'As you can see, the Jungle forms a large band around the outskirts,' lectured the Person, gesturing at the map floating beside her, 'between the Caverns and the sea. After that come the Caverns, which similar to the Jungle, are not overly large. Finally the Endless Castles, Dead Cities, and Gaping Ruins, which takes up most of the centre. In the middle of that is the Gate. The layout did not used to be quite so simple, but Heaven moved earth and sea to better match its vision.'

'The jungle is a place full of many creatures but also many resources. Something you should keep in mind regarding the barrier, is that it can only be passed through in a few locations. Your updated map will have these places marked. Because of this, you can expect that as you travel through the jungle towards your nearest entry point, you will begin to run into more and more Players, both your own kind and the others. The more powerful jungle creatures will also tend to be closer to this barrier.'

'Regarding these threats, other than Spirit Beasts and monsters, there is another danger to be aware of. These are the bugs. These include numerous different breeds of gigantic Spirit Bugs, some twisted by demonic influences, some altered by other means. These beings can be found all over the galaxy and seek always to spread and consume.

'Much of my People's trouble on this planet stemmed from the significant bug infestations that existed here since before we even arrived. The bug hives in the jungle are frequently at war with one another, and you may fall afoul of armies passing through the area. Bugs tend to act cohesively and with intelligence, though typically it is a slower, more collective intelligence, and you won't have to worry overmuch about any individual bug. Some, however, are different. There are a few breed of bugs of which every individual is as smart as you or I. Should you see any Hornet or Spider Bugs, for instance, be wary. In the Memory Disc I give you, there will be detailed information on all breeds.'

'As to the other areas, the Caverns are a strange and treacherous place, full of winding caverns and dungeons. The Endless Castles, Dead Cities, and Gaping Ruins is the remnants of the People, scarred by Heaven's Crusade. During that time there was a lot of activity, both Demonic and Angelic, and the fighting twisted the land. It is a place full of undead, and strange beings, and odd and nonsensical places where reality was torn.'

She paused. 'Is there anything else you'd like to know about the jungle, or shall I move onto the Phantom City?'

'Go ahead.'

'This Phantom City is similarly divided into sections. However, each section is not necessarily better or worse than any other, just different. Also, not all Players are in this section. In fact, right now the other sections have their own fresh arrivals, in a similar number as are here. Different things are available in each Section. Each section currently has a few Noble houses, each controlling certain areas and services within that section. This section is currently split between six Houses, though over the coming weeks and months there will be a little… consolidation. If you wish to travel to a different section, you'll have to wait a while, but in time you'll be able to gain Permits of Passage that allow free movement. Most of the Guilds are available in all the sections.'

'In this one there is a branch of our Information Guild, the Merchants Guild, the Scoundrels Guild, the Slayers Guild, and the Refiners Guild. The names are quite self-explanatory. You can attempt to join any of these Guilds, though typically can only be in one at a time, and there are benefits to doing so.'

'Do you think I should join one?'

'You would be foolish not to. Don't worry, it isn't a decision that will stick with you for life. You can leave a Guild and join another, though doing so isn't necessarily free and easy. Depending on your goals and how you plan to spend your time, the right Guild could be very useful to you.'

Nicolai considered. 'I need to grow my Cultivation. To gain points-tags and Oma crystals and Symbiotes. Is there a Trade Link here?'

'There is, though you have to pay a small fee each time you wish to use it.'

Good, I'll be able to get what I need. 'How would I go about gaining funds, Oma crystals and points-tags and anything else? Which Guild would be best for that?'

Her face went distant for a moment. 'Consider where you are located, the fastest and most efficient way, assuming you have the skills, would be to hunt Spirit Beasts and harvest resources in the Jungle. After all, it is an area rich in these resources. By doing so you could gain the Symbiotes you need, and sell what you don't need in the Phantom City. With that in mind, the best Guild for you would be the Slayers Guild.'

'Why them?' He quirked a brow. 'I anticipated you would suggest your own Guild.'

'Their focus is providing services and equipment for those intending to hunt Spirit Beasts and other creatures. They have guides on hunting just about anything—we have similar guides, but they will give them to you at a lower cost or even for free. One of the primary benefits for those who join the Slayers would be an additional Mark UI Function called Monster Harvest. With that you'll be able to have your Mark automatically harvest any creatures you kill and send the parts worth keeping to the Guild storage. From there you can choose to keep it for yourself, or sell it straight to the Guild. Depending on how much you kill, you could make a significant income.'

She shrugged languidly. 'As to joining the Information Guild, you could, but the main reason to do so is because we give members a multiplier on their Token gain. After doing some jobs and reaching the second rank, you would gain Tokens with a 1.1x multiplier. There are some benefits but that's the multiplier is the primary one. Joining is thus most useful for those lacking in information, wishing to gain more. You accrued so many Tokens, so early, that at this time you would be best served by another Guild.'

Nicolai nodded, appreciating her honesty. 'Mark UI Function,' he murmured, turning his hand over and peering at his Mark. 'Just how much can this do?' He nodded when she told it would cost him 2,000 points to find out. 'If the cost to any of my questions is under 5,000, just tell me,' he added.

'There are many Functions. Some are very powerful and limited, others are more what you'd call nice-to-haves. If you manage to be one of those who survives the Great Game, the Mark continues to be of use—it allows victors to directly interact with Heaven. The easiest way to gain additional Functions is by joining Guilds or completing certain Quests and Challenges.'

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

She paused. 'There's something I should make you aware of. If you decide to join the Slayers Guild, there will be a selection process to go through. It starts in one hour and twenty three minutes. So don't spend all your time here, talking to me.' She flashed her teeth. 'Not that I mind.'

Nicolai nodded. He was already building a mental library of additional questions to ask, as he hadn't intended to spent his entire 18 hours in this City just in this room asking questions. He'd get the answers he was most immediately interested in now, and then ask for Memory Discs regarding everything else. Threat Analysis suggested that it might be better to delay asking about the Lizard. In another week he'd be able to come here again. It would be problematic if he found the Memory Discs gave him new, important questions, but he was unable to get answers. Plus, as he got used to this city, more questions would arise. He knew the Lizard's location already.

Time to start wrapping up.

'I want information via Memory Discs that go into detail about Souls, Soul Sense, mental attacks, and whatever else might a threat to me in the jungle… I already know about many of the other creatures I can expect in the jungle, and numerous Symbiotes, but I'd like to fill in the gaps. I also want to know about the process and requirements for a Cultivator to go from Tier 1 to Tier 2.'

After some discussion where he mentioned each creature and Symbiote he already knew about, he received the necessary Memory Discs to fill in the majority off blanks and each of his requests, costing him a bit over 200,000 in total. He opted to then ask about the Artifact Blade, in a roundabout way.

'How would it work if I were Tier 1, and wanted to use a Tier 2 Artifact?'

'There are two problems with attempting to do so,' she began. 'Firstly, it would need Tier 2 energy which you are incapable of producing. This can be remedied by finding external sources of Tier 2 energy—these can be purchased, though the price is quite high. Tier 2 Cultivators are capable of creating items not dissimilar to Oma crystals, containing Tier 2 energy. The exchange would be roughly one-hundred Tier 1 Oma crystals for one Tier 2 Oma crystal.'

'The other problem is that your Soul and internal system may not be up to the task of using this higher levelled item, although if you are a particularly close match to it, it could be possible. Notably, it is easier to use higher level Imbued and Artifacts than it is to use higher level Symbiotes, as Symbiotes need to be used within your Nodes—which is unlikely to be possible if you aren't of the proper level. Whereas Imbued and Artifacts often contain their own internal storage of energy.'

'What about the price for Tier 3 energy?'

'Much more expensive, five-hundred Tier 1 Oma crystals for one Tier 3 Oma crystal. You wouldn't be able to buy them at the Trade Link, either, not with your current Market Permit. Your only option would be bartering with a Tier 3 Cultivator. The Trade Link Markets don't sell these items until a higher level.'

'Why so much? Does this mean that those at these Tiers, Cultivators can just spend all their time making these crystals for money?'

'They could, but making the crystals consumes more than just time and Oma. It requires valuable Natural Resources, which are consumed. Also, as crystals are not naturally produced at those Tiers, these higher Tier crystals are much rarer than Tier 1 Oma crystals, which are very easy to find, contributing to the price. I imagine you haven't experienced this particular problem since very early on, if at all, at your current Tier, but when you have few Oma crystals it is dangerous to spend them. You need them to restore your Oma in battle or when Cultivating. At higher Tiers, Cultivators hoard their crystals carefully, which also contributes to the price. A higher-tier Cultivator's supply of Tier-appropriate crystals is a measure of how long they can remain in a fight, which thus determines their overall battle power.'

'They can't use Tier 1 crystals?'

'They can, but that is more a method of speeding their natural regeneration than rapidly recovering. The Tier 1 Oma must go through their internal system to be raised in Tier.'

He nodded, deciding to move on. The important takeaway for now was that it was possible for him to restore his blade's charge, but extremely expensive. He would have to weigh the cost anytime he was considering using it. If the benefits gained from using it were worth less than the cost in energy, it simply wasn't worth activating.

'Is there any way to hide Artifacts from Soul Sense?' he asked.

'There are a few ways. The easiest for you at the moment, assuming you want to cover perhaps… a Tier 2 or 3 Artifact in the shape of a weapon, would be to purchase some Spirit dampening cloth. It is any kind of cloth that has been treated with nullifying resins and Symbiotic rituals, in order to make it extremely resistant to spiritual intrusion. If something is wrapped tightly in this cloth, it will be practically impossible for someone in the Foundation stage to work out what is within. If you had a higher level Market permit, you could buy it at the Trade Link. Alternatively, there will be some available to members of the Refiners guild. You could buy it from one of them in trade.'

For the next Market upgrade, he needed 1,000,000 points-tags which remained a bit out of reach. He'd have to check out this Refiners Guild. Nicolai remained silent for a while, checking he'd asked everything he immediately needed to know about. With the Memory Discs, he should be covered. That meant it was time to broach his first riskier question.

'What can you tell me about the Black Gift?'

Her eyes widened, the most surprised he'd seen her. 'An unusual question.' Then her eyes narrowed, glittering. 'Interesting. Why do you wish to know about the Black Gift?'

'Because I have it.'

To the side, the counter had started ticking. It showed a value of over 500,000 Tokens.

Nicolai regarded it with a frown. He had a bad feeling about that number.

'Would you be willing to sell that information?' asked the Person with an eager smile. 'As you can see, we would pay a good sum.' She gestured to the counter floating beside her, which read 516,923.

'The information that I, specifically, have the Black Gift?'

'Yes.'

'No. I just want to know about it.' He had decided against attempting to hide that he possessed it, because his questions would have made the truth clear and he wanted to ensure he gained the best possible assistance. The fact that they were willing to pay a large amount to be able to freely share that information was, in his eyes, Not Good.

It meant that there were people out there who wanted information about individuals like him, afflicted with the Black Gift. It meant that he was valuable to them not for any personal reasons, but due to a quirk of his genetic or spiritual or however-it-worked makeup. That would be his first question, then.

'Why would anyone be willing to pay to know that?'

'Numerous reasons. Individuals with the various Gifts make valuable Refinement materials, used to make precious Symbiotes. There are groups who hunt those like you. They would capture you and sell you to the highest bidder. There are also those who for ideological reasons seek to kill those with the Black Gift specifically. It is dangerous.'

He nodded. Much as he'd suspected. 'I need to learn how to control it and make use of it. And I'd like to know about these other Gifts you mention.'

She nodded. 'I can provide you a Memory Disc detailing methods used to control it and harness it for 500,000 Tokens.'

Expensive. Very expensive. But necessary, and he had the Tokens. His eyes narrowed. 'It strikes me as odd that you are willing to pay me 500,000 Tokens to be able to sell the fact I possess the Black Gift, and that just happens to be the exact same amount as it would cost to learn about the Gift.'

She smiled, shrugged, and gave no answer.

He felt it quite likely that the Information Guild had adjusted its pricing to try and extract the info from him. Still, with the vast amount of Tokens he'd gained he wasn't concerned. He knew that selling the information would likely incur far more cost than the Tokens would pay for, down the road.

'How much for the information about the other Gifts?'

'I can give you an overview of all the Gifts for a mere 30,000.'

He nodded. 'I'll take it all. The overview, and the Memory Disc about the Black Gift.' He leaned forward, expectant and eager. Harness and control the Black Gift… that was simply a dream come true.

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