Chapter 23

It came as a surprise when Diya’s body let him out of bed the following morning. He expected pain from the night before to leave him immobile, but besides the tightness in his side, he felt no discomfort. Either his soul's rarity gave it passive restorative abilities, or the healer’s powers were still at play. Diya’s joints and muscles weren’t sore, and when he did a once over, there were no bruises on his body. He found a few scratches on the back of his arms but nothing more.

Because of his fatigue, Diya hadn’t bothered venturing far from the tower. He’d splurged a modest chunk of his new wealth on a decent inn by Climber’s Market. It stung, recalling how much he had shelled out for two nights. At least it was cheaper than the hotels and guest houses in Noble’s Ring. Diya made it a point to make use of all the amenities and get the most out of the expenditure.

When he called the attendant to fix him a hot bath, she arrived with all his clothes washed and pressed. They’d also given the leather a light polish, much to his annoyance. Diya planned on rubbing dirt on it as soon as he returned to the second floor. The last thing he wanted was for the polish’s scent to alert beasts he intended to avoid or trap.

Diya took his time in the bath. The water needed to be changed twice. He had to wash ice spider ichor out of his hair and pits. The sour-smelling green fluid had gotten everywhere. It was worth it, though. Diya now had enough money to buy a compatible monster card, sponsor a party, and perhaps purchase an apartment just beyond Noble’s Ring in the commons. He had little hope of finding something compatible with his soul, though. Finding an upgrade at the same power level as Eirkh’s card would be near impossible in the market. Most noble families scooped up the good ones before they hit the market.

Diya soaked in the bath and made plans to scout the second floor first. Once he had a lay of the land and knew what to target, he'd sponsor a party to help him climb and find a decent card. It was easier said than done. As a nobody, hiring reliable people would be a challenge. He worried that people would either try to take advantage of him or rob him blind. The threat of a powerful household or organisation deterred rambunctious party members that wanted to keep good loot for themselves. Diya didn’t have such protections, and the city’s laws didn’t extend into the tower.

After the bath, Diya stepped out, bought a set of formal clothes, changed them, and met Lydia for her meeting. The Fair Trade Federation worked out of an old stone building in the industrial sector. Unlike other organisations around the city, it appeared to have employees from various cultures. As far as Diya knew, only the French practised such inclusion. They had gotten rid of their royal family during the last century and accepted everyone, no matter their colour or faith.

The Boleyns, as an English nobility, weren’t on the best terms with the French, so he never got around to socialising with them. To be fair, Lord Graham didn’t stand for segregation among his employees either. Baba had rich, mahogany-coloured skin, and Diya’s was a lot like Darjeeling tea with a splash of milk. The Boleyn patriarch didn’t treat them any differently for it, and he got loyalty and respect in return.

Lydia had good news for him. She had taken his suggestion to her superiors, and they had agreed to take him on as an expeditionary agent. They had rejected the salary idea, but Lydia bagged him something better. If he found an uncontested and accessible resource, the FTF would investigate the discovery and judge whether it was worth harvesting or not. If the site passed, Diya would get a finder's fee and two percent of the profits. Lydia told him not to get too excited as it would take time before the money started coming in, and the amount would vary.

Farming a resource required several teams. First of all, there needed to be a dedicated party of Climbers with souls ideal for fighting the beasts and putting them down swiftly. They’d often be followed by a group that specialised in harvesting monster materials efficiently without wastage or loss. The two groups travelled between several farming sites, keeping busy and making the company money.

Besides them, the FTF would need a team to protect and nurture the site. This meant keeping other climbers and beasts away from the area. They needed souls specialised in defence and combating humans. If there were several such sites clumped together within an interval, the FTF would hire a fourth team. They’d oversee the farms and study the farmed beasts, figuring out their ideal diets and gathering the best foods to feed the creatures. If the site was isolated, like the one on the first floor, then the protection team would take care of feeding.

The complicated process and the investment required to get a site running took time. To earn profits, the FTF would first need to make back all the money they invested. Once in the green, Diya would make a percentage of whatever profit the company made. Due to his social status and lack of connections, Diya knew he wouldn’t ever get anything better. So, he accepted the deal. It was access to the gates and information that he wanted, anyway. Besides, there was nothing in the contract enforcing he disclose everything he found. He considered it a huge oversight. If Diya discovered a resource, he could profit off himself. He could keep it hidden until Alexander recovered. Then it would be theirs to farm and reap.

Lydia's eyes widened when Diya opened his journal, revealing a detailed map of the land he'd traversed. He didn't disclose that it was a soul and a result of the Chronicle ability. Instead, after they signed the contracts, she had the in-house cartographer copy the map with surprising accuracy. Thanks to the map, he wouldn't need to guide a team to the area and could carry on with his plans.

Once it was all said and done, she took down his information and gave him a black compass on a chain. It had two needles, both pointing at the tower.

“The big needle points at the tower’s central pillar,” Lydia explained. “It helps with maintaining a bearing or giving directions. The other will direct you to the closest gate. If the floor has a door we control, it will point towards it instead. Not many organisations have such technology, so protect it with your life. The compass will serve as your identification, too.”

Even though Diya had more money than he had ever seen, Diya considered the compass the biggest prize of the day. It would help him ascend much quicker.

The meeting lasted a couple of hours and finished with a shared breakfast in Lydia’s office. Diya thanked her for her help before exiting the building. He was about to head to the bank when he found Hina waiting for him.

“What are you doing here?” He asked.

“Waiting for you, of course,” she replied. “Thought you’d be longer.”

“I’m sorry, but I have no more work for you, Hina. Not yet, at least.”

“What are you doing right now?” She asked, stepping in close and sniffing at the surrounding air. “I barely recognised you all cleaned up. You smell and look completely different. The formal attire doesn’t suit you, though. Maybe run a comb through your hair next time.”

Diya could smell Hina too, and it was a sweaty but appealing smell. He couldn’t tell whether or not Hina was attempting to flirt with him. He’d never been with a woman of Japanese descent before—he assumed her heritage from the name and appearance. At the same time, after the kiss with Victoria, Diya wanted to avoid getting involved with anyone. Besides, he wasn’t in an incredibly trusting place.

“I’ve got some business at the bank and was thinking of checking out the card shops afterwards. Why?”

“I’ve found a party that needs an expert rock climber. They’re heading to the third floor and promised me a spot as a porter if I can find someone to fill the empty roll. They’re Japanese and don’t speak a lot of English but come across as a trustworthy lot. Are you interested?”

Diya couldn’t help but feel suspicious. It wasn’t Hina that gave him the vibe, but everything else. Suddenly, life was going his way. He had intended to take the day to relax and get in touch with Baba. Diya wanted to know whether Alexander’s status had changed at all. The chances of improvement were low, and Baba would most likely not have much time to spare, anyway. The Boleyns were in panic mode. They were probably sending all their active Climbing staff into the tower to make money. Which meant Baba would be focused on polishing the newbies.

“Tell me about the job.”

“The party is on a pilgrimage.” Hina pulled out a little notebook, reading out the key points. Her diligence made Diya want to trust her more. “They visit shrines set up by their clan’s first climber when Gaia’s Ark. Fortunately for us, the recent mining has caused their old paths to collapse. They’re looking at a ton of climbing through dangerous territory to get to their destination. Does that sound good to you?”

“You skipped the part about pay.”

Hina sighed. “The pay is passage and a tier-one card for me per floor. They don’t care what our souls are and won’t expect us to take part in fights. The clan uses these climbs to train their newly come-of-age fighters and help them ascend Gaia’s Ark. As a result, most of what they find will be theirs. However, they’re open to negotiating.”

“I’m in,” Diya said after some thought. “That’s assuming negotiations go well. I still have a few errands to run, though.”

“That’s fine.” Hina grabbed Diya’s watch out of his pocket and checked the time. The sudden physical contact took him by surprise. “They don’t intend to start until three in the afternoon, so you have just about four hours. This lot are sticklers about punctuality, and I’d rather remain in their employ for a bit. So, it might be for the best if you arrive a little early.”

Diya bid her goodbye and rushed back to the inn. Fortunately, the innkeeper was understanding of his situation. She refused to refund his payment for the second night but promised to hold the reservation for a later date. If all the rooms weren’t occupied—considering the price per night, they wouldn’t be—she’d welcome him happily. The innkeeper offered him a storage service as well. For two pence a day, she’d store anything he didn’t want to carry into the tower. Diya changed out of his formal clothes and left most of his garments with her. After some thought, he added Neer’s journals to the pile as well. Baba had most of them still, and once he had a place of his own, Diya would retrieve them.

Once done, he visited the city’s bank. Baba had opened an account for Diya when he first started climbing. He held on to twelve pounds and deposited the rest. The volume of money surprised the teller and questioned the source. When Diya flashed the FTF’s compass, the suspicious expression disappeared, and she fulfilled his request.

Finally, he visited Climber’s Market. As expected, none of the monster cards for sale compared to Eirkh’s in age and power. It took a while, but he found the merchant Baba preferred—Kartik, the man responsible for his axe.

“Udit Sen! How are you, Bhai?” The older man asked, switching between English and Bengali. It felt odd to hear a man twice his age refer to him as a brother. “I swear, you barely reached my knee the last time I saw you.”

“It was two years ago, and I was already six inches taller than you, Kartik,” Diya told him, smiling.

“Oh, you turned into a smart mouth, ha?” Kartik asked, narrowing his eyes. “That explains why my old brain would rather remember the little you.” He laughed. “What can I help you with, Bhai? Considering the rumours about the Boleyns, this isn’t a social visit.”

“I’m on the lookout for monster cards with liquid manipulation that might benefit construct creation.” There was no way to guarantee how a card would interact with a soul outside of the upgrade stations. As a result, only desperate climbers with money and craftsmen bought them from the public market. “Telekinesis spells will suffice as well. They can come from anywhere between floors one to ten, but I’d prefer a tier-two or three.”

“Those are rather specific requirements. You do realise that they won’t come cheap.”

“Keep this as a holding deposit,” Diya said, handing him ten pounds. Kartik raised an eyebrow and scrutinised all ten notes. “I know the families have their hooks in you and will offer you big money for something rare. I’m working with the FTF now.” He flashed the compass. “They can vouch for my claim. I’ve come upon a chunky bit of coin and can compete with the nobles’ bids. On the downside, if you find something, I’ll need you to enter the tower with me and let me check the possibilities at an upgrade station.”

“You’ve grown,” Kartik commented, watching him with narrowed eyes again. He took the ten pounds but didn’t stuff it in his lockbox. “If I find something, this will be the holding fee. You’ll pay whatever the appraiser asks. In the eventuality where you upgrade and return to me before I find anything, I’ll return the money.”

“That’s fair.”

Kartik probably expected resistance, but Diya didn’t give him any. Instead, the man gave Diya clues regarding hidden areas in the first interval where people rarely ventured. The chances of finding powerful creatures there were higher, and now that he knew how Seek Prime Beast functioned, it would help too. Kartik suggested Diya try floor three. A patch of land north of the floor’s main hub housed ravines full of carnivorous plants. They’d disguise themselves as little flowers but would multiply in size and manipulate whips of nectar when people got close enough to pick them. There were stories of parties losing members a decade ago, but not anymore. Kartik suspected most climbers avoided the area and Diya would find a compatible monster card there.

“Don’t go telling people I’m doing this, Diya,” Kartik said just as they were bidding each other goodbye. “I owe Neer my life. Hopefully, improving yours will balance the karmic scales.”

Hina had given Diya details regarding the route. From what she said, there were chances of getting lost, going around collapsed tunnels or getting trapped. So, he spent his last two pounds on rations and a healing brew for his flask. The latter would last a little over a week before going rancid. A small part of him thought of it as a needless expense, but he couldn't afford injuries that locked him out of climbing for more than a couple of days. Diya didn’t have the time to heal broken bones naturally. Hiring a healer would take an enormous chunk out of his new wealth, too.

It was half-past two when Diya entered the tower. The primary hub was packed like always. He spotted a couple of Climbers trying to unload monster cards by the upgrade stations and had a little peek. None of them looked like they’d give Diya what he wanted. So, he carried on into the Gate Room and found the Bound Gate at the far end of the room. Unlike the doors, there was a short line, and it was a quarter to three when he finally rendezvoused with Hina.

Their employers were already present. Hina introduced Diya to Ito Yukiho. She appeared to be in her late twenties and would lead the expedition. Her newly come-of-age clan members, Ito Mei and Ito Koki had not long earned their souls and were still in the process of learning English. They bowed to Diya, and he returned the gesture.

Hina reminded them that the floor’s miners weren’t far from their next shift change. The hub and primary corridors were minutes from getting packed, so they continued introductions while hiking and headed into the tunnels. Diya got a good feeling about the party. He’d only ever had pleasant interactions with Japanese nationals, and Baba called them honourable folk.