NOVEL NEXT Chapter 16: Trouble
Schmorge is being carried by a figure he cannot see.
???: Where do you want this body, boss?
???: Does it matter where we put it?
???: We're going to sell them anyways.
???: Oh okay.
Schmorge is thrown into the ground at a rough speed.
???: Boss, how much is this kid anyways?
???: Are you blind?
???: What?
???: That's a full grown ass man you brought me! Not a fucking kid!
???: What do we do now then, boss?
???: Throw him in the trash room.
Schmorge was thrown into another room where it smells of concentrated sewer water. Schmorge picks up his feet groaning in pain. Schmorge spots a canal of some sort and realizes he is in a sewer. It's quite dark and Schmorge cannot see anything apart from his body and the floor. He walks along the side turning right at the fork. Schmorge continues to try to find his way out jumping over the canal at times. He reaches a hatch and pries it open. The notification shows up on Schmorge's screen:
"You have entered the Dark Magic Tower."
Schmorge looks for an exit of some sort. The door was magically locked.
Schmorge: Shit.
Schmorge: Hey, anyone home? I accidentally fell into the sewers and this is where I came up.
Schmorge: Can I be let out?
There was no response to Schmorge's call for help. Schmorge spots an open window frame and climbs out of it to see where he ended up.
He can spot the Lightning Magic Tower in the opposite side of town. Schmorge knows that Volk is training there because of a party chat between Volk and Schmorge. Schmorge hops out of the window and walks towards the marketplace in the middle of town. It seemed pretty bustling for the time of day.
???: Hey you there!
Schmorge turns around.
???: Wanna buy some fried bread?
Schmorge: Wanna buy a coconut?
???: What? How do you have one?
Schmorge: You heard me. I found it.
???: How much is it?
Schmorge: 5 coppers?
???: I'll take it. No refunds.
???: Here's your five wednars.
Schmorge: Thanks.
Schmorge completes the transaction by pulling out the coconut from his inventory.
Schmorge: Know where I can buy fire stones?
???: Fire stones are not ever on sale. Who told you that you can buy one?
Schmorge: Nobody, I was just hoping.
Schmorge: Have a good day.
Schmorge rushes out of the marketplace and heads straight for the Lightning Magic Tower. He runs non stop for the tower. Schmorge is out of breath after reaching the tower within fifteen minutes. Once he catches his breath, Schmorge looks up at the tower. It contained nine floors. Schmorge takes out his planks from his inventory and starts to build a ramp spiraling the tower to the fifth floor window.
Volk: Hey Schmorge! Over here!
Schmorge climbs through the window.
Volk: Get me out of these chains. I'm stuck to the wall here.
Schmorge: Do you have anything to break these chains with?
Volk: Not really.
Volk walks as far from the wall as possible.
Volk: Can you break them?
Schmorge: Let's try to craft a key.
Volk: That works too.
Schmorge takes materials from his inventory to try to unlock Volk from his chains on the walls.
Volk: Thanks man. Let's get out of here now.
Schmorge: Sure. Let me go last so I can pick up my planks from the ramp again.
Volk: Alright then, I'll go first.
Volk and Schmorge descend from the Lightning Magic Tower slowly making sure to pick up any planks along the way.
...
...
...
Meanwhile, Ariya and Pad are going to Yuki's house in the forest outside of town to find Taiga. They want to find Sapphire wherever she may be kidnapped from.
Ariya: TAIGA!!!!!!
Padoru: Taiga 
Yuki: What is it?
Yuki: I'm coming.
Ariya: We need Taiga right now.
Ariya: Taiga?
Ariya: Pad. What do we do? Taiga's not waking up.
Taiga opens his eyes. He was concentrating on the new spell Yuki was going to teach him.
Yuki: Maybe if you had not disrupt his training.
Ariya: We have to save Sapphire!
Ariya: She was kidnapped!
Taiga: What happened?
Ariya: I was taking Pad to his trainer and then Pad fell in a hole.
Padoru: 
Ariya: I then went back to get Sapph to help me get Pad.
Ariya: I went down to get Pad and rescue him.
Ariya: When we surfaced, Sapphire was missing!
Ariya: Her sword and shield were still at the top of the hole too.
Taiga: Do you know who might've done it?
Ariya: No idea.
Padoru: 
Taiga: hmmmm... there has to be someone that must know of something.
Ariya: We can always try to go to the next city to ask if they've seen Sapphire.
Taiga: Well I think first off, before trying other cities, we should try looking around the area where Sapph was last seen and see if there are any clues or maybe magic signature of who or what might've done this.
Padoru: i agree.
Ariya: Alright. Yuki, I'm very sorry for this.
Yuki: It's okay. Just be safe.
Ariya: Let's go back, Pad and Taiga.
Ariya, Pad, and Taiga all run to the spot where Pad fell down a hole.
Ariya: We're not there yet, and I don't remember much about it.
Taiga: ok
Padoru: i hope we can find her soon
Taiga: I don't have any equipment sill or money, so I might be lacking if there is still forces against us.
Ariya: Do you have a skill?
Taiga: yes
Padoru: a skill 
Taiga: Should I test it for you guys?
Ariya: No.
Taiga: Ok
Ariya: You should keep your mana calm before battle.
Taiga: understood
Padoru: indeed
Ariya: What spell is it?
Taiga: a basic fireball spell
Padoru: i have no attack yet
Taiga: It's not any weapon enhancing spell yet, but I know it will take time.
Ariya: Wait.
Ariya: Taiga did you say fireball?
Taiga: Yes
Taiga: Is there something wrong?
Ariya: Pad can learn that too!!!
Padoru: 
Ariya: Pad do you think you can learn "Fireball" if Taiga taught you?
Padoru: perhaps i could
Ariya: Taiga, tell Pad what chants you learned from Yuki.
Taiga: alright, pad, i need you to stand still and start a controlled breathing rate
Taiga: once you have a controlled rate of breathing, you need to clear your mind
Ariya: Let's stop for Pad then.
Taiga: understood
Taiga: and once you feel mana cycle through you, you need to focus some of it into your aura.
Padoru breathes carefully making sure his tempo of breathing isn't affected by environmental factors.
Taiga: when I did it, I did three seconds in and four seconds out.
Taiga: you can try that or make your own rate that suits you
Padoru: i understand
Padoru: i think i can do it now 
Ariya: Be careful.
Ariya: If you mess up, we could all die.
Padoru: i'd never let you two die
Taiga: alright i think we should get moving.
Ariya: Wait, Taiga
Taiga: ?
Ariya: Let Pad cast it first.
Taiga: ok
Ariya: Go ahead, Pad.
Padoru: are you sure I should waste mana like that
Ariya: We need to know how much first is outputted from your spell.
Ariya: Each person is different, right Taiga?
Padoru: do i have to chant anything taiga 
Taiga: Yes just say, "fireball"
Padoru: okay
Padoru: here we go
Padoru: "FIREBALL"
Padoru: 
The flames engulfs the whole plain. Padoru's fire ability is master level because he is an elementalist and elementalists gain a master element by random and two chosen rookie elements.
Padoru: 
Ariya: Oh my God.
Ariya: Pad. Are you serious?
Padoru: 
Padoru: I am powerful 
Ariya: Okay. Let's hurry.
Padoru: lets go right away
Taiga: Ok so we either can visit the crime scene or visit neighboring cities.
Taiga: I would suggest crime scene if we had the time but I don't know. Did you guys retrieve Sapph's equipment.
Ariya: Yes. I have it right here.
Ariya pulls out a sword and shield from the inventory.
Ariya: There's no blood on the equipment but it was scattered about when me and Pad surfaced.
Ariya puts them back into the inventory.
Taiga: Ok then let's head to the neighboring city instead.
Taiga
: As we go, are you able to identify any unique magic signatures not specific to Sapph or is that not possible.Ariya: Sorry. I'm not much of a mage. I can only do light magic.
Ariya: Pad knows.
Padoru: we go
Taiga: Does Pad know how to search from magical signatures or is he unable to?
Ariya: No. I meant that Pad knows that I can do light magic.
Padoru: what's this
Ariya: Sorry about the confusion.
Taiga: Oh ok.
Taiga: Well this might be a bit rushed but is there a way I can learn enhancement magic right now on the fly? If I knew how to enhance movement speed or equipment, I could make the survivability or mobility of the group even better
Padoru: that would be very helpful
Ariya: Has Yuki only taught you "fireball" so far?
Taiga: Yuki was teaching me some secret spell that she couldn't even do but we were midway when you guys showed up.
Taiga: I think I was almost about to cast it.
Ariya: Ah. Sorry.
Padoru: i wish i had abilities that could help us.
Taiga: It's fine. I think I remember the symbol she used but I don't know if there is a trigger word. I know wordless cast exist though.
Ariya: I don't think it will be possible for you to learn advanced magic like speed and movement spells.
Taiga: Is that so...
Ariya: I don't even know any magicians that can even do that.
Padoru: is there anything else i could learn to help us real quickly
Ariya: I don't think so.
Ariya: We're heading to Villanous
Padoru: okay
Taiga: alright
Taiga: I'll just say before we enter there that if my theory about mana and magic is right, I could find a way.... though idk how well.
Ariya: Are we going to make it in time? Sapph, please be okay.
Ariya: It's so dark out.
Padoru: we must save her
Ariya: We're in the city now.
Ariya: Do you see anyone suspicious?
Padoru: where could she be
Padoru: hmmm
Padoru: im not sure, how about you taiga?
Ariya: Wait.
Ariya: What is that on that tower?
Ariya points to two figures dismantling a ramp on the side of the tower.
Taiga: Who are they?
Ariya: I have no idea.
Ariya: HEY!!!!!
The two figures stopped what they were doing and turned their heads towards the sound.
Ariya: They looked at us.
Taiga: Are they guards?
Ariya: They're coming over to us.
Schmorge
-------------------
Class: Bombardier
Level: 0
Skills: None [Landmine]*
Inventory:
5 Wednars
1 Yellowroot Flower
1 Durbock Root
1 Exetit Flower
1 Broccoli
1 Red Roxy Flower
1 Vixen Flower
1 Love Passion Fruit
1 Birch Stick
1 Brownfly Flower
1 Pineapple
65 Graphite Rocks
1 Fox Fur
1 Nizs Flower
1 Daisy
1 Moonfly Flower
1 Crude Axe
1 Cat Liver
10 Fir Logs
126 Fir Planks
30 Limestone Rocks
Volk
-------------------
Class: Elementalist
Level: 0
Skills: Fireball
Inventory:
32 Wednars
Lightning Strike Spell Book
Author's Note: I accidentally deleted the conversation where Schmorge saves Volk and Volk gaining four* spell books and 32 wednars for selling his master's books. Sorry for that. So I made a new scenario where Schmorge saves Volk by unlocking it rather than breaking it.
*Was two, changed it to four because I forgot about the one he gave to Schmorge, which is "Landmine" and another one Volk kept until future chapters.
Padoru
-------------------
Class: Elementalist
Level: 0
Skills: Fireball
Inventory: None
Taiga
-------------------
Class: Magician
Level: 0
Skills: Fireball
Inventory: None