I spend the following week trying to come up with a plan to defeat the masked man, all while making it look like I'm following his orders. I have very few contacts in the city, and I can't be sure that a phone call or online message won't be intercepted. Evelyn, Francis, and Michael's team are all too low level for me to feel comfortable dragging them into this mess.
I haven't had the time to jump into dungeons and make a name for myself as a level 80 adventurer before being forcibly added to the organization's membership, so it's not like anyone from that scene would have any reason to meet me and hear me out, and it might be suspicious of me to go out of my way to meet one of them.
I'm still thinking about the situation as I make my way towards the workshop where I left that dead wyvern. I received a message during the week letting me know that my order had been slightly delayed and would only be ready today, so I'm picking it up.
I enter the workshop, causing chimes to ring. The grumpy smoker comes to meet me, his stained shirt in an even worse state than it was two weeks ago.
"Oh, it's you. Follow me, the boss is going to want to show you the gear himself."
We walk to the office in the back of the workshop, which I enter. A mannequin is wearing what I assume to be my armor. The chest is covered with wyvern scales, and light plates crafted from the creature's bones cover the limbs. The gauntlets protect the hands, with small scales covering the phalanges to allow the fingers to move freely. The boots are fashioned from the monster's hide, with scales added to provide additional protection.
Next to the armor is a double-edged bastard sword crafted from a large bone. The proportions are very similar to my old weapon, just as I requested.
The owner stands proudly next to his creations.
"So, what do you think?"
"It all looks great! Thanks a ton for this."
"Nah, I'm the one thanking you. With all the materials you left us, we're going to be able to outfit a few big names, which is going to bring even more people here. Wyvern parts conduct magic very easily, so even the highest-level adventurers use them."
I remember reading about this. While it's very hard to pierce through a wyvern's skin or scales normally, they also have the power to make magic flow through them, making them even tougher. Equipment made from these materials benefits from the same properties, but channeling magic through one's gear is considered an extremely advanced technique, so few people can fully benefit from them.
However, my power is a bit special. I should have no issue making my gear even stronger. As for the sword, I might be able to use it as an extension of my arm and cast spells through it. Doing so should make my strikes even more powerful.
The artisan continues:
"You should try the armor so we can see if any adjustments are needed."
I nod, and approach.
I put the armor on, notice something that isn't quite comfortable, and the owner goes to the workshop to make adjustments. We repeat this a few times before I finally feel like everything falls in just the right place. Apparently, this process is normal, and people who get heavy armor made need to come over multiple times during the crafting process to make sure everything matches their body and fits together. It's my first time getting custom gear made, so this is a first for me.
"Would you like a bag to carry your armor in?"
"No need, I'll carry it this way."
While the armor is still on my body, I warp space around it and create a spatial bead. If I'm not mistaken, since I was already wearing it when I did this, I should be able to undo the spell and have it positioned perfectly on me, without the need to take care of all the straps and so on.
I do the same with my sword, placing it in its own bead. I then test something I was curious about by warping space around the two beads, confirming my hypothesis: I can layer them. This way, all of my equipment is conveniently contained within a single object for me to carry.
The artisan and the grumpy smoker are looking at me with round eyes. I try to explain:
"You can think of this as a unique power I got from being high level. Thanks a lot for everything, I'll make sure to come back here if I get another rare monster!"
With this, I leave the workshop.
Now that I'm properly outfitted for my level, I should be a bit safer even in more dangerous dungeons. Of course, I'm still under orders of my "boss" to lay low, so I can't just go and try things out immediately.
I stop on the roof of a tall building and sit on the edge, putting a hand on my brand. I'm still trying to find a way to remove it, but right now the only idea I have is that I might be able to erase it by overpowering it with my own energy, but doing that would require removing the protection buffer I put around it. That plan failing would place me under the brand's influence, and that's a risk I can't take right now. It also doesn't get me any closer to finding a way to remove it from other people.
As I'm analyzing the brand, my phone rings. I grab it and answer, hearing the distorted voice of the masked man:
"Hello, Matt. I have some good news, and some bad news. The bad news is that I haven't been able to get my hands on anyone suitable for you to fight yet, but I promise I'm still working hard on that. The good news is that Ouroboros, one of my best clients, is going to head into a level 84 dungeon tomorrow, and I offered to send you with them so they could get an idea of your strength. A bit of a demo, if you will. You should receive an invitation through the official channels soon."
"What should I do as we clear the dungeon?"
"Just fight like you normally would. Maybe use some of your unique powers, if the opportunity arises, it'll make your value go up. Oh! But do not mention that you're Aurora, okay? I'll take care of that when the time is right to maximize how much companies are willing to bid to get their hands on you. For now, just show off a bit to help build demand. If you leave a bad impression, you'll be punished accordingly."
I have no idea what to expect as a punishment from him, but consider how far he's willing to go just to make money, I should try my best. At least I now know that the Ouroboros leadership is in on the human trafficking scheme, even if they might not know all the details.
"Understood. I won't disappoint you."
"Good! You should probably know that I'm known as the Architect by adventurers I commerce with, and they believe you to be my apprentice. Make sure to keep that cover story going."
"Of course. Anything else?"
"Not for now. Good luck on the clear!"
The call ends. To my surprise, when I access my call history, it doesn't appear in the list. He seems very careful to leave as few traces as possible.
I get back up, wipe the dust from my pants, and look in the direction of the dungeon I'll be helping clear tomorrow, which I can see from here.
Without knowing, my "boss" just gave me a great opportunity.
