Gathering Information

After Klyde had completely used up all the effects of the Bloodsoul seed, he left his room and went to a local tavern to get something to eat.

Before he departs, he needed to wait for his mana to recover. He had spent all of it in refining his fifth star.

In these five days, he had constantly exhausted his mana reserves to refine the stars in his star sequence. He only took breaks to eat, sleep and do his necessities.

Klyde eventually arrived at a place. He entered while wearing his black cloak, though his hood had been lowered so he didn't look too suspicious. The moment he stepped inside, a few heads turned, but no one stared long.

A hostess gave him a polite nod and gestured him to an open table near a corner at the window. Klyde sat down without a word and leaned back into the wooden seat.

He then waved at a passing server and quickly ordered some food.

Once Klyde got comfortable, he placed his attention to his surroundings. While he was mainly here to eat and recover, he also wanted to use this as an opportunity to gather some information, trivial as it may be.

After all, the mysteries and the supernatural aren't exclusive to solely Magi.

You can often hear mortals sharing their experiences with encounters with ghosts, spirits, strange murmurs, ominous events etc.

In this world, Magi weren't people who bother hiding themselves from the mortal world, and with magical beasts and monsters that frequently cause chaos at certain areas, mortals rely on Magi to eliminate these threats.

A city without the protection of Magi was simply asking to be destroyed or plundered by bandits, strange creatures or various factions—or worse, used as materials for Dark Magi like the Bloodsoul Flower in Klyde's possession.

Though, a large portion of mortals still remain ignorant of the true extent of Magi. They may know that magic exists, but remain clueless about the topics surrounding it, including the official name of such beings.

Of course, at large cities, that's a different story. With many places and organisations like the Magus Academies, as well as aptitude tests at cities, you now occasionally hear topics of discussion surrounding them.

Klyde stared out of the window, letting the voices of his surroundings blend into the background.

"Piece of shit bastard actually got the courage to hit me, so I beat him to a bloody pulp, bahaha!"

"Eh? That scrawny kid?"

"I know right?! Little shit thought I'd pay him so he can buy medicine for his dying mother. But if I did, how else could I buy us drinks, bahaha!"

"Good decision!"

A group of men roared with laughter at a table.

Another conversation could be heard nearby.

"How'd you get kicked out the house again, haha! What'd you say to her this time?"

"I said her stew tasted like a wet cloth! Though, I could've sworn I only muttered it..."

"Haha! What'd you expect? With such lives, all you can do is smile and give praises! You'll get used to it friend..." A man consoled his friend who had recently gotten married.

Klyde listened without expression.

Realising the topic of chatter was uninteresting, he directed his focus elsewhere.

He repeated this process multiple times absentmindedly before his food finally arrived.

The plate hit the table with a dull thud. The smell of roasted meat and potatoes rose up with the steam.

"Please enjoy!"

The serving girl gave a quick nod and moved on without another word.

Klyde picked up his fork and knife. He then cut off a piece of meat and raised it to his mouth.

'It's a bit bland. However, it's not too bad...'

Klyde thought approvingly as he took another bite, analysing the taste like a food critic.

Minutes passed swiftly.

In a leisurely pace, Klyde ate his meal whilst he continued to listen in on the conversations of others.

Of course, Klyde didn't have high hopes in gathering any useful information. But he wasn't bothered.

That was until he overheard something interesting.

"Remember the tax collector's son who ran off with the baker's daughter?"

"What of them?"

"I heard their corpses were found by a travelling merchant last night..."

"Going into the forest? What did they expect? Those bloodthirsty beasts would leave even the most experienced of hunters running for their lives!"

"That's the thing. I heard that the corpses weren't done by a beast. Apparently, their bodies were left fully intact. However, they were completely drained of life, their skin pale as a sheet of paper, and with weird dark scales protruding from them!"

"Scales? Bullshit! I bet it's just the effects of some kind of poison!"

"Could be." The man shrugged.

"Still, to run off into that forest... that fellow must really be damaged in the head," a man sighed.

"That lass was definitely a beauty. It's a shame he also got her killed. I bet her family is furious," another stated, gulping down his liquor before slamming it on the table.

Klyde listened thoughtfully, taking the last bite of his food.

'Drained of life, paleness, and scales? It could be a type of failed zombification done by a magical creature. Hmm... though, it could also be the work of a Magus following an unorthodox Constellation…'

Klyde remembered how some Constellations could change the bloodline of Magi. There were even ones that allowed you to transform into monsters or strange creatures.

For example, once Klyde advanced to Tier 2 Devil, he'd have the bloodline of a devil. He'd gain a stronger body and some unique abilities.

The only disadvantage was that holy magic would become very dangerous to him.

But other than that, the pros certainly outweigh the cons. Even his appearance would become more enhanced and refined, as devils were synonymous with deceit and trickery—thus, having a good appearance certainly helped in that aspect.

Klyde was aware that a Constellation having such abilities to zombify others was within the realm of possibilities.

He also didn't rule out the chance that it may be a type of strange ritual or refinement process to craft an artifact.

Of course, with his limited information based on a few vague descriptions, he couldn't make any further guesses.

If he wanted to find out more, he'd have to personally investigate the matter, something he considered a complete waste of time and likely very dangerous.

Klyde understood profoundly that blindly exploring mysteries and strange phenomena was something only the protagonist could do.

While he didn't mind courting death, the benefits had to be enough for him to take that risk. Otherwise… forget it!

Moreover, Klyde first wanted to sort out his problem of being broke. Once he completed his mission, he planned to return to the academy and sell the Bloodsoul Flower.

As it was a Grade 3 material that essentially had the effects of "rebirth," he knew he'd earn a sizeable sum—anywhere from 5,000 to 15,000 magic crystals depending on the buyer!

Klyde listened for a few more minutes after finishing his meal. Eventually, with no more useful information, he decided it was time to leave.

However, just as he was about to stand, the tavern's atmosphere suddenly shifted.

The door creaked open, and a group of six stepped inside, all wearing dark-trimmed robes with a triangular insignia etched into their shoulders.