The Glass Warrior [Weak to Strong LitRPG]

After staring at the man's hand for too long, it wasn't all that surprising that he noticed. Instead of getting angry, though, he simply smiled.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked politely.

Is this one of the drug dealers? They sound way nicer than I expected.

"Ye-yeah, what you got?" Lucas asked, regaining his composure.

"Well, the basic is two hundred, and the super is six."

"Hm, give me one of the strong ones," Lucas replied, trying to sound casual.

"All right, but don't use this stuff inside the city," the dealer warned, suddenly serious. "Or there'll be consequences."

Lucas merely nodded, and the transaction was completed with a handshake, after which a small vial was discreetly passed into his palm. He watched as the man walked away, then turned his gaze to the tiny green vial resting in his hand.

The reason he had bought it was to take it back for Hilda to analyze. Whatever this was, he wanted to understand how it was made and what effects it had. He didn't want to be caught off guard and judging by the man's warning the side-effects were no joke.

He was also curious about how the Hive conducted its business, and so far, it seemed surprisingly professional and casual. That man hadn't just picked up this trade overnight, and the way everything was handled only deepened Lucas's suspicion that the Hive was some kind of gang from Earth.

He wondered if Seavryn was their original spawning location or if they had come from somewhere else. They seemed to be spreading rather quickly, considering they hadn't been on the planet for long.

Still, knowing that they came originally from Earth didn't change the fact that their business had nothing to do with him. As long as they didn't interfere with his own plans, he had no reason to care. With that, he stored the vial in his ring, put the matter out of his mind, and went to sleep.

…

Feeling refreshed after finally sleeping in an actual bed, Lucas left early in the morning and headed straight for the city library he had seen the day before. His lack of knowledge was still a major problem, and he wanted to see if Seavryn had the same restrictions on important books as Zoria did.

Unfortunately, it didn't take long for disappointment to set in after arriving at the remarkable building. The librarian in charge informed him that they followed the exact same strict rules about merit points as Zoria. It was all so frustrating that Lucas actually started considering whether he should just… rob the library.

Can I actually do it though? he wondered, scanning his surroundings.

At first, the idea seemed absurd. He had never stolen anything in his life. But then again, he had never killed anyone before arriving in Ponos, and that hadn't stopped him.

As he seriously considered it, he took note of the security, or rather, the lack of it.

There were a few employees walking around the place, and when he glanced up at the top floors, he noticed he couldn't see the levels of a couple of them. Even so, they all looked like scholars.

Do they even know how to fight? Lucas wondered. He didn't want to underestimate anyone whose level he couldn't read, but they really didn't look like fighters. Either that, or they were extremely good at hiding it.

Not that it really matters. All I'd have to do is grab what I want and step through one of my gates. They wouldn't even know what hit them.

If he chose to go through with it, he'd have to sacrifice one of the gates he had left on the way—but that was a small price to pay for the knowledge he could gain. However, now wasn't the time to act.

People had seen his face, and he had given his name at the entrance, sooner or later security would realize he was the one who had robbed the library and might even track him back to his 'home,' bringing trouble to Hilda and her nephew.

It's fine, I still have time before I have to leave. It'll probably be easier after I'm done with this tomb thing anyway, Lucas reasoned, finally stepping out of the library.

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With that decision made, he felt a bit more at ease. He might not need to worry about merit points after all.

With that issue set aside, he made his way toward the harbor. Along the way, as he turned a corner, he spotted two elves in a hushed conversation. Instinctively, he slowed his steps and listened in.

He had gotten pretty good at this over the last few days, so much so that he was actually a little annoyed by his lack of Stealth upgrades.

"… I really thought the royals would be screwed after that, but somehow they managed to retain practically all their prestige," the woman said with a sigh.

"They've been doing this for years. Spinning stories is what they specialize in," the man replied. "And I have to admit, they did a pretty good job helping people settle in."

The woman scoffed in annoyance. "A good job? Of course they did. Their necks were on the line, and they knew it. They had to ease the people's anger somehow after what that girl did."

"I'm just saying, without their help, things would have been way more chaotic those first few months."

A few moments of silence passed between them. Lucas couldn't actually see them from where he stood behind the wall, so he had no way of gauging their expressions, but he imagined the woman was still not satisfied with the man's answer.

"Well, they can pretend nothing happened all they want. Some of us still remember, and so do they, considering how they've been treating the Daetris family," the woman said.

The man grunted but offered no further argument, and a few moments later, they walked away.

Lucas remained where he was, mulling over their conversation. It was certainly revealing, though not all that surprising—the elves still resented their royals. However, one thing stood out more than the rest.

Daetris… that's Aysha's last name.

He recalled seeing the elf's name on the Scoreboards of the Ten-Floor Challenge and was certain he hadn't misread it. Apparently, most of the other royal families had managed to regain their footing, even after betraying their people, except for one.

The Daetris family seemed to have been made the scapegoats for everything that had happened, at least when it came to the other royals.

Perhaps Aysha wasn't wrong to go looking for them after all, Lucas reflected. He didn't know much about royals, but if fiction and history had taught him anything, it was that they could be incredibly ruthless when necessary.

Trusting his friend to handle her own affairs, Lucas resumed his path. If Aysha ever needed his help, she would find a way to ask. And if her performance in the challenge had told him anything, it was that she could take care of herself.

Continuing on his way, Lucas soon arrived at the harbor, which lay at the heart of the city, surrounded by bustling businesses and lively restaurants.

As he passed some of the eateries, he noticed dishes on display that he had never seen before. For a brief moment, curiosity tugged at him, he wouldn't mind trying some of the local cuisine before leaving, but first, duty called. He turned his focus back toward the crowded harbor.

As he neared the waterfront, the familiar scents of salt and fish filled his senses. The pier was alive with movement: sailors barked orders, merchants haggled over cargo, and deckhands rushed to prepare their vessels for departure.

After surveying the scene, Lucas approached a group of dockworkers loading barrels onto a sturdy-looking ship.

"Excuse me, where's this ship headed?" he asked.

One of the men, a grizzled sailor with a missing tooth, cast him a wary glance. "Depends on who's asking," he muttered.

Lucas remained unfazed. "I have money if that's what you're asking."

The sailor snorted. "That one's bound for Whitehaven. Good trade city, but not where you'd wanna go if you're looking for trouble."

Lucas frowned. He knew of Whitehaven, and it was far from his destination. Moving along the docks, he scanned the ships and their crews. Near a small office by the water, he spotted a weathered board with destinations and departure times scrawled in chalk.

Stepping closer, he scanned the list. One entry caught his eye: Morning Tide, stopping near Hollowcrest Ruins. That was very close to where he needed to go. In fact, those ruins had once belonged to the very noble family whose tomb he sought.

As he continued reading, another detail struck him. His frown deepened. There were no ships sailing to any of the other continents.

Turning to a nearby dockworker, an older man coiling a thick rope by the pier, Lucas spoke up. "Hey, why aren't there any ships departing for the other continents?"

The man gave him a long, incredulous stare before letting out a dry chuckle. "You serious?" He shook his head. "Kid, there haven't been ships sailing to the other continents for years."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because it's suicide, that's why," the man scoffed. "You think captains enjoy losing their crews to the things lurking in the deep? The ocean's cursed. Nobody who tries to make the crossing ever comes back. Hell, even the shorter routes are dangerous, but intercontinental?" He whistled low. "No one even thinks about it anymore. Not unless they've got a death wish."

Lucas remained silent for a moment, digesting the information. One thing was certain, he wouldn't be exploring the other continents anytime soon. But somehow, he doubted this would stop the flood of people that had arrived in Ponos for long.

Turning his attention back to his own journey, he soon spotted the ship scheduled to sail for the Hollowcrest Ruins in a couple of hours. After some haggling with the captain, he secured a ticket... for a rather hefty sum.

It hadn't been cheap, but given the dangers of the journey, he supposed the price was fair enough. The old man's words lingered in his mind, a reminder that even this shorter trip carried its own risks.

So much for a peaceful voyage, apparently everything in this world had to be a struggle.

Might as well enjoy some fresh food before something tries to kill me again, Lucas thought, already heading back toward one of the restaurants he had passed earlier.