From Player To Npc

Shingi didn't know what was happening there, and he didn't want to show, so he kept his detection skills to ignore that direction.

Zhen was back to his feet as he snapped out of his surprise, while Little Phoenix seemed to play with a few Mana Gems and poking some Oozes workers who were producing them. They didn't seem to mind as they continued their work with no delay.

Shingi stood next to him, which made Zhen somewhat worried because of what happened the last time he had a similar experience with Little Phoenix.

"So I see you had some fun while I was away. Care to explain why Scythe helps with your 'research'?" [Shingi]

"She… she insisted. After seeing my special Oozes, she wanted to test their transformation abilities. I told them they needed samples from the one she wanted to take the form for, and after that, she stayed in that room with them. No idea what she is doing, and she is too scary to disturb her. Hot but scary."[Zhen]

Shingi got worried about what Scythe could do in there, but he wasn't planning to see himself.

"Master? Do we have some lemonade? Lady Ardent is thirsty."[????]

Everyone in the room turned towards the source of that voice, and it was someone that few recognized.

It was Ameanum or someone who looked exactly like him but wasn't having any of his equipment. He wore just a loincloth and nothing else.

"Oh my, it seems like she is having a lot of fun in there."[Little Phoenix]

Shingi froze in place from that sight, and then he disappeared.

He reappeared in front of the Ameanum look-alike as he had Sinhunter through its forehead.

The look-alike, like the Ooze they had met in the past, started losing its form until it was a small lake of a reddish liquid.

Shingi moved into the next room, finding Ardent Scythe, laying down on a bed, dressed, fortunately, with another Ameanum look-alike next to her who was holding a bowl of grapes and was feeding them to her.

Scythe noticed him entering, but before she could say anything, he moved, making his usual attack to destroy the core of the Ooze.

"What? Who do you think you are to kill my special subjects like that?" [Ardent Scythe]

She was ready to enable her mind control ability, which could affect him even if he had his special eyes activated, but got stopped by Shingi having his sword over her neck.

"Before you finish your next sentence, I would have cut your neck and ruin your armor with your blood. So don't create other lookalikes of my old self. UNDERSTOOD?!?."[Shingi]

He got tempted to use FEAR on her, but he was certain that it wouldn't work on her.

"Ame? Is that really you? They told me you have grown after getting your class but didn't expect that much change. We should find a bigger bed for our next sleep date… or the last one would make it we just need to get closer."[Ardent Scythe]

Shingi stored his sword back as he felt it wanted to slash such a powerful foe and 'consume' part of her power.

"There will not be another sleep date. The deal was to be only one time, and we have done it. But I heard that Night Wind had made some deliveries already, so thank you for that."[Shingi]

Seeing around, he didn't notice any signs in the room or Scythe of anything weird happening, but he knew her enough to know that the moan-like sounds could be just for her getting fed those grapes.

Shingi left the room, leaving behind a sad Ardent Scythe who, after a few seconds, stood up and joined everyone to the other room.

"Did you really had to destroy their core? It took me a long time to make them."[Zhen]

Shingi ignored that comment.

"I came to inform you that will soon need a sizeable amount of Light Mana Gems, so try to produce as much without messing without normal production line. Also brought you some gifts."[Shingi]

He gave Zhen some notes from the books he got from Aneta to keep for Hineko for the next time he started working on a few potions and the recipes he bought. Also left some materials and scroll he found, which Mizuneko could study and try to reproduce.

Zhen's place was their lab for now, but he was planning to talk with Marcy to make a place at the Guild's headquarter for those two to work and possibly some other members if they were trustworthy and skillful.

He learned that all his students were part of the unnamed Guild since Marcy was aware of them, but she hadn't met Zhen yet.

He also wanted to move Zhen too possibly, but he was sensitive to sunlight, so it would be troublesome to get out even if he would work just at night. He could try to expand the current lab, though, if it would be just him and his Oozes.

He said his goodbyes as he made his way back to town to meet the three individuals who came to Carda for him.

He headed to the usual Inn that most people coming into town were passing their time, and he soon found Ragnarock with Winestone.

There was a crowd of Blessed Ones around Ragnarock, all males, as he told a story of his adventures.

"… and so me and my buddy, Gazu, we turn towards that Boar God Demon as he is using one of his weird keys on him chains come out of the lava and get around him. Being the weak person demon, he couldn't fight against those, and after I spat at its face, I cut its head and left its body to be dragged into the lava by those chains. And that is how we saved the entire realm by helping that Defender dude."[Ragnarock]

"Protector."[Winestone]

"Defender, protector, same thing. He just sat back while we showed him how real men deal with problems."[Ragnarock]

Shingi could tell that some part of the story was fake, but there was some truth.

But the group of Players around was buying it all, which was impressive as Ragnarock didn't seem like the most persuasive individual.

Shingi looked around for any signs of Price, but he first felt an individual poking him to the shoulder.

It was Price, and Shingi was impressed as he hadn't noticed him getting at him.

"You seem to be here earlier than you said. Everything went ok?" [Price]

"All good. How about you get a private room, and I will bring two more I want to talk with."[Shingi]

"Please don't tell me it is that Dwarf and the bear. They don't even try to keep a low profile."[Price]

"Sometimes, being part of the crowd is the best way to hide." [Shingi]

Shingi tried to move through the crowd to reach Winestone as Ragnarock was surrounded by people trying to ask him for Quests or tips for Skills and things like that.

"It's been a while. How was the trip? I see you made it sooner than normal." [Shingi]

"He has a few friends that helped us get here early, although I never like this way of moving. Makes my stomach feeling weird each time. So learned that you took that weird axe from him. Did you destroy it yet?" [Winestone]

"I left it with a special person who can deal with it. We should have new in a few weeks. Tell Ragnarock to speak with the innkeeper to meet me in one of the private rooms. Join us as soon as possible." [Shingi]

Shingi left to speak with the innkeeper to let them know where they were as he joined Price.

"So how do you like the new dagger? Had the chance to test it out?" [Shingi]

"It is unusual and difficult to use it in full power, but the different tactics you can do with it makes it worthwile. Maybe we can have some sparring later to show you what I am working on."[Price]

They had some small talk until Ragnarock and Winestone joined them after a couple of minutes.

"So boy, where is my axe? I need to remind you it belongs to my Tribe, and I just let you borrow it for some time."[Ragnarock]

"I left it to a trustworthy person of mine to deal with the troublesome entity in it. I made sure that we understand that we don't want the weapon to be damaged, so it will take some time. But at most would take a month and deliver it here. Meanwhile, how about we discuss a future partnership we can have."[Shingi]

"What kind of partnership. If it is more errands like the one I did for you, I will have to pass."[Ragnarock]

"We are planning to get in Neutral Territory soon, and as I assume you have heard, that is a dangerous place, so we need manpower. So how about you join us and work on training a few of our people? Of course, there will be payment."[Shingi]

"What kind of payment you have in mind?" [Ragnarock]

"The one you actually desire. Gold could be provided, but you can go around beating people up and earn some in tournaments and such, or even steal from anyone who has been too annoying and rich. Ale can be bought, and the gold can draw women. But the actual reward you desire more than anything is something that not just anyone can give you, or you can buy. A way to have your actual body once more." [Shingi]

Ragnarock's eyes got wide of surprise as he didn't expect him to say something like that.

He had gotten used to being a Dwarf, but he always wanted to be back to be a Half-Orc once more, but it seemed like this was impossible.

Once someone other than Blessed Ones died, he could return to his body or a different one only once. There were only second chances for NPCs.

Ragnarock didn't fully understand why this was the case, but he trusted the ones who told him as they knew better how magic worked.

"There is only one person who can help to get your body back to how it used to be. But to get in touch with that person, you need to help me. Of course,you will get paid and some bonuses, and I promise to help you on that task. So what does this sound like? Do we have a deal?" [Shingi]

"DEAL."[Ragnarock]

Ragnarock, as he saw it, had nothing to lose and a lot to win out of this deal.

As for Shingi, he really had thought of a person being able to do what he promised for Ragnarock, but he wasn't entirely sure.

For one to break the rule of reincarnation has to be at the power of a God or more, and there were only 5 individuals in history who had done something like that.

Varan and the four Protectors.

Shingi wasn't certain how much was the difference in power between Varan and the Protectors, as he didn't count as being one of them, but he still was a powerful entity.

As for the rest of the Protectors, from what he understood, none had the magic that would normally have Reincarnation purposes since they were immortals themselves.

So what he needed to do was to get in touch with a Protector, or a person of close power as them, and he knew the only person who knew how he could do that; Mikhail.

Of course, he wasn't planning to make himself or anyone else an artificial Protector like what Mikhail was planning to do. There should be a way to give that much power temporary to someone for one spell.

This was just an assumption, as he didn't know how Mikhail has used to get his power, but he was planning on facing him in the future, which gave him another reason to do so.

"Then what about me? Do you also want me to train people? Because I am not that much of a teacher myself."[Price]

Shingi shook his head as he wasn't planning to have Price teach people around like he told Ragnarock to do.

"You are going to do what you are doing best. Organize a heist."[Shingi]