'Today is a new day, the eight of Messis. Now I've officially been a twenty-year-old man and a Vocator for a day.
Yesterday Alfie and I went back to the city without any trouble luckily. Fortunately, I got washed before returning, so the guards at the gate didn't question me. Although it is normal for people to be soaked in blood because of the monsters outside, and the law didn't really apply beyond the walls, it would still be bothersome to explain to the guards what happened, and I don't really like social interactions with humans that much.
Alfie is a different story.'
"Right, Alfie?" the young Caeco looked at his dog, who was lying down leisurely next to him. The sunbeam coming from the window shone upon his head.
"Woof!"
'After getting through the gate safely, we went directly to the marketplace in the heart of the city. That's where people would usually sell monster parts and buy equipment. I don't know what they do with those parts, but there are production Vocators that are able to create stuff using them, like Leatherworkers for example.
A normal human without any Vocations can of course become a leatherworker as well, but the end products will be different without a doubt. Not to mention the Vocators' abilities to enhance their creations.
So, anyway, we went to the shop and sold all the parts that Alfie and I got from those Octorels and managed to get thirty-five cupa. That is enough for three days' worth of food for me and Alfie. As for the equipment we got from those rogues, I sold them off and bought a doll for the same price. I don't know why this thing is so expensive...'
Gyanav picked up a small humanoid doll on the desk next to his journal. It was an eerie leather doll stuffed with cotton, only the size of his palm. It had black buttons for eyes and a sewn mouth. Its rustic brown color made the doll look aged, and for some reason, Gyanav was strangely attracted to it. That was why he bought it even for its high price of sixty cupa.
Running his fingertip across the frowning doll, the young Caeco felt its rough surface rubbing against his skin. He then held the doll's tiny fingers and toes, feeling them. Turning the doll around, he touched the metal needle attached to its back, tied by a small black ribbon. The needle looked sharp enough to puncture the doll with ease. After he was satisfied with his new purchase, Gyanav picked up his pen and continued writing.
Meanwhile, the golden retriever was rolling around merrily in the sunlight.
'When I touched the doll, I have the strong urge to use my ability on someone. I asked the seller if she felt something like that, but she just looked at me like I was crazy. Maybe it has something to do with my Vocation-- maybe the doll is just made for Curse Mages. Alas, that is my wish. Something like that can't have only cost a mere sixty cupa... it would have been at least a hundred gulden probably.
Talking about the new ability, it's a Pain Curse. Using this doll as a medium, I can target an individual: a person, or a monster, and inflict pain upon them. Luckily, a needle doesn't count as a conventional weapon so I can wield it to cause the pain.
Now I am curious what kind of pain I can inflict on people. Stabbing them is the most straightforward, but can I theoretically burn the doll and, in turn, burn my target? I would like to find out but I can't afford another doll, so let's leave it for another day. Water, on the other hand, can probably work better. Maybe I can drown my target with the Curse.
For the Curse to work, however, I will need something of my targets like their hair strand or their blood. Even a piece of their flesh or nail will do as well. That will prove to be the most problematic aspect of this ability, but I can think of a way around it somehow, probably.
Now, I just need to test how powerful this new ability is. If my conjecture is correct, then this will be my first offensive ability. I have just the perfect target for it as well.
He put the pen down and closed his journal. With a smile on his face, he looked at his dog that was still rubbing his back against the wooden floor.
"Alfie, I'm going out now. I'm going to meet an old 'friend', but I can't take you. Please wait for me here," Gyanav crouched down and gave his dog a belly rub, which sent the golden retriever ecstatic from joy.
Creak...
The old wardrobe inside his room was opened, the aged wooden door created a loud creak. Gyanav then took out a hoodie before putting it on. After that, he left his cheap apartment and went downstairs with the leather doll stuffed inside his pocket and a pair of scissors in the other.
Meanwhile, Alfie was still playing in the only sunshiny spot in the room, rolling around happily.
Walking with his head down, Gyanav tried to hide his identity. He headed for the back alley near his apartment, an area that people usually avoid going into alone.
Alfie is not here, so I have to be careful. But if things work out well, I can finally get my revenge on those thugs.
Gyanav clenched his fist and walked faster, avoiding people in the street. Once he made his turn to the back alley, it suddenly became quiet. He softened his steps and raised his guard. Once he heard the sound of footsteps coming from the opposite direction, he quickly hid away behind a broken arcade machine.
"What do you think the boss wants us to do now?" came a voice of a man that sounded cheerful and curious.
"I don't know, but we'd better be there quickly or he'll be angry again," another man replied. His voice had a hint of haughtiness and arrogance in it.
Without even being able to see the people speaking, Gyanav knew right away that the arrogant man was the one he was looking for.
Sacha Drozdov, a Vocator who is a member of an infamous gang. That's why he acts all strong and mighty. But I don't really care about all that. He once kicked Alfie just because he was in the way, and back then I wasn't able to do anything. Now, at least I can take revenge for you, Alfie, he thought, gritting his teeth.
Almost a year ago, when Gyanav and Alfie had just been returning from their afternoon walk across the alley, Sacha Drozdov suddenly appeared and kicked the dog. The man might have been in a bad mood or he was just a foul individual in the first place, but it didn't matter to Gyanav. He just hadn't been able to do anything. Luckily, other people had quickly shown up so the man ran away.
I still don't know why he did that, but I don't care. I've always avoided fights because the moment I bleed, these humans will know that I'm a Caeco, so I couldn't punch him although I wanted to back then. And that face, I remember that face clearly, looking all satisfied and deprived at Alfie's injured body.
Gyanav took a little peek at the people walking towards his location and found out that there were two other people with his target. He then quickly hid again before being spotted. A frontal fight in the city would not benefit him, especially with his status as a hiding Caeco.
"Last night's mission was a success all because of you, Sacha. Your Vocation is indeed very powerful. I think you're one of the few Drugs Warrior living here in this city. My plain Warrior Vocation is nothing compared to yours," the curious man spoke again.
"Haha! Of course! With my drugs, I'm unbeatable in fights! If the boss wants us to raid another rival gang, then it will be perfect, especially since we have a Narcotics Nurse with us today," Sacha replied proudly.
"You'll have to pay if you want my drugs," the last man, who had been quiet the whole time, finally spoke coldly.
"Come on, Michail! The boss will surely reimburse you!" Sacha retorted.
Gyanav was absorbing all the information that he had heard from the three men. It was the first time he had found out about his target's Vocation. All this time, he had only memorized Sacha's face and name that he had obtained by asking around, as well as the man's usual route so he could avoid him.
Drugs Warrior? Narcotics Nurse? They sound like dangerous Vocations. No wonder they are accepted in the underground gang. My vocation doesn't sound half bad either: Curse Mage. It suits me being in the underground world just fine. Heh... Gyanav smirked but then returned his focus at once.
Tap... Tap... Tap...
The three men were getting closer, so Gyanav got ready to put his plan in motion. Right at that moment, he could see Sacha, a tall man with unkempt blond hair, and the other two walking side by side with him. The three of them were all wearing plain t-shirts that had a kind of a red goblet drawing on the back, which was probably the logo of their gang.
Now!
"Slow..."
The moment the three people walked past him without noticing, Gyanav cast a Slowing Curse on Sacha very quietly as not to be heard. The three men were still busy chatting, so they didn't even notice the dark green aura appearing around Sacha. Or another possibility was that the aura was only visible to Gyanav, the caster.
With the Curse in effect, Sacha became slightly slower, and his position in the group changed. He was now walking at the back, following the other two who were walking faster.
Before his targets noticed the abnormality, Gyanav quickly sneaked in and caught up to Sacha. With a quick movement, he cut the edge of his target's hair and quickly walked in the other direction, pretending nothing had happened before hiding again.
"Fuck what was that?!" Sacha, who was still under the effect of the Slowing Curse, reacted a bit late. Once the Curse's duration was up, his speed returned to normal and he quickly looked back only to find an empty alleyway.
"What's with you?" asked the man called Michail.
He saw that Sacha was holding the back of his head like something had stung him.
"Didn't you guys see anything? I feel like someone pulled my hair just now!"
"Nope, I didn't see anyone. Then again, we were busy talking, that's probably why," the other man replied.
"It's probably just a wasp. They're pretty common at this time of the year. You'll see later when you flesh is swollen from the sting," Michail said nonchalantly.
"Fuck off! A wasp cannot pull my hair like that!" Sacha protested.
"Well, anyway, we're almost late so, it's up to you if you want to continue bickering here," Michail shrugged.
The tall blonde man gave the alley a quick scan one more time to make sure he hadn't missed anything. He then ran his hand across the back of his head and neck, trying to find a kind of bump or something similar to a wasp's stinger.
"Alright, alright. Let's go!" he said angrily.
Behind a dumpster, Gyanav's heart was beating very fast and cold sweat was running down his forehead. His right hand was clenching very tightly to the strands of hair that he had managed to obtain from his target.
Phew... I'm very lucky they're in a hurry. If they had checked, they would have found me and I'd probably be dead since Alfie is not here to fight with me. But then again, if he was here, he would be barking and gnarling at the man who had kicked him.
The three men turned to another corner of the alley, disappearing from Gyanav's sight. The young Caeco, after making sure that it was indeed safe for him to do so, stood up and quickly followed his target.
Now we'll see how effective the new ability is. It's too bad I don't have some kind of remote monitoring device, so I have to watch from up close.