Second Realm Read online

  Erik and Rugrat went to the last area where there were things on display and for sale. At the Chonglu location, one could only check the auction book.

  There were glass boxes holding all kinds of items, from weapons to technique and information books. Rare materials and products from the higher realms—everything could be found in those boxes.

  Rugrat’s gaze was attracted by a set of black and blue boots. They seemed simple on the outside but Rugrat could tell that their craftsmanship was incredible.

  Studying so many different kinds of blueprints, and information books, as well as the practical building that he had done, Rugrat had grown his ability to appraise and understand works by other smiths.

  He looked at these boots with interest.

  “They’re made from one sheet of metal that has been hammered and tempered into iron. From the Mana, it must be half Mortal iron.” Rugrat didn’t sound dismissive. Whoever the smith was, they were able to get to the half Mortal iron stage. Just refining this kind of metal took a lot of iron. He was also trying to refine Mortal-grade iron. It was his biggest bottleneck currently.

  He made various weapons and armors but his materials were limited. So far he had only used iron in limited amounts. If he was able to use Mortal-grade iron, then he could increase the quality of his products. It was so hard to buy, so he would need to refine it himself. Honestly, he preferred it that way. It was more work, but then he would know the characteristics of the ore and refined ingots he was working with.

  Erik was looking at the array of Alchemy products that were on display, his expression a bit sour. Rugrat had surged ahead with his smithing abilities but Erik, who craved for Alchemy knowledge, wasn’t able to find much. He had a lot of theory, but before he could get any kind of practical knowledge, or even practice Alchemy with Alchemist Tommins, he had rushed off for Chonglu and now the Blue Lotus in search of a dungeon core.

  The Blue Lotus servers didn’t pay them attention as Rugrat and Erik continued to browse.

  They both wore dark cloaks over their armor, hiding it from view, and from the way they acted, it was clearly their first time being in the Blue Lotus. People browsed all the time but few could actually place bids on the items that were displayed.

  ***

  Ban Tong took a few moments to compose himself. He needed to re-adjust his mental state before he met the formation Master from the Blue Lotus.

  He headed off toward the viewing hall that showed off the goods that the Blue Lotus would be auctioning off in the future.

  Looking at the amazing things that other formation Masters had made, it only inspired him to try harder and shoot higher, surpassing his previous limits.

  Before he entered the hall, his sound transmission device lit up with a message. He listened to it before he frowned and then gritted his teeth together. His hands balled up into fists as he stormed into the hall.

  Two nothings from the First Realm! They dare to spit in my face and ruin the day that I join the Blue Lotus! He was filled with indignant rage at these two old fogeys who had barely made it into the Second Realm.

  He turned a corner, seeing the two men looking at different objects in the viewing hall, muttering to each other. Ban Tong’s eyes nearly jumped out as his guards all stiffened.

  “You!” Ban Tong yelled out, unable to hold it anymore. He pointed at them and rushed forward, as if he were some sheriff prosecuting the law’s greatest offenders.

  What right did these First Realmers have to talk down to me!

  The taller man, who was looking at a finely crafted metal staff, seemed to awaken from a strange state as he looked over at Ban Tong rushing toward them.

  “Do you First Realmers not know your place?!” Ban Tong yelled out.

  “Do you only fucking yell?!” The man’s expression turned thunderous. His voice snapped through the air.

  Something primal chilled in the guards and Ban Tong. It was stronger in the guards, who remembered the times that they had started training and their training staff had snapped out an order.

  Ban Tong momentarily lost his words. He was only a boy, after all. Being yelled at by an adult when he had been pampered and raised up by the Kerose Institute—it was a first for him.

  “First! You prance up the goddamn stairs like you own the fucking place, then you send your guards after us. Now you’re raising a ruckus here! If you continue, I will tan your fucking backside. Your parents might not have taught you manners, boy, but I sure as hell will!” The man’s voice wasn’t a threat; it was an ironclad truth.

  Even Ban Tong was stunned a bit by the man’s yell, how fast he snapped words together, not even leaving time for breathing.

  Guards from the Blue Lotus moved over. Seeing them, Ban Tong grew in confidence.

  “You First Realmers dare to attack me in Kaeju city! Let alone in the Blue Lotus! I am Ban Tong, former Apprentice to the Kerose Institute’s formations Master, Yi Chen, and Apprentice formations Master trainee to the Blue Lotus!” Ban Tong declared. “I ask, what are you doing here in the Blue Lotus other than wasting time and trying to deface this place?”

  If he could get them thrown out of the Blue Lotus, then it would satisfy at least some of the pettiness in his heart. Making them look like poor fools as they had ruined his spotlight earlier.

  “I’m selling armor.” The larger man pulled out a simple gauntlet from his storage ring.

  Ban Tong took one glance at the simple-looking gauntlet and sneered. It was only made from iron and he wished to sell it to the Blue Lotus? Truly, the dumb had courage!

  ***

  Su Wei, the leader of the Kaeju Blue Lotus, sipped tea with his honored guest, formations Master Pan Lim.

  Pan Lim was a formations Master of the Blue Lotus. The Blue Lotus was a massive system of auction houses and people. Their background wasn’t simple.

  They had people of all different crafting backgrounds in their ranks. With the best weapons, armor, and aids to increase their power, people from the Blue Lotus weren’t to be taken lightly.

  On this occasion, he was looking for an acceptable Apprentice.

  “Good tea,” Pan Lim praised. He was full of smiles as Su Wei smiled.

  Su Wei was a powerful figure in Kaeju city, but he was just the manager of a Blue Lotus location. Pan Lim was a Journeyman formations Master in his early fifties. He had already reached level twenty-three, meaning he would at least live two hundred years if he wasn’t killed before then or he didn’t use some kind of resources and items to extend his life. In the eyes of the Blue Lotus, he had a great future ahead of him. Su Wei, who was only level twenty, was skilled in appraising and management; there were many like him.

  “Master Pan Lim honors me.” Su Wei bowed slightly to the other man.

  A light flashed on his sound transmission device and his expression turned dark. This better be good, he thought, seeing the displeasure on Pan Lim’s face.

  “I am sorry, Master Pan Lim. It seems that something has come up,” he said with an awkward smile.

  “It is no worry. We all work for the Blue Lotus in the end,” Pan Lim said with an easy smile.

  Su Wei let out a short laugh and nodded, taking the call. His expression went through several changes before it darkened.

  The sound transmission stopped as Pan Lim sipped from his cup.

  “Is there an issue?” Pan Lim asked.

  “I am sorry but it looks like Ban Tong and some people have gotten into a confrontation in the viewing hall. I will go and take a look.”

  “You said Ban Tong is involved?” Pan Lim frowned slightly.

  “That’s correct,” Su Wei said.

  “It explains why he is running behind. I will accompany you.” Pan Lim put down the tea and stood.

  “As Master Pan Lim desires.” Su Wei quickly led Pan Lim out of the room and toward the viewing hall where Ban Tong was yelling out insults and the Blue Lotus guards were looking to kick out the two peopl
e who were raising a ruckus.

  ***

  “You think that such a shitty gauntlet can get the attention of the Blue Lotus? Do you not know where you are?” Ban Tong jeered as he saw the gauntlet in Rugrat’s hand.

  Erik looked at the surrounding guards with a detached look, observing them and mentally appraising them. It wasn’t looking good.

  “Rugrat, let’s go.” He put his hand on Rugrat’s shoulder. He didn’t want to get into a fight here. These guards were using powerful weapons and armor; the way they moved showed that they had seen combat and trained to a high standard.

  He didn’t want to get into a fight with them if he could help it.

  Rugrat opened his mouth as if to argue but closed it as he saw Erik’s eyes. He, too, looked at the guards that were around them. “Fuck this place.” Rugrat threw the gauntlet into his storage ring.

  They moved through the viewing hall. A group of people were filling up the area to see what was going on.

  Erik and Rugrat headed for the exit.

  “Now you’re scared of your lacking skills—you want to run!” Ban Tong jeered. “Guards, stop them!” Ban Tong called out imperiously.

  “Who dares to create a commotion in my Blue Lotus!” a man called out, his anger clear. Two men appeared, one with his hands in his robe, an aloof look on his face; the other furious, his hair tied up in a bun. He’d been the one to yell out.

  He saw the guards and the two men. The guards bowed and moved to the side as the Blue Lotus guards moved up behind their leader.

  “All right, which one of you pussies wants to die first?” Rugrat pulled back on his bow. A spell fell on the arrow. The room seemed to freeze. Rugrat was aiming right at the angry man.

  Rugrat saw something annoying off to the side: Ban Tong stood there with a joyous look on his face at the two men’s fate.

  “Best to remove the useless fops before something goes wrong.” Rugrat’s point of aim changed.

  The color drained from Ban Tong’s face as he looked at Rugrat’s impassive face.

  ***

  Su Wei had charged into the viewing hall, expecting an argument. Instead, he found a group of guards from the Kerose Institute blocking two men. When he had yelled out, the archer had locked onto him and he paused half a step.

  He had met people of all kinds over the years, but this one made his heart stop for a second. He was a killer: the coldness in his eyes, the analysis that was going on, planning out who he would fight, and the different moves he would take.

  Su Wei sighed as the man’s point of aim changed. He wanted to swear as he saw the cocky Ban Tong, who had been sneering off to the side, turning pale.

  Su Wei had a powerful level and had dealt with all kinds of situations; Ban Tong was but a pampered youth.

  Pan Lim let out an angry breath, infusing his Mana into it. It turned into a physical thing. Before it reached the archer, it dissipated, as if the Mana didn’t want to hurt him.

  These men aren’t simple.

  For the first time, Su Wei looked at them, really studied them—their armor, the way they acted.

  “That armor…” Su Wei had risen through the ranks as an appraiser. There was little that could escape his eyes and he had always been interested in smithing. He hadn’t had a talent for it, but he liked to read about it.

  Seeing the armor, he could confirm that it was made from iron, but the way it was made—all of its strength had been pulled out. The armor wasn’t flashy, but it was powerful. It wasn’t simple. Many made flashy weapons and armor to get a better price, but it was these low quality-looking items that were worth more. If your enemy didn’t think that you were using anything but junk, wouldn’t their confidence soar?

  “T-teacher!” Ban Tong yelled out.

  “What is the reason for this disagreement? This is not Kaeju city, but the Blue Lotus!” Pan Lim said, his anger reaching new heights.

  Su Wei had a bad feeling in his stomach.

  Chapter: Slapping Oneself

  “What right do you have to brandish weapons in this Blue Lotus?” Pan Lim said before Su Wei could speak.

  “Fucking hell. These people are all pricks—can’t enter, can’t leave. The fuck is with them?” the taller one asked the other. They were looking out for each other’s backs without even saying a word to each other.

  Su Wei didn’t feel like anything was going their way.

  Pan Lim was about to shout out when the infuriating tall one called out again.

  “I was thinking of selling some armor here, but then I’ve been set on by this useless child here. Got his panties in a fucking bunch because we cut in front of him. Sorry, just wanted to get inside, not wait for Sir Shiny Cloak to walk up the fucking stairs like he’s some kind of reigning king,” Rugrat said.

  Pan Lim was shocked with the stream of words. “What goods could you possibly sell here?” Pan Lim picked up on the subject that would bring the most shame and embarrassment to the man.

  The tall man grabbed out a gauntlet and threw it at Pan Lim. “This, you fucking dumb-assed alligator fucking chicken! I swear to God, I’m about to go nuclear up in this bitch. They fucking understand a goddamn fucking thing I’m saying?” the man yelled.

  The Mana in the room started to fluctuate as Su Wei and the others looked at one another.

  Mana Gathering cultivator—powerful one and multiple open Mana gates. This is emotional resonance with the Mana around him!

  It wasn’t an attacking function but it made it hard for others to replenish their Mana while increasing the Mana recovery speed of the one with more open gates.

  Pan Lim, on the other hand, had caught the gauntlet. He was about to yell out and throw it back when he stopped.

  “You dare to talk to a formations Master of the Blue Lotus like that!” Ban Tong couldn’t help but yell out.

  The man drew on the bow so fast and snapped it up to Ban Tong. “One more fucking word out of your cock holster and I will nail you to the fucking wall like you’re a fucking tapestry.” The man’s voice was cold and rang with surety.

  “Rugrat,” the other man said calmly.

  “It’s been a fucking frustrating Monday!” Rugrat yelled back.

  “I think it’s Tuesday,” the other man said, unruffled.

  “Prick.” But Rugrat smiled.

  Even with all of the threats around him and the promise of death, the two of them were grinning. Su Wei couldn’t really understand the two men.

  “This…” Pan Lim said, shocked.

  Su Wei turned his eyes to the gauntlet. Looking at it first, it seemed to be ordinary. Though it was actually iron exterior with silver and gold layered inside, creating a hidden formation array inside the gauntlet.

  “What is it, Master Pan Lim?” Su Wei asked in a low voice.

  “These formations—they’re Journeyman grade, though that’s not the biggest thing.” Pan Lim took a deep breath. As he let it out, he spoke in a rush. “If I’m not incorrect, he forged the entire gauntlet from just three iron ingots and then completed the formation. It’s basic but the later finishing stages already show signs of further refinement.”

  Su Wei was shocked by such a revelation. Making a formation was hard by itself; creating a formation while you were making something as complicated as a gauntlet…

  Just what level smith is he? Or formations Master? Su Wei felt that his world was falling out from underneath him. To have such an Expert in his Blue Lotus was an amazing gift. But now, through Ban Tong, they had thoroughly angered them.

  Ban Tong, who had been through so many ups and downs today, had a wild look in his eyes. “Even if I struck you down, no one would attack me. I am a person of the Blue Lotus!” Ban Tong started to laugh when Pan Lim’s vision cleared.

  “Ban Tong, quiet!” Pan Lim yelled out, cutting off Ban Tong, who looked at his half teacher in confusion.

  They hadn’t completed the student/teacher relationship, but Pan Lim had alr
eady passed on some materials and items to increase Ban Tong’s understanding of formations. The ceremony was but a forgotten formality.

  Ban Tong nearly choked on his next words as he looked at Pan Lim in confusion.

  Pan Lim, on the other hand, gave the gauntlet to Su Wei. He might be a formations Master but Su Wei had gotten to his position by being a highly valued appraiser.

  Su Wei took the gauntlet. His comparisons met with what Pan Lim had said previously. He cast a spell on the gauntlet; in his eyes, the gauntlet showed a faint blue color. When looking at Rugrat, he was the same color.

  The spell was used to verify whether a person made the object.

  With it, Su Wei was assured; the shock was much greater than when he had heard of Ban Tong’s abilities. He was barely an Apprentice in the formation skill, though with the metalworking and the formation, it might not be powered but the gauntlet was a Journeyman-condition piece with an Apprentice-leveled formation contained within.

  An Expert of two different skills and able to combine them freely.

  Su Wei could only look to Pan Lim. Awkward smiles appeared on their faces. They’d truly stepped in it today.

  Pan Lim felt even worse. He had disregarded and tried to publicly embarrass him, and by all standards, he might be more advanced than him.

  The Blue Lotus focused on creating close relationships with powerful people. If others were to learn that they had alienated a budding crafter, it wouldn’t look good on either of them.

  Pan Lim might be an Expert within the Blue Lotus, but Su Wei was the manager of this Blue Lotus and had complete control over the people here.

  “Lower your weapons and go back to your duties,” Su Wei said. The Blue Lotus guards were a bit shocked, but it was an order from their manager so they quickly moved away.

  The people surrounding them were a bit shocked by his actions.

  “Dismissing the guards even as someone has their bow drawn? What is this?”