Chapter 28: Echoes Beneath the Skin
Rei stepped outside "The Farmacy," the wooden door swinging closed behind him with a soft thud. The chime above it rang once more, fainter now, as if the shop itself exhaled with his exit.
He paused on the cobbled street, taking a slow breath of the mid-morning air. A faint breeze rolled through the alleyways, ruffling his hair and the edges of the robe he now wore. Black, silent, and impossibly light, it hung on him like a second skin. It was his. Not stolen, not borrowed, not looted from a corpse.
"Finally," he murmured, tugging gently at the hem. "Clothes that actually belong to me."
He held up the stone pendant Rhea had handed him earlier. Its glimmer was subtle, blue light catching faintly as it spun. Rei rotated it in his palm, noting how it felt oddly warm.
"A storage stone... like carrying a mansion in my pocket." His voice was quiet, but tinged with something close to amusement. "Convenient."
The idea that he wouldn't have to carry extra bags or worry about space anymore was a small blessing in a world that never handed them out for free.
Pocketing the stone, he adjusted his robe once more and turned down the street, retracing the path he had taken before. A few minutes later, he stopped at a stall run by the woman who sold him the skewers.
"Ah, you came back," the vendor grinned, skewers still sizzling on the open brazier. "Didn't forget your food, did you?"
Rei took one, biting in. "Tastes like chicken."
"That's because it is. Probably."
Rei offered a small nod and continued walking. The Kori Inn came into view soon after, its weather-worn sign swinging lazily above the doorway. Familiar warmth crept up his spine. A base. Somewhere safe, if only temporarily.
He stepped inside. The scent of roasted vegetables and baked bread hung in the air. Ailith sat at their usual table, her silver hair tucked behind her ear as she focused on her plate. She was halfway through a bowl of something steaming.
"Hi there," Rei said, walking up.
She didn't respond.
He blinked.
Right. He knew this game. She was giving him the cold shoulder. Fair. He had left abruptly the day before and hadn't explained a thing.
But he wasn't in the mood for emotional games. Not now.
"Ailith. Yesterday. Did you notice anything unusual?"
She looked up, barely tilting her head. "Unusual how?"
"Like someone watching us. Something... strong."
Ailith blinked slowly. Her spoon paused halfway to her mouth.
In her mind: No... I didn't. Is that something higher-leveled people can sense? Or maybe just him?
"No," she said finally. "I didn't feel anything. Did you?"
Rei nodded once. "Yeah. Someone—something—very powerful. Watching. Just for a moment."
Ailith stiffened, visibly now.
"How powerful are we talking?" she asked slowly.
"Stronger than anyone I've sensed."
Her breath hitched. She set her spoon down.
"Then that would mean... a minor god. Maybe. Unless it was something even higher. But that shouldn't be possible."
Rei raised an eyebrow. "So a level 8? That's god-level?"
"Minor gods are level 8," she confirmed, voice lower now. "True gods are level 9. Anything beyond that... isn't something you want to attract."
Rei leaned back slightly. "Main gods are the ones granting skills, right?"
Ailith nodded. "Yeah. The levels, our skills—it's all from them."
Her eyes swept over him then, lingering longer than before. She tilted her head slightly.
"Did you go shopping? That robe... and that necklace... I haven't seen them before."
Rei held up the pendant. "Storage stone. Five gold."
"Huh. Not bad."
"The robe..." he paused. "That was a hundred."
She choked on her food.
He immediately reached for the glass of water on the table and passed it to her. "Here. Drink."
Ailith sipped, coughed again, then exhaled. "Are you serious?! A hundred gold?!"
"Yeah."
"How much money do you even have?!"
Rei looked to the side. "I... didn't pay yet. Rhea's letting me pay in materials."
Ailith blinked, surprised again. "She's trusting you that much?"
"Apparently, she thinks I'll be a repeat customer."
Ailith sat back. Her eyes softened a little. "We haven't split the loot yet. Want to do that now?"
Rei nodded. "Sure. How should we divide it?"
She gave a small smile. "I said at the start that you could give me whatever you think is fair."
Rei pulled out a pouch. "Three gold and thirty silver?"
Ailith blinked. She hadn't expected that much.
I thought he'd give one gold at most. Generous, she thought.
She nodded slowly. "That's better than I expected."
Rei in his mind: I was going to give one... but she did give me useful information. So. Fair.
"So," he said, shifting slightly. "What will you do with the money?"
Her expression darkened.
"Save it."
He frowned. "For what?"
"To hire you."
Rei paused. "i see for that right"
She met his gaze. No hesitation.
"Yes To teach those bastards a lesson."
He blinked. "The ones who left you for dead."
"Yeah."
Her tone was heavy. Not emotional, not dramatic. Just grim resolve.
"They're level five," she added. "Three of them. Not weak. Hiring someone to deal with them... it costs."
"And they're not here?"
"No. They're in another city. Opposite side of where you found me."
Rei leaned back, arms crossed.
"So you brought me here on purpose. To buy time."
Ailith gave him a small, proud smirk. "Exactly."
The room fell into silence for a moment, but it was no longer cold. Something like understanding passed between them.
Rei stared at the flickering candlelight on the table. His thoughts lingered back on that moment from earlier. The presence. The eye in the clouds. The robe accepting him. The whispers.
Something wasn't right. And it wasn't just the world.
It was him.
Ailith finally stood up, stretching her arms. "I'll go out for a bit. Check the quest board. We need money, right?"
Rei nodded.
"Get something mid-tier. Wolves are too easy now."
She smiled faintly. "Got it."
As she walked out, Rei looked down at his robe again. It didn't feel magical.
It felt alive.