Reborn: Evolving From Nothing
chapter-96

"Tomorrow at noon, got it!" Dorian smiled as he left the Skycrosser Travel Company dockside headquarters, his steps full of cheer.

He'd just secured a reservation to board one of the flying vessels that would be crossing the huge sea between this continent and Pashal. The distance was significant, more than 1,000 miles in total.

He might be able to fly there on his own, if he wanted to, in his Sun Eagle form. However, Dorian didn't want to risk flying such a long distance, especially when he might get lost. He had never travelled such a long distance by wing or over sea, and felt it wiser to simply wait a day and take one of the magic traveling ships.

From Pashal he would take the World Bridge to the Exotic World of Lansc. Once on Lansc, he only needed to travel a short distance to reach the World Bridge to Magmor. The two bridges were located close to each other, meaning he could skip over most of Lansc.

As he judged it, he was only a couple days away from reaching Magmor.

He clenched his fists.

'I'm almost there, Will.' His mind went to the ball of light that contained Will's soul. It was still covered in a coat of energy, stored safely. He had several months till Will's soul would be exposed according to Ausra, but, for some reason, Dorian felt a sense of urgency.

The quicker he saved Will, the better. There was no reason to delay anything.

'Almost there.'

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

A couple of hours had passed, the early afternoon light fading to midafternoon.

In that time, Dorian had spent the vast majority of his remaining funds, all the gold he had on him, into securing food, supplies, and clothing to store in his Spatial Ring. At the minimum, he would never have any occurrences where he was without clothing, and even if their ship became lost at sea, he would have more than enough supplies to last.

He was a pauper now, Dorian thought with a smile, with barely any gold to his name.

'Well, I still have my Cloud-in-a-Bottle and that Golden Leaf, as well as those Magic Herbs.' He still had an odd assortment of Magic Herbs, as well as the magic artifact he'd gained on Taprisha and the Golden Leaf from Bella.

The first two might not be worth much, but the Natural Treasure was bound to be worth a pretty penny. It was Fire Aspected, and could be of use in aiding a Wizard in breaking into the Lord Class or used as a medicinal ingredient for a variety of alchemical products.

(Author's Note: Due to popular request "Natural Treasure" is now capitalized.)

Dorian put aside his thoughts of treasure for now, turning to look at the journal logs Bella had given him. He had pulled them out of his Spatial Ring and laid them out on a dresser in front of him.

He was standing in a small, wooden inn bedroom. It was sparsely decorated, with only a plain bed, a dresser, and a shuttered window on the side. He had rented the room out for the day and night.

It was time to start preparing to form Will's body. First, he needed to figure out exactly where he needed to go.

"The Ascension Ruins can be found in the Ember Gorge." That was what the old Wizard had told Dorian. However, the old, dead Wizard hadn't been near those ruins in hundreds of years. From what Dorian knew, the Ascension Ruins had existed for almost 1,000 years, created back when Yukeli still walked the 30,000 Worlds.

It was a grand, collaborative effort, and while the exact reasons why the ruins came to be were unknown, the fact that they were full of treasure and knowledge was a well-known fact.

He began reading the journal logs.

…

'Log F - Day 4'

'Our exploration of Magmor, and our continued hunt for the Ascension Ruins alongside the many other glory seekers, has met with failure thus far. The Flame Empyrean Turtle that carries the ruins on its back moves in an odd, unnerving fashion over the planet, and has proven very difficult to track.'

'I will continue this record later if our journey improves.'

…

'Log F - Day 7'

'We have finally found success! After allying with the Heldenfelz Hunters, we managed to join a group of nearly 40 other teams at one of the predicted appearance sights of the enormous turtle! As legend had it, the entrance to the Ruins appeared on the back of the lava-diving beast, visible for all!'

'A grand melee broke out at the base of the ruins. The only way to enter is through one of the 10 entrances, and only 6 people can make it through each entrance before the magical connection collapses. The mysterious magic that protects it prevents interference, even from the mighty. All are treated equally.'

'We managed to enter through one of the more dangerous gates, but still scrounged through. The deadly heat that suffused Magmor is put to rest inside these Ruins where I now lay. I will record more later.'

…

'Log F - Day 11'

'I write this after days of peril. The danger of these ruins is incredible, but so are the rewards! The makers of this ruins created it, it is clear, to help future generations. To guide them on the path to power, to safeguard the future. There are records of the horror of the Third Great War, and the billions and billions that died in them.'

'Most of the group I was with has been split apart. Many have died, and I am on my own now. However, I managed to stumble upon an inheritance, one to an incredible type of magic and knowledge on an incredible law. The Law of Luck.'

'I will now do my best to escape these magical Ruins. I know if I seek deeper for more treasure, I may not lose only my allies, but instead my life.'

…

The Logs went into more detail describing some of the dangers the Wizard faced. The former Captain was weaker at the time, only in the late stages of the Master Class. While quite powerful compared to a normal mortal, when compared to a Lord Class Wizard, it was nothing special.

The Ascension Ruins were hidden inside, through some type of magical connection, an enormous, moving King Class beast. And a massive, gargantuan King Class beast, one that can rival Angelic Class beasts, just due to its sheer size.

'Huh. There's no mention of the Ember Gorge.' Unlike the information the Wizard said, there was nothing that talked about the Ember Gorge.

'Maybe the Ember Gorge is a reference to something inside the Ruins?' Dorian didn't know. The old Wizard's words, and the information he'd shared, had been ambiguous. All he had from him was a mental image of a convoluted map, tucked away in his head.

Several more minutes passed. Dorian read through all the logs, taking note of everything that might be relevant.

Bella's father certainly had been lucky even before he discovered the Luck Magic inheritance. His records stated that he nearly died 8 separate times, and many of those around him perished.

After a while, Dorian sighed, putting down the logs. He had read them in their entirety. They weren't much, but it gave him a bit of a better idea of what to expect.

Once he reached Magmor, he'd need to find one of the few Oasis Cities that existed on the Exotic World, cities that stood far above the Magma Sea, and gather intel on when and where the giant turtle would appear next.

He stored the logs in his Spatial Ring, and then looked outside, through the cracks in the shuttered window.

It was only midafternoon. He still had all of the evening and night ahead of him before he would leave tomorrow at noon.

He looked down at the Invitation Card he'd been given by the aging thief.

"I might as well." He shrugged, standing up. He read the instructions on the back closely as he walked out of his room and the inn, heading towards a destination near the center of the dockside town.

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

"What has the Silver Moon swept past?" A gruff voice called out, raspy and deep.

"Err." Dorian looked down at the card, reading over the instructions on it.

"A Golden Silver Thumb." He grunted.

THUNK

A grating noise rang out as a large wooden door thumped open, revealing a burly, but well dressed, guard. The man had a clean, well-kept face, and wore a full set of iron armor. He gave Dorian a friendly nod, waving him through.

'Interesting.' Dorian thought.

The doorway was located in a sort of back alley, near the center of the city. The alley was clean, but there was nothing particularly special about it. It was set between a large bakery and a magical florist shop, the first florist shop Dorian had yet seen in this universe, he noted.

'Can I become a plant? Do plants have bloodlines?' His Magic Herbs didn't, but surely there are some mystical plants out there with intelligence, right?

Dorian pictured himself as a towering oak tree. He could already imagine his powerful stature. He wood intimidate anyone that tried to cut him down, his fierce bark greater than his bite.

He shook the musings from his head with a smile as he moved through the closed off entrance, taking in rooms before him.

Behind the magical florist shop had been a large, connecting warehouse. Presumably to store goods for service. From the outside, it looked slightly rundown, but still kept in good condition.

From the inside, however, an entirely new world was revealed. An opulent, luxurious, expensive world.

The walls of the warehouse were decorated with gold, inlaid with glowing crystals. Large, grand paintings could be seen, dispersed evenly along the ten-meter wide warehouse walls, giving an appearance of nobility and wealth.

The ceiling was painted like that of the open, blue sky, with a few clouds drifting across. Several crystal chandeliers hung from it, glowing with a faint, cool blue light.

Four dozen tables could be seen, all made from aged and fine wood, many of them carved or tastefully decorated. Various card, dice, and other gambling games could be seen, laid out with care.

The casino was not very crowded. Despite its large size, with each table able to seat up to a dozen players, only about half the tables were occupied. There was an employee manning almost every table, all of them dressed in fine red shirts and blue pants, looking prim and professional.

The guests were a wide and varied collection. Some of them wore fine, silk suits or dressers, while others were clad in simple leather or slim metal armor. One and all, however, looking powerful, intimidating, or otherwise wealthy. Dorian saw humans, a pair of vampires, several Aethmen, and more. A variety of culture and life.

"Welcome to the Blue Seal Casino." A smooth voice caught Dorian's attention as he left the entryway.

A young, pretty woman walked up to Dorian, wearing a slim black dress. She had long blonde hair that floated off her shoulders and peaceful brown eyes. She gave off a sweet and simple air, reminding him of Helena a bit.

"Hello." Dorian gave her a warm smile, forgetting that a smile on his minotaur face was rather intimidating.

The woman seemed unfazed,

"This is the first time I've seen you here, milord. Would you mind showing me your Invitation Card?"

Dorian handed over the card the aging thief had given him. The woman's eyes showed no emotion as she looked over it and returned it to him with a charming smile.

"Welcome! All customers can use any and all betting tables. A full explanation of the rules will be given upon request from an attendant. Anything you submit to bet with is final. All prices and appraisals will be done live, and if you disagree with an appraisal, you may call for a manager." The woman's explanation was smooth and well practiced, as if she had said this many times before.

Dorian nodded and stepped forward, walking into the grand casino. The air itself seemed to shiver with wealth, the grand sights dazzling Dorian just slightly. Even compared to the bright lights of the cities on Earth, this casino was a majestic, wealthy sight indeed.

He looked from table to table, studying the guests and the games themselves.

A few minutes went by as he walked around.

None of the games were super familiar to him. However, after studying a few, he managed to pick up on some of the apparent rules.

In particular, one of the most popular games used by the wealthy and powerful gamblers here appeared to be a game similar to Blackjack on earth.

A deck of cards, numbered 1 to 12, with four different suits, was shuffled. Then, every player was dealt a pair of cards randomly, as was the dealer. Any player could request the deck be shuffled again, before or after dealing. Players would then offer a bet, one that the house would match roughly 9/10ths of in value. They could then request to be dealt more cards.

Winnings and losses would be recorded by the attendant. Anything you won from the house would be paid out as you left the casino.

The goal of the game was to reach as close to 25 as possible without going over. The closest to 25 would take the entire pot.

In the deck, however, there also existed four special 'King Cards' and four special 'Queen Cards.' Each 'King Card' could be substituted for either a 1 or a 12, and each 'Queen Card' could be substituted for a 2 or an 11.

One table near the front of the room seemed to be the most popular. Several other guests were watching over the table, staring. Despite there being twelve spots open to sit at, only 5 people were currently sitting at the table.

"I will raise the ante before we are dealt for this round. I offer this Lord Class Stabilizing Pill, and a Red Iron Artifact Shield. The Shield, while only usable once, can block and nullify the damage from almost any Lord Class Spell cast by an Early Lord Class Wizard!" A cheerful voice rang out as a man dressed in a sharp black silk suit, in his early twenties, dropped two objects onto the aged wooden table, a pill and a small red shield about the size of a normal hand.

A pair of girls stood behind the young man, both beautiful and in their early twenties too. Each one wore a long, red dress that clung to their bodies, matching their long red hair.

"Ooh, raising the stakes, are we, Lord Boyle? Without even seeing our hands? You are quite confident." An aged voice rang out, an elderly looking Vampire Wizard dressed in a long black robe. In one hand the Vampire was holding a glass of what appeared to be, of all things, milk. Dorian wrinkled his nose. He had never liked milk.

"I shall match it, lest the youth think us elderly have fallen too far behind." The old Vampire waved his free hand. Immediately, a pair of white magical Pills appeared, floating in the air.

"Two Lord Class Ironskin Pills."

Pills, in the 30,000 Worlds, were magical, alchemical creations, infused with magic that offered usually temporary powers or effects. Dorian had already seen the healing magic of the Light Pills he had bought, one of the most common types of Pills.

The other 3 members of the table watched the duel between the two speakers with interest. Two of them were young, similar in age to the first man. They all wore fine silken suits, one a tan color while the other a dark green. The last member of the table was a bearded man in full, white plate armor, bearing a relaxed smile as he watched the antics with amusement.

Dorian's eyes shined as he looked at the Red Iron Artifact Shield, and the three Lord Class Pills placed on the table.

'Lord Class Pills are extremely expensive, even though these aren't the most expensive type, Light or Healing Pills... and that Red Iron Artifact Shield looks quite useful too… These guys are rich.' Most Wizards didn't rely on Pills or Artifacts in combat, simply due to their sheer cost, beyond use in medicine or healing.

He smiled.

"Ah, a betting contest, yes? I love the excitement here. Let me add to it!" Dorian waltzed forward, taking a seat at the table, interrupting the tension of the moment.

The guests watching the faceoff, as well as the young man and the elderly Wizard, turned to look at Dorian, slightly annoyed.

"Welcome to the table, Minotaur." The young man, Lord Boyle, wiped the annoyance off his face as he looked at Dorian with a friendly smile that failed to reach his eyes. He also mistook Dorian for a member of the Minotaur race, a race that existed separate from the Grakons.

'I mean, I guess I am, kinda?' The Grakons were very similar to the Minotaurs in appearance. The Grakon Race, however, was a Lord Class bloodline. Normal Minotaurs were only a Master Class bloodline, though they could improve their strength like all beings through hard work.

"Hmph. Beast. If you wish to enter our bet, then put up the stakes to join." The old Vampire was even less friendly, motioning at him with his free hand.

Dorian smiled a little wider. He had no intentions of holding back now, not when they were so rude to him.

Their eyes widened with appreciation as Dorian took out the Fire-Aspected Golden Leaf, placing it on the table.

"This should be enough to equal them, right?" He turned to look at the attendant.

The attendant, a middle-aged man, gave him a sharp nod.

"Of course, milord. In fact, you have exceeded the value of their bet-"

Dorian cut him off,

"Don't worry about it. It's my first bet here, after all, I might as well make it generous." He smiled at the other two gamblers.

"Let's play."

..