The apartnt on top of the bar was rather accommodating. It was small with only the bedroom and a small bathroom. But Blaze did not wish for more.
It had a wide, glass window that looked out to the Undercity. All the light and smoke of the night life were visible from here.
This city was a never ending night life with a yellow moon engraved in the middle of the dirt ceiling. The people here had grown accustod to the city. Most of them had long abandoned the wish to return to the real world. For them, this world had beco their new reality and life.
Blaze did not have any baggage so moving in was as simple as taking the key from the bartender.
He had also learned her na, Samantha Greywood.
Sam had co into the Undercity around her twenty. But she wasn’t strong enough to leave. So she had made peace with herself and started to build a life here.
That was fourteen years ago. She was now thirty four.
Fourteen years in the Undercity. Five days in the woods. Around a day or more in the real world.
Her real body outside must still be in her twenties. But here, her soul had grown old to be a middle aged woman.
The Void beca much more mysterious in Blaze’s eyes. What was it? How did it co to existence?
He couldn’t answer any of them.
Blaze still had a mission to visit the fourth layer, the Abyss. But now, he had no idea how to yet. That would have to wait until he could gain so information from the Institute.
After taking a fresh shower in the bathroom, Blaze felt alive. He hadn’t had a chance to properly clean himself since entering the woods.
Then, he needed to buy so new clothes. The Night Owl and Cloud Coat were good at walking around but eventually he would need sothing else.
He couldn’t wear them to bed or worse, sleep naked.
Blaze put on the Night Owl and Cloud Coat again, Running Shoe under his heel. He ca back down to the bar.
There were many more custors compared to when he left. They secretly observed Blaze.
Words spread fast. They must have heard about the new S-rank Awakened.
Blaze walked over to the bar counter.
"I need so upfront money, Sam."
"Oh? I thought you weren’t that greedy?"
"I need to buy clothes and food."
Samantha burst out a soft laugh.
"I’m just kidding. Here are so ginnies."
Sam gave Blaze a pouch full of purple rocks. It glead gently inside the fabric of the pouch.
"These are..." Blaze took it and examined the rock carefully. There was so kind of energy hidden inside them.
A spectral energy that could affect the soul.
"Genesis Stone. We call them ginnies around here. It could extend the energy of your body. Allowing you to replenish your power.
For you... If you truly have your physical body then it won’t be needed."
"I have a question." Blaze put the pouch into his Inventory. The pouch disappeared in front of everybody’s eyes.
"Ask away."
"Why do you need ginnies to replenish your power? Doesn’t your power just replenish itself?"
"Ah, you won’t understand. Basically our body is only a temporary construct made by the Awakened Center. It isn’t a ’real body’ per se. If you’re really curious, you can visit them.
But I doubt that they will answer you."
"Noted. Thank you." Blaze walked out of the bar.
People’s eyes looked after him until he was completely gone.
"Is it true that he’s an S-rank, big sis?" A young girl with ponytails jumped out of her seat and asked Sam.
Sam nodded.
A burly middle-aged man with a full beard scoffed. "S-rank? I don’t believe a single word of it!"
A slender man wearing a cowboy hat that covered half his face also spoke up. His legs rested on the table. "I don’t know, partner. He ’feels’ powerful. I wouldn’t ss with him if I were you."
The burly laughed. "Wanna bet?"
"Fifty ginnies." The cowboy did not hesitate, which in turn worried the burly man. That addicted gambler had never made a bet that he would lose.
But the burly man was too proud to back off. "A hundred ginnies!"
The burly man slamd a pouch of rocks on the ground. The cowboy smiled deviously, he tipped his hat slightly.
"May the best man win."
Blaze spotted a few clothing stores around. So had a classical vibe to them with suits being exhibited in the front windows. So were a little more punk with neon light boards. So were much more humbled with only a wooden sign to them.
Blaze took a look around and thought that he’d like to wear a suit. He had never worn one in his life.
He walked into the fine establishnt. When he entered the door, a bell up top echoed a little ringtone.
"Ah, welco..." Inside was a man, half-bald, wearing a tailored white shirt and black pair of pants. A tape asure rested on his forearm.
The man wore a pair of round glasses. He pushed it down a bit to take a look at Blaze.
"You must be new here." The tailor said.
"I am. The na is Singer. Blaze Singer. At your service."
"Woody. Woody Helhound. At your service. I supposed you would like to have a suit made? If it’s ginnies you want, I don’t have any."
"Relax, Woody. I am not here to rob you. I would like a suit made."
Woody imdiately changed his cold expression to a more friendly manner.
"A custor! Co! Co! We need to asure you first!"
Woody was a professional. It took him less than twenty minutes to take Blaze’s asurents. He promised to have a few suits done in a couple of days.
After leaving the shop, Blaze suddenly felt a bit stupid. He did order so clothes to be made but he needed them now. So Blaze had to go into a humbled shop to buy so casual clothes for sleeping.
When he went back to the bar, two n were standing there waiting for him. Blaze didn’t feel a killing intention, only so trouble brewing.
"Are you two waiting for ?" Blaze asked.
"Not . Just him." The cowboy pointed at the burly man. Then he imdiately took a few steps back, extending his distance between the two of them.
"Coward!" The burly man said to the cowboy, then he turned to Blaze. "Hey there, my na is Gerald."
The cowboy took his hat down. "Thomas."
Gerald then continued, "I heard you are an S-rank. I would like to fight you."
"To the death?" Blaze said.
Gerald rolled his yes, "Of course not. I just want to know the difference between and an S-rank."
"Which rank are you?"
The corner of Gerald’s mouth lifted up. He couldn’t hold back his pride. "I’m an A-rank. Obviously, I can’t be compared to you. But I am still very strong."
"I know." Blaze reached out his hand, the two-ter Slaughter’s Blade appeared. "I will not underestimate you. To the first blood spill?"
"To the first blood spill!" Gerald roared. He was obviously very excited about this fight.
He punched his left fist forward, chanical parts suddenly appeared and wrapped around his arm. In a blink of an eye, a blue futuristic cannon now replaced his left palm.
Blaze dashed forward. His speed was respectable but not too fast. He didn’t activate Lightning Ascension or any of its variations.
The two-ter sword slashed forward in a horizontal line.
Gerald punched his right fist forward. A blue shield wrapped around his arm. The Slaughter’s Blade smacked on the shield, creating a bright spark.
Gerald’s strength was also respectable. Blaze used half of his strength but he did not move one bit. Gerald grinned from ear to ear. He slapped the shield forward, it changed to a chanical spear in mid-air.
Blaze leaned backward, dodging the tips of the spear just in ti. But then, electricity suddenly exploded out of the spear.
Blaze’s face was covered in a cloud of black smoke.
"Don’t be reckless just because I’m an A-rank now. I have a lot of tricks in my hands." Gerald said, celebrating his minor victory. But then his eyes widened and his mouth froze.
When black smoke cleared out, the electricity from before was now trapped inside of Blaze’s mouth. It danced around and bounced inside his mouth but was unable to escape.
Blaze took a deep breath, dissolving all of the electricity into pure energy.
[You have gained the temporary effect: Lightning Ascension]
: Agility 60 - All your physical attributes 30; Cognition 20 - All your ntal attributes 10.
[ATTRIBUTES]
|Strength - 56 ( 30)|
|Stamina - 45 ( 30)|
|Agility - 91 ( 60)|
|Dexterity - 53 ( 30)|
|Perception - 45 ( 30)|
|Endurance - 54 ( 30)|
|Psyche - 10 ( 10)|
|Cognition - 30 ( 20)|
|Instinct - 15 ( 10)|
|Will - 19 ( 10)|
A blue aura enveloped blaze. The change of the aura color was due to the electricity produced by Gerald’s power. It was still the sa as the yellow aura Lightning Ascension in terms of power. The change was purely aesthetic.
"You are so fuck now, Gerald!" Thomas laughed from the side.
A large drop of sweat rolled on Gerald’s forehead.
Blaze turned into a blur, a trail of lightning was left behind him.
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