Chapter 69 - Clean Up Duty

Zack quickly caught the slowly falling man as he gently guided him onto the floor. 

"Old man Larry! Are you ok?! Please wake up! What did I do wrong? I am sorry!"

"Use the Solar Ring. Don't you have it on you?"

As he said this, Kharon bent down as he placed his fingers on Larry's neck. A faint beating sound pulsated through his fingers as he sighed in relief.

"He has a pulse. I don't think his life is in danger, however he seems to have collapsed from shock. Maybe he was joking about the 10,000 Aethermarks. I would have bargained but I didn't want to look greedy. I am sorry."

"It's not your fault. You didn't know he would react like this. Well old man Larry will probably wake up in a few minutes... I think. He has lived too long to die now. The Solar Ring wouldn't work in this situation even if I had it."

Kharon looked at him strangely as he said, "The Solar Ring's Healing Light would definitely work. It doesn't just work on the body, but also on the mind. Maybe even the soul. It is a tier 3 construct after all."

Saying this, Kharon pulled out a little container filled with a golden liquid. Zack's gaze fell on it immediately, longing clearly visible as Kharon brought it to Larry's lips. He gently guided it into his mouth as old man Larry's eyes began to gently flutter before shooting up. He pushed himself off the ground as he looked around in a daze.

"What happened? And what is that taste in my mouth... it seems so familiar. Is it Aetherbloom Elixir?! I have only tasted it once, but it was the best drink I had ever tasted. Give me more!"

Kharon and Zack stared at each other confused as they shrugged. Old man Larry slowly walked towards Kharon as he said, "I didn't know you would have so much money. Why does someone as rich as you want this rundown place? I am sure a noble such as yourself could easily afford a better building than this."

Shaking his head in surprise, Kharon replied, "I am not a noble sir. But I am a wielder as I already told you. The space is going to be used to host an audience for a... magic show of sorts. It will be free and I want the people of the Eclipsed Hollows to enjoy it. Nothing interesting ever happens here, don't you agree?"

Larry eyed him skeptically as he shrugged. His brown, milky eyes appraised Kharon as he threw him a key. Kharon grabbed it from the air as he asked, "What about the payment? You didn't take the Aethermarks."

"What would an old man like me do with so much money? I am already one foot in the grave. It would only paint a target on my back and probably cost me my life. I never use this building so you can consider it a gift for reminding me of that beautiful taste."

Kharon pulled out the container as he said, "You can have the rest of this. I have a lot more where I live. Surely people wouldn't fight an old man for a container filled with a bit of juice. I can't just accept this building without giving you something in return. Even if it isn't significant."

Looking back with a faint smile, old man Larry stared at Kharon for a while before walking back and taking the bottle.

"You are a good kid. Don't let this world bring you down. And if you are so intent on giving me those Aethermarks, then spend them on orphanages and repairing parts of the Eclipsed Hollows. There are so many youngsters who live here in darkness and poverty. And the Association turns a blind eye to all of this. If people with power had even a shred of sympathy, then Lunaris Haven would be far better than it already is."

'I already made that promise to myself... Lunaris Haven will definitely change for the better. Even if I am not the one who will bring that change. But one day in the future, the Eclipsed Hollows will live in light. Just like the other districts...'

Old man Larry slowly walked away as his flickering lantern sat disregarded on the ground. The rhythmic thud of his walking cane echoed through the building like ripples on a pond. Kharon watched him go as he smiled melancholically. His eyes lingered on the walking cane as an idea popped into his head. 

'Accessories could improve the show. Every magician needs a few tricks and accessories. I have a few runic devices which could work... But it won't be connected to the path of mysteries. Maybe I am going about this wrong. How have previous generations of wielders accomplished this ritual...? Knowledge predating the Obelisk's crash! But researchers know quite a lot so the public must know a bit as well.'

"Shall we start cleaning boss?"

"Yes."

Objects and rubble began to float as they were released from the confines of gravity. They levitated around the room randomly as Zack guided them to a little corner. This continued for a few minutes as the room was quickly cleared of physical obstacles. Dust began to be swept by an unseen force as Kharon drew a few illumination runes.

The room was filled with bright light as all its hanging vines were revealed. In an instant, they all fell down as they were picked up by Kharon. 

"Boss, how do we dispose of all these things. We can't just throw them out into the streets."

"I never said we would do that. I have several bags to store the rubble and the rest of the things. We can properly dispose of them later. For now, we just need to focus on the task at hand. I am sure Freya will attract quite a sizable crowd. So we should be as swift as possible."

"I have no doubt that she will. But it is still quite early in the morning. People won't begin to wake up for at least a few more hours. The Eclipsed Hollow usually wakes later than the rest."

Once the room was completely clear of debris, a few devices leapt from Kharon's bag. They began cleaning and scrubbing the ground as the marble floor shone with a dark luster. The walls followed as the cleaning devices defied gravity in their pursuit of cleanliness. 

Zack watched as they completely transformed the formerly abandoned building. He walked towards the white, glistening walls as he felt the smooth surface. 

"I didn't even know that the walls were white. I always assumed that they were grey because of all the dust."

"I thought you knew the place. Did you never enter it before it was abandoned?"

Chuckling, Zack said, "Children weren't allowed to get anywhere near the building. The fights were quite bloody and death was quite common. Yet people still went in hopes of making enough to get them out of here... It's one of the reasons I joined the Syndicate. An escape from this place. So when you gave me that offer, I was hesitant yet excited."

'So that is why... giving him the freedom to do as he pleases. He just wanted to be free of the hardships in the Eclipsed Hollows. But he didn't just run away from this place. He wants to help others like him... I really got lucky with my recruits. Didn't I?'

Kharon smiled faintly as he continued cleaning in silence. Once the ground floor was cleaned, they went to the first floor and moved to the underground section. As Kharon illuminated the underground, his mouth went slightly agape. 

The hall was quite big with a grand stage which was at the center of the room. Kharon sighed as he cracked his knuckles. Dust and rubble was quickly removed as the runic, spider-like devices began scrubbing every inch of the room. 

"This didn't take as much time as I thought. Your runic devices are quite quick. And they don't waste any movement. Did you create them?"

"No. I bought them when the Eclipse Sanctum was still under construction. I couldn't spend my time doing the cleaning for the whole mansion. So these were the best option I had. They saved me hours upon hours of cleaning."

"So if you hadn't bought them, would the Eclipse Sanctum have taken significantly longer?"

Kharon scratched the back of his head as he answered, "It would have probably taken a few more days of work. But the delay wouldn't have been significant. I am a wielder after all. If I was merely an arcana specialist, who knows how long it would have taken? It may take me a few hours to create some complex runeweaves, while other arcana users take days to finish less complex ones."

"Speaking of. I will soon need a few more premade weaves. I was in a tight situation yesterday and ended up using too many."

"That's fine. As long as you weren't hurt. They are only a few pieces of parchment with special writing on them."

Zack smiled as he and Kharon looked at the fully cleaned and empty hall.