Spearbound Ch. 62

The iconic silhouette of the Willis Tower loomed over the changed downtown Chicago, bordering a mini forest that once used to be the Chicago River.

However, it was no longer just a skyscraper. A spiraling crown of blue-gold energy pulsed around its spire, visible from miles away. The building’s steel frame shimmered faintly, likely the remnant of the mana it had absorbed.

Willis Tower seemed to be too ordinary of a name for it now.

Kade noticed an overwhelming crowd gathering around the building, all of them having seen the announcement and curious about what could be purchased.

It might have been a bother to him if not for the crowd making way for him before they even saw him. He would lament about it more if not for the blockade needing his attention.

There were over fifty men and women preventing anyone from approaching the tower’s entrance. He ignored the ones bearing swords and bows in favor of the few who were weaponless.

Kade could feel they were the strongest of the bunch and were likely mages on top of that. Not that they could give him a challenge, because they couldn’t, but they could mow through the crowd with little effort if someone felt twitchy.

“What gives you all the right to claim it as yours?” A frail man took charge of speaking the crowd’s thoughts. “I only have a hundred points, and I’d be crazy to pay twenty just to enter!”

“Yeah! Let’s just rush through! They can’t stop all of us!”

Kade saw the mages prepare to act and chose that moment to step out of the crowd.

The people forming the blockade pressed their lips together as they put all their attention on him. It seemed they expected him.

“So, what’s all this?” Kade asked, his voice amplified by the sudden quietness. The crowd had backed away, with whispers only heard far from the entrance.

“Mr. Beckett,” a mage greeted him. He looked like he belonged in a suit, managing some high-powered company. “The Willis Tower falls within our territory and it’s our prerogative to charge fees for any who wish to enter.”

“That’s bullshit! Nobody could enter it before it was turned into the shop. You guys ignored it until now.” It was the frail guy who spoke again.

Kade gave the guy an appreciative glance while the crowd shivered because of his presence. He already decided to avoid the public if there was no way to hide his presence. It was irritating to see people react as if he would randomly kill them.

“I hope you follow the understanding between our organizations, Mr. Beckett.” The mage acted like the frail guy didn’t even exist.

“What’s your name?” Kade asked.

The mage shifted uneasily. “Marcus. From the Chicago Collective.”

“Sure, the Chicago Collective.” Kade nodded like he knew what that was. “So, who’s your leader?”

“It’s­­—”

“I don’t really care,” Kade interrupted. “I think this is bullshit, and that’s all that matters.” He summoned his [Soulrend] and tapped the blunt end on the concrete. “We can fight over it, but I might accidentally kill a few of you, even if I hold back. It’s up to you. I don’t care either way.”

Kade truly meant it. He was already angry that it was necessary to use personnel to guard their own territory.

They could be off exploring rift zones or reclaiming lost people from the wilderness, but feuding factions prevented that.

Unfortunately, he had already realized that there would be a point where he would have to turn his [Soulrend] on a fellow human, and once he accepted that, he didn’t care when that would be.

If now was the time, so be it. It might also give him an air of ruthlessness, helping to tame some of the more ambitious people in other factions.

“I told you this was a stupid idea!” The woman standing beside Marcus was the first to break. “I will not die over a stupid toll!” She rushed out, fearing Kade wouldn’t let her go.

“See? She was sensible—” Kade’s eyes widened in shock. The three mages left actually dared to attack him in such a crowded space.

He fell into a state of mind that he only reserved for rift zones and assessed the situation. The spells seemed to slow down as his focus grew.

Pathetic. They are hoping to use the crowd to hold me in check.

Kade ruled out the use of any [Ability]. Even his weakest one would leave everyone a bloody smear on the pavement. He pulled back his [Soulrend] and swept it to intercept the spells, negating them on contact from the sheer [Arcana Level] difference.

The burst of wind that naturally came from the [Spear Sweep] sent everyone in the blockade tumbling back, slamming into the tower with a sickening crunch.

Kade had tried to hold back, but the blood seeping from their bodies told him it wasn’t anywhere near enough.

“Idiots,” Kade scoffed, shaking his head. They must have thought he wanted to keep a benevolent image as a leader of an organization when he couldn’t care less.

“Kade!”

His ears perked up at a familiar voice calling for him.

Matt huffed and puffed as he rushed to reach him, with several people following as backup. “Sorry! It took a few minutes to get enough people for backup.”

“It’s fine. I took care of it,” Kade said. “Let’s see what’s inside.”

“Got it!” Matt turned to the backup he brought. “Set yourselves up by the entrance! Nobody can get in without paying us the—”

Kade clamped his hand on Matt’s shoulder. His estimation of his old boss plummeted. “Was this Finn’s idea?”

Matt gasped in pain before shaking his head. “We both agreed to it!”

“Well, scrap it,” Kade replied with an unamused expression.

Matt nodded rapidly.

Kade clicked his tongue in disgust and entered by himself. The sooner Eliza recovered, the better. The two morons in charge think it’s still business as usual when the priority should always be to help humans get stronger.

He entered one of the revolving doors, looking into the empty lobby past it. He wondered on which floor these shops would be located when the lobby disappeared, replaced with an inky void.

The revolving door froze, and the interface appeared.

Welcome to the Universal Shop Hub: Earth Node #197.

State your need. Examples include: Weapons. Potions. Wearable. Implants. Artifacts. Companions. Blueprints. Spell modules. Miscellaneous.

Precision Requesting Available.

Query Example: Wearable, boots, stealth-rated, under 2,000 points.

Kade felt his heartbeat quicken.

He ruled out weapons, since using anything other than his [Soulrend] was a massive waste of time and energy.

“What are implants?”

They blend technology, magic, and biology, provided by high-tier vendors.

Varieties include: Temporary and permeant attribute-boosters, utility implants, sensory upgrade, and exotic amusements.

He had a fifteen-thousand-point cushion on the leaderboard from second place. It would be worth spending even more for a permeant attribute increase.

“Implants.” Kade forgot to continue when the void before him rippled.

Query Received.

Walls formed, expanding outward into impossibly large halls. Thousands—no, millions—of storefronts winked into existence.

Some were styled like familiar storefronts in a mall; others resembled sleek alien pods with floating displays and hovering attendants of light. There were crystal bazaars, neon-lit war boutiques, fungus-draped dens, and stalls floating in gravity-defying bubbles of water or flame.

It was too much to take in. Kade’s head throbbed with the overload.

“Under twenty thousand points,” he spat through gritted teeth.

The millions of shops blinked out of existence.

Query Received.

No shops match your criteria.

Too expensive!

Kade shuddered, erasing all thoughts of implants. He placed his hand over his heart to calm himself and looked down when he felt bare skin.

He had forgotten he only had on a pair of tattered pants held on by the boarhide belt.

“Wearable, full-body attire, indestructible, under ten thousand credits.”

Query Received.

Kade purposely ignored the void expanding into an endless mall to avoid worsening his headache.

39,882 shops matched your criteria. Displaying top 3 based on Species, Affinity, and Class Compatibility.

Every shop except the three chosen disappeared, and the revolving door unfroze, letting him move forward.