Broken Core [LitRPG • Cultivation • Post Apocalyptic • Romance]

James walked with a smile on his face as he stepped around demi-humans with grace.

"Watch it!"

"Out of my way!"

Over and over, they yelled at him as he examined the buildings. Jamie shyly clung to his sleeve, her soul radiating nervousness. He had already found Luna among the district, but didn't want to bother her just yet.

Keeping his smile in place as he approached a group of elves, he tried to step around them, only for his path to be blocked.

"What are two humans doing in our district?" an elven man asked.

James nodded his head to the man. "How observant of you. Yes, I'm human and so is the small one next to me. We are looking for the tanneries." Pulling out the slip of dragon hide, he handed it over. "Do you know what this is?"

Taking the hide, the elf frowned. His mates each touched it before they frowned as well.

"Dragon hide," James said. "Do you want to see the rest of the dragon?"

Eyes wide, the elves backed away. "You killed a dragon?"

Rubbing his chin, James nodded. "It did put up a bit of a fight. It tasted good in the end. Would definitely recommend eating dragon."

The nearby demi-humans had all stopped in their tracks as they listened.

"Did he say he killed a dragon?"

"Is that even possible?"

"He's not even a cultivator."

"Don't you feel the thick air around him?"

The elves backed up another step. "You aren't mortal, are you?"

Chuckling, James shook his head. Releasing the hold on his soul, he blanketed the area with power. "Never said I was."

The whole area dropped to the ground, most of them collapsing to their stomachs. A select few remained on their knees before he pulled his soul back in.

"Tanneries?" he asked.

The first elf pointed down the road.

"Thanks, bud!" James said with a clap of his hands. "Let's go, little sister."

As they left, James listened to everyone breathe heavy as they tried to recover. A few of those that were outside his influence were already running through the streets, spreading word of what happened.

"Seems we might have an easier time now," James said.

Jamie eyed him with worry. "Don't you think you overdid it?"

"Probably." Shrugging, he watched the crowd part for him. Coming out into an open market, he perked up. "Do you think they have a gift for Luna?"

Jamie quickly started pulling him away. "After you pay the tannery!"

"But…" Letting himself get pulled away, he sighed. "No one ever lets me have fun…"

"Dear brother, I'm going to tell Luna that you are spending all of our gold on worthless items. I wonder what she will say to that."

Shivering, James quickened his pace towards the smell of the tanneries. Their walk only took another ten minutes before Jamie was covering her nose.

Humming as if it was just another day, James reached out with his senses and tested the workers. Several workshops were set up, all of them working on making leather. All sorts of demi-humans were present, many of them carrying supplies and eyeing them with agitation.

One particular tanner felt different. Walking down the line of shops, he stopped by a rundown little workshop. A lone woman was sitting on a chair outside, her expression glum and her shop idle.

"What troubles you, young lady?" he questioned as he walked up. With a quick glance, he found her to be an elf. Silver, shoulder length hair, and a pale complexion had a certain beauty.

Looking up, her eyes widened. "My Lord! I'm sorry!"

"Woah! Slow down," he barely stopped her from dropping to her knees. "I'm no one important."

Jamie peeked around his side. "Brother, is this the tanner you want?"

The elf perked up at that.

"She doesn't look busy," James said. "I can smell fresh tannin and even the water smells fresh."

"They are, My Lord," the elf assured him.

"Then why don't you have business?" he asked.

Sighing, her head drooped. "Mother left me the business when she passed, My Lord. Sadly, her reputation didn't extend to me."

Scoffing, James tilted the woman's chin up. "Surely you know your craft? You don't feel like a scoundrel either."

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"I'm not!" she quickly said in her defense.

Cocking his head, he asked, "if you don't have any business, then will you help me?"

Beaming, she nodded right away. "Yes, My Lord!"

Chuckling, he let her chin go. "None of that. My name is James." Pulling out a slip of the dragon hide, he handed it over. "Can you handle this?"

Taking the hide gingerly, she examined it. "This came from a juvenile dragon if I'm not mistaken. Incredibly durable and must be tanned with care and precision. The flesh hasn't been fully removed, so I'll have to do that." Rubbing the hide between her fingers, she hummed. "How much of this do you have?"

Summoning the three rolls of hide, he smiled. Each roll was several feet wide and long.

Eyes wide, the woman gasped. "What…"

"Me and a dragon didn't agree on a few things," James explained.

Reaching out, she shifted the feathers on his shirt. "You made this yourself?"

"I did. I had to use what I could while out in the world. I'd like to learn the process of tanning properly."

Rubbing the leather, she frowned. "The leather is baked and tempered with brains. The feathers are attached through some sort of process I don't recognize. Your pants and boots are the same, showing skill beyond the basics of leatherworking. Some of the leather is from different Forsaken. Patch jobs?"

Nodding again, he said, "that's correct."

Touching the hide rolls, she smiled. "I can do the job, but it'll take me a few days. It'll cost you."

Pulling out ten gold coins, he handed them over. Jamie and the elf both opened their mouths in surprise with wide eyes.

"My Lord!" The elf gasped. "This is too much!"

"Yes, James, it is!" Jamie snapped.

"Meh." James waved them both off. "Hire some people you trust to keep it guarded. I don't want the hide stolen."

Nodding right away, she took the coin. "Certainly, My Lord!"

"I'd also like some lessons in tanning," James added. "I only have a few hours today to learn what I can."

"It's not a short profession, My Lord. You'll need more than a few hours to learn."

Sighing, James frowned. "Looks like I'll need to find someone that is willing to travel with me."

Jamie glanced at him. "You're thinking of bringing more people with, dear brother?"

"Yup. We can't stay in the city long enough for me to learn everything I need to know. I'll start asking around after we enchant the products."

Nodding, Jamie glanced at the elf. "Can you at least humor my brother for a few hours? I don't want him to sulk."

"I don't sulk," he argued.

"You look like you're sulking," the elf whispered.

Rubbing his hands together, James asked, "do we have a deal?"

"Yes!" the woman chirped. Picking up a roll of hide, she started carrying it inside. "Let's get started!"

Grabbing the other two rolls, James followed. He was nearly giddy as he finally got to learn how to properly tan hide.

The tanning process was simpler than he expected. They started off scraping the flesh they didn't need from the hides, bringing it to the base leather component. After that, they immersed them into a vat of tannin and water, continuingly stirring the mixture. They had to cut the hide rolls into usable sections to make the process easier, but it was clear it would take a few days.

Not only did they still need to dry the leather and oil it, but the elf, named Linda wanted to bathe them in another mixture of tannins to increase their durability. All in all, it took three hours before he got his notification.

New Skill: Tanning: Level 1/10

With a beaming smile, he started understanding more of the process and his pace picked up. Linda joined him with a smile as Jamie watched from the side. Every time a demi-human walked past, she shrank back, hiding against the wall.

"You're much better than I expected," Linda said.

"That's a mighty compliment from you, Linda," James said with a chuckle. "I'm just glad I can keep up."

Stretching the hides over the racks, they started the drying process. They needed to get as much stretched before night fell. Another hour passed before they took their break.

"I need to hire a few people," Linda said. "No one will come out at night, but during the day, I could be harassed."

Summoning water, he cleaned his hands. "Sounds good, Linda. I'll be back in a few days. I wish I could get more time with you. This was fun."

"Fun, he says," she teased with a laugh. "A lord like yourself working alongside a common wench."

Chuckling, he didn't respond. Turning to Jamie, he raised his brow. "Are you ready to see Luna?"

"Yes!" Frowning, she looked up and down the street. "How am I getting back tonight?"

Shrugging, he hooked her arm through his. "We'll figure it out. Either way, I'm going to need you to get me back into the sect in the morning. You'll likely stay at the inn with us."

"If that is your wish, dear brother."

Linda cleared her throat nervously. "You're from the sect?"

Shaking his head, he pointed at Jamie. "She is. I'm from the wastelands."

Eyes wide, he heard Linda mutter, "who is this man?"

Ignoring the comment, he checked on Luna's soul and picked his heading. She hadn't moved for the last few hours, but she was starting to feel tipsy and excited.

I'm pretty sure she is drinking again. Maybe even drunk. How does she do that?

Linda watched James enter the hectic crowd. Her racing heart was finally starting to calm. Whatever that man was, he was clearly not human.

Would he have killed me if I didn't train him?

That was the only question on her mind. Even those on the street were parting around him. The worst part was, the man didn't seem to notice. The pressure and feeling of suffocation rolling off James was beyond anything she had experienced before.

Throughout her life, she had been around cultivators before and even had elders pass near her. Even they didn't exude the presence that James did. His aura spoke of death and hunger. It made her want to cower as if she was simply prey to the man.

Yet, despite that, the more she was around him, the easier it became. Not enough to stop her heart from bursting from her chest, but enough to feel that he wasn't evil.

I don't know what I would have done if he truly was evil. I'm going to hire the best people I can to protect his leather. Heavens help anyone that tries to steal his dragon hide.

His very presence felt like he was nudging her existence as if testing her. His sister didn't look bothered in the slightest. In fact, she looked at the man with adoration, but they didn't share any resemblance to one another.

Different mothers, or fathers?

It wasn't uncommon for humans to cheat on one another and have bastard children. If he was one such child, she could understand the sense of anger radiating from him.

He hid it well, but with a few quick words to the crowd, she learned that others felt the same. He was a man not to be crossed. He felt hungry, dangerous, and oblivious to how those around him were reacting. It wasn't a good combination. All it was going to take was a small group to give him the push he needed to lose control.

No wonder he lives in the wastelands.

The passing thought made her shiver. Hurrying back to her shop, Linda waved down a few children that were acting as runners.

"Find the Elson brothers for me." Handing over several bronze coins, she watched the two kids run off. If she was going to protect and finish his leather, she needed to get started. How the man was able to pick up the nuances of tanning in only a few hours was beyond her. He had even started doing things she hadn't taught him.

He created his own leather while living outside the city. What sort of knowledge does he possess? What has he gone through?

Before she knew it, her thoughts were centered around what his life was like. She had gone from scared to intrigued the further he grew from her. Part of her wanted him to come back, just so she could ask all of her questions.

With a small chuckle, she started focusing on the leather. He'd be back in a few days and she had more than enough money to live for months. He didn't even seem to understand the concept of how much he paid her.

Where is the future taking that man?

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