Ellen's voice echoed softly in my mind, a small but clear warning.
"Zal, there's something moving. A lifeform, from the sounds of it."
"I hear it," I replied in a low voice, not breaking my pace. My eyes scanned the tree line ahead.
Just behind a thick clump of trees, I caught sight of it—an animal that resembled a boar, though far more intimidating. It had two large tusks, curving outward like scythes, and a single, prominent horn jutting from its forehead. The creature sniffed the dirt, oblivious to my presence. For now, at least.
I crouched down, slowly edging backward. There was no need to get into a fight with the wildlife, especially when I still hadn't figured out the full extent of my surroundings.
Keeping my movements deliberate and silent, I snuck away, careful not to draw its attention. Once I was far enough, I exhaled softly, a smirk tugging at my lips. "Guess I got lucky," I muttered. "Good thing it was 'busy' with something else."
The trek back to Batustone wasn't long. As I approached the town, a thought crossed my mind. There were still no guards. None at the entrance, none patrolling the streets. It was a bit unnerving, honestly.
"These people must really trust mother nature to guard the place," I joked quietly to myself. In some ways, it made sense. They lived in a remote village, surrounded by thick woods and wildlife. Maybe they figured the natural defenses were enough. Either that, or they were just that confident in their isolation.
With nothing better to do for the moment, I wandered the town again, taking in the quaint, simple life these people led. It wasn't long before something caught my eye—a small building, weathered but sturdy, with a sign hanging above the door: Eddie's Pawn Shop.
I stopped in my tracks and turned to look at it more closely. A pawn shop might have information. And if not, well, it wasn't like I had much to lose by asking. The shopkeeper could know someone with the expertise I needed—someone who could fix Ellen.
Ellen's voice returned to my thoughts, always a calm and reassuring presence. "Your logic is sound, Zal. Asking won't hurt."
"Let's give it a shot," I murmured back.
I walked up to the shop and pushed the door open. The wood groaned under the weight, creaking as I stepped inside. The interior was what you'd expect from a small-town pawn shop—dusty shelves lined with all sorts of knick-knacks and relics. Everything from rusty tools to old trinkets was scattered about in a somewhat organized chaos.
Behind the counter sat a middle-aged man, his appearance as unremarkable as the shop itself. He barely looked up from the newspaper he was reading as I entered, offering a half-hearted greeting in a voice that sounded bored and utterly unmotivated.
"Hey. Need somethin'?"
I raised an eyebrow at his lackluster welcome. "You Eddie?"
"Yeah," he grunted, not bothering to take his eyes off the paper.
An awkward silence hung in the air as I approached the counter, trying to get a read on this guy. He still didn't look up, just continued flipping through the pages. I decided to inquire anyway.
"Mind if I ask you a few questions?" I ventured.
He let out a sigh, one that sounded like it took all the energy he could muster. "Yeah, sure," he replied, the laziness in his tone almost palpable.
I found it rude, but honestly, I wasn't here for pleasantries. So I pushed on, getting straight to the point. "Do you know anyone who's got expertise in mechanical engineering? Something along those lines?"
At that, Eddie finally lowered the newspaper, though just enough to glance at me over the top of it. He snorted softly, as if amused by my question. "Ah, you must be talkin' about those geniuses."
I blinked. "Pardon?"
He sighed again, folding the newspaper and placing it on the counter. Finally, he adjusted his glasses and gave me his full attention. "The only ones worth callin' experts in mechanical engineering are the folks in the Vectors. If you're lookin' for that kind of knowledge, they're your people."
That piqued my interest. I had heard the name tossed around before, but this felt like the first real lead I'd gotten. "Vectors?"
Eddie chuckled, shaking his head a bit like he couldn't believe I didn't know. "What, never heard of 'em? What cave did you crawl out from to not know the Vectors, huh? Well, never mind. The Vectors are the ones who kicked off this whole technological revolution. Automatons, advanced machines, all that good stuff—they're behind it."
I felt a flicker of excitement. Automatons. This might be what I was looking for. "Tell me more about the Vectors."
Now I had his attention. Eddie put his newspaper aside and leaned forward on the counter, his glasses glinting in the dim light. "The Vectors… they ain't just your regular tinkerers or scientists. They're special. Word is, they're not even from this world. Some say they were summoned here, others think they were reincarnated from another place entirely."
Summoned or reincarnated? That sounded fantastical, almost mythical. But given what I'd seen so far in this world, it wasn't too far-fetched.
"And they're the ones who made the automatons?" I asked, my mind racing. If that were true, they might hold the key to fixing Ellen's body.
Eddie nodded slowly. "Yup. Automatons are one of their finest creations. If anyone knows how to fix something like that, it's one of them."
I couldn't help but feel like I had just struck gold. The Vectors—whoever they were—sounded exactly like the people I needed to find.
Now all that was left was figuring out how to track them down.
As I mulled over Eddie's words, I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of connection to the Vectors. Summoned beings, reincarnated souls—they were like me, in a way. A small part of me wondered if they had gone through the same struggles I had when first awakening in this unfamiliar world. It almost felt... homey. A place where I might belong.
But I pushed that thought aside. I wasn't here to reminisce. There were more pressing matters at hand.
"So," I began, leaning against the counter, "is there something in particular I can look at to learn more about the Vectors' creations? Anything that shows what kind of technology they're capable of?"
Eddie rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his eyes scanning the cluttered shelves behind him. After a moment, he reached under the counter and pulled out a small, intricately-designed pocket watch. It looked old, finely crafted, but clearly past its prime.
"This here," he said, sliding it over to me. "I heard it was made by those in the Vectors. Broken, sadly. Can't get it to work no matter what I try. I'll give it to you for free since even I couldn't fix it. Not even Ina could."
I picked up the watch, turning it over in my hands. It was heavier than I expected, and as I opened it to examine the internal mechanisms, I noticed something. The intricate workings of the watch looked strangely familiar—almost as if they followed the same principles I had studied in my past life.
The design was sophisticated, but not beyond me. My old self, the engineering professor, stirred to life. As my eyes traced the gears and parts inside the watch, my mind began racing with excitement. I could see exactly what needed to be fixed.
"I can fix this," I said, feeling that old spark of confidence I hadn't felt in a long time.
Eddie scoffed, letting out a dry laugh. "Sure, give it a try. I doubt you'll have any more luck than the others. If anyone could've fixed it, it would've been the Vectors themselves."
I took that as a challenge.
"Do you have any tools I can borrow?" I asked, glancing around the shop.
Eddie raised an eyebrow, looking at me as if I'd missed his point entirely. "You serious? After everything I just said?"
But there was curiosity in his voice. With a grunt, he disappeared into the back and returned moments later with a toolbox. He set it down on the counter, his eyes still skeptical.
I nodded my thanks and immediately set to work. The tools were familiar—surprisingly so. They were almost identical to the ones I had used back in my previous world. As I worked, everything came together. Piece by piece, I realigned the gears, adjusted the springs, and replaced worn-out components. Time seemed to fly by as I focused on each tiny detail.
After thirty minutes of concentrated effort, I closed the watch and wound it up. The ticking sound was music to my ears.
I held it up to Eddie. "There, it's working."
Eddie's eyes widened, and he straightened up from his slouch, peering at the watch in disbelief. He took it from me, testing it out for himself. His fingers fumbled with it before he confirmed what I already knew—the watch was indeed working again.
"How… how did you do that?" he asked, genuine surprise coloring his voice.
I shrugged, keeping my explanation simple. "It wasn't as difficult as it seemed."
Eddie scratched his head, clearly impressed. "Well, I'm not sure how you pulled that off, but hey, you can keep it if you want."
I shook my head. "No need. I don't have much use for a pocket watch."
Eddie stared at me for a moment, still trying to figure me out. Then, with a small chuckle, he added, "Suit yourself. But listen, since you seem to have a knack for this, I've got a bit of advice for you. There's a Vector—big shot named Verigold, over in Avaros. He's not an engineer, but he's got connections. Master of finance and all that. If anyone can help you find an expert in engineering, it'd be him."
I nodded thoughtfully. Verigold. The name meant little to me now, but it was a lead.
"Thanks," I said, already thinking about my next move.
Eddie leaned back, smirking. "Good luck with Verigold. You'll need it."
I gave him a quick nod and left the shop, pocketing the information, not the watch. I had bigger plans in mind, and the Vectors were the key to it all. As I was about to excuse myself, Eddie called out to me.
"Oh, right. C'mere for a sec."
Eddie pulled out the cashier drawer with a smooth clink, grabbing a wad of cash that amounted to 5000
"Here. This should be enough to get you to Avaros," he said. "Might even buy yourself some airline tickets if Batustone had an airport, eh?" His tone was layered with sarcasm, and the dry chuckle that followed reinforced it. "But no, the only thing that'll get you there is a horse-drawn carriage. You'll want to pay the fare over at the Rover Guild."
I blinked at the money and then back at Eddie. He was suddenly brimming with energy, something I hadn't seen from him earlier. I had to ask.
"Why?" I said, narrowing my eyes. "Why would you give me this?"
Eddie leaned back, arms crossed, a grin tugging at his lips. "Ah, you see, life's been dull for this old man. Boring, even. Same routine, same faces, same problems. But then you showed up—fixed that pocket watch without breaking a sweat. Got me thinking. If a kid like you can do that, maybe there's still some excitement left for me. Felt... motivated, I guess." He shrugged like it was nothing, though his words carried weight. "Consider this a thank you. And hey, the info I gave you, I'd normally charge people for that, too. But what the hell, I felt generous."
I accepted the money and tucked it away. "Thanks, Eddie."
"Don't mention it. Just don't waste it all in one place."
With that, I left the shop, my next stop clear—the Rover Guild.