Elias endured his trial alone in the cramped corner of Jin's family dwelling. Unlike previous transformations, this one worked deeper, beneath the surface musculature. He felt his bones grow denser, his tendons toughen, his very marrow churn with adaptation. He bit down on a strip of leather to keep from making noise as wave after wave of pain coursed through him.
Musculature Density Enhancement: 67% Complete.Skeletal Reinforcement: InitiatingPain Tolerance: Adapting
The System's notifications appeared like whispers in his mind, clinical and detached from the agony they represented. Elias focused on his breathing, using techniques that had emerged instinctively during previous trials. The pain was a forge, he reminded himself. It was remaking him into something stronger.
When the transformation subsided, he lay drenched in sweat but remarkably energized. His body felt heavier yet more responsive, as if gravity itself had lessened its hold on him. He flexed his hand, watching the play of newly defined muscles beneath his skin. Even that simple movement contained potential power he'd never before possessed.
Trial Complete.Strength Rating: D → C-.Durability Rating: D+ → C.New Passive Ability: Impact Redistribution.Physical stress dispersed across enhanced musculoskeletal system
Evening had fallen. Through Jin's window, Elias could see lanterns being lit throughout the River Rat settlement. He had a few hours before his midnight meeting with Mama Reeves. Time to prepare, to plan.
He retrieved the journal from its hiding place and continued studying the legible portions, committing every detail to memory. The Memory Walkers had developed techniques to enhance their natural abilities—ways to project their consciousness along memory-traces, to extract knowledge more efficiently, to imprint their own memories onto objects for later retrieval.
Most of these techniques required levels of bloodline activation he hadn't yet achieved, but understanding their theoretical basis would help when his abilities matured further.
One passage particularly caught his attention:
The Memory Catalyst disc functions by resonating with specific neural patterns in our bloodline. When activated properly, it can accelerate awakening by approximately 300%. However, rapid awakening risks detection by both local authorities and the Seekers. The ideal usage pattern is twelve-hour activation followed by seventy-two hours of integration...
The rest was damaged, but the implications were clear. The disc in the chest could dramatically accelerate his bloodline awakening—if he could retrieve it. And these "Seekers" were another threat to consider, though their nature remained mysterious.
A soft knock interrupted his reading. He quickly hid the journal as Jin entered, carrying a bundle of cloth.
"Clothes for tonight," the boy explained, setting the bundle down. "Mama says to be ready in an hour. Plans changed."
"Why?" Elias asked, immediately suspicious.
Jin shrugged. "Don't know. She received a message from upriver. Been in her quarters since." He hesitated. "Listen, Elias. Whatever happens tonight, watch your back. Mama's been acting strange since that chest showed up."
After Jin left, Elias examined the provided clothing—a merchant's attire, simple but well-made. Dark colors for moving unnoticed at night, but quality fabric that wouldn't seem out of place in the Noble Quarter.
He dressed quickly, then spent several minutes practicing fluid movement in the unfamiliar garments. His enhanced body adapted quickly, finding balance and grace despite the restrictive cut of the merchant's jacket.
Next, he checked Kallen's sword, which he'd kept hidden since arriving at the settlement. The blade was serviceable, but distinctive in its Brass Tiger styling. He couldn't risk being identified by it. Reluctantly, he rewrapped it and hid it beneath the floorboard alongside the journal. He would have to go unarmed, trusting in his enhanced physical capabilities if danger arose.
As the appointed hour approached, Elias left the dwelling and made his way to the docks. His night vision, newly enhanced by his latest transformation, revealed details in the darkness that would have been invisible days ago. He could see lookouts positioned at key points along the settlement's perimeter. More than usual, he noted. Mama Reeves had increased security.
At the dock, a sleek skiff waited, its profile suggesting speed rather than capacity. Mama Reeves stood beside it, dressed in attire similar to his own, though more feminine in cut. The chest sat at her feet, now wrapped in oilcloth.
"You clean up well," she observed as he approached. "Almost pass for a merchant's son."
"Almost isn't good enough in the Noble Quarter," Elias replied.
Mama Reeves smiled thinly. "Perceptive. Which is why we're not going as merchants after all." She gestured to the skiff. "Get in. I'll explain on the way."
Elias complied, noting that no River Rats accompanied them. Whatever Mama Reeves had planned, she wanted minimal witnesses.
As they pushed off from the dock, she took up the oars, demonstrating surprising strength for her age. They moved swiftly upstream, keeping to the shadows along the riverbank. When they were well away from the settlement, she spoke again.
"The potential buyer contacted me directly. They know what we found."
Elias tensed. "How?"
"Information flows in this city. River Rats aren't the only ones who keep watch on the waters." She navigated around a partially submerged tree. "They're offering ten thousand silver talents. Enough to keep our settlement provisioned for years."
"That's... generous," Elias said carefully.
"Too generous," Mama Reeves agreed. "Which means they're desperate. Or dangerous. Or both."
"Yet we're still going."
"With precautions." She nodded toward the bow, where a small pouch lay. "Open it."
Inside, Elias found a metallic badge embossed with a familiar symbol—the Brass Tiger Sect emblem.
"You're impersonating sect members?" he asked incredulously.
"Not impersonating. Borrowing legitimacy." Mama Reeves produced a second badge from her pocket. "These belonged to Kallen Reed and his partner. They made the mistake of trying to shake down one of my suppliers last month. The badges were... salvaged."
Elias understood immediately. "The Brass Tigers are looking for me. If we're seen..."
"Exactly. Which is why you'll stay hooded and silent. I'll do the talking." She smiled grimly. "Brass Tiger involvement will make our buyer cautious. Less likely to attempt a double-cross."
The plan was clever but incredibly risky. If they encountered actual Brass Tiger members, or if their buyer had connections to the sect...
"Who exactly is this buyer?" Elias asked.
"They call themselves the Archivists. A minor faction within House Mendel. They collect pre-Cultivation artifacts and lore." Mama Reeves's expression grew serious. "Usually they deal in trinkets and fragments. But for this chest, they're mobilizing significant resources."
House Mendel. One of the seven Noble Houses that governed Whitebrand, specializing in historical recordkeeping and the preservation of cultivation techniques. Their tower stood in the northwestern quadrant of the Noble Quarter, surrounded by extensive gardens rumored to contain plants from the earliest days of cultivation.
"We're not going to their tower, are we?" Elias asked, alarmed at the prospect of entering such a heavily guarded location.
"No. The meeting is at a private dock owned by a Mendel tributary family. The Voss compound." Mama Reeves handed him the Brass Tiger badge. "Put this on, but keep it partially covered. The suggestion of authority is more effective than its obvious display."
Elias complied, though every instinct warned against associating himself with the very sect hunting him. "And if things go wrong?"
"Then I hope your mysterious strength is as formidable as the rumors suggest," she replied frankly.
They continued upstream in silence, leaving the industrial sectors behind and entering the cleaner waters that bordered the Noble Quarter. Here, the river widened and deepened, accommodating the ornate pleasure barges and private vessels of Whitebrand's elite.
Elias could see the great towers of the Noble Houses rising above the skyline, each unique in architecture yet similar in their ostentatious display of power. Cultivation energy visibly surrounded them, manifesting as subtle auras that his enhanced vision could now perceive—seven pillars of light reaching toward the stars.
Mama Reeves guided their skiff toward a modest dock extending from a walled compound on the river's eastern bank. Lanterns illuminated a small gazebo at the dock's end, where three figures waited. As they approached, Elias studied them carefully.
Two were obviously guards—tall, broad-shouldered men with the disciplined posture of trained cultivators. They wore the blue and silver livery of House Mendel, with the addition of a book-and-star emblem that likely represented the Archivist faction.
The third figure was more interesting—a woman of indeterminate age, her silver hair contrasting with her unlined face. She wore scholars' robes, simple yet made from fabric that shimmered with embedded cultivation arrays. Not for protection, Elias noted, but for preservation and memory enhancement. The robes of an academic who valued knowledge above physical power.
As their skiff bumped gently against the dock, the silver-haired woman stepped forward.
"You are late," she said, her voice carrying the cultured accent of Whitebrand's elite.
"The river has its own schedule, Lady Archivist," Mama Reeves replied, securing the skiff. "As do those who travel it."
Elias remained seated, hood pulled forward to shadow his face, but he kept his eyes on the guards. Their cultivation levels weren't immediately obvious—they were masking their energy signatures, a common practice among the Noble Houses to conceal their true capabilities from rivals.
"You brought company," the Archivist observed, glancing at Elias. "Our arrangement was for a private transaction."
Mama Reeves patted the badge at her hip, letting it catch the lantern light. "Certain interests ensure my safe passage through Whitebrand. They occasionally require... oversight."
The Archivist's eyes narrowed at the sight of the Brass Tiger emblem. "I see. The Tigers have taken an interest in river salvage now? How... unexpected."
"Their interests are financial, not academic," Mama Reeves said smoothly. "Shall we proceed? The night grows no younger."
"Of course." The Archivist gestured toward the gazebo. "Please, bring the artifact. My associates will verify its authenticity."
Elias lifted the wrapped chest and followed Mama Reeves onto the dock. As they entered the gazebo, he noticed small arrays inscribed around its perimeter—privacy wards, designed to muffle sound and obscure vision. House Mendel was taking no chances with this meeting.
Inside, a small table had been prepared. The Archivist seated herself on one side, while Mama Reeves took the opposite chair. Elias remained standing, positioning himself where he could watch both the Archivist and her guards.
"The artifact, please," the Archivist said, extending her hands.
Mama Reeves nodded to Elias, who placed the wrapped chest on the table but did not immediately release it. He'd noticed something troubling—memory-traces surrounding the Archivist that suggested deception. Layers of intent that didn't match her outward calm.
"Payment first," Mama Reeves said firmly. "As agreed."
The Archivist smiled thinly. "Of course." She nodded to one of her guards, who produced a small wooden box and placed it on the table. "Ten thousand silver talents, in the form of House Mendel credit notes. Redeemable at any banking house in Whitebrand."
Mama Reeves opened the box, examining its contents critically. "These will suffice."
"Then we have a deal." The Archivist reached for the chest.
As the oilcloth fell away, revealing the Memory Walker sigil, Elias sensed a spike of recognition—not just from the Archivist, but from the guards as well. They knew exactly what this was. And worse, they seemed to have expected it.
The Archivist traced the sigil with a reverent finger. "Extraordinary," she murmured. "A genuine Memory Walker artifact. We had thought them all destroyed during the Purge."
Mama Reeves stiffened slightly. "Memory Walker?"
"An ancient bloodline cult," the Archivist explained, her academic demeanor momentarily overtaking her business persona. "They possessed unique abilities related to memory manipulation and acquisition. Quite dangerous in their time, before the Sect Unification."
She attempted to open the chest, frowning when it resisted. "It's sealed."
"As found," Mama Reeves replied. "Our arrangement was for the artifact as recovered, not its contents."
"Indeed." The Archivist straightened. "Well, House Mendel thanks you for this significant contribution to our historical archives. The payment is yours, as agreed."
The transaction appeared complete, but Elias remained tense. The memory-traces surrounding the Archivist had intensified, patterns of anticipation and calculation that suggested the meeting was not yet truly over.
His suspicions were confirmed a moment later when the Archivist casually asked, "The young man who found this artifact—was he by chance a courier from the Ashlands? One who recently demonstrated unusual abilities?"
Elias froze. Mama Reeves's expression remained carefully neutral. "Our salvage teams consist of many individuals. I don't track their previous occupations."
"Interesting." The Archivist's gaze shifted to Elias. "Because we've received reports of a young man matching that description traveling with River Rats. A young man with growing powers and unusual golden flecks in his eyes."
Before either could respond, she continued. "House Mendel has many interests beyond mere artifacts, you understand. Living specimens of forgotten bloodlines, for instance, would be even more valuable than their relics."
The trap was sprung.