Morning arrived with the sound of birdsong at the window. Dex woke in the small room they had rented the night before, a simple but clean place with two separate beds and a window facing the main road. Van was already up, sitting in the chair by the window with a different book from yesterday.
"Morning" Van greeted him without lifting his eyes from the page. "Hungry?"
"A little" Dex sat on the edge of the bed and stretched. "What are you reading now?"
"A Catalog of Power Systems." Van held up the book. "I bought it at the shop yesterday. Fascinating, really. Turns out there are far more types of power than I thought"
They went downstairs for breakfast. The inn's dining room was busy with other guests, mostly merchants and workers preparing to start their day. In the corner of the room, Dex noticed a group of people sitting apart from the rest.
One of them was a man in his thirties with rune tattoos on his right arm that shimmered faintly. Runescribe, Dex thought. Beside him sat a young woman whose eyes occasionally shifted color, the telltale sign of a Spirit Contractor.
"Look at them" Van murmured, following Dex's gaze. "That man has runes at Scribe level. You can tell from the way they shimmer. If he were Master level, the runes would glow brightly even without activation"
"You really are interested in all of this" Dex remarked.
"Just something I've read about. The woman is a Spirit Contractor. From the way her eyes change color, she's probably reached Bond level, the second tier in their system. A beginner Contractor can only communicate with spirits, but at Bond level they can actually manifest them"
Dex looked more carefully. Sure enough, the woman had drawn out a small butterfly and was feeding it from her palm.
They were just about to order when a commotion broke out from the street outside. Shouting, and the sharp ring of clashing metal. Van and Dex exchanged a glance and hurried out with the other guests.
On the main road, a fight was underway. A young man in fine clothes was facing three large men. What caught Dex's attention was the way the young man fought. His body was changing, muscles swelling, fingernails lengthening into claws.
"Looks like a Bloodline Warrior" Van observed. "And from that transformation, he's probably reached Awakened level. Still a long way from True Blood or Progenitor, but more than enough to handle three ordinary men"
One of the attackers suddenly produced a small dome-like object. The moment it was activated, the air around the fight shifted. Gravity grew heavier, the air thickened.
"Domain Master?" Dex said quietly. "Low level though. Domain Initiate, maybe"
"Hey, the explaining part is supposed to be mine, you know"
Before the fight could go any further, it ended. A city guard arrived, wearing mechanical armor that hissed with steam.
"Break it up! Everyone back to your business!" the officer shouted. His armor let out a long exhale as he moved.
"You're lucky this time" The Bloodline Warrior returned to his original form and walked away.
"You're the lucky one, you bastard" The three men put their weapons away and left as well.
The crowd began to disperse. Van and Dex went back inside to finish their breakfast.
"I heard the Atheria Guild just recruited a Transcendent-level Psion" a merchant at a nearby table was saying. "They're probably making a move to reclaim the top guild ranking"
"Psions? What's so impressive about them?" his companion asked.
"Mental power is rare, that's what. Some can read minds, manipulate memories, even launch psychic attacks. That kind of ability is invaluable in war and expeditions"
At the table beside them, two others were discussing something else entirely.
"Word is Guild Dein recruited a Chrono Mage yesterday" one said in a low voice.
"Really? What level?"
"Still a Temporal Novice, unfortunately. Can only manipulate time by a few seconds. But if they ever reach Time Lord level, they could slow down an entire area"
Dex listened while he ate. The more he heard, the more he realized just how layered this world truly was.
"Van" Dex said quietly. "You mentioned a catalog of power systems earlier. Can I take a look?"
"Mm, of course" Van replied, still chewing.
Van slid the book across the table to Dex.
**Primary Power Systems**
**Circle Magic** *(Mage)*
Apprentice → Adept → Expert → Master → Archmage
**Mana System** *(Archer / Ranger)*
Beginner → Skilled → Professional → Expert → Grandmaster
**Aura System** *(Swordsman / Warrior)*
Trainee → Practitioner → Expert → Master → Sword Saint
**Constellation System**
Stargazer → Astronomer → Star Reader → Constellation Master → Stellar Emperor
**Spirit Contracting**
Communicator → Bond → Synchronize → Unity → Transcendence
**Runescribe**
Scribe → Inscriber → Runesmith → Master → Grandmaster
**Bloodline Warrior**
Dormant → Awakened → True Blood → Ancient Blood → Progenitor
**Domain Master**
Initiate → Manipulator → Controller → Sovereign → Reality Bender
**Aetherium Engineering** *(Mechanist)*
Apprentice → Craftsman → Artisan → Master Engineer → Grandmaster
Dex turned the page to the rarer systems.
**Psion** *(Mental Power)*
Sensitive → Adept → Master → Transcendent → Mind God
**Chrono Mage** *(Time Manipulation)*
Temporal Novice → Time Walker → Chronos Wielder → Time Lord → Eternal Master
**Void Walker** *(Space Manipulation)*
Step Walker → Portal Maker → Space Bender → Dimensional Lord → Void Emperor
**Elemental Sovereign**
Touched → Attuned → Sovereign → Elemental Lord → Prime Elemental
**Soul Forger**
Novice → Shaper → Forger → Master → Soul Emperor
**Beast Tamer**
Friend → Companion → Bond → Alpha → Beast Emperor
**Death Knight** *(Necromancy)*
Acolyte → Death Touched → Necromancer → Death Lord → Lich King
*The library had more complete books than this,* Dex thought.
Of course it did. He had read hundreds of books on subjects like this.
*Even so, this one is incomplete. Circle Magic demands theoretical understanding and mana accumulation. The Aura System requires physical training and mental discipline. Spirit Contracting depends on closeness with spirits. Bloodline Warriors have to awaken the blood of their ancestors.*
Dex read on. There were even more exotic systems further in.
**Karma Weaver**
Observer → Influencer → Manipulator → Karma Lord → Fate Controller
**Dream Walker**
Lucid → Walker → Controller → Dream Master → Oneiros
**Shadow Dancer**
Shadow Touched → Dancer → Master → Shadow Lord → Umbral Emperor
**Life Weaver** *(Biological Manipulation)*
Touched → Shaper → Weaver → Life Master → Genesis Lord
**Artifact Smith**
Apprentice → Smith → Master Smith → Legendary Smith → Divine Smith
Suddenly, a conversation from the next table pulled both of their attention.
"Sounds like Eden is starting to make their move" someone said in a low voice.
"Seriously? That organization actually wants to go to war with the empire?"
"Hard to say. But apparently they took down an imperial guard captain without much effort"
Dex glanced at Van, who was still eating.
"Does the Tarot system have levels too?" Dex asked. He had never come across it in any book he had read.
Van gently closed the book Dex had been reading.
"No. Systems like that are truly extraordinarily rare" Van said quietly. "In the case of the Tarot, the wielder must be chosen by the Card itself in order to receive its power"
"Chosen?"
"Yes. And not only chosen, they must also possess an exceptionally strong will. Memory, emotion, even the mind itself can be lost. Without that strength of will, they die the moment they use it. And what's strange is that they all seem to gather under one organization"
After breakfast, the two of them wandered through the city. Millhaven turned out to be a vast and lively place. In the workshops, they watched Mechanists assembling steam armor. In the market, a Beast Tamer was selling all manner of creatures.
"Look at that" Van pointed toward an imposing building. "An Academy branch for Mages. Only the most gifted are accepted"
"What about the others? Do Swordsmen and Rangers have academies too?"
"Not really. They tend to prefer hands-on training through guilds or private mentors. Bloodline Warriors usually train within their own clans. Spirit Contractors learn at Sacred Groves or Spirit Sanctuaries"
They passed a small park where an old man was playing chess alone. Strangely, the pieces were moving on their own.
"Psion" Van said. "Telekinesis. That old man must be retired"
The old man turned and smiled. "Interested in chess, young ones?"
"We were just admiring your ability" Van answered politely.
"Ah, telekinesis is a rare sight these days. Most people are drawn to power that looks spectacular." The man moved a piece with his mind. "And yet mental power is the most fundamental of all"
"How does someone know if they have a talent for it?" Dex asked, genuinely curious.
"Usually it surfaces during stress or intense emotion. Objects moving without being touched, or suddenly hearing the thoughts of someone nearby." The old man fixed Dex with a sharp gaze. "But some psionic talents lie buried very deep. It takes a particular set of circumstances to awaken them"
After a brief farewell, they continued on their way. Van turned to Dex with an odd expression.
"What are you doing?" Dex asked, slightly unnerved by the look.
"Trying to read your mind. But it seems that's beyond me" Van said, staring at the ground with genuine disappointment.
That afternoon, they returned to the inn. In the lobby, a small commotion was unfolding. A young woman was crying, held by a friend at her side.
"What happened?" Van asked the innkeeper.
"Her younger sibling has been missing since last night. Looks like an abduction"
"Could they not have just gone somewhere on their own?"
"The crystal recorder in their room was destroyed. Had to be whoever took them." The innkeeper pointed to a small teddy bear sitting on the table. "And the child's favorite toy was left behind on the bed. The older sister says there's no way the child would have gone anywhere without it"
Dex listened carefully. He thought of Mira, and the way she had cried when she lost her favorite toy.
"Why would anyone take them?" Dex asked.
"How would I know? We haven't caught the person responsible yet"
"Right. Of course" The emotion had caught up with him and the question had slipped out without thinking.
That night, Dex could not sleep. He stood at the window, watching the city grow quiet. Van was still reading on his bed.
"Van" Dex said softly. "What do you think someone needs great power for?"
"Depends on the person. Some want to protect. Some want to dominate. Some just want to satisfy something inside themselves." Van closed his book. "What about you?"
Dex was quiet for a long moment. "I once failed to protect someone who mattered"
"A classic reason. But then what would you use that power for now? The dead can't come back"
"You're right. These days I just want to live. Wander the world and see what's out there"
Van said nothing more, but he understood. Sometimes power arrives too late. And when it does, what remains is only regret, and the quiet weight of guilt.
Outside the window, Millhaven looked peaceful.
But peaceful things have a way of falling apart, and some cities, once broken, are never heard from again.