Chapter 12: City of First Steps
The following two days on the road passed quietly, a stark contrast to the chaos that had erupted on the first morning. The landscape rolled gently around them—open fields scattered with wildflowers, patches of woodland, and the occasional abandoned farmstead overtaken by creeping vines.
Sky barely spoke.
He spent most of his time leaning back in the carriage, eyes half-closed, his sword across his lap, still faintly stained from the wolf blood.
He was calm, but not relaxed—his body still adjusting to the powerful change that had taken root in him.
Inside, he could feel it.
A constant low hum. Like threads of something ancient had been woven into his bones—warmth from fire, chill from ice, whispers from the wind, deep pressure from the earth. The elements themselves… waiting.
Waiting for a command.
He didn't know how to use it yet, not fully. But it was there now. A part of him.
Serena didn't press him. She kept herself busy—preparing light meals, tending to small scratches on his armor, and occasionally glancing at him with a strange expression: admiration, maybe. Or worry.
Their nights were spent under the stars. They'd stop the carriage beside a tree line, set up a fire, and rest together quietly. Serena spoke of the capital's markets, the adventurer guilds, the laws of the city. Sky mostly listened, only speaking when necessary.
By the end of the third day, as the golden light of late afternoon painted the sky orange and violet, the silhouette of the capital finally came into view.
Zareth.
The city was colossal. High, ancient stone walls stretched for kilometers in either direction, topped with sharp black spires and flags fluttering in the wind. Smoke trails rose from a hundred chimneys. Bells rang faintly in the distance. And the hum of thousands of lives echoed even from outside the gates.
They didn't go through the main entrance.
Serena guided the old carriage toward the Outer Ring, a large sprawl of buildings and people that surrounded the city walls like a living shield. Here, things were different—less polished, more real. Crowded alleys, stacked buildings, loud markets, strange smells, and an endless stream of adventurers, merchants, drifters, and criminals alike.
Sky stepped down from the carriage and took a deep breath.
The air smelled of smoke, spices, and sweat. But under it all was the faint pulse of power—this place was alive.
"Let's find a place to stay," Serena said, adjusting her bag.
They found it within the hour.
A quiet side street led them to a small stone building wedged between a collapsed inn and an old herbalist's shed. The landlord was a one-eyed dwarf who spoke with a thick accent and didn't ask questions. The room was just big enough for a bed, a table, and two chairs—but it had a water basin, a stove, and most importantly, privacy.
It cost them six bronze coins a week. Sky paid for a month.
He tossed his gear onto the bed and sank into it, exhaling deeply. "Not bad."
Serena smiled slightly, then immediately started unpacking supplies, arranging the tiny shelves, and lighting a small lantern in the corner.
The next morning, Sky woke to the smell of fresh bread.
Serena had already been up for hours.
He found her down the road, hands on her hips, standing proudly in front of a small potion shop with faded red paint on the frame and empty shelves inside. The shop was positioned at the edge of a busy alley, just across from a weapons dealer and a bread stall—excellent traffic.
A chalkboard stood outside with hastily scribbled writing:
Serena's Remedies – Opening Soon
Sky leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. "You really don't waste time."
She turned, slightly flushed. "We'll need coin. And I need a place to work. Just because we're out of the woods doesn't mean we're safe, Master Sky."
He tilted his head. "We're in the middle of a city, Serena."
Her tone lowered, more serious. "Exactly."
He said nothing. But he understood.
This was the capital. Where power shifted constantly. Where nobles schemed, adventurers fought for status, and monsters weren't the only threats. This city could eat people alive—and not with fangs.
While Serena scrubbed down the counter inside the shop, Sky walked through the surrounding streets, memorizing alleyways, watching people, and feeling the weight of his presence go unnoticed. For the first time, he was just another face in a crowd.
He liked it that way.
Still, every so often, his instincts would flare—someone staring too long, a thief following too closely, an adventurer sizing him up from across the street. He met every gaze with calm, unblinking silence.
They looked away first.
Back at the house that evening, Sky sat cross-legged on the floor. The lantern flickered softly beside him. Serena had gone out to buy potions and inventory.
He opened his hand, letting mana rise to the surface.
A faint flicker of orange light appeared.
Water.
Then he focused again, shifting the feeling.
The orange faded into redish flame—dancing gently over his palm without burning.
Fire.
Then—wind, shadow, lightning…
He could feel them all. Dormant. Wild. Patient.
"Elemental Root Control: Dormant," he murmured, remembering the system panel. "So I need to unlock them… one by one."
Still, the fact that he could even summon them this early was enough proof that the system inside him wasn't ordinary. He hadn't just been granted magic. He'd been rewritten.
He looked toward the door, where Serena's new shop sign swayed gently in the breeze.
This was it.
Their new home.
A shop for gold.
A room for rest.
And a city full of possibilities, enemies, and power.
Sky smiled faintly.
"let's get this onnnnnnnnnnnn!!!"