Hours passed by as Michael raided the cave. He realized that his space would not contain all the crystals, so he decided to carve out the bigger ones, leaving the smaller ones. A choice that still tore his heart, he wished he could take them all.
Soon the space that was left, was just enough for the center crystal. He walked there smiling ear to ear. Rift was tired of watching Michael mine ores, so he diverted his attention elsewhere, poking around Michael's sea of consciousness.
Michael stood in front of the crystal, observing it, he determined that this would be the one he would keep for him self. Unlike the other crystals that we're stuck to the walls, this one just stood at the center, so without any dilly dallying, he placed it in his ring.
After completing his extraction, he was ready to leave, there was no point in staying here anymore.
He thought of the gains he received, and a smile plastered on his face. "Hey Rift."
[Please I beg you, don't call me that] the words carried an intent of pleading, but Michael was adamant about the name.
"I'm done here Rift, we can leave the crack now."
Rift could only curse internally, as Michael refused his plea.
[Good, then let's go].
Heading down the part he came from, Michael looked at the purple-black distortion he had come in through. Walking through it, he stepped out.
He appeared on the rock structure he had fought the rift monsters, though it seemed it was not there for now. Turning back to look at the space crack, he found nothing to surprise.
"Where did it go?" Michael had a perplexed look on his face.
[There is a reason why no one has entered their since the creation, and that is because the space crack changes location constantly, how you found it is a mystery to me. It only stayed here for so long because you were inside.]
Michael was hit by a sudden realization. He realized that all the crystals inside were gone, his plan to return and get the rest had disappeared along with the space crack. " WHAT KIND OF SPACE CRACK FUCKING DISAPPEARS!" Michael let out a shout.
[Don't you have enough already?]
If looks could kill, Rift would have died. Michael let out a seething breath, managing to control his rage. There was nothing he could do about it.
He cleared his mind, he needed to make plans on how to head on from here. Thinking for a bit, Michael came to a conclusion that he had to leave the Red Wing. In all essence his reason for joining them was the fact that they were the only agency that accepted Luminary realm practitioners to become rift keepers. Thinking about the things he was about to begin doing, he didn't think his being in the Red Wing would allow him the required freedom. ' i'll just file in an PTSD complaint and drop out. It will probably taint my reputation, but that would have little effect on my future.'
---
Walking out of zone 0004's base, Michael had just finished filling in his PTSD complaint, and had been dismissed. He still had a lingering fear. If all this didn't work out, then he had thrown away his last chance in life.
'well no use crying over spilt milk.'
Michael got a Room in the city of zone 0004.
Walking inside the room, it had a musty smell, a small bed decked at the right corner of the room. He dropped his bag on the old rickety table provided, beside an old rune link that seemed to not have all it's runes working. Michael looked at the rune link, knowing he would need to get a new one, if he wanted to access the net and sell his ores.
'So first thing to do is to get a good rune link.'
Michael took out all his savings which amounted to 3 thousand credits. Leaving the guest house, heading for the general market.
Walking to the market, Michael chatted with Rift.
"So can you feel the amount of arcane is in an item?"
[Yes, I am basically made of arcane so that would be easy for me]
"Good, then if you see anything worth buying in the market, but is under priced, inform me."
[Greedy bastard]
"I am doing this for both of us. The faster I get stronger, the quicker you get to see the sights you want."
[Bullshit, I've lived more lives than you can dream of, don't think you can trick me]
"Ok, you win, but just help me out when you can"
[We'll see]
It took a couple minutes to get to the market. Rows of stores lined up, some were shabby looking and some were exquisite. The placed bustled with people buying and selling. Arcane arts, artifacts amongst others. Noise of bargains and transactions polluted the air.
Walking through the market, he saw a communication store. Walking in he purchased a rune link worth 500 credits.
Basically, Michael was done with shopping, but he began walking around window shopping. Michael was tired after a while of walking, so he began heading home when suddenly.
[Stop]
Michael drew to a halt as he heard Rift speak.
"What is it?"
[The artifact store on your left, go there]
Turning, Michael saw a shabby looking artifact store. He walked over to the store.
Artifacts were placed in a scattered manner within the store. There was no arrangement, as everything was placed anywhere.
[Look at that black pendant, buy it]
"Ok" he did not think that Rift would stop him for nothing so the pendant must me special.
Michael was about to walk in, when he was blocked my an old woman, she was probably the owner of the store.
"Are you going to buy something, or stand there." She spoke very sharply. Michael pointed to the Pendant.
The old woman's faces morphed into one of disappointment, to her that pendant was just a simple ornament.
Michael did not care for her dissatisfaction, he bought it at 20 credits. Leaving the store, he was now done, he looked at the path ahead, it was time to go and make money, and after that he would face his tribulation.