ways would be; with Quillion or with the help of a Warrior."

"....I don't know what any of those are."

"Quillion is a special ore mined in the caves of Henos. It's able to suppress aether and its magical effects."

"How?"

"No one knows. It's one of the many mysteries of Eventide."

"And Warrior?"

"Representative of one of the Mortal Wheels, the Warrior Wheel. Their domain revolves around anti-magic and weaponry creation."

"So I can either suppress my pneuma, weakening it enough to allow my soma to dominate or I can get the help of anti-magic to keep my pneuma in check."

"Those are the options," Arthur remarked as he leaned back in his chair.

"Which is easier and quicker to get?"

"Which would you prefer?"

"Huh?"

"Quillion is quite expensive but I have some contacts in the black market that could help us secure some and for a Warrior… that female Enforcer from the other day should suffice, of course, you'd have to ask for her help."

Alex nodded thoughtfully as he pondered on the options.

Thinking back to his meeting with Natasha the other day, he quickly discarded the option of asking for her help.

Last time, he was lucky enough to escape her surveillance.

Imagine what would happen if she was faced with the Dark Spirit's body within his pneuma.

He'd be lucky to not be killed there and then.

"Let's go with the Quillion."

"... And here I was hoping you'd pick the Enforcer." Arthur sighed before rising to his feet. "Let's head out then. The sooner, the better."

"I agree." Alex promptly obliged.

Both men quickly made their way out of the basement and stepped out of the house.

Being a major city, even at a few minutes to 12, the city wasn't completely asleep with a few places still open at the ungodly hour.

Getting a ride from his private coach, Alex, and Arthur made their way to the southern district.

***

The southern district was where most factories of BoneHaven were located with some having to stay on the outskirts.

From coal to various metals, the factories worked tirelessly, opening at 6 am and closing at 10 PM.

Those that couldn't find accommodation in the other districts, could only make a place for themselves in the fog-covered district.

Due to the terrible condition, it wasn't hard for people to be infected with respiratory diseases, with the life expectancy of factory workers being at an all-time low of 45.

"Sir, we have arrived." The coachman remarked as he parked the carriage just outside the fog.

Arthur sighed as he disembarked from the carriage with Alex following after.

"Return to the manor. We'll walk from here." Arthur remarked.

The coachman seemed hesitant to leave his employer in such a neighborhood but after some time decided to leave… Hopefully, no harm would come to him.

Soon enough, Arthur and Alex were walking down the silent streets of the southern district with the Nighteye and the street lights illuminating their path.

Walking alongside Arthur, Alex couldn't help but stay alert as he surveyed their surroundings repeatedly.

"No need to be so tense. With me around, nothing can happen." Arthur casually said.

"Including an attack from the assailants that tried to wipe out my family?"

"That's even more unlikely to happen."

Alex raised a brow. "Why do you say so?"

"The thugs that attacked you are Mystics from the Monster Wheel and the Cryptid they digested is the Hyena.

"Hyenas are creatures that prey on the weak and fear the strong with their danger senses being the most prominent amongst any other creature in Eventide. As long as they sense that their prey is stronger than them, they will stay as far away as possible."

"How can you be sure they are weaker?"

"Not so hard," Arthur replied as he casually strolled the streets of the southern district. "Higher Lock Mystics from the Monster Wheel would be able to suppress the bestial urges of the Cryptid they digested.

"Hyenas are known to play with prey before killing them and since your assailant played with you, I'd reckon them not to be higher than an Embracer of the Wild."

Alex raised a brow. "Embracer of the Wild?"

Walking down a row of stairs to the lower part of the district, Arthur took another drag from his pipe. "The 2nd Lock of the Monster Wheel. Don't worry, as you grow as a Mystic, you'll learn more about such things."