Chapter 383: A Quick Detour

The sect was rather close to the city exit so it hadn't taken Ares too long to walk over. He was a bit early for his meeting here with Aejaz so he stopped off and bought various local delicacies and had been sampling them like a madman as he dashed from one side of the street to the other to see what every stall was selling. Of course anyone who tried to scam him got a very similar treatment to the shawarma guy and so Ares became pretty infamous amongst the merchants rather rapidly. It wasn't all bad though as anyone who gave Ares a fair price right out the gate was given some friendly advice on how to improve whatever they were selling that wasn't quite hitting the mark amongst their wares currently. If they took the advice, good for them. If they ignored him, so be it! Ares didn't really care but those who did listen often found decent success later on and so Ares became this weird little food fairy that approached vendors frequently in dead of night and conducted a pseudo morality test. It was like God was posing as a beggar and would reward the kindly only Ares was a food obsessed weirdo with a respectable amount of culinary skill.

While he waited for Aejaz to show, Ares poked his head around here and there to get a lay of the land but didn't find anything out of the ordinary or worth closer inspection. There was a black market somewhere here, so he'd tried poking into back alleys with his divine sense to spot trails or hear whispers of it, but it either wasn't around here specifically or it only happened at certain times. Ares overheard a guest at the palace talking endlessly about the kind of rare goods that could appear in the black market and there was no good reason not to try and show up to it at least once. Also, it was where the scavengers liked to pawn off stolen goods so that was maybe a way of finding the base in the desert as well as tailing them back to it, provided it was actually them involved in the quarry business, and was very doable with the Nyxian Prowler.

Ares was about to stop looking around but he checked around one last corner and found something he was going to actively search for at some point anyway and was glad to have found this quickly, a Transmit shop! These things were apparently everywhere in this domain nowadays and that was a good thing because their service was just generally incredibly helpful. Even outside the Primordial Blade barrier Transmits were popping up quite literally everywhere that wasn't a desolate or uninhabited planet. There were rumours they even built one on a planet on which a single person was living. It could technically be a valuable use of resources, depending on the status of the sole person living there, but surely that was overkill!? Transmit's strange machinations aside, Ares took out a pen and a piece of paper from his Blade, as he stored useful miscellaneous objects like lighters, flasks, pens, etc... In there at all times. He was going to write a letter to his wives and adorable daughter just to keep them up to date with his own happenings. He wasn't going to bore them to death with details that he could share with them in full later but a quick catch up, and a gift of homemade food, was in order! Some honeycomb and popping candy were also very much needed, as they were probably running low on the sweets after all this time, and maybe a few of Ares' recent experiments too. He'd only really cooked for Aejaz here and there as of late so he had plenty of time to just throw a metaphorical dart at the wall with his cooking and see what stuck. Sending over some of the highlights would make them happy for sure. Ares right to crafting the letter and, excluding the recap which took up about two thirds of the letter in total, it looked a little something like the following...

'Hello wives! (I would have put your names here but I wasn't sure if putting one first over the other would cause more problems than just writing this.)

I miss you both! It's been a while since we split, up and went our own ways, and I've been kinda busy. A lot's happened and I've gotten a lot stronger as a result, big surprise I know, so I'm generally doing well and in a good mood overall... As long as I don't have to deal with that dumb eagle or fake monk Massai anyway... I'm sure you've heard about the death of Hunter, it was big news but I won't get into it because neither of you knew him personally, but, as a result of that event, there should be a cute new animal running around the sect soon called Nibbler! I know Bellona likes cute things as much as I do so you should keep an eye out for him! He's a bit sad after losing his dad, Hunter, but he's still a precious little sharkdog so be sure to give him plenty of pets if you see him around the sect for me. P.S, he likes being stroked on the fin or under his chin. Also, try not to let him get to used to biting people and tasting flesh or he'll get hyper and never stop doing it!

I've bought you both plenty of gifts!.. I'll be honest, buying them for Enyo was... Tough and easy at the same time. I couldn't think of anything unique and was too stumped to buy anything other than the obvious stuff I know you'd appreciate. Bellona though? I happened to find some really neat stuff you'll love. It's not favouritism, I'm just dumb! Sorry! Anyway, I won't send them over yet, so you'll have to wait 'till we see each other again in person to get your hands on the goods!... No, Enyo, I don't mean me...

I'm currently diving headfirst into Xasca and all the problems its facing, maybe twice as much now that I'm here hey-oh! But in all seriousness I've bene putting my brain to good use for once so things have gone decently smoothly up until now. Will have to crack heads at some point but you can't make a peace omelette without cracking a few strife eggs right? I'll end off the segment about me by wondering if you saw the giant explosion? If you saw it, you'll know the one I'm talking about. I got a new toy to play with! Can't wait to show it you when we all return from our respective holidays. I know Bellona will wanna see it for sure. It's a real biggun and I need to be really careful where I throw it, though, and I'm not even sure a Training Field can contain it unless its built out of my own magic and infused with destruction from the get go... I may have overdone it slightly with this new art... And that's coming from me, of all people, so you know it's bad! Still, it's being powered by a new treasure I got that's just impossibly powerful so it kinda makes sense the art's as powerful as it is. I'll explain more when we meet again but now I wanna know about you and what you've been up to!

First things first, how's Appa doing? probably excited to get out of the house and do some exploring, I'll bet. It must be enjoying the new sights as the Grecian lands have a distinct aesthetic, or so I've heard. Tell Appa not to have too many Snappas in one day! It's not ok just because I'm not there to see it happening!... I'll still send over more for my cute little shade though... I'm weak willed! Tell Appa it has plenty of hugs in store when I next catch it! Also, I'm sure you have already but, just in case, do remind it to keep up with its cultivation? I know how distracted it can get but it's really helpful in the long, regarding safety, if Appa doesn't slack off. Ah but now I'm nagging, aren't I? I just hope Appa's having a good time outside the sect and enjoying spending quality family time with you two. Remind her to keep safe and not follow random strangers who seem nice and friendly on the surface!

Speaking of safety, have you had any encounters with dangerous monsters or nosy cultivators? If so, hopefully everything went smoothly and you're all safe, sound, and uninjured. Given how incredible you are as cultivators I can only assume you'll be ok. I won't dwell on it, because I trust you and it would be rude not to, and should be more worried about what you've been eating and if it's any good? I'm sure you've found at least one decent restaurant by now but, for what it's worth, I can send food over somewhat regularly now via Transmit! If you get a chance to write a response letter please let me know if and when you want meals sent over and I'll try to accommodate your preferences. I haven't been making many meals as of late and I feel a little empty! And I don't mean in my stomach! Cooking meals, or I guess banquets given the number of people being served, every day was tiring sometimes but it's been a while since I last did it... Or maybe I just miss the company? Don't get me wrong, Aejaz is Aejaz... When he's not off stealing everything not nailed down anyway, but I do wanna see everyone else again. Hopefully things are simple on my end and I can just come back straight away when I'm done with Xasca. Knowing me it won't be that easy but oh well, I'll simply have to rush through whatever obstacles comes up.

Uh... I'm not sure how to word this exactly... But are you two any, you know, closer? If Bellona's acting like a shy maiden you can just not update me on this right now. I'm assuming the deed will be very much done, and done hard, by the time you're finished in the Grecian Lands so have fun with that, I guess. I know you, Enyo, won't let this opportunity pass by but try to be at least a little accommodating? I'm sure it's daunting for Bellona and weird too... Ah who am I kidding? You're still that horny raging succubus you always were and I wouldn't be surprised if Bellona has fallen to your bedroom might already! You might even be pestering her right this very moment...

That type of fun aside, I hope your stay in the Grecian Lands has been worth the trip! Sightseeing or cultivation wise, either or. Also, guess I should ask while I'm writing this, but how's Allie and Trixie doing? They tagged along, right? I'm sure Aejaz will write a message to them at some point, maybe even today when he finds the Transmit, but It can't hurt to ask anyway! Still getting along like cats and dogs or have they settled down and gotten used to one another's company finally? I know there's a slight edge between them but it should still be mostly friendly based on what I saw before we all left. Regardless, I'm sure they're both still working on alchemy and bomb gadget creation respectively. Good for them! Tell 'em I say hi.

There's probably some stuff I missed, or glossed over, but it can't be too important if I forgot about it! Anyway, I'll wrap things up with some extra little things I wanna say and leave it at that as this letter's getting kinda long and I don't wanna interrupt Enyo while she's busy making advances on you, Blo Blo. I wouldn't be surprised if she's wrapped around you like a smooching noose while reading this... Anyway, somewhat on topic, regardless of what happens between you two you better not forget about me, Blo Blo! I'm not letting you run away forever and when I return home I'm gonna be touchy feely until you cave and things progress! That's a promise so don't forget it! I've warned you enough times now and you can't keep skirting around this!... Mmmm, Bellona in a skirt... Wait! I'm getting side-tracked! What I'm trying to say is if you're still hesitating with Enyo I would recommend just getting it over and done with because it's not going to be any less embarrassing when it comes to doing it with me. Do〜it! Do〜it!

Cheerleading for lewd stuff aside, I've been wondering if there's any way to contact the pagoda clone... I have a gut feeling he's gone through some fascinating stuff out there and might have met some interesting people. I'm thinking there's a non-zero chance he's met another wife by now and so I'm really curious to see if I can contact him in any way. I've got no clues on that front so I figured I would ask for suggestions! The dumber the better because that will mean it's in my wheelhouse! Also also, if you hear anything regarding some robo called the 'Torchbearer', who lives in Neo Gear, then could you pass that info on? It's kinda important. Actually, you might have already run into some of his schemes in the Grecian Lands in which case you'll understand why he's so damn annoying.

Last but not least, has Enyo, the Goddess from the past, spoken to you lately? She kinda just appeared that one time and has been real quiet since... I'm not worried but it is a rather strange thing to have sitting around in the background all the time. At least Dominus manages to whisper some comments here and there into my brain even if can be annoying at times. He ought to appear in the limelight a little more once I hit bloodline awakening but I don't think the same is true for Goddess Enyo... Maybe whenever you gain your apotheosis form you'll have a stronger connection? Ah I dunno, I'm just spit balling here.

So I guess that's everything? I'll be on my merry way then. It's time for me to head out into the desert and get attacked by hungry and / or just flat-out rude monsters... And maybe humans too. Apparently some kind of Juggernaut woman is gonna pick a fight with me... And no, before you ask Enyo, she is not going to be one of the wives! Anyway, here's to hoping the monsters don't eat me, and not in a good way like the way Enyo does (which I also miss).

I love you both.

Signed, Ares; your very lovable and one of a kind husband. (And to think he's modest too? Lucky ladies!)'

For the sake of brevity there was some stuff here and there about his adventures, and misadventures, that had been cut out of the summary but it was a comprehensive enough message that got all the points he wanted to make across. As such, he sallied forth and sauntered into the shop so he could post his letter and have it delivered pronto. This was his first time using this service but he had utmost faith in it given what he knew of it now compared to before. That being said, Ares did wish he had affiliation-based preferential treatment like being able to skip this long ass queue he was standing in! Why was it even so long anyway? This was a question Ares felt like he needed to know the answer to because even back in Red Sun the Transmit there never got this crowded and Red Sun was a central hub for commerce and travel. The amount of people sending messages and packages to and from Red Sun would be higher than Xasca city for sure even if this place was incredibly bustling for most of the year.

Ares peeked around the line in front of him, which contained a suspiciously high amount of men, and understood everything at a glance as soon as he saw the person working the front desk. Objectively speaking, she was incredibly beautiful and was wearing clothes that exposed her tanned arms and stomach. Maybe it was company policy out here in Xasca but she was also wearing a veil and so her allure was pretty notable. Chances are, the guys here weren't even trying to use the service and were just queuing up to chat with her and ask her out... Was Transmit here always this busy for this very reason?! Ares was about to blow a gasket as this organisation was supposed to be affiliated with him and yet it would ruin his good name if it came out that the shops weren't functioning properly because pretty ladies were being hit on! What incompetence! What were the chances somebody actually really needed to send a message and was blocked by these morons thinking with their lower half? Also, yes, she was undeniably a beautiful woman but where was the personal space every human being a right to?! The overcrowding in here was insanity and they weren't jsut bothering her in her spare time or anything, no, they were doing it during work hours when she couldn't possibly run away! The manager at this branch was not taking appropriate measures and this woman was seriously having a tough time of things as a result!

Before Ares could do something about this mess, and disperse the crowd of thoroughly charmed muppets so he could get his letter delivered, he was called out to by the lady at the front. "Ah, Ares!" It seemed he was recognised but that wasn't surprising at this point. Given who he was and how he was related to the founder of Transmit, which the employees wouldn't know the details of but were at least acutely aware of such a thing, all the employees had probably been repeatedly shown a picture of him until the image was stuck in their brains for all eternity. Ares needed to be recognised on sight on the off chance he was desperate for aid. If he came crawling into a Transmit, bloody and half-dead, and the store clerk ignored him, as part of their no intervention rule, because of a lack of recognition then everyone working for this company across the entire universe would get fired at the bare minimum!

The lady called over to Ares and he quickly got the gist of her intentions given the alluring look in her eye and the generally smitten appearance. No, this was not love at first sight and, no, this was not some gold digger chasing after his status. She simply wanted these annoying pests gone for good and so Ares figured he'd play along. His name was recognisable by now so everyone already who he was and all he had to do was pretend to have already laid claim to this lady and they would all stop buzzing around her for the foreseeable future. Maybe when he left Xasca, and stayed gone for along period of time, would the problem persist anew but that was just a problem she was going to have to figure out on her own... Although, really, Ares could tell she was decently strong and could take out everyone here no sweat if they tried anything funny. Basically she was safe but going to be pestered unless she fled to the ends of the universe so that must have been rather annoying.

Ares chuckled lightly and scratched his head with a soft smile. "It seems like I've come at a bad time? Sorry. You know I don't like pestering you while you work but I was worried you might be a little too tired and sore to stand straight for long periods of time after last night..." Not even remotely subtle! There was no grace or anything resembling finesse in Ares' insinuation at all! Granted, he really wasn't trying. There were some stupid people amongst this crowd and so he had to cater to the lowest common denominator to makes sure everyone understood him, unfortunately. Besides, this woman didn't seem like the type to be ashamed of such a thing being said out loud and she almost gave the game away by laughing at how ridiculous Ares' declaration was so she clearly wasn't fussed. Ares and the woman had fun with his boldness but everyone else? The level of buzzkill and the burnt smell of dashed dreams turning to ashes was enough to paint a picture of the mood of the men who were slowly exiting the premise one by one. Many of them chucked out plenty of curses in ancient Xascan language trying to wish woe upon Ares' relationship with this woman so they could swoop in afterwards... Not that Ares understood a word of whatever gibberish they were saying. For the most part there was a common language in Sheryashka but that didn't mean everyone spoke it all the time. Typically cultivators relied on translation arts to decipher speech from other common languages. There was a cultivation realm, pretty high up in the rankings, that did something similar on a broad enough scale but that wasn't something people could use freely or access easily, given the cultivation requirements, so a technical was usually the best bet if you really cared. Of course there were different arts that covered a variety of different languages and some were harder to come across than others. The ability to understand animals and monsters, like Ares' bloodline for instance, was actually rather rare. The same was true of long lost civilisations', or ancient, languages like the one the man just spoke. There was ample room for linguist experts like Kaleido to shine and not be completely outclassed by magic so they were important in their own right!

The crowd thinned until nobody was left so Ares was able to freely walk up to the counter and hand over the letter inside a spatial ring. He was thanked by the lady before she took the ring and placed it on the side of the desk, ready for pickup as soon as Loris was done with whatever delivery he was currently in the middle of. It wouldn't take him long, as Transmit deliveries were usually only a few seconds, but it did feel strange not having it be instantaneous like it usual!y should be The business must have finally been picking up steam now that everybody was aware it actually worked and wasn't a scam. This place really did sound too good to be true and so many people must have avoided using it at first. The deliveries would still be quick as ever but the chances of a small queue forming were very real nowadays. Luckily Ares' mail handler was Loris, employee of the month, the speed demon himself... Ares still couldn't see it... There were some mysteries in life that were just never meant to be solved, apparently. Anyway, Loris did appear and disappear eventually, taking the goods with him. Ares almost missed it due to a poorly timed blink but he'd definitely been here! Maybe the guy was a real hard worker after all... Ares' spatial ring with the letter and the goodie-bag filled with food ought to reach Enyo and Bellona in the next few seconds so his work here was done. Ares was prepared to leave but, before he could, the woman from before rummaged around in a spatial ring of her own and eventually fished out a small notebook of sorts... She handed it over with a polite smile and Ares received it while flipping through some of the pages...

"It's a monster guide!" The woman explained. "We were told to be helpful to you however possible so I came up with a small collection of notes about the various monsters and animals you might run into out in the desert. There's the obvious stuff, like giant scorpions, that you would expect from a place like this, but there's also some unique regional monsters that you should be made aware of given their special and potentially annoying traits. I also included rumours about mythical and dangerous creatures nobody has ever proven exists, just in case, but you can probably ignore that section."

Ares flipped through the book and was surprised because the detail on the drawings and notes was seriously well done. This woman could have had a career in many other paths with talents like this and having her work at Transmit felt like a waste of a diamond in the rough! And to think he was being given this guide for free right as he was about to set out into the desert? Too kind! He had to take back what he thought before because this was undeniably preferential treatment! "Thank you, this is really fantastic. Is there any way I can repay you for this? And don't say you don't need anything, I'm not busy or strapped for means to repay you and I want to. Something like this will be pretty invaluable, I can tell, so ask away." The woman looked like she was making a tough choice so Ares followed up his previous statements with, "If you can't make whatever choice you're deliberating over right now then I can come back later. I'll check back in a few days from now and you can let me know. You'll have more time than that to finalise your decision but I'll be returning regularly as its on the way to and from the city exit regardless. Stopping off here for a few seconds every now and then isn't a problem." The woman nodded and that was that sorted for now at least. Ares thanked her one more time and set off towards the city exit where Aejaz would now be the one waiting for him! Ares had gotten side tracked at the last moment before departure but now it was actually time to leave. It was good he visited Transmit now, though, as this notebook would wind up proving particularly handy not even five minutes after he left the city! Ares' charm was... Magnetic... And primarily worked on monsters and people who wished him harm more than anyone or anything else... But it couldn't be denied it was effective!