Chapter 33

  A delicious Shimmer-ish Filet later, and a warm shower complete with lavender and rose scented soap that left me warm and fuzzy, and clean clothes thrown in as a ‘complementary’ gift from Guy, I lazily sat in the lobby of the Inn, near the fire, just, relaxing. The atmosphere was one of complete ease, the warm fire crackling happily, while music magically drifted in the air, as if from a surround sound music system, though obviously, there was no sign of such a thing. From where I sat, I could see the entryway, and I was perfectly content sitting and people watching.

  I brought a wooden mug up to my lips, the cool, whip cream at the top tickling my upper lip as the dark liquid beneath passed through my gently parted lips, before it caressed my tongue with warm, chocolatey tones, and a hint of cinnamon spice. They had freaking hot chocolate here, which made the people watching even more entertaining. And, interestingly enough, the tables were linked in a similar manner to the power of the inn just like the bar had been. By placing my left hand on the table, I could pull up a menu and instantly purchase things from the inn’s inventory.

  Browsing through that particular list had been how I’d enjoyed my first few minutes after my shower, taking note of the prices of various things. Most of the meals ranged from a few Muney, up to forty or fifty for ‘luxury’ meals. Drinks, I noticed, also had a wide range, and while all the prices had an asterisk next to them, letting me know I was getting a discounted rate, I’d noticed a certain beverage missing. Tamer’s Treat couldn’t be purchased from the inn’s system, which just continued to show how unique it was. You could only buy it, from Guy, at the bar itself. Was there another reason for that? Control over it? Or perhaps, a way to ensure you had to speak with Guy personally for it? Was… a part of Tamer’s Treat meant to serve as a social lubricant, of sorts, to help grow the Traveling Guy Information Network?

  I’d let the conspiracies in my mind go out the window once I saw the hot chocolate. It cost 11 Muney, but I didn’t care. That was a single Mun, I could earn it back with ease tomorrow, especially as I leveled up the Abnormal Pride Cub.

  “Welcome, good traveler,” Guy’s voice said as the door opened. He’d greeted the first two customers this way as well. The first had been a teen, definitely younger than me, still in that awkward stage of puberty. He’d walked in, spoke with Guy quickly, and then headed up to the room, not even looking around. The next, a woman, wearing purple from head to toe, dressed like well, honestly, those fortune teller sorts you’d see at a Renaissance Faire. Or was it one of those 1920s style documentaries? The people who would hold seances and claim to speak to the dead? The ones Harry Houdini loved to disprove. That is to say, there was a level of sensationalism to the style of dress, from the vibrant purple to the feather atop her head and the strange purple feather boa around her neck.

  She, just like the boy, went quickly upstairs, without even glancing my way. I was partially waiting for her to come back down, wondering if she was one of the Wandering Women Guy had mentioned. The one’s he claimed could see the future?

  Either way, this newcomer had my attention immediately fixed. It was hard not to, when the person in question was dressed in a manner I’d already seen in Mutopia, and wouldn’t soon forget. Dark black pants, silver belts, and purple shirt with a swirling silver pattern on it. The pattern, I noticed, was different from Ember and Aaron’s had been… I think. It was hard to tell. What was also different, was the fact this individual wore a black cloak that shimmered with silver, made from a material that I figured had to be akin to silk.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  She walked up to Guy and smiled at him, the Traveling Guy returning the smile happily. They exchanged words, and Guy poured her a glass of Tamer’s Treat. She pulled her hood back, giving me a good look at her hair, which fell in purple and silver ringlets. If not for the fact she was obviously with a cult that I had no intent of interacting with, well, I would have gone and chatted with her. There was something about her, the way she carried herself, the confidence with which she’d walked to the bar, and well, not to sound too shallow, but her looks as well, that had me interested. I was only human after all, and sometimes, if the woman was especially beautiful, I could be no better than a man in admiring her looks, okay.

  Whether by pure happenstance, or perhaps the intensity of my attention as I continued to look her over as I sipped my hot chocolate, noting full well she had an Amplifier, meaning she was at least Tier 3, the woman turned and looked at me. Even across the room, I could see the color of her eyes. They practically glowed with a steely silver, her lips, dark purple, almost black, smiling as she locked eyes with me.

  Without looking away she downed her drink, set it on the table, and began walking towards me. A part of my mind told me the best move would be to retreat to my room upstairs. However, I hadn’t finished my hot chocolate yet. Plus, I was really cozy next to the fire, and was enjoying my relaxing evening. Finally, when a beautiful woman who practically oozed confidence walked your way, well… there wasn’t really enough mental space left to flee. Besides, I reassured myself… ever so quietly, Guy said within the Inn, no one could cause any problems, at all.

  So, this was totally fine. Totally fine at all.

  “Good evening,” the woman said, her voice just deep enough to send chills through my body, as I looked up at her. Yup, she was definitely giving off that, uh, special kind of vibe I really enjoyed. “Would you mind if I provided you with a bit of company tonight?” She asked, her eyes never once leaving mine.

  “Uh,” I said, mid sip and hallway into my cup, trying to hide my blush, “yes please.”

  Her smile revealed teeth that shone brilliantly white in contrast to her darkly painted lips. A single silver ringlet fell lazily over her left eye, and she brushed it away as she sat, my eyes once again noting her gauntlet, the amplifier in it, and… something else. Every single crystal on her wrist, all six of her Mun Crystals, shone with the color of an Abnormal Mun. Not only that… it was impossible to not notice one other thing. Every gem on her knuckles, all five of her Augmenting Stones, was practically perfect. Considering common ones looked like rough, uncut stones, the gems on her knuckles, cut into geometric shapes, cleaned and pure enough to reflect the flickering of the fire behind me in a mesmerizing way, told me the ones she had, were obviously, at the very least Rare, no, probably at the very least Ultra Rare. What was that, Tier 7? Tier 8?

  I swallowed hard, my mouth immediately dry, as I took another drink, trying to keep the panic… and admiration, down, as I repeated in my hand the reassurance that it was fine, everything was fine, and I was perfectly safe here.

  “Tell me,” she began as she leaned forward. Her eyes, beautiful as the silvery light of the full moon, made me gulp as she gazed into mine, peering into my soul, “how are you enjoying Mutopia, Taylor?” Was it possible for your name on someone’s lips to make your heart flutter just as a pit opened in your stomach? Because I swear to whatever deity existed in this world, that just happened as my mind responded to… well, everything.

  Shit.