Playing around with the new status a great deal more, I finally conclude that I’m not broken. Instead, I’m vastly improved. Innovated. Perhaps stealing my status has allowed me to circumvent the normal process and skip several steps. That’s an advantage, not a loss. After all, why take the front door when you can sneak in the back? I’m smartly climbing the back of the ladder. Unlike those stupid, inefficient big ones, clinging to their precious, crowded rungs.

  Another amazing new feature that I discovered, I can visualize a summary of my current songs. First a listing for all the songs that I’m actively progressing towards mastery.

  Fantastic progress. My genius at work, of course. The simple, raw listings of the first status panel were very important. After all, that’s what enabled me to easily see these improvements happening at all, rather than simply weathering the confusing shifts of the mind mud. However, it’s so much easier to understand with this new panel and the way it effortlessly integrates with my mind songs.

  Next, waving a hand, I switch it to display all the songs I’ve already fully mastered.

  Perhaps this is less useful than the first, but it’s still good to know that it’s available should I need it. However, it’s certainly best to stay focused on what’s still actively growing.

  That’s it. Can’t be distracted by this anymore. I’m ready to explode in anticipation over what I can accomplish with these new maps. Urgently pulling on my cloak and leathers, I check the alley with the door stone and then wiggle outside through the tightly twisted seal.

  This will be the first time that I’ve truly ventured out to explore Tranas in the same way that I did in Vastra. I’ve hesitated for so long because it feels so much more dangerous here. More unfamiliar. Everything is so different. More serious and observant. However, between my now expert level knowledge of its sewers combined with this new toy, I’m itching to see what I can find. Especially anything left conveniently unattended and easy to steal!

  The streets are as busy as always, even in the evening. For a while, I try tailing a few marks to replicate my stalking successes from Vastra’s hunting grounds. However, the people here are far more purposeful, attentive, and undefeated. They don’t imbibe the strange inebriation potions quite as hardily, and more often than not, immediately lock their doors behind them when they go home. It’s infuriating.

  There’s a few crowded areas that become lively late into the night, but they’re all indoors, unlike Vastra’s markets. I’m terrified of getting boxed in if something goes wrong. Outside, I can always shoot straight for the sewers to get away. However, what am I to do if there’s no quarry outside?

  Tired of all the failed targets, I give up and stake out one of the lively buildings. I first circle around and inspect everything that I can spy from the outside, especially the windows. After disappearing into an alley, I then meticulously check my newly constructed status maps of the place. It looks like there’s at least five doors. That’s good. Lots of open space inside. Lots of those tables and chairs.

  Whenever close to a window or within earshot of spoken voices, I notice that the map even adds little red indicators for the locations of the big ones that I’m sensing inside. As if it needed to get any more amazing for me to be happy. However, this means that I must redouble my training for my senses beyond only my eyes. Being able to amplify my ears and nose would make this new feature absolutely priceless, but my abilities are otherwise too weak right now.

  Pausing, I realize that maybe I’m wrong. I do have my hands. Touch. I’ve never thought to amplify them like that before, but as my natural nodes, I can do all kinds of things more easily with them than everything else. Walking up to the wall in the alley, I place my hands against it. Closing my eyes and focusing, I actively will energy to flow from core to hands with the intent of amplifying their sense of touch.

  An entirely new, rich world of information streams into my mind. Tiny vibrations all stacking on top of each other from so many different directions. It’s chaos, but with time I grow used to it. One vibration means movement. Another means something dropped to the ground. This rough, jagged set is someone laughing. Then followed by angry shouting. Did he embarrass and upset someone?

  Reopening my eyes, I look at my status map. It’s now absolutely filled with little red dots buzzing around everywhere inside. I can’t help but smile. They have no idea what’s coming, those fools.

  Spying a little corner close to one of the doors with a free table, I decide to slip inside. Hopefully I’ll either find a new mark here or, as with the gossiping markets of Vastra, overhear conversations that lead me somewhere good. Maybe some kind of potion warehouse? Or one of the unions? After all, I absolutely need to find some kind of solution to this awful deterioration. Perhaps mixing is the answer?