Despite it being quite early in the morning, the streets of Greatcrest City were buzzing with activity. Merchants were standing at the front of their buildings, enticing passerby's come step inside, carts pulled by beasts were moving about, and the scent of food drifted in the air from the nearby restaurants and taverns.
John decided to start the day with breakfast, which was a rare indulgence for him lately.
'How many months has it been since I last had breakfast?' he wondered to himself as he entered a nearby restaurant. The scent of spiced meats and other delicacies hung in the air, making his stomach rumble with hunger despite him not needing to eat to survive.
John was seated and ordered a large breakfast, many of the foods being things he did not recognize. The food arrived a while later, and he dug into the delicious assortment of meats, vegetables, and fruits. Mouth full of food, John remained silent as a conversation between two men sitting in a nearby booth caught his attention.
"Did you hear?" one man said, "the Sect Leader of the Light Dao Sect has gone missing!"
"What? Are you sure?" the other man asked.
"Sure as anyone can be," the first man nodded his head. "It's all anyone can talk of lately. The Sect Leader went missing some weeks ago, and no amount of searching has found any trace of him. Such a powerful person wouldn't just up and abandon their sect, and so everyone is sure he was killed."
"That's the second Third Tier Sect Leader that has perished in the last two weeks then," the second man said, shaking his head with disbelief. "Two in less than a month. That's almost unheard of."
The first man nodded his head, a serious look on his face as he leaned forward, lowering his voice.
"There's talk of some conspiracy brewing, as the death of two powerful sect leader's that close to each other is far too coincidental to be an accident."
"A conspiracy? Really? Is it the Devil Race?" the other man asked, face aghast.
"Who knows," the man shook his head, "but there's definitely something suspicious happening lately. We'll all have to be careful, it seems, as if even powerful sect leaders are being killed, then no one is really safe."
John munched on his food, frowning the entire time.
'It seems Furi's assassination is only part of something big going on. The woman mentioned the Continent of War, and the influence the Light Dao Sect healers were having there. It seems that whoever is ordering these assassinations is planning something big for that place.'
John still felt great anger at the woman who had killed Furi and the two youths, not only because he liked the three of them, but also because she ruined his plans with Furi.
'My plan was perfect, but now I have to stumble blindly through this world, trying to find Lilian. I can't just show up at the Light Dao Sect and say, 'hey, I was with your Sect Leader when he was killed by some woman I can't identify'. Even if they believe me, I don't think it would be worth the headache of becoming involved with what's going on. If that woman learns of my existence and comes to find me…well, I'm still far too weak to deal with her. It's best to lay low and undetected for now, at least until I learn more of what's going on, or I raise my strength to be able to death with any problems this world can throw at me.'
John finished his meal in silence and then paid for his meal. The serving girl, a youth around his age, accepted his money with a smile on her face, thanking him for his patronage.
"Hey, do you know a place nearby that deals with information?" John asked her before he left.
"Information?" the girl asked, "What kind of information?"
"Information regarding this continent, the sects, clans, and other powers, and, if possible, information regarding any oddities happening lately," John elaborated.
"Hmmm," the girl hummed, considering his question. "There's a store nearby, the Hall of Knowledge, that sells books and scrolls regarding this continent, but as for the second part, I'm not too sure. You'll have to ask them. It's down this road on the right. You can't miss it."
John nodded and thanked the girl and left. He walked down the road for nearly a mile before spotting a building on the road, the sign above its entrance reading "Hall of Knowledge".
John entered and looked around. The main lobby was rather empty, with hardly any furniture at all. There were several people standing around, as if waiting for something. John was quickly approached by an attendant of the Hall, a middle-aged man. He had a neatly trimmed mustache and wore a tight fighting black and white top and pants, much different than the usual robes John was used to seeing others wear.
"How can I help you today, sir," the man said to John.
"I'm looking to acquire information regarding this continent," John said, trying not to sound suspicious about the information he was requesting. "Information regarding the notable sects and clans, important locations, dangerous locations, and so on. I plan to travel the continent and explore its wonders, so I'll want as much information beforehand to plan accordingly."
The man nodded his head, buying into John's reasonings.
"Also, if you have it, I would like any information regarding oddities or anomalies occurring recently."
"Oddities?" the man asked curiously.
"Anything out of the norm. Anything at all," John elaborated.
"We do have the first part of what you're looking for," the man said, "but as for recent information regarding oddities, we do not carry such information. Our Hall of Knowledge deals with established history and information, not gossip."
John nodded his head and said he would take whatever the man could provide, but felt a tinge of disappointment, nonetheless. The man left him and entered a backroom, most likely where the information was kept. The building was over a dozen stories tall, and so the number of scrolls, jade pieces, books, and more in their collection must have been quite extensive.
The man reappeared a while later, carrying a spatial ring in his palm. He handed it to John to inspect.
"These are the relevant sources you requested," the man said as John inspected them. "Several books, maps, and jade pieces containing as much information regarding this continent as we can provide."
John casually glanced through one of the books, which detailed a portion of the southwest of the Human Continent, including various maps, details regarding the prominent powers, hazard zones including the Immortal Forest he had recently ventured in, and more.
There were dozens of books, jade pieces, and maps in total, and so the comprehensive information given to him was quite extensive. John nodded his head with satisfaction, as this was very much what he needed at the moment.
"I'll take it. How much?" he asked.
"One Thousand Spirit Crystals," the man said, causing John to sputter in reply.
"On-One Thousand?" he repeated, shocked at such a price.
That was one billion Low-Grade Spirit Crystals, for just some information.
"This is the finest collection of information regarding this continent you'll find in the city, and each piece is highly sought after," the man said calmly. "The price is firm."
John frowned, studying the man's face for a moment. One Thousand High-Grade Spirit Crystals was enough to buy a few high-end flying ships on the Divine Martial Continent. Thankfully his sale of tea leaves to the Mystic Trade Hall had netted him hundreds of thousands of High-Grade Spirit Crystals, and so while the amount was staggering, it was something he could afford, and something he desperately needed.
"Deal," John finally nodded, and handed over a spatial ring containing the spirit crystals. The man accepted the ring, an expectant skeptical gaze appearing on his face a moment later. He looked to John, and then put the ring away, apparently satisfied with the spirit crystals despite their odd aura.
John left the Hall of Knowledge a short while later and explored the city, asking for other places of knowledge. He visited several other stores, each having approximately the same information he had already been provided. None seemed to deal with the real information he was hoping to obtain; information regarding oddities and anomalies as of late, like Lilian crashing to the continent from high above, carrying an odd aura about her.
John sighed and moved towards another store dealing with information, when he suddenly paused, his instincts flaring with warning. His guard instantly raised as he felt the faintest of aura's, the unmistakable aura of killing intent.
