Been a while, huh? Well, it hasn't been exciting here, I can say that much. Business has begun to feel stale honestly. And I haven't been trying to date too hard, mainly cause Artemis keeps cockblocking me. Literally, she's warned everyone in town about me. But it doesn't stop them from trying. She just nags them eventually, or their sister does or something. I guess this place doesn't like anarchist martial artists, huh? And it doesn't help I stole this business.
But that hasn't hurt business at all honestly. Which is pretty sweet. If anything, I get extra business cause I serve criminals. But it doesn't always work out, which is what drives people away. Like what happened today.
I was in the midst of negotiating with a young man in leather armor about a bow and poison arrows. When he aimed the bow at me and fired it. I dodged with ease, and knocked him out the entire store with a powerful right straight punch. He went rolling across the guard all the way over the hill, and onto the streets below. With a caved in skull. Dead as hell. Stuff like this is why civilians don't do business with me. There's corpses regularly around.
And I caused a vulture population to emerge around this town. Which is hurting the funeral business a lot because the corpses keep getting eaten before they can stop it in time. On the plus side, I don't get nagged as much about fights because there's never much evidence. Besides the occasional bloodstain but well...
For that, I've been cultivating blood magic. Which is honestly easy to cultivate. I just kill people and just will magic onto their corpse or blood. Which at this point, I just make the blood dig into the ground. Out of sight, out of mind.
What else is worth noting? I haven't been targeted by the Emperor yet, thank the gods. Instead, I've been doing business with their soldiers who like custom gear. And I've begun imbuing the gear with unique elements besides my usual brand of poison. I currently have mastered imbuing fire and lightning into weapons. I'm working on the other elements bit by bit, but it's a struggle.
And I still talk with the Oracles in my head. We're all convinced a war is coming soon, and it's my fault as a businesswoman because I'm the Arms Dealer making the war be able to happen to begin with. What a shame. But ah well, I just make a stockpile of weapons and armor for it to begin with. For this batch, they all start as regular steel and I'll upgrade it based on what the customers want.
The war is gonna be over the Mask of Immortality, they all think. Myself included. But I can care less. I already feel immortal enough, and the chaos will only fuel the Mask's power.
My current invention I'm working on is so controversial to the Oracles. I am working on a MP4 player that can steal music from the future. I am working on it by linking the device to Jacob Hemlock's brain waves. He claims I succeed eventually based on how music apparently "died" in the year 1523 due to this device and how music keeps being sniped from the future. But I haven't even finished the prototype yet. And by die, he means every beat gets made way too early. Which I find funny.
I am close to finishing the main device, and Jacob has suggested putting a record function on it so I can record live music for listening to again later. Which I've gladly agreed to. It will be a wonderful function. I am close to giving up on using technology and relying on magic. I have mastered electric magic too, and all that's left to complete the combo is sound.
Which means I must learn an instrument to cultivate sound magic. Which I've decided on the drums for. The drums are easy, and I move so fast it's cheating. I pump out 60 beats per minute with the power of super speed which is just sweet.
I guess that's enough journaling for the Oracles in my head.
"Go do something cool, I need it for my book about you." Hemlock says with good humor.
Shut up Jacob, I do what I want. But you're right, I do have business to do. There's gonna be a showcase of Martial Arts between two apparently famous clans of Cultivators and Martial Artists. So I'm setting up a stall with some basic goods and a few advanced weapons and armor. I'll mainly be doing it with wood magic and vines to carry my goods through the town.
It's a funny walk. People stare at me like I'm a insanely powerful wizard. I find the dojo where it's all happening with ease based on the crowds outside. Lots of buff men and women wearing dogi of various colors and belts. Most of them are adults, but there are some teens and children running around.
"Can you ID people in this era? We don't need to be giving weapons out to children." Hemlock says nervously.
Be quiet Hemlock. I'm an anarchist and the Guards aren't even useful. Most Guards are signed up with businessmen, not for the general public. That's a vigilante or adventurer's job to serve the public. And it's too voluntary to be considered a regular influence.
"You ever wonder if you really are an anarchist? You try to do business civilly a lot of the time. If not all the time." Hemlock asks warmly.
Honestly, I am only an anarchist in terms of what my job is and how I fight and kill people. Otherwise, I'm a Capitalist.
It isn't long until I get a customer.
"How dare you sell weapons outside my dojo. We are practitioners of the fist, not of steel." Grumpy Martial Artist says with stern annoyance.
I sigh with sad annoyance.
"I am civil, I can leave if you desire. I was just pursuing a good business opportunity." I say apologetically.
"Please do. You are Kobra Withers, correct?" Grumpy Martial Artist asks sternly.
"Yes, sir. Why do you ask?" I ask nervously.
"I have been told you are a competent martial artist and cultivator of poison and steel. And dabble in other elements. I have a few women who would be interested in challenging you today. Will you accept their challenge?" Grumpy Martial Artist says calmly.
He is a tall, buff middle aged man with a bald head, black eyebrows, gray eyes, and a square jawline. He wears a white dogi with a black belt, no shoes.
"I would be willing to help with that. It would raise my reputation and secure more business potentially." I say warmly.
"Come back at noon. We will have three women challenging you in a point match. Not a brutal street fight. Do you need taught the rules of a point match?" Grumpy Martial Artist asks warmly.
"Yes, I've never been in a real martial arts match. Only street fights." I say warmly.