City of Ravens (2)

Walking through the forest, I soon found my way back, which confirmed my suspicion that something was at play when I got lost.

Remembering what happened to me, I felt overwhelmed. Never have I experienced anything like this, and I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. If I tell anyone about the ghost, they will think I'm crazy!

And the exploration of ruins was also too big of a temptation! Maybe I should call Master later?

It was almost noon when I entered my room. Before I came here, I made sure that the body camera was off, then I connected it to my laptop. I opened the video file and skipped to the part where I fell through that shaft.

The recording was mostly intact, the part of the recording where the ghost should be was nothing more than white noise. It then continued for a while before it cut to the site where I woke up.

I wasn't sure what to do, but I didn't want to tell everyone about what I found. Whatever I find there, I can take it. Artifacts, Relics, everything can be owned by me and in turn, be sold later. If I disclose the location of the tunnels the MCA and the government will act quickly and claim everything there, leaving me with nothing.

Situations like this are not common but they do happen, plus there is a lot that I didn't explore.

But there is still the ghost that I need to consider! Whatever it did I suddenly was moved to the outside. The white noise continued for only a few minutes, and just to get there from the crossroad took me almost an hour. This indicated that space arcane arts were used. Not only are they extremally rare but also powerful!

And whatever killed that sky panther... in other words, chances are that I will die the moment I go there again.

For now, I should keep that a secret.

I edited the video making sure that it cuts off before I got anywhere near the entrance of the shaft. The MCA may ask why I did so, for it I will say that I was spending the night there and wanted to keep some privacy.

People die in the hunting grounds, mostly by monsters, rarely by humans, but it happens, and with the monsters running around the place, blood, bones and body parts are everywhere. Finding a corpse is impossible not to mention evidence.

Even if they suspect anything, they won't be able to do anything. And if I leave the parts where I kill the monsters, they will still pay me for them.

With that done I went to the MCA and claimed my reward. The clerk did shoot a suspicious glance at me but said nothing.

Back at my place I wanted to change my clothes, starting with the armor and then the shirt, I saw that there was something on my arm.

Starting on my upper arm to the halfway of my forearm, strange symbols like a snake wrapped around my arm.

"WHAT IS THIS!?"

I tried to rub it off with water, but it didn't come off. Was it that ghost lady doing? This can't be any good, there are too many unknowns. This is an emergency and one more reason to call Master.

I dig out the flip phone and called Master.

'What's going on kid?'

"Master, something happened…"

'Well, can you hurry up, I'm in the middle of something. (AgHHGAA!! PLEASE STOP!)'

"What was that?"

'Speak quickly or call in two hours. I'm busy."

"…" I shortly explained about the ruins, the ghost and the symbols on my arm. When I was finished Master stayed silent for quite a while leaving me listening screams of some guy.

'Ok. I must admit that what you said is… unusual. I will be back in a few weeks, in the meanwhile find someone who can translate the symbols on your arm. Keep the ruins a secret, I will check them out when I get back, and if you can try to secure the entrance. I need to go now, stay out of trouble.'

"Master, if you know something about this, don't keep me in the dark. And what are you doing now?!"

'I don't know much, I saw a place that is like what you described. An altar, bodies, murals, the style of the buildings, only that it was at the top of the tower in an underground city and there was no ghost. It was littered with powerful monsters so I wouldn't recommend you to go snoop in there.'

"Where was it?"

'Australia, five years ago. I fell into a shaft like you did.'

"And what are you doing now?"

'… Nothing. Just a small party in Brazil. I need to go now. Tchau'

Master ended the call. He didn't say much, but it helped me to figure out a lot. The tunnel that was going down would most likely lead to the city, and the ruins I entered were a top of a tower. I will keep the ruins a secret which was the plan, now I only needed to find someone that can help me translate it.

Someone that knows ancient languages can keep a secret, preferably will do it for free… looks like an angel and is my mother's student…

I grabbed some stuff and took the first bus back to Ottawa. When I got back home only my father was there, watching TV.

"How are you doing Dad?"

"Dominique! What are you doing here?"

"I didn't realize I have to make an appointment."

"HA! Your Mother was right, you are making jokes."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you know, you were not a person that cracked jokes or spoke sarcastically. Always so upstanding and serious, look at you now, wearing some wacky clothes with a smirk on your face. You moved out of the house, started training, went to the hunting grounds. You changed."

"I didn't change that much."

"You did, for the better. And now I can see that you want something. Ah! Not from me, from your mother so what is it, maybe I can help."

"How? Whatever. I need her help to find someone."

"Who is it?"

"She is her student, I need her to help me with something."

"Go on…"

"It's better that you don't know, if mom sniffs something out, she will first kill you then drag me down to hell and torture me for eternity."

"That bad?"

"Yes."

"Ok then. Come, sit down, your mother will back soon."

When she got back it was evening, we ate dinner and talked for a while. For a while, I tried to get some information out of her discreetly, but she most likely realized it and purposely changed the subject. So, in the end, I had to ask her directly.

"If you want to meet with her, then try looking at the university. If someone was to find out that I disclose information about my students..."

"At least give me some directions."

"… I saw her working at Belgia Cafe. Just don't act like a stalker."

"Thank you."

I spent the rest of the evening talking with my parents, I was forced to show them my soul image and smash some stuff. From my mother, my soul image wouldn't protect me in the least, and I had no choice but to do what she told me.

Later I trained my control over the soul image, and by the end of it, I could achieve the same level I had previously. Only this time, I didn't hit a limit, I felt that I could do more than that, not by much but more.

So I made a theory, with each cycle the control difficulty will increase together with the limit of the control. When I reach the next cycle, I will be able to confirm it.

Next day I woke up and trained, the soul image multiplies my strength, with higher the base number the higher the result. I ran around the city for an hour, but that was not enough to tire me out, repeating the basic exercises I did with Master until I couldn't breath brought back all the memories from when I was training at master's place.

After taking a quick shower, I left to find Emily.