Golden morning light spilled softly through the window of Lyra's rented room. She stirred beneath the thick covers, half reluctant to rise, her body still relishing the warmth. A slow, content sigh escaped her lips as she turned her face toward the ceiling.
"So this is what it feels like... to sleep without fear."
Her voice barely broke the silence, but it echoed with meaning. For once, there were no cracking twigs in the dark, no shadows to watch, no need to keep her senses sharp while pretending to rest. Just stillness, comfort, and the rare luxury of true safety.
She curled her legs beneath her and hugged her knees for a moment longer.
"I didn't realize just how much my body had been craving real rest until now."
Eventually, she rose, stretching each limb with slow care. A few weeks' worth of tension lingered in her muscles, but this time it was a pleasant soreness. She padded quietly to the adjoining bathroom, her bare feet brushing against polished wooden floors.
The bath took time to fill, but she didn't rush it. When she finally lowered herself into the steaming water, she felt the last remnants of fatigue melt from her shoulders.
"No incantations, no shimmering enchantments—just water. Plain and warm. And somehow, it feels more magical than any spell I've cast."
It felt decadent.
After drying and dressing in clean travelwear, she pulled her cloak tight and fastened her mask in place. The world beyond her rented room still awaited. Answers waited. And without Noxy beside her to provide them, she had to find them herself.
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Downstairs, the White Fern Inn was already lively. Murmurs of conversation floated from the cafeteria as travelers ate and planned their days. As Lyra entered, a few glances turned her way—some curious, others openly suspicious. A cloaked figure with a mask was far from a common sight.
A pair of adventurers at a nearby table paused mid-bite.
"What's with the mask? You hiding something, lady?"
One muttered just loud enough to be heard.
Another chuckled.
"Probably some runaway noble playing adventurer."
Lyra ignored them and stepped up to the counter, her voice low but clear.
"A breakfast platter, please. And... if you have it, today's newspaper?"
The server blinked, his eyes flicking from her mask to her coin pouch, then offered a polite smile.
"Of course. It'll be just a few copper."
She passed the coins over without a word and took a seat near the window. Though she faced outward, she remained alert to the occasional stare or whisper behind her.
"They're cautious. Or curious. Maybe both. Can't blame them. I'd be suspicious too."
Her food arrived first—fluffy bread, soft-boiled eggs, and a cup of broth rich with spice. Moments later, the server returned with a folded bundle of printed paper.
She unfolded the newspaper carefully, scanning it with the hunger of someone trying to piece together the rules of a world she didn't know anything about.
Year: 1347 of the Etherian Era.
Kingdom: Veldenreach belonged to the Kingdom of Virelles, a trade-heavy territory known for its military neutrality and economic networks.
Local Governance: Ruled by Lord Ascelin Tervane, a pragmatic noble praised for bolstering the merchant infrastructure and cracking down on smuggling.
Current News: An increase in monster sightings around Wyrmshade Forest. Bandit activity northwest. Noble families vying for favor within the royal court.
"So this is the city I've stepped into... and the one pulling the strings behind its curtain."
She turned a few more pages, absorbing names and events like puzzle pieces. The breakfast barely registered as she chewed absentmindedly.
"If I want to understand my place in this world... I need to start with its roots."
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Once finished, she returned to the front desk.
"Excuse me. Is there a public library in the city?"
The receptionist nodded, adjusting her spectacles.
"Certainly. One of the best on this side of the continent. The Grand Library is in the Scholars' District. Bit of a ride from here, though."
"How should I get there?"
"Hire a variate carriage. Most drivers know it by name. Just say 'Veldenreach Grand Library.'"
"Thank you."
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Outside, Lyra flagged down a variate—an enchanted, rail-less carriage powered by embedded runes and mana crystals. She gave the destination, climbed in, and settled by the window.
As the carriage began to move, she caught the driver glancing at her reflection through the glass partition.
"Not often I see someone travel like that," he said casually. "The cloak, the mask. You expecting trouble?"
"No. Just avoiding unnecessary attention."
The driver chuckled.
"Ironically, that kind of look brings the opposite. But hey, none of my business."
The ride revealed Veldenreach in full. Beyond the trade-heavy district near the White Fern Inn, there were artisan streets packed with blacksmiths, mages' workshops glowing with sigils, and schools echoing with morning bells. The city stretched like a breathing entity—diverse, layered, and very much alive.
"This place... it's like a heart pulsing with knowledge and commerce."
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Eventually, the urban sprawl gave way to refined stone paths flanked by tall statues and manicured trees. At the center of the Scholar's District stood the Grand Library.
Three stories tall and crafted of ancient gray stone, the building looked more like a temple than a repository of books. Vines crept up the columns, and stained-glass windows shimmered beneath the rising sun.
"It looks like it holds the memory of centuries."
Inside, she was greeted by the smell of parchment and ink. The floors were polished stone, and golden chandeliers hovered overhead, lit by enchanted fire. Shelves stretched tall, and rows of silent readers wandered like ghosts among them.
Two grand staircases flanked the rear walls, curling upward to the second level.
At the central desk sat an older man with round glasses and a quill in hand.
"Welcome to the Veldenreach Grand Library. First time here?"
"Yes. I'd like to understand how your collection is organized."
"Of course. First floor holds casual and common-interest materials—cooking, fiction, fables. Second floor houses academics: history, math, politics, geography and other academic subjects. Third floor is reserved for magic and related subjects—magical theory, alchemy, beast lore, the like."
"I'm looking for books about the history of this world—and about magical beasts, if you have them."
He smiled faintly, already scribbling notes.
"Second floor, east wing. History section's labeled in red. Magical beasts are on the third floor, northern wing. Just follow the blue banners.
"One more thing. Can I borrow any of these books?"
The librarian's smile dimmed.
"Sadly, no. A few years ago, someone borrowed several rare volumes and sold them in another city. Since then, Lord Tervane forbade lending. You may purchase copies from the scribe office, if available."
Lyra nodded with quiet understanding.
"It's reasonable. These books... they're worth more than coin."
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On the second floor, Lyra quickly gathered a modest stack of titles:
A Concise History of the Known World
The Rise of Virelles
Continental Power Shifts: From Empires to Kingdoms
The Origins of Mana
Pantheons and Faiths of the Divided Lands
For hours she sat in still silence, flipping page after page, her eyes devouring every sentence. She learned of wars long past, of kings dethroned, of divine pacts made and broken.
"The Etherian Era began after the Sundering of Aelrias... when the old gods were said to fall."
"So Virelles rose from the ashes of a fallen empire. A new kingdom made from fractured lands."
"And the churches... each fighting not just for belief, but influence."
It was overwhelming—but it gave her foundation.
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Eventually, when the words began to blur on the pages and her focus started to slip, Lyra rose from her seat and made her way up the grand staircase to the third floor.
The magic in the air was palpable. Shelves hummed faintly. She followed the blue banners to the bestiary section and pulled several volumes free.
The Fundamentals of Magical Beasts
Corruption and Mutation: A Study of Twisted Fauna
Rare Phenomena: The Gifted Beasts
Systematic Ranking of Beasts and Monsters
She found a quiet desk and began again.
Magical Beasts — born or shaped by ambient mana. Often intelligent. Some form contracts, others roam freely. Creatures like Veyrith.
Corrupted Beasts — animals driven mad by unstable mana. Violent. Mindless. Hostile to all, even one another.
Gifted Beasts — blessed with unique gifts at birth. Intelligent beyond humans. Cores from these beasts form the rare treasures like gift awakening stones. Sacred and dangerous
Lyra stilled at the last page.
"So the gifts I awakened... came from a creature like that?"
She closed the book slowly, her mind spinning.
One last volume broke down classification tiers based on strength and danger level, applicable to all known beast types regardless of origin:
Normal Beast — No mana and no inherent magical traits. Harmless or easily handled by even novice adventurers.(Example: Forest hare, Ridgeback boar)
Lesser Magical Beast — Possess minor magical traits or affinity. Typically pose a threat to untrained individuals.(Example: Embertail fox, Frostclaw wolf)
Greater Magical Beast — Capable of using advanced magic, often intelligent and territorial. Require skilled adventurers or magic users to confront.(Example: Thunderhorn stag, Whispering drake)
High Magical Beast — Stronger than Greater Magical Beasts, often possessing rare abilities or hybrid traits. Dangerous to small adventurer teams if underestimated.(Example: Stormfang panther, Crystalhide bear)
Elite Beast — Exceptionally powerful magical beasts with unique Gifts. Often regional threats, capable of reshaping battlefields.(Example: Blazehowl lion, Phantom basilisk)
Lord Beast — Rulers among beasts; intelligent, ancient, and capable of commanding entire armies of lesser beasts. Often serve as the apex predator of vast territories.(Example: Obsidianfang direwolf, Stormwing roc)
Mythical Beast — Ancient, near-divine entities tied to world legends. Their presence can alter the fate of entire continents.(Example: World Serpent of the North, Phoenix of the Crimson Sky)
She read until shadows stretched across the floors. The golden light of the setting sun filtered through stained glass in fractured rainbows.
Quietly, Lyra returned each book to its place, nodded to the librarian, and stepped out into the evening air.
"I may not have Noxy... but knowledge remains. And I will use it."
She flagged a variate and rode back toward the White Fern Inn. Her satchel was no heavier, but her mind was.
Today she'd gained no weapons, no coin, no spell.
But she had sharpened something