'I need to stock up on supplies,' Vergil thought to himself. He had one gold left. It wasn't much, but it was enough. Elvira seemed reliable. He would ask her where to find them.
I found her gazing at the sky, lost in her thoughts, before hearing my footsteps and looking at me.
"Elvira, I need your help." My tone was polite, stopping just a few feet from the bench she was sitting on. "Do you know of any places selling supplies?"
She studied me, as if checking my intentions. "It depends on what you need. The general store is close by, near the main road, if you need provisions. But for more specialized items..."
Her eyes flicked to the dagger sheathed in my hand. "There's a shop to the right selling poisons and elixirs."
I nodded in approval. Exactly what I was looking for. She knew what was useful and did not waste time. That was comforting.
"Thank you."
"Be careful with that place. The old man running it isn't your average merchant. He's a master of his work but enjoys playing with new customers like you." Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Just make sure you leave with what you need."
Playing with the customer. How amusing. And troublesome. But I would manage.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
The shop was already half-dead before I even stepped inside, the bell jingling as I opened the door. The sign outside was dangling, the word barely clinging to life. The odor inside was heavy, yet pleasant.
The shelves hugged the walls, each one lined with bottles of every shape and size, shimmering in their own distinct color. The arrangement of each row was handled with almost an meticulous precision. As if theh had nothing else but his work.
Behind the counter was an old man, hunched holding a vial. His skin weathered like old parchment and his robes stained with colours from countless experiments. His eyes were of different colour. One murky grey and the other amber, both of them gleaming with wisdom and mischief in his personality. The smell of herbs clinged to him like a moth to a flame.
Each movement slow and deliberate, the essence of time itself weighing him down. A sweet herbal scent clung to him.
"A new day, a new face," he croaked, coughing lightly before smirking. "Welcome to my abode of oddities. The name's Osric. What do you seek?"
Suspicious. Definitely. But I needed what he offered.
"I was looking for a paralysis potion," I said firmly, straight to business.
"Ah, a boy who knows the value of an unfair fight. I can respect that." His tone laced with subtle interest as he leaned back. "For an E-rank potion, a vial will run thirty silver."
"And what about an E-rank health potion?" I asked.
"Restoring life is always trickier," he said thoughtfully. "That will be sixty silver."
Weighing the options. They were worth it.
"I'll take one of each."
He chuckled as he reached behind the counter, grabbing two vials. One was a dark green color, the other a shimmering red.
"A fine choice. But be careful with the paralysis potion. And don't want to poison yourself by mistake."
"I'll keep that in mind," I muttered, sliding the gold coin across the counter.
The moment it left my hand, a notification popped up.
[Inventory Unlocked]
[You now have a storage capacity of 20 items! Additional space can be unlocked using Astralyth stones or other rare materials.]
Finally. I tucked the potions safely into my inventory instead of carrying them in my pouch. The dagger, though, I kept at my hip. Too dangerous to pull it out mid-battle.
With supplies secured, I decided to return to Elvira. The world was complicated, and information was a must. Understanding it would give me the edge I needed, maybe even some leverage.
'Wait,' I thought, 'wouldn't my system know something?'
[If you already learned the information, then I can tell you. Otherwise, I'm just a useless system.]
The voice sounded sulky. I rolled my eyes, this was what I had to deal with now.
Returning to the same spot, Elvira watched me approach with a curious gleam.
"We meet again," she spoke lightly. "Did you need something else?"
I hesitated before answering. "I... want to know more about the world."
Her expression changed to one of deep thought. "Shouldn't you already know that?"
My gaze dropped briefly. My voice came out quieter than usual. "I lost my memories. When I woke up, I was already here."
She studied me, eyes narrowing as though trying to peel back my words and test their truth. Then, with a sigh, she stood.
"Poor soul," she murmured. "That explains a few things." She gestured toward her home. "Come inside. If you plan to survive, you need more than instinct."
The warmth hit irst, lteral and subtle. The place smelled of dried herbs and old parchment. Shelves sagged under the weight of books and scrolls, their dust betrayed how long they had been left untouched. At the center stood a wooden table, flanked by two simple chairs. A stone hearth crackled softly, a single cushioned seat drawn close to the fire.
"Sit here, Vergil. " Elvira said, motioning toward the chair opposite her.
She picked an aged leather tome from the shelf, brushkng the dust off, and laid it open on the table. Its hand-drawn map sprawled across the double page, mountains, seas, borders. Entire kingdoms waiting for their stories to be told.
"Being ignorant is bliss," she said quietly. "But too much ignorance will kill you. So listen well."
She tapped a finger against the first region.
"The Huanglong Dominion. A land of cultivators, pill refiners, and array masters. Martial artists pursue strength and immortality. Pill refiners craft elixirs that push cultivation further. Array masters inscribe powerful formations: defensive, offensive, or something practical."
Her finger landed at the heart of the dominion.
"The capital, Tiansheng. Ruled by the Heavenly Dragon Emperor, Huang Tianlong. He has sat on that throne for centuries."
"Still alive?" I asked, skeptical of his lifespan.
"Barely," she admitted. "He is on his deathbed. Two years ago, he named his youngest daughter, Princess Lianhua, as his successor. Sixteen years old, already at the Boneforging Realm."
I raised a brow. "Is there a reason for the youngest?"
"Which is exactly why it caused an uproar," Elvira said. "Her brothers, Jinyang and Zhenlong, have not made their move yet. No one believes they will accept being cast aside forever."
She shifted northeast, her finger tracing forests, mountains, and rivers.
"Thaelon. The Kingdom of Magic and Knowledge. Its magical forests are home to elementals and spirit beasts. Even fairies."
"So a haven for mages," I spoke up.
"Exactly. Spirit mages, elementalists, even Brewers."
I frowned. "Brewers? As in potion makers?"
She chuckled softly. "More or less. But do not underestimate them. They brew tonics and elixirs that can turn battles. You have already met Osric."
"That explains a lot," I muttered.
She tapped the coastal city. "The capital is Elunthor. Built on a Leyline Nexus, its mana density is unmatched. That is how Thaelon grew so powerful in the first place."
"Is there no king?" I asked.
"No. A council rules. Each a master of a different magical discipline. At the top sits Archmage Zaetharion Vaedros. A wielder of space-time magic."
I gave a low whistle. "That sounds like someone you do not want to piss off."
She coughed. "He has two disciples. Both sixteen. Veltharia Aelthorne, who uses spatial magic. Calm, precise. And Arieth Valcryia, a fire-sword prodigy, reckless but brilliant."
I shook my head. "Prodigies left and right. Must be stirring the water here."
Her hand moved east, across the sea.
"The Sky Kingdom. Floating islands, high peaks, storms. They are known for wind mages and their engineers."
"Engineers?" I echoed. It was surprising, at least in my eyes.
"Yes. They build flying constructs, enchanted gliders, mana-powered airships. Their capital, Zephyrion, is a floating fortress anchored to the Sky Nexus."
She gave me a pointed look. "Ever heard of the Stormchosen?"
I shook my head. 'The hell is that?'
"It is a rare blessing from the Sky Nexus, boosting wind and storm magic immensely. The latest bearer is Vaelric Stormveil, sixteen years old, prodigy, heir to the throne."
I could not help but laugh softly. "Of course he is."
Elvira's lips curved wryly. "In this world, power either comes early or never at all."
Her expression darkened as she turned southeast, her fingers trembling slightly.
"Aurelia," she whispered. "The Holy Kingdom of Light. Its city gleaming with white spires and cathedrals. A theocracy ruled as much by faith as by politics."