“We’ll… make sure to get your message sent, Mr. Pell,” the clerk said, his tone uneasy. His gaze lingered on the skeleton in front of him, critical and wary. The clerk himself was a skinny sort who could have done himself a favor by getting with a hearty meal. The crest of the information guild was embroidered on the upper right of his uniform—a simple looping line.

  “Make sure you do. That coin by Lorrin ain’t cheap,” Pell replied, his voice dry.

  The clerk glanced down at the small, rounded coin resting on the counter. Squinting, he picked it up and channeled a faint pulse of mana into it. A moment later, the coin began to glow faintly before dissolving into wisps of smoke.

  Well, looks like that Lorrin guy wasn’t bluffing. Thing really does just melt away, Pell thought, mildly impressed.

  The young man cleared his throat. “The coin has been verified. Since the town you requested doesn’t have an information guild, it will take a few days for a courier to deliver your message.”

  “Figured as much,” Pell said with a nod. He turned to leave. “Alright, kid, let’s go.”

  Enya, however, was still on her tiptoes, stretching toward a bowl of colorful candy on the counter. Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t quite reach, though that didn’t stop her from trying.

  The clerk smiled faintly and nudged the bowl closer, just within her reach. Enya’s face lit up as she grabbed a single lollipop. “Thank you, Mr.!” she chirped.

  “You’re wel—” The clerk’s words were cut off as Enya darted off, already skipping toward the door with her prize. Chuckling, he moved to slide the bowl back, only to pause. Half the candy was gone, and the “Take one” sign taped to the front was askew.

  Outside, Pell frowned. “Took you long enough. What were you doing?”

  “Nothing!” Enya replied cheerfully, sucking on her lollipop as she skipped along. One hand held the treat, while the other was stuffed deep into her dress pocket.

  Pell’s gaze narrowed as he caught sight of a cluster of lollipop sticks peeking out from the pocket. He sighed, his soul flames flickering in exasperation.

  “There’s still a couple of hours before the appraiser at the merchant’s guild is available,” he said. “We’ll head to the magic association in the meantime. Maybe get you a new spell or something. You still got your coin?”

  “Mhm!” Enya mumbled around the lollipop, digging deeper into her pocket to avoid spilling her hidden stash. “Rih ere!” she muffled, holding up the coin between her fingers.

  “Stop talking with your mouth full,” Pell groaned.

  The two of them set off toward the magic association building. With Lorrin’s carriage having only been for a single trip, they were left to walk, though luckily, it wasn’t far.

  It was now mid-evening, and the day had been anything but uneventful. Early that morning, they’d arrived in town, met the siblings, secured a room at an inn, and gone their separate ways for a while. Pell had been caught up in the whole jail fiasco—a series of chaotic hours spent between a scuffle, being detained, and narrowly escaping an unjust execution. Meanwhile, Enya had successfully registered for the tournament and even found time to save Pell herself.

  As they walked through the streets, they couldn’t help but notice the stares. A girl in lavish clothing drew attention on her own, but pairing that with a skeleton companion? It was impossible to ignore.

  Monsters were responsible for most deaths across the layers, far surpassing any danger posed by people. There were still plenty of powerful individuals—serial killers, cultists, and all kinds of criminals—but when compared to the threat of monsters, it was no contest. Many harbored a deep hatred for anything monstrous, while others developed outright phobias. Even spiritual beasts or mythical pets could set people on edge. That was just how things were—some folks would react the same way to a giant troll as they would to a winged dog. Even Pell himself held some prejudices against monsters.

  As Pell and Enya passed, people instinctively parted to avoid them. It was clear that Pell wasn’t welcome, though not everyone seemed to care. For every wide-eyed civilian clutching their belongings, there was another who didn’t give him a second glance.

  After a few minutes, they turned a corner and saw a massive building up ahead. Like everything else in town, it was constructed of gleaming white stone, but this one stood out. It towered high above the surrounding structures, easily over thirty stories tall if the neatly spaced rows of windows were any indication.

  “Woah!” Enya exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she craned her neck to take it all in. “Is that the mage assertation?”

  “Magic Association,” Pell corrected. “And yeah, ‘think so. Never been inside myself, but thats gotta be it. Probably should’ve asked that Lorrin guy for how the place works.”

  They approached the grand entrance, an open space bustling with activity. People in robes, cloaks, and other elaborate apparel streamed in and out. Some carried staffs, others lugged books, and one peculiar individual dragged heavy chains along the ground, mumbling something about a rebellion.

  Enya took the lead, and Pell followed a step behind. It was better for him to appear as her ‘summon’ or ‘pet,’ though the thought made him want to retch. Still, it beat the alternative—risking an attack or being mistaken for a rogue monster. His earlier encounter at the guild had made one thing clear: that even flashing his lock to everyone wouldn’t put them all at ease.

  After entering inside, they noticed that the Magic Association’s lobby was large and practical, filled with groups of people, bustling with activity. Those who seemed like mages were spotted in robes moving between counters and lecterns, carrying books, spell components, and scrolls. The floors were made of polished white stone with faint rune etchings glowing beneath, and the walls were lined with notice boards and other documented notes. A set of wide stairs in the back led to higher floors, and signs pointed to different facilities: research labs, the library, and spell circuit exchanges.

  The clerks, wearing the distinctive open-book insignia of the magic association, were plentiful. They stood behind counters or walked around, assisting visitors. Their robes were generally plain and neat, but some had more elaborate decorations and came in a range of colors.

  Enya and Pell approached one of the clerks, a young man with a tired expression who was reviewing a stack of papers at his desk. He looked up as they neared, his eyes flicking from Enya to Pell with mild curiosity. His eyes met with Pell’s soul flames for but a moment, but they didn’t carry any hint of prejudice or judgment.

  “Can I help you?” he asked, his tone polite but a little distracted.

  Enya held up the small, shimmering coin she’d gotten from Lorrin. “We want to use this,” she said brightly.

  The clerk leaned forward, his brows furrowing as he examined the token. “A coin?”

  “’Coins from Lorrin, something something overseer of the city,” Pell added.

  The clerk straightened and nodded, but his cautious tone remained. “I see. One moment, please. I’ll need to call someone higher up to process this.”

  Pell groaned, muttering something about wasted time, while Enya nodded back, clearly unbothered by the delay.

  The clerk walked to a side room and returned shortly with an older mage in a deep blue robe with black accents. The man, who carried an air of authority, approached with a small smile and a curious glance at the coin. “I understand you’ve presented a coin,” he said, his voice measured. “May I see it?”

  Enya handed it over eagerly. “Loppin gave it to us! He said it lets me pick a C+ spell for free or get a discount on stronger ones.”

  “She means Lorrin,” Pell corrected.

  The man turned the coin over in his hand, channeling a small pulse of mana into it. The coin glowed faintly before dimming again and slowly dissipated between his fingers. He nodded in satisfaction. “This is indeed valid. Please, follow me. I’ll take you to the spell selection hall.”

  He led them toward a circular platform in the back corner of the lobby. A faint blue light pulsed around its edges. “Step onto the lift,” he said, gesturing for them to follow as he stepped onto the pad himself.

  Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

  As soon as they joined him, the pad hummed softly, and they began to ascend. The walls of the shaft around them seemed to blur, giving the impression of rising through layers of shimmering light. As they ascended, Enya gasped in awe, catching glimpses of the other floors rushing past. In less than a minute, the platform slowed, stopping at the seventh floor.

  “This way,” the mage said, leading them into a large, sealed door. It opened with a soft hiss as he waved his hand across a rune panel.

  Inside was something entirely unexpected. The room wasn’t a room at all, but a strange, abstract space. A translucent platform, floating in a vast, dark void, served as the floor. The blackness around them seemed to shift and ripple, occasionally pierced by faint streaks of glowing shapes, like distant constellations and stars.

  Enya’s eyes widened. “Whoa… it’s so… empty!”

  The mage gestured toward the glowing circle in the center of the platform. “This space connects to the Magic Association's central repository, where we store and catalog countless spells across all tiers and types. Before we proceed, it would be helpful if you could specify what kind of spell you’re looking for. I can configure the system so that it narrows down the selection to better suit your needs.”

  Enya tilted her head, considering his words before answering, “I’m looking for necromantic spells.”

  The mage’s polite demeanor faltered for a brief moment, his brows lifting slightly in surprise. A silence hung between them before he gave a measured nod. “Necromancy, is it?” he repeated, his tone cautious. “I see. While necromantic spells are rare in our archives, I can configure the system to include related classifications—curses, witchcraft, dark void magic, and other branches of study that intersect with necromancy.”

  He raised a hand, and runes began to shift and rearrange themselves in front of him, briefly flashing into existence on a translucent interface. “That said,” he continued, “some spells in our system may be locked. Certain high-tier or forbidden arts will require you to undergo a rigorous verification process, mandated by the upper branches of the Magic Association on the Fourth Layer. Should you wish to acquire any of those, you’d need to submit a formal request, which could take several days to weeks to process.”

  Enya nodded, digesting the information. Since the tournament was coming soon, waiting several days or weeks wouldn’t cut it for her, but her enthusiasm remained undeterred. “That’s okay. I just want to see what’s available for now.”

  The mage tapped his fingers against the air, and the light around the interface rippled as he adjusted the filters. “Out of curiosity,” he began, glancing at her, “you’re a necromancer, I presume?”

  She blinked, startled by the direct question, but nodded hesitantly. “Yeah, I guess so. I’m a necrosmith…” Her words trailed off as she realized what she’d said. I wasn’t supposed to tell people that, right?

  Custodian’s warnings about the rarity of her class echoed in her mind. Did she just make a mistake? Then again, most of the city’s officials already seemed to know her noble identity despite Pell’s warnings. Maybe I’m just really bad at keeping secrets.

  The mage’s expression didn’t change much, but a curious smile crept onto his face. “A necrosmith? I’ve never heard of that class before. Sounds like a crafter’s class?”

  “Uh… yeah… it… is,” Enya replied, her voice uncertain.

  Maybe he doesn’t know what it really is? Custodian had said the class hadn’t been seen in over 500 or 600 years, making it possible that people had simply forgotten about it—or never knew much about it to begin with.

  The mage’s tone remained professional. “The Magic Association is always looking to expand its repository of knowledge. If you happen to possess any spell circuits or unique techniques related to necromancy that aren’t already in our records, we’d be willing to purchase them from you—or exchange them for credits or additional resources. Knowledge, after all, is one of our most valuable currencies.”

  Enya frowned thoughtfully. “Spell circuits? I’m… not really sure if I have anything like that to share right now.”

  “No rush,” he said, inclining his head. “I only wanted to make you aware of the opportunity. Should you come across anything you’re willing to share, consider bringing it to us. For now, let’s proceed. The system will show you everything available within the specified parameters. You may also switch to the full catalog, but I should warn you that there are over 20,000 spells up to C+ rank recorded at present. If you’re ready to select a spell or require additional assistance, I’ll have someone waiting outside when you’re done.”

  He swiped one final time in front of him, and the entire space pulsed briefly. An interface flashed to life before Enya, a series of glowing spell names and descriptions materializing, suspended in the air like floating pages. Each spell displayed its tier and a concise description of its effects.

  The mage turned to leave but paused to add, “Oh, and this entire space is maintained by visual magic. If you’re curious about a spell, you can view a visualization of it in this space. This also means you do not have to worry about being harmed, as everything is only a recorded reinterpretation of the spell. Keep in mind, however, that some spells—such as body-strengthening techniques—won’t have a visual aid since their effects aren’t directly observable.”

  With those final words, he exited the hall, leaving Enya alone to explore the spell archive.

  “So, how’s it look? I can’t imagine there’s much necromancy stuff on that list. They’d probably keep all their more... unsavory techniques to themselves, huh?” Pell remarked, glancing around the vast expanse, his eyes lingering on the distant stars. “Damn… this place really is something else…”

  Enya glanced up at the system interface that had appeared in front of her. It was familiar, like her regular status screen, but with far more options. Dozens of spells were listed, some locked behind an icon she didn’t recognize. After fiddling with it for a moment and sending a mental command, she dismissed all the locked spells from the display. The list shrank dramatically, almost halving in size; there was no point in worry about the locked spells, anyway.

  Even with the locked spells removed, the list was still overwhelming—well over a hundred spells to choose from. A fair number of them weren’t even necromancy-related, delving into curses, darkness, and other... ominous-sounding areas. With the coin she had, which allowed her to acquire spells up to C+ rank, she knew she needed to focus on the best options.

  She filtered the list again, narrowing it down to only C and C+ rank spells. The list became more manageable—about 30 spells in total. It seemed there weren’t many people willing to part with their necromantic, witchcraft, or dark magic skills. Still, there were enough intriguing options to consider.

  Enya began scanning through the spells that stood out to her.

  Spell: Witchfire [C-]

  Description: Launches ethereal, greenish flames capable of burning both physical and spiritual entities. The flames cause a decaying effect, eating away at the target over time.

  Spell: Reactive Bone Shield [C]

  Description: Summons large bones that levitate and follow the caster. If the caster reacts quickly enough, the bones automatically move to block incoming attacks. Extra bones can be created by expending additional mana.

  Spell: Spectral Chains [C]

  Description: Summons small portals at the target location, sending spectral chains that wrap around and bind the target. The chains are slightly corrosive, and their strength depends on the caster’s focus and willpower.

  Spell: Inner Darkness Apparition [C+]

  Description: The darkness hidden deep within your soul manifests as an apparition. This shadowy form can act on its own, both tangible and intangible. It carries a chilling, soul-dominating aura that can influence nearby beings.

  Spell: Desecration Curse [C+]

  Description: Marks an area, such as a patch of earth or a building, with necrotic energy. The marked area gradually degrades, warping plants, structures, and even magical constructs into twisted forms. Living beings within the area will suffer a mild sickness, which can progress into a life-threatening illness if untreated. Concentration is required to continue spreading the curse.

  Each of these seemed useful in some way. Truthfully speaking, some of them sounded cool, and she just wanted to see how they worked.

  Enya tapped on the first spell, Witchfire, and it brought up additional details, along with a testing option.

  Spell: Witchfire [C-]

  Description: Launches ethereal, greenish flames that can burn both physical and spiritual entities. The flames both burn and cause a decaying effect.

  [Mana cost: 10MP]

  See visual example?

  [Accept/Decline]

  With a mental tap, Enya accepted the prompt to see an example. The space around her shimmered briefly, and then the figure of a woman appeared near the center of the room. She was composed of fractal light; her face obscured by a soft glow. The woman was tall and wore a large, rounded hat that pinched upward to a pointed tip, giving her an almost ethereal presence.

  Pell, having turned from inspecting the rest of the room, stopped when his gaze landed on the figure. “Hmm... is this the visual example the mage was talking about?” He slowly walked around the figure, inspecting her from different angles, until he stood just behind and a little to her side, a few feet away.

  The woman in the center moved. She raised her hand, and a spell circuit appeared in the air before her palm. The circuit was blurred and obscured, likely to prevent anyone from copying it or cheating the system. The woman’s gaze was distant, staring off into nothing as she held her hand out. Enya and Pell watched from the sidelines, silent.

  With a fluid motion, the woman faced her palm outward, and in the next moment, a greenish flame shot forward, landing on the floor and immediately beginning to burn.

  “That’s it?” Pell asked, arms crossed, raising an eyebrow. “Looks pretty weak to me. Unless that fireball burns forever or something.” He turned to Enya. “What kind of spell was that?”

  Enya glanced at the description that had appeared beside the figure. “It’s called Witchfire. It’s supposed to burn both... physical and spiritual entities, and it decays whatever it touches. That’s what the description says, at least.”

  Pell gave a nonchalant shrug. “Might be useful. Seems like a solid attack for a mage. Fits your necromancer theme and all that, I guess. Still... kinda underwhelming. If Lorrin’s coin gives us a C+ spell, you should go for something a lot more impressive. I’m betting that coin’s worth a lot—probably several dozen gold pieces, if not more. I don’t know how they price the spells here, but it sure can’t be cheap.”

  Enya nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, you’re right. Onto the next one, then.”