The next couple of days passed relatively calmly.

  Tyler spent most of his time in the training rooms, getting to know the siblings better, or touring around various magical ruins that the 21st Branch had deemed worthy enough to sightsee.

  By the end of it, he’d gotten a much better handle on his Journeyman powers. His body was tough enough to shrug off most anything the Peak-Novices at the 21st Branch could throw at him, and when he did get hurt, the healing process was much faster with Lisa around. In just a week, his inflammation had receded quite a bit, and when he was cycling his mana it was mild enough to barely be a hindrance. His body conducted his mana so much better in this state, too, so it took less effort to keep it continually cycling as he spent his days training.

  And if his mana stores had been deep before advancement, now they were downright titanic.

  Even a whole day of exerting himself barely left a dent on his core, and his soul generated new mana at such a prodigious rate that he wondered if he could ever truly exhaust his core completely. His physical exhaustion was far more likely to be the barrier there, but then every cycle of his mana helped alleviate that, too.

  And the constant sight of him in the training rooms only seemed to reinforce peoples’ opinions on him.

  Rumors of his dismantling of the entire skeleton outbreak had gotten around a fair bit, and while his physical endurance and endless mana had had little to do with it, the sight of a tireless Journeyman filling his days before his Main Branch reception with endless toil seemed to cement his status as a living legend. People smiled or even nodded their heads to him in deference as they walked by, and he’d gotten more than a handful of heartfelt thank-yous and apologies amongst those who hadn’t fully believed him at first.

  And while there still seemed to be a small group of people who were skeptical of his prowess, he hardly paid them any mind. He was already focused on the future — on the Main Branch, and on advancement.

  It felt weird, having spent all that time on the island at Novice without any idea how to go further, only to now be looking to the next stage within a week of waking up as a Journeyman. He knew it’d actually been far longer than that — even if he was still figuring out exactly how much — but the actual time mattered far less than his perception of it.

  This week in the Flooded City must have felt like a month of time on the island, to not say anything about the potential months that he’d been unconscious before the Storm had spit him back out that second time. It was the novelty, he thought — the magic, the sights, the people.

  And no two people had had quite as much impact on him as the Frie siblings.

  Lisa had been reluctant to accept her advancement offer at first, despite the waived magical contract. Brandon had tried to convince her in a million different ways, but in the end the only thing that had done the trick was the guarantee that she wouldn’t be the only one going. Besides Tyler himself, both the Branch Leader and the Eye were needed because of their status as heads of the Branch that had fulfilled the bounty.

  Another reason for her reluctance was her overprotectiveness over her brother, but Brandon had eventually reasoned with her that leaving him at the Branch under the watchful eye of an assigned replacement for Alberta and then coming back as a Journeyman herself would do far more for his safety than just sticking around him as a Peak Novice.

  Despite only knowing any of these people for a couple of days, they'd made a strong impression on him. He enjoyed the quiet moments with them while he had them, relishing the feeling of having people he could somewhat call friends.

  He got a tour of Lisa and Brandon’s rooms, which were unsurprising in their messiness and cleanliness respectively, and had a glimpse of their cultivation routines as well. While cultivation rituals could differ drastically — as evidenced by Tyler’s own routine of working himself to the bone and then lying on the ground while imagining weaving threads of Resonance through his soul — the siblings followed what felt like a standard approach of lay-a-bunch-of-treasures-around-you-and-close-your-eyes.

  It seemed most people here owned some sort of artifacts that they would use for their cultivation, and a large portion of the money that they had went towards funding more artifacts to help power them up. Lisa couldn’t do much with hers at the moment, of course, but she told him she still regularly practiced in hopes of squeezing out just a tad more benefit from the artifacts.

  He also got to talk to Rob and his little daughter Nina with the gravity powers, who had in her excitement suspended Tyler in midair for half a minute. Zero-gravity had been a fun experience, and he’d gotten the practice of trying to break the technique with his newly discovered magic tearing powers.

  Tyler also visited the medbay and the limited shop selection, though neither proved very helpful for either his inflammation or in acquiring a magic item that he could actually use.

  He also visited their cultivation library, which Lisa told him used to be bigger but had been depleted thanks to a Main Branch policy of needing to send over any cultivation manuals that had yet to be recorded in order to better disseminate the info. They had gotten a couple of manuals back, she’d said, but it was a very slow process, and she was once again skeptical of their intentions. Still, he found some insight in a couple of techniques that he hoped to integrate into his understanding of the Flowing Sands and Dragon’s Bones.

  And while he still wasn’t having much luck with an actual offensive technique that would boost his strength past the level of the Flowing Sands, he did get a good amount of practice with the magic tearing. It was common for him to just carry around that enchanted crossbow bolt with him these days, pinching its head in his free time and trying to grasp at that magic lying within. Up until now he hadn’t had much luck, but he could feel himself getting closer as his feel for the spiritual world increased.

  And then, about three days after he’d had that meeting with Alberta, the escort finally came.

  The day had started with a light rain, but by noon it had turned into a torrent. Storm clouds filled the sky — not of the dimensional kind, but still rumbling and filled with lightning, blotting out any sunlight and even the streaks of interdimensional tears that lit up the backdrop of the world.

  “Incoming skyship!” someone shouted, and bells rang throughout the 21st Branch’s base as people began streaming out onto the rooftop.

  Rain poured against Tyler’s skin in a massive sheet, plastering his hair to his face and soaking his gifted shoes with so much water they seemed to overflow. Lightning flashed, and through the downpour his Journeyman sight caught the outline of a ship on the horizon — but not one on water, one floating atop its own bed of magical clouds.

  A booming horn sounded from the ship, and multiple auras flared out, causing a couple of the people around him to gasp — Journeymen, maybe stronger than Alberta.

  “Holy.”

  The Branch Leader herself stood at the edge of the building, staff in hand and a small translucent shield above her to protect her from the pouring rain. She activated some sort of signaling artifact, sending a flare of light shooting up into the air. It was met with a similar signal from the incoming vessel.

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  People kept gathering around as the ship got closer, and Tyler began to be able to make out the first figures atop it. A lone man stood at the helm — head full of gray-speckled long hair and robes swaying in the wind, but without a drop of rain to be seen.

  Rowan Grayson — Aspect of Wind

  Ah. There was a shield of some sort around the ship, repelling all the water. Tyler could just barely make out the outline, where the rain was bouncing off.

  The man who looked to be the captain yelled, and it was with such force that Tyler felt like it was coming from all around him. “Trade ship and escort arriving!”

  Another horn. Another pair of signals.

  The ship turned as it approached, and Tyler could see the crowd gasping in awe at the sheer size of it. It was almost as long as the skyscraper itself, and made of ornate red wood that clashed with the deep blue clouds it floated on. The insignia of the Stormchasers dotted its hull at every face, and a trio of what looked like magical cannons swiveled on an upraised turret at the center of the deck.

  “That’s way bigger than the normal trading ships,” Brandon muttered.

  Lisa clapped Tyler on the back. “They really went all out for you. Holy fucking shit.”

  The ship came to a rest beside their skyscraper with a silent shudder.

  “All set,” the man at the helm said, and with the flare of a Journeyman aura, he thrust a hand towards a spot on the wheel, and ropes went flying out the ship’s bottom in every direction, latching magically onto the surrounding skyscrapers to create a sort of net that the clouds of the ship’s bottom gently sunk into.

  “Safe for landing,” he called.

  A dozen Novices scurried around the ship’s deck, and a trio of bridges extended out from the boat’s side and slapped onto the hard concrete. The Journeyman leapt from the top of the deck, spinning in midair and landing in front of the crowd with a grin.

  “Come on, 21st Branch, come get your goods! Powerful Resonance sources and life-saving treasures suitable for Novices and Journeymen alike!”

  He opened a bag at his waist, and suddenly a swarm of tables and stalls flew out of it, expanding into their proper forms from collapsible, compacted states. Another artifact came out to block the rain around the rooftop, and then a flood of magical items poured out onto the tables.

  Crown of Hollow Eyes

  A circlet made from bleached bone and onyx. When fed with the right mana, it may grant the wearer the ability to see in complete darkness.

  The Verdant Fang

  A dagger carved from the bones of an ancient druid, wrapped in living vines. All strikes will contain a powerful paralytic, and when fed with mana, this weapon may heal the wielder for a fraction of the damage it deals.

  Tempest Crown

  A regal circlet, passed from an Emperor of Storms to his 17th daughter. Rusted and worn as it is, it still holds powerful Resonance within it that can be dissolved for a one-time surge. Suitable for advancement to Journeymen or within the sub-stages of Journeymen.

  Wow. There were so many that his Analysis couldn’t keep up with them all.

  A couple members of the ship’s crew came out and began manning the stalls. Most between Mid and High-Novice, but some may have even been at the Peak of it.

  Brandon whistled beside Tyler. “That type of stuff is much better than even the normal caravans. I don’t know if we have a single thing in our current stock from the Main Branch that can stand up to even the lowest-quality artifacts here.”

  “It seems overpriced to me,” Lisa grumbled, pointing to a Novice-level Cloak of Invisibility that still cost a thousand chits. “Read that plaque. How is that any useful when it doesn’t even hide your aura?”

  Brandon shrugged. “Maybe we just haven’t been exposed to stuff of this quality.”

  Alberta shook hands with the captain of the ship, and they exchanged smiles.

  “It’s nice seeing you again, Rowan.”

  “Likewise, Alberta. Like the new setup?”

  “Certainly! Seems like you’ve gotten promoted.”

  “Yeah, yeah — comes with a whole lot of responsibilities too. But the bigger ship is nice.”

  A young man dressed in all white came out of the ship behind the crew, and Tyler’s Analysis identified him as Finnigan Ng.

  “Another Eye of the Main Branch,” Brandon pointed out. “There has to be at least one at every branch, so they swap out whenever a branch’s assigned Eye is traveling.

  Emery was there to meet the young man, and they exchanged silent nods as they swapped bags of holding with one another. And then without a word, Finnigan was off to the stairs.

  “It’s kind of creepy how they’re all like that,” Lisa whispered to Tyler. “I wonder if they’ve been like brainwashed or something.

  Brandon rolled his eyes. “Or they could just be choosing people that all have similar personality characteristics for this job.”

  “Yeah, yeah, whatever. You don’t have to ruin my fun, y’know.”

  Then Lisa perked up, and Alberta looked up from her conversation with Rowan as a new Journeyman crested the deck of the ship.

  Tammy Martinez — Aspect of Glass

  A Mid-Journeyman, perhaps, similar to Rowan. After only having access to Alberta and not having any reference for Journeymen besides his Analysis before that, it was shocking seeing so many at once.

  And I’m on the same level as them. That was still crazy to think about, sometimes.

  “Tammy!” Lisa shouted, and the woman jumped as she tried to track down the source of the call.

  Tammy gave Lisa a weak smile and slowly made her way down the bridges to greet them. She looked a bit haggard, with bloodshot eyes and her hair a mess of frizz around her.

  “Oh yeah,” the Wind Journeyman remarked. “She’s been excited to see you guys again. Probably would look more like that if she wasn’t shipsick.”

  “Tammy!” Alberta exclaimed as the woman made her way onto the rooftop. “How’s the Main Branch treating you? I see you’ve made it to Mid-Journeyman — that’s cause for celebration!”

  “Hell yeah, Tammy! What’s it like? Did you see any of our old friends? Do you… ” Lisa paused for just a split second. “Do you think you made the right decision?”

  “Tammy’s an old 21st Brancher,” Brandon told Tyler as he waved excitedly to her. “Nobody’s seen her since she left two months ago.”

  People were beginning to notice her in the crowd, and a bit of a semicircle was forming around the Journeyman as a line of people broke off of the small mob surrounding the vendors.

  Tammy seemed to wince at the sudden influx of people.

  “Are you okay, Tammy?” Alberta asked. “I hope the Main Branch isn’t overworking you too much.”

  “Uh, it’s — it’s fine,” the woman muttered. She must have been in her late 20s, but Alberta was fussing over her like a mother hen nonetheless. “I get to see some of our friends. Um, only a couple though.”

  The woman’s voice quivered as she spoke.

  “Ah,” Alberta sighed. “I suspected most of them would be sent out to the broader branches. But why are you here, Tammy? Not that you need any reason to come visit — you know you’re always welcome.”

  Through his Journeyman senses, Tyler could just barely hear her as she went even quieter. The crowd around her seemed to hush as the air filled with the noise of rain splattering over the magical barrier overhead.

  "I applied to be an advancement escort. I... I missed the people here," she murmured. "So I tried to get a job where I could see you guys again."

  "That's wonderful!" Alberta gasped, even as Tammy looked like she was about to throw up.

  "You really never got over that ship sickness, huh?" Lisa asked with a frown.

  "Why don't we get you to your room," Alberta said. She waved the crowd aside to open a line through, and shouts of encouragement and pats on the back rained on the woman as they made their way to the stairs. "I left your room exactly how it was before. I didn't want to mess with anything while we've still got rooms to spare."

  “T-thank you,” Tammy choked out. Then she was fleeing like a nervous ghost.

  "I sound like a mom, don't I?" Alberta chuckled as she came back up. "I suppose old habits die hard."

  "Tammy and Lisa were pretty close," Brandon told Tyler. "I hope she’s okay. She's always been quiet, but I don't know if this level of quiet can just be attributed to ship sickness —"

  “Pathetic.” A voice rang out from the deck of the ship. "Came to the Main Branch and couldn't handle the heat, so she came running home to mommy. Can't believe we sponsored someone like that to Journeyman."

  Brandon's head snapped around, and half the crowd was suddenly glaring towards the man who had said it.

  Brian Silver — Aspect of Blades

  have checked out IABD, right? I wasn't joking when I said this story hits like crack, yknow? Here's the link again in case you forgot:

  HOLY SHIT WE MADE THE FRONT PAGE.

  feels like it. I spent quite a bit of time anxiously checking Rising Stars and stuff as most authors do, and for a while there I thought we might cap out before getting there. But look! We made it, and we're actually still climbing! I launched this story without a proper backlog or launch strategy because I needed hope that I might be able to make it, and I think that we've safely achieved that. And along the way, we've built up quite an impressive rating!

  is a funny number, I'm honestly more flattered that 110 of you took the time to press that button to show how much you (mostly) liked the story.