Sol breathed heavily and steadied himself by gripping the edge of the table.
Again…
The thought crossed his mind, more tired than frustrated.
After a few moments, his condition stabilized. He raised his head and activated his Spirit Vision, carefully observing the changes in his body.
This time, the influx of information was intense but controllable. It rushed through his mind in fragments, pressing against his consciousness before settling down.
"Sequence 7… Warlock… Appraisal… Strength…" Sol muttered quietly as the knowledge arranged itself.
A clear understanding soon followed.
"So I can partially use some Sequence 7 Appraiser abilities," he concluded, "while fully utilizing all abilities of Sequence 8 and 9."
Satisfied, Sol deactivated his Spirit Vision, cleared the altar, and erased all traces of the ritual. With nothing else to do, he lay down and fell asleep.
——––
The next days, Life soon returned to a measured rhythm.
He spent most of his time studying languages such as Jotun, Dragonese, and Ancient Hermes. The process was unexpectedly smooth. Words and grammar stayed firmly in his memory after only a single reading.
Occasionally, he visited the markets, purchasing items that interested him. He restocked mystical ingredients and bought materials suitable for crafting charms.
As night fell, Sol rented a relatively quiet and slightly luxurious inn. After having dinner there, he returned to his room, sealed it with spirituality, and prepared another ritual.
He gathered the charm materials along with an Assassin characteristic and sent them into Sefirot, entering immediately afterward.
Inside Sefirot, Sol summoned a table and a comfortable chair. Using his authority, he isolated the area around himself, blocking out the distant ravings.
Once settled, he began engraving charms. With Sefirot's power, he infused them carefully, maintaining steady control throughout the process.
By the end, he had completed eight charms: three Sleep Charms, two Barrier Charms, and three Ignition Charms. Last was one he had learned earlier by passively listening to the undying corpses within Sefirot.
Before leaving, he listened briefly to the ravings of a relatively less distorted corpse, but gained nothing useful.
Sol exited Sefirot and slept.
The next morning, after washing up and changing into ordinary clothes, Sol had breakfast at the same inn and checked out.
He browsed the bounty board briefly before entering Seaweed Bar, intent on earning money.
The place was dirty and noisy. Low-bounty pirates, criminals, and drunkards filled the room. Sol recognized several faces immediately.
He took a seat, ordered a glass of beer, and quietly scanned the crowd.
Soon, he identified multiple targets—bounties of 800 pounds, 1200 pounds—but one man stood out. A pirate with a bounty of 2600 pounds.
Sol moved slightly closer to the crowd for caution and activated his Spirit Vision.
A Beyonder… probably Sequence 8 or 7. No artifacts, he assessed.
Too risky. I don't know his pathway.
He decided not to act.
When the pirate and his group left, Sol tried asking the bartender about them, but obtained little information.
Instead, his attention shifted to another man who appeared to have a close connection with the pirate.
When that man left the bar with two others, Sol followed at a distance.
They soon reached an empty corner near the Red Theatre. The area was dim and deserted. The three men surrounded a woman.
Seeing opportunity, Sol did not hesitate.
"Sleep," he said in Jotun.
The effect was immediate.
He fired three shots in quick succession.
One struck a non-Beyonder in the head. The other two hit the other men side.
Both fell instantly.
The remaining man—a Beyonder—reacted faster. Sensing imminent death, he turned and ran.
Sol fired twice more, hitting his leg and torso. The man stumbled and collapsed, shouting curses.
The woman took the opportunity to escape.
He didn't try to stop the women to throw some flashy line because one he didn't like that and second she most probably was a prostitute and he just killed her three customers.
Sol walked forward and stopped in front of the injured Beyonder.
"So, what do you know about pirate Roe?" he asked calmly.
After a brief and peaceful conversation, Sol looted the bodies, collected the Beyonder characteristic, and disappeared into the night.
Later that night, Sol sat on the rooftop of a three-story building, watching a nearby two-story house.
Before long, the person he was waiting for emerged with another man. Sol followed them for nearly ten minutes until they reached a dense forest.
The pirate Beyonder traced a mark on a tree and ordered the other man to dig.
Within minutes, they unearthed a large, heavy box and started lifting.
Sol acted immediately.
He threw a Sleep Charm.
The non-Beyonder collapsed, while the pirate staggered slightly as the box fell back into the hole.
Sol tossed an open sack of sulfur and activated another charm.
"Ignite," he said in Ancient Hermes.
Boom..boom..
Five explosions erupted at once. Smoke and heat filled the forest. The pirate defended himself but still suffered injuries.
Using Spirit Vision, Sol quickly locked onto his position and jumped down from the tree.
The pirate recovered quickly, drawing his revolver and grabbing a stone , preparing for a 'bribe'.
Sol fired twice, disrupting his aim.
The pirate took cover behind a tree, firing back blindly. Sol also took cover.
"You fu*king ba*tard m*ron , I will fu*king kill you." The pirate shouted angrily.
Without wasting time, Sol threw more sulfur sacks toward the pirate's location, guided by Spirit Vision.
Three explosions followed, bringing down nearby trees.
The pirate was badly injured but still standing.
Sol kept his distance. He waited.
When the pirate tried to close in, moving between the trees.Just as pirate was in range ,Sol activated the charm again.
"Ignite."
Explosions rang out.
The pirate was thrown against a tree, his body burned and bleeding heavily.
To be safe, Sol fired a final shot to the head and threw another Sleep Charm.
Only then did he approach and collect the head, storing it in a seperate bag and Beyonder characteristic.
He left the area just before the officials arrived.