The City of Blacksteel Pt. 2

As I stepped deeper into the city, the overwhelming scale of it began to sink in. This wasn't just some forgotten underground town. No, this was Blacksteel. The name felt fitting—everything about this place was dark, metallic, and alive with a rough, gritty energy. The streets bustled with every kind of species imaginable. Dwarves hammered at glowing metal in open workshops, elves darted through the crowds with elegance, and beastfolk roamed freely—cat humanoids perched on rooftops, their eyes watching everything below, while wolfmen strode purposefully through the crowds. Even dragonkin were here, towering above the rest with their scaled tails sweeping behind them.

I wandered through it all in awe, but I couldn't lose focus. My dryad form had done its job, but now I needed something more human to blend in—someone who could move freely through this chaotic city.

That's when I found him.

A human, slumped against the wall in a shadowed alley. His clothes were torn, his body beaten, and from the looks of it, he was close to death. Perfect.

I approached cautiously, making sure no one was watching, and slipped into his body with [Parasitic Domination]. His body convulsed briefly before I gained full control. His heartbeat steadied under my influence, and I could feel life returning to his limbs. His mind was too weak to fight me off, and that worked in my favor.

As I stood up, adjusting to the new body, I tried experimenting with my voice. But as I tried to speak, nothing but a dry rasp came out. It was as if the man hadn't had food or water in days.

"Guess you haven't been drinking or eating, huh?" I muttered to myself. My throat was so dry, it felt like sandpaper. I tried again, clearing the dryness in his throat. It took a few tries, but finally, my voice began to emerge, weak but present.

"At least I can talk to somebody now," I chuckled.

Suddenly, I felt a rush of new information flood into my mind—[K'arne Language Proficiency].

"Nice body, nice timing," I smirked. With this, I could understand and speak the native language of Blacksteel, which meant I could now converse freely with the city's inhabitants. This would make blending in so much easier.

I pulled up the hood of his ragged cloak and slipped on the scratched sunglasses I found in his pocket to hide the eerie white glow of my new eyes. Good enough to pass for a nobody. With the basics in place, I decided to experiment. I approached one of the nearby dwarves sitting on a stool outside a bar, a mug of ale in his hand.

"Hey," I said, my voice still a little rough.

The dwarf looked up, his eyes narrowing as he studied me. But after a moment, he grinned, showing off a mouthful of crooked teeth.

"Another drifter, eh? I see ye' haven't had a good drink in a while!" he barked, taking a long swig from his mug. "Ah, nothing like a pint of good ale to fix a parched throat!"

I nodded, forcing a smile. This guy seemed harmless, just a loudmouth enjoying his drink.

"You lookin' to make some money, eh?" the dwarf continued, clearly enjoying the sound of his own voice. "If ye' need work, ye' should head to the Adventurer Management office! They always got somethin' for folk like you. Dangerous work, but it pays well enough if you survive."

"Adventurer Management?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Aye, adventurers go there for quests, contracts, all sorts of jobs. It's the best way to make some coin in this city if yer' new and lookin' for work!" he explained, slamming his empty mug on the table. "Plenty of dangerous jobs, but you look like you can handle it."

"So... it's like the adventure guilds in the novels I've read," I muttered to myself, amused by how familiar it all sounded.

The dwarf didn't catch the comment and continued rambling about his past adventures, but I had what I needed. An adventurer's guild, or something close to it. That was exactly the kind of place I needed to go. I'd find work, earn money, and figure out what this city was hiding.

But first, I needed to get this body into better shape. Maybe even grab a drink for real this time.