Pandora Unchained - a Cultivation Progression Fantasy

Like S-Tier leather armor, S-Tier jewelry could only be obtained in Delphi by booking an appointment through the Hero Association.

Sorin, Gareth, and Lawrence were shopping together this time as their team members had already obtained the necessary mental protection ahead of time. Gareth and Lawrence weren't powerful earners and had just recently saved up enough for their first S-Tier artifact.

"Don't bother saving up because we'll be earning big in the Shrine Descent," grumbled Lawrence as they inspected some upscale goods on their way to the gem master. "Is there some sort of secret wealth stockpile he stumbled on that we don't know about? Because so far, we've only lost out during the Shrine Descent. Financially, at least."

"I think he was referring more to the sharp increase in strength we'd be seeing," said Gareth, also a little miffed by his experience. "This did translate to a large increase in monthly earnings, but our professions aren't exactly the most lucrative."

"I could loan you money if you don't have it now," Sorin suggested.

"We're fine," said Lawrence. "Most of our kit is already upgraded to A-Tier. It's just these S-Tier pieces that cost a fortune. Just to confirm, are we sure I should get jewelry instead of a nice dagger?"

"We're sure," said Sorin and Gareth at the same time.

"Melinoë is no slouch when it comes to mental attacks," said Sorin. "If you don't have something to guard against her, your dagger might end up on one of our backs."

"I mean, would it really hurt that much?" said Lawrence. "I'm joking, I'm joking, I'm just miffed at having to blow all my earnings. It's not easy infiltrating high society to squeeze out some juicy secrets."

The gem master's workshop was called Bedazzle, and judging by the clientele frequenting its main floor; it was not for the light of purse. The doorman at the shop's entrance looked over them skeptically, but that look faded as soon as he spotted Sorin's letter of introduction issued by the Hero Association.

Rather than having them uncomfortably mingle with the shop's rich and noble clients, the doorman led them upstairs to a room filled with hundreds of gem replicas and fashionable samples. "You'll need to leave your boots on this man," instructed the doorman. "Also, please use these complimentary clearmist vials to cleanse yourselves, as the master doesn't appreciate dirt and germs."

"I assure you, any germs that might have existed are already dead," said Sorin. Unfortunately, the doorman didn't relent, and he was forced to remove his trusty wraith hare boots and subject himself to a triple cleansing before the doorman was satisfied.

The doorman then proceeded to list Master Carlos's rules. The list included no spitting, coughing, or sneezing. There was absolutely no touching of anything without permission, and where allowed, hand sanitizer or gloves had to be utilized. Sorin was tempted to ask about the master's thoughts on rats but ultimately decided to keep Lorimer stowed away in his pocket.

"Is he a germophobe, I wonder?" said Gareth as they inspected a necklace adorned with three engraved gems.

"Must be," said Sorin, very curious about the exact diagnosis. "I've met a few patients with an extreme dislike of dirty things. All you can do is respect their wishes and try to contaminate their space as little as possible."

"You physicians don't mince words, but you hit the nail on the head." Sorin looked around for the speaker and eventually found the speaker: an abnormally short man with a stocky build that shivered as he poured a clearmist vial over himself. "Yes, I am short. Yes, I have been diagnosed with dwarfism. No, I would not be interested in growth treatments; I am very comfortable with who I am.

"Now get on with it—what would you all like? Don't you know that just standing here and breathing is filling this place with germs? If you don't tell me what you've come here for in the next ten seconds, I'll be leaving.

"Also… you reek of poison. Don't you know how dangerous that is? In fact, did you know that corruption interacts with poison in strange ways? Dozens of different foods have toxins you wouldn't imagine. I make a business of carefully selecting and purifying my food every day."

He looked from Sorin to Lawrence and finally to Gareth. "What? Cat got your tongue? You have five more seconds. You tall people are all alike, thinking the world belongs to them. In fact, did you know that elite clans specifically breed their members to produce tall offspring, as height lends an air of authority that normal people can't see past?"

Sorin was forced to conclude that the man was not a germophobe. He was just generally paranoid, which was curious given how little corruption could be found on his body.

"I guess I'll start by introducing myself," Sorin volunteered, seeing that his companions were still struck speechless. "My name is Sorin Kepler, and these are my companions, Lawrence Holt and Gareth Fletcher. We're here to get S-Tier mind-warding jewelry, preferably something that provides resistance to Madness and mood-altering spells and abilities."

"Madness, huh?" said Master Carlos. "And did you say the Kepler Clan? What are you still doing here instead of running for the hills? This city's been trying to eat your folks up for centuries, and the net is finally tightening."

"It's preferable if the equipment be able to resist a God Seed's influence," continued Sorin. "High resistance to corruption is desired. As for the threat to the Kepler Clan, many have claimed they would be the ones to take us down, and thus far, no one has succeeded."

Master Carlos shook his head. "It's not my funeral. If you want to stick your neck out, that's your business. My job is just to make that neck of yours extra pretty. Now, follow me to have your measurements taken, and no matter what you do, don't touch anything unless I give you explicit permission.

He first took their physical measurements using an adjustable ring, sanitizing his hands between each measurement. Then, he led them to a mana and spirit assessment device to determine their compatibility with various gems and spell forms. As he worked, he explained that there were many nuances to crafting jewelry; no two cultivators were alike, and the same gems used on one cultivator could easily have twice the effect on another.

"So what do you want exactly?" Master Carlos asked the three of them after he finished his analysis. "I don't quite understand your request."

"I mean… didn't we just tell you?" said Lawrence. "We want mind-ward rings."

"Yes, yes," said Master Carlos. "That'll occupy the main gem, tops, which leaves three sub-enchantments. Two for the subsidiary gems and one for the band."

Sorin was surprised by the option for additional features, but reflecting upon his armor's capabilities, he realized such a thing wasn't unreasonable. "Would it be possible to fit it with magic amplification? I use my left hand to cast spells, though sometimes, I'll just summon a short poison spear and use it like a dagger or short sword."

"That's much more specific, thank you," said Master Carlos. "I can definitely accommodate your request. What about you, archer?"

"Firing speed, if possible," said Gareth. "Piercing power, if not. I'm a skill-based archer, which means that my damage is lacking. I need to shore up that weakness as soon as possible."

"I'd ask why you aren't just getting a better bow, but I'll never argue with defending your spirit," said Master Carlos. "Mind-warding jewelry is an essential tool for any cultivator, and not dying is half the battle. And what about you, slippery one? Something to grease your silver tongue? Something to get you into tight places? Also, please keep your hands where I can see them. I know your type—anything not nailed to the floor is basically fair game in your eyes."

"I was thinking plain old-fashioned damage," said Lawrence. "I find I'm lacking in that aspect."

"That's boring," said Master Carlos. "I can do boring, but I'm going to charge extra for annoying me."

"What if you made the damage increase more powerful but short-term?" asked Lawrence.

"Less boring but pricey," said Master Carlos. "I'm not sure your wallet or silver light can handle it. But the limiting factor is usually silver light, as gold can be made up for through financing. Hand over your medals, and I'll see what I can do for you."

All three of them handed over their Hero Medals and waited while Master Carlos dipped into his office. "Should we maybe make small talk to pass the time?" suggested Lawrence.

"What are you, a child?" said Gareth. "He's got dwarfism. That's uncommon but not unheard of. Now spill it. Why have three separate clans issued an arrest warrant for an invisible intruder who steals underwear? Why did you break into their houses, and what did you find?"

Sorin couldn't help but be impressed by the achievement. "Three warrants? All at once?"

"You've got to hit them fast before they catch on," said Lawrence. "Plus, it took me a whole month to plan out three simultaneous heists."

"Don't you mean consecutive?" asked Sorin.

"I know what I said," answered Lawrence.

Gareth did not hide his distaste. "You stole something?"

"I stole sensitive documents," said Lawrence. "So, it still counts as a heist. It's definitely not just espionage."

"You seem pretty keen on calling it a heist," Sorin said. " Is there any particular reason?"

"Street cred, mostly," said Lawrence. "Infamy has its advantages. As for what I found… well, perhaps Sorin can tell you." He passed a thick envelope over to the baffled Sorin.

"I don't remember asking you to pull three heists for me," said Sorin, opening the envelope.

"You didn't ask me to, but you definitely wanted me to," said Lawrence. "Take this as payment for my Ruby Unsealing."

"You owe me nothing," said Sorin. He did, however, leaf through the documents in the envelope. "Are these what I think they are?"

"Three decades of malpractice evidence, patient testimonies, and corruption investigations," said Lawrence smugly. "Also, I found out another juicy piece of information. You member how you said your clan is getting an unreasonable amount of bad press?"

"I recall saying something like that, yes," said Sorin.

"Well, one of the things I stole was intelligence reports on other clans detailing some of their secret plans," said Lawrence. "And many of them involve the Kepler Clan."

"Wait a minute," interrupted Gareth. "Did you just basically spy on their spies?"

"I stole from the person who directed the spies," corrected Lawrence. "There's a key distinction. Anyway, it turns out something interesting is going on because a lot of the clans they were spying on had specific plans for how to hurt the Kepler Clan."

"Define a lot," said Gareth.

"He means all of them," muttered Sorin, looking through the information. "That's…"

"Unusual, yes," said Lawrence. "Usually, a clan or organization has 3-5 organizations they hate. It varies based on their activities, interests, and proximity. But to have 28 out of 29 organizations plotting against the Kepler Clan specifically? It's a bit much, in my opinion."

"What's this note in the back?" asked Sorin, picking up a piece of paper as it fell. His eyes narrowed when he read the contents. "This is what you found on Elder Marik?"

"There's not much out there," said Lawrence. "Your family kept things pretty hush-hush. All I found out was that he was in charge of screening your parents' adventuring team. He handled it all personally, and no one else was ever responsible."

"And after my parents died, he was transferred over to Delphi," muttered Sorin. "Demoted." Which was curious because he'd never sensed any aggression from the man aside from when they'd first met. Something strange was going on. "Please do more digging on the subject," he instructed Lawrence.

"As for the rest of this, I'll review it when we have time. As for payment—"

"Don't worry about it," said Lawrence with a wink. "We're a team, remember?"