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Chapter 67 67 Ni Yang
Chapter 67 67 Ni Yang
Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Ni Yang
For Nexus, this was great. It was perfect. It reeked of adventure, of the unknown, and of trouble. It was the perfect mix for him. He had come to this city looking for stability or peace- he had come looking for a ripe adventure. Something amoral, arcane, and maybe even a little atrocious.
He had certainly found a momentous adventure in between the Lady Russell's thighs. And it had been an intoxicating feeling. Nexus was still chasing that feeling. And a regular nine to five job was the opposite of what he was looking for. He could die from the boredom alone.
So, Nexus braced himself.
Just as he was about to swing in, it occurred to him that someone might recognize his face.
He was now affiliated with the Russell family. He had to be particular about his brand. So, a conspirators grin formed on his face on the spot. Glancing left and right to make sure nobody was seeing him, Nexus boomed aloud;
"System, activate my reward from the second to the last completed mission."
The generic voice cracked alive in his ears;
[AFFIRMATIVE]
[KINDLY PROVIDE THE PARAMETERS OF THE IMAGE YOU WISH TO ASSUME.]
Those were beautiful words to his ears;
"Make me tall- six foot five is alright for now."
Instantly, like clockwork, Nexus' distance from his head to the ground lengthened by a significant length. A satisfying smile streaked across his face;
"Good! good! Now alter my facial features into something different; unrecognizable, and dashingly handsome."
Nexus did not feel a thing. Not even as much as a muscle strain or anything in between. There was no mirror- but Nexus knew at once that it had been done.
"Now give me some muscles- thirteen inches biceps, killer chest, and stunning calves."
It was done in under a second.
At the lonesome entrance now stood a grand looking young man. Nexus recycled a hat, and a trench coat out from the system, and swaggered into the establishment with the meanest look his could muster.
The first thing Nexus noticed was just how incredibly smoky the inside was.
Clouds of smoke went up from all the cloaked figures at the tables. Hashsish, herbs, opiods- he could smell it all. They filled the dark open space, curling up from the lips of the concealed faces. It would be bloody impossible to recognize anyone in here.
Nexus' eyes readjusted to the dark, and scanned the inner sacntum. It was like a fight club, or a private racketeering ring, or something in between. Visibility was a problem. A couple of chandeliers dotted the ceilings here and there, with a handful of lit candles. But that was it. Given how averse they were to light, it was a wonder how anyone got anything done. It was like they were all bats with internal sonograms or something.
It was indeed a bourse by every definition.
Sketchy transactions went down in whispers. Names were dropped, and money was exchanged. Nexus flirted temporarily with the idea of walking upright to anyone and demanding for a gig- or a job, or whatever it was called here. That was before he was summoned;
"Oi, you there!"
A female voice- strong and clear, rang out;
"Oi, mister trench coat, I'm talking to ya, get over here!"
Head down, with his hat masking his face, and his coat flapping gently, Nexus gave his best 'bad guy' impression, by turning around rather dramatically- towards the sound of the voice. His searching eyes found the bar- no, reception.
An average sized girl with her brown hair tied up in a ponytail was staring at him intently, bidding him to come. Nexus' feet dragged along the ground and covered the distance;
"Good day to your sir."
Nexus tipped his hat; "Howdy."
"Howdy? Wow, you really are new aren't ya? Well, what's the nature of your business here stranger?"
His voice deepened; "I'm looking to pick up a few quests for some cash."
"Are you a hunter?"
"Yes."
"Can I see your hunter's badge?"
Nexus stiffened; "Badge?"
"Yes. A hunter's badge." she repeated; "You can't operate in this hunter's lodge without one. You can't even be here without one."
He pivoted; "How do I go about getting one then?"
She looked at him as though he had just suggested he should give her the moon.
"Sir, you don't just get one. This isn't a book club membership. Before you can even think of applying for a badge, you need to prove yourself."
Nexus eased up on the tough guy act. He didn't know shit about how anything worked here;
"How do I begin?"
She promptly brought out a stack of papers from under the table and picked out three slips of paper;
"Here, you're going to have to fill these. . ." she hesitated; "You can read and write, can't you?"
Nexus would have taken great offence, but he remembered this was the medieval ages;
"Of course. Can I get a pen?"
"A what?"
Shit. He forgot again- medieval ages;
"I mean a quill and some ink."
She slid him a feathered quill that had been sharpened at the mouth, and handed him a vial of thick dark liquid. Right at the receptionist's table, not making contact with anyone else, Nexus bent his head down and filled out the forms accordingly.
He hesitated at the name section. Since he had on a disguise, he could not very well just give out his legal information. So, he used an alias instead;
Name; Ni Yang.
Age; 23 (well he looked twenty three)
Place of birth; Massachuchetts.
Marital status; Single.
Highest single accomplishment; Caught a fox.
Under the candle light, Nexus continued to fill out the other drab information. He struggled a bit with the ink and quill. But he comforted himself with the knowledge that he could make a fortune if he 'invented' the pen in this city.
"Here, all done."
As soon as she glanced at it, an impressive look overshadowed her face;
"Your penmanship is very impressive- Ni Yang."
"Thank you."
"Please wait over there. . ." she gestured at a row of wooden chairs to her left; ". . .while I process these documents. I'll be with you shortly."
Nexus thanked her and took his seat by the wall- in the shadows. Not looking at anyone, not talking, not engaging at all. If his instincts were to be trusted, he knew he was already being watched.
It seemed Nexus had made quite the impression on the receptionist. She did not waste as much time as he thought that she would.
Her androgynous figure reappeared from between the two pillars behind the counter clutching his documents.
"Thank you for your patience mister Ni Yang. Having reviewed your documents, the management has decided meet with you."
Nexus got up on his feet; "An interview?" Shit, he wasn't exactly ready for anything of the sorts.
"It's alright," she assured him; "It's nothing over the top. Please follow the gentleman behind you, and he'll take you to the location you're needed."
"What gentlema–"
Nexus' words trailed off as he turned around sharply to see the biggest human being he had ever seen.
The seven foot tall, bald headed giant stood like a human pillar. The lower part of his face was hidden behind a thick bush of red beard. And his eyes were buried deep inside his eye sockets.