A short while later Tepo stood in front of an inconspicuous building. It was rather small, placed in the shadow of a large training center. No one would expect the huge wealth stored here.
Tepo scanned the thick white stone walls before he walked up to a solid metal gate. The warrior balled his fist and knocked heavily at the door.
Not receiving any answer, he pondered for a moment before taking out his token and placing it against the gate. Suddenly the solid obstacle blurred, turned translucent, and vanished.
Keeping a calm face Tepo walked into the small room lying behind.
The front of the room had a few desks, with people busily documenting everything happening in the storage. While in the back multiple doors led to storage areas hiding a myriad of spells.
One desk was placed in the center of the others, with a frighteningly thin, middle-aged man seated behind it. He wore one of the forum's white robes but adorned with bloodred highlights.
The man showed an irritated look as he focused on a young woman standing before him.
"Don't make trouble, student! I said the materials will be handed over as soon as we get them! I will send someone to inform you, and you can get them!"
"Elder Trang. I only hear people praising your efficiency. How can it be that our materials are delayed again and again? My teacher is working on an important pill recipe!"
"Hush, hush! I already told you! Now leave and let me do my job!"
Suddenly the elder turned around, his eyes falling on a worker at the back.
"Hey! What are you doing? Rangum belongs to A4.56!"
The female student gritted her teeth, understanding the elder's hint. She didn't dare to show her satisfaction as she left the spell storage.
Tepo let his peer pass, sighing inwardly, before walking up to the elder's desk.
"What? I already told you to le… Oh, someone else here to steal my time? What do you want, make it quick!"
"Elder, my name is Tepmodus. I was rewarded with the chance of choosing one spell for free."
"Mhm. Heard about that. Token?"
Tepo still had his token in hand, giving it to the elder before him.
"So this is the invitation…"
Mumbling under his breath Elder Trang held the token against a small metallic square inlaid in his desk. After a moment he seemed to receive confirmation.
The elder handed the token back before turning around, looking at the empty back.
Right this moment a man in worker's clothes leisurely came out of one of the doors.
"Hoinar! Come here! I have something to do for you."
The worker was startled for a moment, staring at the elder in surprise.
"Me, elder? But I'm on br…"
"Don't search for excuses! When I call you, you follow! Understood?!"
"… yes, elder."
The worker arrived with his head lowered as the elder turned towards Tepo. As soon as he didn't feel any eyes on himself, Hoinar raised his head, glaring at the student.
Tepo frowned as the elder explained.
"Hoinar here will lead you through the storage. Just tell him what you need. And now leave my sight, I'm busy!"
With those words the elder demonstratively took out a thick stack of papers and put them on his desk.
But Tepo didn't mind. He wasn't here to talk to the elder, but to choose a spell which could offset his forbidden spell's side effects.
Thus, he approached Hoinar. The worker had an annoyed expression, but he did his job, wordlessly turned around and entered the door furthest to the left.
The two men arrived in a large room filled to the brim with shelves. A few workers scurried around, taking away materials or storing new ones.
Tepo looked at the large buffet. Minerals, metals, strange liquids, plants, beast hides…
The variety was unmatched. Even Tepo felt his breathing quicken sightly, eager to take all of it away.
But Hoinar's displeased voice immediately calmed him down.
"Just tell me what you need. Let's get this over with."
"Hmm? But I don't even know what you got. Isn't there some kind of register?"
"There is not."
The worker's voice wavered faintly. Tepo was certain the man was lying, but he didn't pursue the matter.
Luckily, he had an idea of what he needed.
"I'm searching for a spell which lets me observe my surroundings. It would be best if it granted some sort of audio detection. Maybe also able to enhance mental strength."
Tepo tried to stay somewhat vague so others wouldn't come up with any guesses.
But when Hoinar heard Tepo's wishes, he could only roll his eyes.
"Why don't you ask for immortality right away?"
"Oh? Is this possible?"
The worker scoffed in annoyance. He decided to get this over with as fast as possible, leading Tepo along the bent wall, soon reaching another door.
Together they passed two more rooms before reaching their target, going a bit deeper in. They stopped in a comparatively sparsely filled area.
Tepo gazed at the stored materials before turning his head towards Hoinar, a teasing expression on his face.
"Are you going to introduce them one by one, or…?"
Hoinar fell silent. He searched for the right words to say before deciding that playing mute was the best strategy. With a stoic face he took out a piece of recording metal and handed it to Tepo.
Shaking his head, the young man inserted some force, a list of materials appearing in the air.
Ignoring everything else he began to search for a suitable spell.
Fire spells, water spells, body enhancements…
All of those sound oddly common…
Whatever, this should be what I'm looking for. Mental spells.
Let's see…
A few minutes passed in silence, Tepo's frown gradually deepening.
What's up with these spells? That's not what I imagined. The most they can do is strengthen perception. I don't think this would be helpful for me.
Enchanting soul power sounds good, but it's even written here that the effect is barely noticeable.
And why are there so few nine-runed spells? What's going on?
Tepo increasingly felt that something was not right. He deactivated the recording metal, his narrowed eyes focusing on Hoinar.
"I expected more from the forum's spell storage."
"Well, it is what it is."
Fidgeting, the common worker avoided Tepo's gaze.
The young student's suspicion strengthened. He pondered as he scanned the room.
Quickly, Tepo's attention was drawn to a thick dark wooden door. He had already noticed that every room seemed to have a similar door.
The building's layout formed in Tepo's mind. Obviously, the storage area was built in a circle, with those door's leading towards its center.
Hoinar noticed Tepo's gaze, scoffing inwardly. As soon as Tepo began walking and approached the door, the worker followed behind him.
"Forget it. You can't go in there."
"Why? I'm allowed to choose one spell freely."
Hoinar only let out a low chuckle.
But now it was Tepo who felt increasingly annoyed. He looked over his shoulder, staring at the worker's eyes.
"Just tell me. Is this some plot by those aristocratic families? Thinning out the storage on purpose and locking the good spells behind a door I'm not allowed to pass?"
"Tzz. Don't you hold yourself in too high regard? No one thinned the storage.
It's just that this door can only be passed by students with outstanding contributions. Just some dungeon clearance event is not enough."
Tepo found it hard to tell if the worker was lying this time. But this fact in itself let him believe that his words were the truth. He stared at the older man until they reached the door.
Taking out his token, Tepo held it against the solid door. Behind him Hoinar had a derogatory expression. But it slowly changed, his eyes widening, showing pure disbelief, as the door blurred and disappeared.
Tepo behaved as if this was only natural, passing the door nonchalantly. But in his mind, he was also somewhat surprised.
So is this the advantage brought by an invitation? Maybe I should explore the forum some more and figure out where else I have access to…
While Hoinar hesitated, Tepo had already entered another room. It was rather small, circular, tinged in warm orange light. The mosaic flooring and artistic murals on the walls gave the room a sublime atmosphere.
The warrior wasn't surprised as he found another portal in the room's center, leading to a dungeon.
Without apprehension he stepped forward and entered the portal.
Only as Tepo vanished, did Hoinar make up his mind. He took a deep breath and followed into the portal.
The world changed in an instant.
Tepo and Hoinar arrived on a large grassy field. It appeared incredibly peaceful, a sun illuminating the vast space, sometimes interrupted by drifting clouds.
A few birds could even be seen leaving a small forest not far away, landing on berry bushes, happily picking some of the sweet fruits.
It was a paradisical dungeon, obviously modified by the forum.