Before the sixth day arrived, there was a short interlude.
In the Heavenly Hall of the Sky Tower, deep into the night.
At the very top, the Tower Master of the Sky Tower, a kind-looking old man, stood with Sebastian and Requell.
They looked out over the city through a series of massive magic mirrors that took up the majority of the room, each one reflecting a different scene from all around the city.
It had been a year since the calamities began.
The first calamity resulted in a massive loss to the total population as a whole. Many cities were lost, while whole fields turned to wastelands.
Unfortunately, the western region was hit the hardest. To make matters worse, the second calamity will begin in the western region, likely leaving it completely uninhabitable.
"We were given five chosen heroes," Obana said quietly, watching the horizon sleep. "Two have disappeared. The remaining three have not even reached the third order. They are still children."
Sebastian's hands were folded, rigid as a carved statue. Requell leaned on the railing and smirked, but his eyes were sharp.
"They lack experience, foresight, and the will to face what's coming," Obana continued. "They are unruly, unwilling to submit to a higher power. Arrogance wrapped in delusion. Arthur is blinded by his beliefs. Kilemin overestimates his worth. Elena believes unity alone will fend off the chaos."
He spoke these words both as a statement, and as an attempt to convince himself of the truth.
He turned, and the mild kindness of his face hardened. "We are at a bypass. Depending on their answers tomorrow, we will change our plans accordingly. If necessary, I will authorize 'soul enslavement' and 'fate binding.' Those methods won't work unless you bring them to the altar and temporarily cut off their connections with there gods. So we must catch them first. Do you understand?"
He looked directly at Sebastian.
"I understand, Tower Lord," Sebastian replied, voice steady.
Requell spat a laugh. "Old Obana, do you really intend to enslave those three? I know we all agree in private, but isn't that a bit like suicide? Won't the gods smite us if we succeed?" He was feeling bitter.
"Requell, that's Tower Master to you, not Obana. Maintain your respect," Sebastian snapped, his tone cold and oppressive as a wave of spiritual pressure pressed down on Requell as a reminder.
Requell only shrugged, unconcerned.
Obana's expression did not change. "The time we have is very little. Every powerful force already has a hidden foot on the continent. It's only a matter of time until their main forces arrive. We will be competing for the Heavens Chosen. We must act before the others move."
"Ha? You mean all five of them? Even the Old Humans?" Requell's tone was doubtful.
Obana didn't answer.
Sebastian spoke up instead. "Yes. That old woman was sensed dwelling in the western region's dream."
"Annoying," Requell sneered. "I thought they were finished intervening. Who would've thought?"
Obana turned back to the mirrors, palms pressed lightly against there cold glass, producing a magical ripple. "Putting that aside, we need to bind the heaven's chosen to us. They are children, after all. Even with a divine blessing, there is only so much they can do in such a short time."
Silence fell.
Requell let it stretch, then shrugged it off.
Sebastian inclined his head. "Understood. I will arrange it."
Outside, the city slept.
* * *
[Day 6]
The sixth day of the Grand Gathering marked the conclusion of the Alchemy and Forging competitions.
The Alchemy competition was won by a young man from one of the rural villages in the outer mountains of the central region. His focus was almost inhuman, something that definitely had nothing to do with him being a Sloth Type Beastmen.
Petra observed him closely.
His mind simply hadn't caught up with his body yet, so how could he ever lose focus? He was like a living machine, a vessel of pure concentration, and he somehow managed to turn this into a god-like alchemy talent.
The Forging competition's victor was a towering amazonian type woman. Muscles rippled below her dark crimson hair as she clad herself in a massive set of red armor that seemed almost alive. It was a bit reminiscent of a mech, that was how big the size difference was.
Petra couldn't help but think that she wouldn't mind being crushed by those thighs…
Ha?
Yeah… so, she had won the competition after forging a fourth-order axe for the finals. The weapon flickered ferociously under the sun, a perfect creation that reflected the woman's style.
Meanwhile, the Beast Master competition continued as usual. By this stage, all the remaining participants had 'spell-contracted beasts.' Unlike soul contracts, spell contracts didn't require a powerful soul, making them the default choice for most competitors. The difference was subtle, but a normal soul contract allowed the master to connect with their beast, sharing some of their senses. Spell contracts, on the other hand, were… easier to handle, less personal, and less dangerous, and didn't have many of the limits.
Petra, of course, was an exception.
Her method of beast contracting was unlike anyone else's, following a completely different set of rules.
She moved through the competition venue with a quiet confidence, unbothered by the other onlookers and their conversations.
Finally, the sixth day also marked the beginning of the 'Poison Master' competition. This event tested both the participants ability to craft deadly poisons and their resistance to them. The Sky Tower hosted the contest in hopes of recruiting the most talented Poison Masters, preparing for the approaching calamity.
Poison Masters naturally carried a bad reputation that was whispered about in dark alleys and crude buildings. One of the rewards for winning the competition was a 'free pass' or the right to openly practice their profession anywhere in the Cross Continent. That alone was enough to attract the most powerful masters hidden in the far corners of the land.
* * *
Afternoon
Petra began by dragging the raccoon girl by the feet and through the hall.
"Damn it! I knew I didn't misplace that Crystal Tome! What is it?! What else did you hide?!" Petra screamed, her little face red with frustration.
"Ka ka! It's safe, it's safe! Dooooooon't!" the raccoon girl yelled, wriggling helplessly as she was dragged by a small child half her size.
Petra pulled the big girl out of the small hole she had dug beneath the floorboards. As one of Petra's prologue skills, concealing things beneath the floor was an art that she was undefeated in, so it was only a matter of time before she found this secret hidey-hole.
The raccoon girl had been hoarding a number of missing treasures. She wasn't stealing them, only 'keeping them safe.'
It was one of the instincts of her race. She loved shiny things. Petra understood completely, so she wouldn't hold it against her, but she still needed to be punished.
When this raccoon girl learned to transform into a real raccoon, Petra was certain she would be ravaging her with belly rubs and ear scratches until she became a limp mess. This was definitely a punishment and not a justification for future events.
After a long and painful struggle, Petra finally dug up all the recently lost items.
"Nooo!"
-
With that little episode over, the day's work began.
The morning passed as usual, with only two customers. The third customer, however, was today's special event.
Petra was relaxing behind the counter when 'something' suddenly arrived.
The air became cold and oppressive.
The door pushed open, the bell chimed, and everyone downstairs immediately turned towards the new visitor with interest.
Petra lifted her head, suddenly alert.
It seemed that they finally had a special guest.
The man who entered was a black-clothed Elf with piercing red eyes. His skin was pale, and he walked with a gait that was slightly too rigid, almost like his legs were stiff. His ears protruded slightly further than normal elves, and on his forehead rested a black totem shaped like a circular moon, made of bones.
Upon his entry, Wind froze completely, while Nebula moved a step closer to Petra and stood behind her. In his hand, he held a pamphlet, one of the ones Petra had passed around shortly after they arrived.
The man didn't look around. His gaze locked directly on Petra as he approached the counter.
She felt like this man might be a little bit scarier than her.
Petra blinked innocently, smiling at the guest. She could sense it immediately, this person was perhaps the strongest she had ever met, excluding the black shadow from Bell's dream and the twisted skeletons in the Dark Stone Mine. No… there was also the old mans staff, Levy, and Elli.
"How can I help you today?" Petra asked politely.
She sat up nice and straight like a perfect student.
The man stared at her for a long time, creating an awkward silence.
Finally, he spoke. "You can treat high-level poisons. Can you also make them?"
Petra nodded. "Yes. I'm sure you can tell! What do you need?"
The man looked around, then nodded to himself. He could tell that this place was a facade for something far deeper, far darker, and very dangerous, maybe even for his kind. As for that single presence upstairs, perhaps, even he had to be careful if he faced it.
"I need a poison that can kill a lot of Sea Clan without them noticing."
Petra frowned. She didn't know much about the Sea Clan, that was a future arc thingy. "I do have something, but I can't guarantee it has any special effects on the Sea Clan. It spreads in water and can't be detected by ocean wildlife."
"That's enough. As long as it can clear out an area."
Petra pulled out a vial and filled it with a blue substance that leaked from her skin. When the black-haired man saw how she 'produced' the medicine, his eyebrows shot up.
This was an emotional fluctuation that hadn't happened to him for a very long time.
He forced himself not to lean closer, studying her intently from this distance. Something flashed in his eyes, before he returned to his usual expressionless self.
Petra corked the vial and looked at him. Seemingly understanding, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a black twig.
It looked like something you could find on the roadside.
"I'll pay with this."
He placed the twig on the counter and took the vial. Petra examined it quickly. The unassuming black twig was anything but ordinary. She couldn't understand its intricacies, but she knew it was a rare treasure.
"I think you're overpaying," she said, while frowning.
"No, I'm not. Some things are meant for certain people. I'm out of money, so perhaps this twig was meant for you."
Petra snapped it up and stuffed it into her pocket. "Okie dokie! Then thank you for the trade!"
She grinned widely.
The man turned and left. Before he stepped out, he glanced back at Petra.
"My name is Felllilth. I hope to do business with you again."
Petra waved, calling after him. "Sure!"
Felllilth left, leaving only a fading voice.
"Elena made a deal with us. We're cooperating. If you need anything, just ask through her."
Petra tilted her head, confused. Elena made a deal with the elves? What did that matter to her?
Seeing her confusion, Nebula was about to open her mouth to explain when Wind suddenly screamed at the top of her lungs.
"High Elf! That was a High Elf! Oh oh oh oh, Oh my God!"
Her face was red with excitement, ears fluttering like a pinwheel. Petra looked at her and finally understood from her words.
High Elf?
Nebula was standing directly behind her, so Petra tilted her head back and met Nebula's gaze. Nebula nodded in silent confirmation. Petra's eyes widened. That was… a High Elf?
Wind was going crazy in the background.
"How is that possible? I thought they couldn't appear on the continent?" Petra asked.
At that moment, Levy descended the stairs and reprimanded her.
"This is why you need to focus on your studies! If you were better at sensing things, you would have been able to tell he was a walking corpse! He can trick the curse. Haha!"
Petra puffed out her cheeks. "He doesn't look like a corpse."
"That's because he's a special kind," Levy replied smugly.
"What kind?"
"The High Elves have a deep understanding of the law of life. It's only natural that they also understand death."
"So he can just swagger around unpunished by the curse?" Petra asked.
Nebula nodded.
"Tsk, cheater," Petra clicked her tongue.
Levy burst out laughing. She picked Petra up by the back of her neck and dragged her upstairs.
"I'll teach you some extra sensing techniques. At this rate, you're going to struggle to fix such a simple weakness."
Petra allowed herself to be carried upstairs, dejected, because she knew Levy was right.
* * *