The Hero’s Ascension

Shopping in a New World

Liza led me through crowded streets, weaving in and out of oncoming traffic. The size of the buildings and the bright lights shining off them filled me with excitement.

“Where are we going, Liza?” I asked, half curious and half wanting to break the silence between us. “You said clothes, so… I would have to guess we’re going shopping.”

“That’s partially correct. We are on our way through the Healing District, taking the fastest route to the Shopping District.” She raised her hand and pointed at a nearby building. “That’s the main hospital. We bring the gravely wounded here.”

“Ahhh… so it’s like the emergency room back on Earth,” I whispered under my breath, raising my voice back to a normal level. “So the city is divided into districts, then? If that’s right, how many does Grand City have?”

“Five, all encompassing one larger district…” She stopped and cocked her head before continuing. “If you count the Guild’s Central District, there are six. Speaking of the guild, we’ll have to get you registered shortly after we grab your clothes.”

“Guild? Register? Explain, please… I’d rather not sign up for some weird MLM,” I argued, thinking of the time my mother got mixed up in one. “Those guys are bad news…”

When I looked up, Liza was just staring back at me, her expression completely blank with confusion.

“M L M?”

Hearing the words come out of Liza’s mouth caused me to break into a laugh I tried to stop. I covered my face with my hands, blocking her view. I laughed until tears began to roll from my eyes.

“Don’t worry about it, ha ha ha… Your face is hilarious,” I forced out through my giggles. “Thank you for that. I haven’t had a laugh that good in, well, a very, very long time, Liza.”

“Whatever! Let’s go!”

She reached her hand out and grabbed mine again, yanking me hard toward her. We continued our walk through the city. After a few minutes, we arrived at the Residential District. Large buildings filled the area, with a few nicer houses scattered amongst them.

We didn’t stay long. Liza took us through a shortcut she said would be quicker. The district passed in a blur of apartments, corner shops, and people simply living their lives. Children chased one another between buildings while a woman leaned from a balcony to yell at someone below.

Nobody stared at us. Nobody laughed. Nobody leaned over to whisper behind their hands. I was just another face in the crowd, being dragged around by a crazy girl, and somehow, that felt nice.

Again, I found myself asking internally about getting home less and more about following this girl wherever she led. What did I have at home, anyway? Bullies and unrealistic expectations. Here, I felt free.

We broke into the Shopping District, and the city seemed to come alive all over again. Voices roared from every direction as merchants stood outside brightly decorated storefronts, shouting over one another in a desperate attempt to draw in customers. The air itself was thick with the smell of fresh bread, roasted meat, exotic spices, and something that smelled like perfumes I couldn’t even begin to identify.

Tons of colorful banners hung between buildings several stories high, whipping in the wind while magically enchanted signs floated above shops, glowing with runes and animated displays. Crowds packed the streets shoulder to shoulder, haggling over prices, examining strange magical trinkets, and carrying bags stuffed with everything from enchanted weapons to freshly baked pastries.

“Up this way is Hal’s place. He’s an armorer and one of my closest friends.” She grinned a big, goofy, knowing grin. “He owes me quite a few favors, and mama is coming to cash those checks.”

The sight of the town kept me starstruck for a moment. After forcefully making myself look away from the cityscape, I nodded and began to walk toward the shop, Liza still tugging on my arm in an impatient manner.

“This way. Once we get inside, let me talk,” Liza said, holding her index finger to her mouth. “Hal doesn’t trust easy. You’re not only strange but a new face… I’d hate for him to talk you up to a price even I couldn’t cover…”

“Gotcha. Let’s go meet Hal!”

We entered the building, the bell above the door chiming to mark the arrival of a new buyer. One would think that would make the owner happy, right? The man in front of me, the moment our eyes met, scowled deeply. He glanced back and forth from Liza to myself.

“You’re joking, right…” The man raised his hand to his head and furrowed his brow. “Liza… how many times are you going to bring new people here? You know I get anxious!”

I’d been in the store for less than a minute and had somehow become this man’s biggest problem this week.

“Come on, Hal! You know you owe me. What about the time I introduced you to what ended up being your wife? Can’t tell me to stop doing what I’m good at.”

Liza adjusted her footing and began inching toward the massive shop owner. His face changed from anxious to angry to confused, and I’m pretty sure I saw fear in there at one point.

“Hal… this kid needs some gear. He’s new, unregistered, clearly an idiot, and kinda cute… but in like a Grave Hound kind of way.”

As I tried to figure out what the hell a Grave Hound was, the two of them disappeared into the back of the shop, returning after what felt like twenty minutes. Both of them had clothing and gear in their hands.

Hal ushered me forcefully into a changing room and threw me new things to try on, one after the other, like a well-oiled machine, until the perfect outfit was found.

My new outfit was a vast majority dark black with sigil markings in purple. My jean shorts were replaced with some ordinary combat trousers. They weren’t as comfortable and were severely lacking in the extra room department in comparison, but they were far sturdier.

“Here, take this. I couldn’t help but notice you didn’t carry a weapon. It’s not much, but as a beginner adventurer, it’ll come in handy.”

He then walked me back to Liza. She was waiting with her familiar grin and witty remarks. Once she had finished up with Hal, we left the guild, our next destination.

Without being prompted, the panel I had almost forgotten about exploded into my vision.

[ Quest Received! ]

[ Register at the guild and complete your first quest. ]

[ Completion Rewards: 100XP + Spatial Storage (8 slots) ]

[ Notice: This quest cannot be declined. ]