Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Get out of jail card

Noah sat within a dark damp chamber carved entirely of stone, with a single metal door frame as the only source of light within the room. With [Void Hunter’s Eyes] not working, the darkness was enough to keep him blind to everything around him.

Aurelia stirred near him, the only sounds coming from her were her quiet breath, and the occasional rustle. Even so, Noah felt glad to have someone with him, or he would’ve gone mad stuck here all by himself. Using his elbow, he pushed the metal shackle against the wall, slowly going over the motions to not make too much sound.

“I guess we messed up a little huh,” Noah said, pulling at his shackles. The metal stirred with Magic, refusing to budge.

“We?!” Aurelia exclaimed, with far more anger in her voice than he’d ever heard from her. “I told you to be careful. But no, you just have to go against anything I say. First you lose your arm, then you put an Abyssal parasite into it, before getting us killed by insisting on going through the Serpent’s Grove, and then you pick the single cursed item you could find before somehow injecting the Rot into yourself and surviving only to become even more monstrous looking. There’s no we here, Noah,” Aurelia huffed, breathing hard as she glared at him.

Somehow, even in the pitch dark, her eyes were bright enough to reflect back light.

“Is this how you are when your Berserker Perk turns off?” Noah asked, leaning back.

Aurelia paused, seemingly taken aback by his question. Noah watched her go silent, murmuring something to herself as she sat quietly for a while, breathing deeply three times.

“Yes. This is how I am,” Aurelia replied. “Not the best version of me, is it?”

“I wouldn’t know. But I like this Aurelia more. She seems more honest, and more real,” Noah said.

Aurelia glanced at him for a moment in surprise. “Thanks,” she whispered. “And you didn’t deserve that lecture. Not all of it. I agreed to go through the Serpent’s Grove, and I forgot to do something about your appearance as well.”

“Nah, definitely deserved. I’ve been an idiot. I have a bad habit of doing things before thinking about them,” Noah said under his breath.

“That you certainly do,” Aurelia said with a chuckle.

Noah struck his elbow at the wall again, and felt something crack. A little chunk of rock broke off, and Noah found a jagged edge behind him, where he could wedge the chains. A few minutes of fumbling later, Noah found the chain anchor itself, as he pulled.

Noah’s muscles strained, body tensing as he used his weight to pull with everything he had. The magic on his handcuffs whirred, vibrating as Noah kept pulling, before a crack had him face-planting on the cold stone floor.

“What’re you doing? Don’t even try to break those, they’re reinforced,” Aurelia said.

Noah rubbed his face, feeling blood dripping from his nose. Picking himself up he felt at his teeth with his tongue, before spitting the blood out of his mouth. “Well, I certainly have nothing better to do,” he replied.

Steps echoed through the hallway a moment later, as a figure walked up to the prison cell. With a metallic rumble, the gates opened, and a human man walked inside a strange slate in his hand.

Walking up to Aurelia, he glanced at her once. “State your name.”

“Aurelia Fauster,” Aurelia said, before frowning

The slate lit up, words flashing upon it.

“E rank, almost D now. And a registered adventurer. Why did you enter the Astral Rift?” the man asked.

Noah felt his heart racing as he saw Aurelia’s Astral script display itself.

“Wasn’t my choice, but also to make sure this idiot here didn’t get himself killed,” Aurelia replied.

“What is your association with this void creature? He does not seem to be your summon,” the man asked.

“I’m not a void creature,” Noah replied in Aurelia’s place, and the man frowned, but ignored him.

“He’s not. I can confirm it. The guild has already checked him and given him the go for registering,” Aurelia replied.

“Very well, come with me,” the man said, walking up to Aurelia. Crouching, the man reached behind her back, unlocking her shackles as they fell to the ground.

Clutching her wrists, Aurelia stood up, stretching her body as she took in a deep breath. “Ah, that feels so much better.”

“Follow me,” the man said, turning around.

“Wait, hold on, what about me?” Noah asked, but the man did not stop, making his way out. Aurelia followed, glancing at Noah once, before she whispered something under her breath that he couldn’t hear as the door shut behind them.

Noah sat alone in the darkness, feeling the cold slowly starting to seep into his body. His mind kept running through the number of possible things that could go wrong if they looked at the wrong parts of his Astral script, or decided to ask questions that he could not give a good answer to.

Looking around, Noah tried to see if he could escape should the need arise. His glances showed nothing useful, and without identify, he had no idea if he could take on the guards in a fight. Certainly not with these shackles placed on him.

Trying once more, Noah reached for his Astral Script.

The shackles whirred around him, vibrating as Noah continued to push. A piercing pain enveloped his head the more he continued, as the vibration of his shackles increased.

Come on, come on, do SOMETHING.

A crack echoed in Noah’s head, as he felt the pain vanish. Opening his eyes, Noah realized blood was dripping both from his nose and ears, but his mind was somewhere else.

A screen displayed in front of him.

Astral Script (LOCKED):

Name: Noah Brown

Race: Human (Symbiont)

Rank: F

Paths:

Exsanguinator - level 42

Astralwalker - level 41

Void Hunter - level 39

Attributes:

Power: 116

Agility: 108

Constitution: 114

Mystic: 142

Attribute points: 95

[Abilities]

[Skills]

[Perks]

[Quests]

[Items]

Noah stared at the display, before trying to reach out to his perks menu. The system did not budge, remaining unresponsive as the shackles whirred even harder than before. The pain this time was enough to leave Noah collapsed on the ground, feeling as though his head was splitting apart.

A moment later, he redirected his efforts, trying to push away [Voidborne] out of his Astral Script.

A similar pressure appeared, but Noah continued undeterred. The shackles whirred, vibrating like crazy as a muted gasp left Noah’s mouth from the pain. A moment later, a similar feeling as before, that of something cracking, came again as his menu edited itself.

[Voidborne (Hidden)]

Noah panted, feeling the blood dripping from his ears and nose, as sweat beaded his entire body. Taking a few moments to breathe, Noah pulled himself up, wiping the blood on his hands, making sure none of it was visible on him as he put his back against the wall to rest.

His head felt like it had just been stabbed a hundred times over.

Unfortunately for Noah, his rest did not last very long, as the gate to his prison cell opened again.

A guard walked to stand in front of Noah. “Name, please.”

“Noah Brown,” Noah replied, feeling a powerful intrusive sense push against him. He hissed involuntarily, feeling annoyed at the sensation.

Noah let go, allowing the strange sensation to go through him. He shuddered, feeling oddly violated as a deep part in him somewhere felt looked at. A moment later, he saw his Astral script displaying itself to the man.

Noah felt his heart pounding, as he saw the man scroll through the menu.

“Get up,” the guard said, walking inside.

Noah groaned, pulling himself up with effort. The guard looked at him, before turning around and walking out.

“Won’t open these?” Noah asked, shaking his shackles.

“You wish,” the guard snorted, closing the prison cell behind him. Another guard stood outside with a spear. “Follow along and don’t try anything,” the guard said, and Noah nodded, following behind.

Walking through the narrow corridors, Noah found himself standing in an office. He noted Aurelia standing inside, before his gaze went to the man seated on the central seat. The man was old, looking to be somewhere around sixty, with a balding head, and a round figure. He wore simple but expensive looking clothes, with a white shirt and a brown coat. But something told Noah the man was strong, a lot stronger than he appeared.

“Is that the prisoner?” the man asked.

“Yes, governor,” the guard said, saluting. Another guard walked closer, before pushing on Noah’s shoulder, making him kneel.

“And you’re claiming he’s an outerworlder, which is why he’s unregistered with any kingdom?” the governor asked, turning to Aurelia.

“I am. And I’m willing to vouch for him,” Aurelia said, glancing at Noah.

“Hmm, this is a difficult position to be in. The man is most certainly human, but not entirely. He’s fused himself with an Abyssal symbiote? I have never heard of the type either. Not to mention, entering an Astral Rift without permission. Had he collapsed that rift by accident, all of Windrest would’ve been destroyed.”

“Forgive me for the insolence, governor, but I don’t think something the goddess Avera herself created can be collapsed so easily,” Aurelia said.

“Be that as it may, this does not set a good precedence. Laws exist for a reason,” the governor said, frowning.

The gate to the chamber opened, as another guard walked in, whispering something in the governor’s ears. The man turned, looking sideways, before nodding.

The guard walked out at the governor’s response, before a familiar figure stomped in. “Apologies for the inconvenience one of ours has caused you governer,” Nae said, bowing.

“No need, miss Nae, and I don’t believe this individual is registered yet, so you are not in charge of his actions,” the governor said.

“Indeed, which is something the blockhead should realise, so that he can learn to perhaps think a bit more before he jumps into stupid actions,” Nae said, glaring in his direction. “But we did intend to take him in, and Raesar does not back down from his word. So he’s one of ours as long as he intends to join the guild,” Nae said.

The governor nodded. “Very well, then the question lies with the individual. Do you intend to join the guild, Mr. Noah?”

Noah looked up at the governor, his gaze going to Nae a moment later. “I do,” he replied.

“I hope you have the contract with you,” Nae asked.

“I have it,” Noah replied, trying to reach out for it from his inventory before he realised he could not right now.

“In that case, I’d like to offer a compromise. We’ll dock his pay for six months, the first term of his signed contract, which will be given to the governor’s house as compensation for all the trouble he has caused you. And if he acts up again, I’ll send Raesar after him,” Nae said.

The governor shuddered before chuckling. “Harsh measures, that.”

“Deserved, in my opinion. He needs to learn that his actions have consequences, especially because he’s an outerworlder,” Nae replied.

“Very well. It seems you have this handled then, miss Nae,” the governor said, before turning towards the guards. “Release him.”

One of the guards walked closer, and Noah felt a pulse of mana travel near his hands before the shackles fell off.

Astral System unlocked!

Soul Modification level 3 → 7.

Soul Resistance level 9

→ 10.

Soul Resistance has reached rank Intermediate!

Noah stood up, feeling like a restraint had finally been lifted from his soul. Taking in a deep breath, he enjoyed the sensation of mana returning to his body.

“Take out the contract and sign, or I’ll dump you here right this instant,” Nae said, walking closer as she stomped on his foot.

“Ouch,” Noah said, feeling surprised by the strength in the woman’s rather small body.

Reaching out to his Inventory, Noah grabbed the contract. Words displayed themselves in front of him.

Guild Registration form of Adventuring (Outerworlder)

An Identification and Registration form for Outerworlders to join the Adventuring guild of Erandir (Branch Windrest), under the Interdimensional Astral Breach Entity agreement of the Council of Awakened, Section 7-C.

By signing this document, you are agreeing to become a part of the guild of Windrest and come under its legal jurisdiction and authority over your person as a being not from Erandir or its tied Astral Planar entities.

This is a magically binding contract.

Do you agree to the terms?

Yes/No?

After looking through it once, Noah selected yes.

Contract accepted!

Noah felt the magic place something akin to a mark somewhere on him, a constant reminder of the presence of the contract.

“We’ll take our leave now governor, I apologise once again for all the trouble,” Nae said bowing.

“I would like to apologise as well,” Noah said, bowing once.

The governor nodded, as the three of them exited the office. Walking through the pristine halls, Noah realised the next moment that he still only had his shorts on.

“Umm, can I get some clothes?” he asked.

Nae glanced at him, before reaching out into her inventory as she took out a robe. “I only have my clothes,” she said.

Noah looked at the cloth, realising the size difference. Shrugging, he put the robe on. The open front chest and short length ending around his upper thighs only served to make his appearance all the more odd looking, but he found it too late to try and return the robe now.

“So, I may have bailed you out but that does not mean we’re done, okay? I have words for just how much trouble you put me through,” Nae said with a scowl.

Noah saw Aurelia nodding along with her arms crossed.

“Sorry?” Noah said, and Nae kicked his leg.

“Don’t sorry? Me. You’re an adventurer now, so you better act like it, or I’ll have Raesar pummel you. Trust me, that’s not a threat, that’s a promise.”

Noah gulped, nodding at her words.

“Good. Now, I had a look at your Astral Script. Given how strongly you wanted to hide it, I thought you might’ve had some strange Paths or not great sub-attributes. But by mother’s grace, what kind of monster are you?” Nae said, whispering. “I won’t share anything here, I’m not an idiot, but if I knew, I would’ve gotten you into the guild without a second thought.”

“Umm, this means they are good, right?”

“Good is a bit insufficient to describe it. You have some of the best sub attributes I’ve ever seen on a new adventurer. You’re sorely lacking in some regards, but the ones you’re strong in, you’re really strong in,” Nae said, before glancing at his arm. “Is it the Symbiote thing that’s the reason for your sub-attributes?”

Noah shrugged.

“Fine, don’t tell me, but I do have a question,” Glancing back, Nae looked Noah in the eye.

The words that came from her mouth next made him want to curse.

“Why do you have a divine perk?”