The Fifth Realm

by Michael Chatfield

  His gloating smile froze with the collective murderous intent that came from the group.

  Rugrat stopped the people from Alva from talking with a look. They all stared at the person who had talked.

  Talking shit to a group of people who have Body Cultivation and Mana Gathering Cultivation?

  Rugrat quickly moved them on to the crafting workshops, most of which had people loitering outside. There were guards here, trying to move people, but they weren’t putting their full effort into it.

  The guards and the people who are causing the problems are from the same associations. The guards might have a high position outside of the association, but inside it, the crafters, even with their low levels, have a lot of power.

  “I paid for an hour. So what if I’m eleven minutes late? I shouldn’t have it given to someone else! Does the government of Vuzgal not care about their customers!”

  “What do you mean that I wasn’t working on my craft! It takes hours of thinking to come up with a plan!”

  “You were sleeping!” someone from the workshop said.

  “Says you!”

  “This kind of atmosphere is good for no one to work in,” Taran said.

  By now, all of the people from Alva felt that there was something wrong.

  They went to the gates that led to the valley. It had changed. There, people from the Alchemist Association watched the gates with annoyed expressions as they looked at crafters and others making a ruckus outside.

  “The conditions in the Crafting trial dungeons are horrible! No light, bad water, and the bathrooms don’t function! How are we supposed to work in such conditions? For one Earth mana stone, this can’t go on! We demand that the cost is decreased. For us to pay for these conditions, it’s outrageous!”

  “Move! Coming through!” a group said, trying to get to the doorway. People mobbed them and crafters from all ranks gathered around them, making it hard to move.

  “Going to the Crafting trial dungeon will only lead to despair!”

  “Turn back—it is for your own benefit!”

  The Alchemist Association didn’t interfere, not leaving their guarding positions. They couldn’t.

  “You want to cause trouble with the Fighter’s Association!” one woman yelled as the mana in the area was stirred up.

  People moved away and the party passed. Another group of crafters tried to get to the gate but were mobbed by the people.

  “Come, fellow crafters! You might be independent but we all work together!”

  “Work for yourself! Get out of my way!”

  “We are looking out for your best interests!” another from the human wall said with fake smiles.

  “Then pay me back for my ticket! Get out of my way!” another yelled.

  “Don’t you see we’re helping you? You’ll thank us later,” another man from the wall said.

  Rugrat looked at it. Instead of showing anything, his face had gone blank; his aura had retreated. Only the mana around him shimmered slightly.

  George was in his small form. He raised his head. Flames started to appear around his body.

  Rugrat reached up and patted his head.

  “We’ll go to the castle and see what is going on.” Rugrat’s voice was calm. His thoughts had broken down linearly. He needed to know what was happening, and then come up with a solution to deal with it.

  I hope that this is not due to Hiao Xen. No matter what issue arises, even if it weakens us now, this needs to stop.

  They moved toward the castle. It stretched up into the sky, looking out over the rest of Vuzgal.

  Rugrat saw another group outside of the main gate.

  “Move aside or be removed!” a man yelled.

  “See, the guards only resort to violence!”

  “We just want to tell people the truth of your crafters! You don’t even have high Apprentice crafters! How can you teach crafting?”

  “This is a city of crafters but you don’t know the needs of us crafters! Look at the condition of the workshops and the Crafting trial dungeon!”

  “Like we can control the dungeon!” the man shouted back.

  “Bring in the council of crafters!”

  “Yeah! Representation for the crafters!”

  “For the crafters, by the crafters! Vuzgal needs crafter oversight!”

  “Crafter council?” Rugrat repeated these words, feeling as if he had locked onto a target finally.

  His eyes moved to the people trying to force their way through the group.

  “Allow them through,” the guard said.

  The crafters and people milling around shot them dirty looks as they headed for the castle, lowering their heads in shame.

  Rugrat walked forward. The people of Alva all held their heads high as the group found a new target.

  “Look to your future! Don’t be blinded!” one called out.

  Rugrat had reached the end of his patience and he extended his hand. Mana rolled toward him. This was his city, his dungeon, and he had a body of mana. People stumbled backward as they felt the mana reject them. Those who had weaker Mana Gathering Cultivation felt the mana being drawn from them. Others felt as if they were being choked, their mana cut off.

  Rugrat cast one of his first spells, fueling it with the power he drew in. A massive spell formation appeared underneath all of the crafters.

  “Silence.” He cast his Silence spell. The area went quiet. “That’s much better.”

  He walked forward. The crowd opened their mouths but no noise came out as Rugrat and the group moved.

  Instead, they used their bodies to try to stop them.

  Rugrat walked into them. They were only crafters. Although they were powerful in their craft, many had let their cultivation slide. The people in Alva focused on their cultivation, religiously working to increase their strength day after day.

  They forged a path through the crafters. Seeing that they wouldn’t be able to stop this new group, the crafters cast them dark looks that promised retribution as they stepped out of the way.

  His eyes moved to the chests of the different people gathered.

  Blue Lotus, Formation Guild, Crafter’s Association, a few random sects thrown in, a few from the Alchemist Association but they’re at least trying to hide their badges.

  “Sir!” the guard yelled out and saluted Rugrat. He was one of the men from the Alva Army.

  The others straightened as Rugrat marched through the gates with the crafters following him.

  “Looks like things have changed around here—some good, some bad,” Rugrat said.

  “Sir.” The man’s face darkened as he had a hard time putting what had happened into words.

  “Let the others know that we’ve arrived.” Rugrat walked past the recruiting stations, and the crafters from Alva continued to follow him as he took them into the castle.

  People looked at Rugrat and his group as they walked through the administration area of the castle.

  Rugrat marched at the head. George rested on his shoulder. He looked lazy but Rugrat could feel the coiled energy within him.

  Can’t have you mauling protestors now, Rugrat told him. George had barely restrained himself from leaping off Rugrat’s shoulder and charging into the crafters who dared to block his master’s path.

  He understood some human language and the actions of others. Though he had beast thoughts instead of human. Creating dominance and asserting power were as far as his thoughts went to resolving the situation.

  Rugrat quickly reached Hiao Xen’s office.

  “Sir, Hiao Xen is not—” the secretary started to say.

  “Find them lodging and someone to show them the workshops.” Rugrat walked up to the doors. The restraining formation and locks on the doors were useless as the medallion in his pocket unlocked them.

  He opened the doors to find a ragged-looking Hiao Xen working at his desk.

  “Didn’t I say I wasn’t supposed to be disturbed!” Hiao Xen yelled as he looked up. “Rug
rat?” Hiao Xen asked as his brain caught up with his eyes.

  Rugrat closed the doors behind him and locked them. “What the hell happened?”

  He turned toward Hiao Xen, who slumped back into his chair, showing the fatigue of the last few days.

  “Zhen Fu. She’s an Expert-class tailor from the Blue Lotus. She wanted me to give her access to the dungeon and to the castle workshops. I denied her. I guess she took it as a slight and then she started talking to the other crafters. As she says, everyone needs clothes. It looks like those she spoke to are others who are Experts as well.” Hiao Xen let out a cold laugh.

  “So all of this is because you didn’t give her access to our resources and let her jump the line?” Rugrat asked.

  “I swear on my oath to you,” Hiao Xen said. The golden light fell on them both, confirming the oath.

  “You did good. Now, tell me what you’ve done in the meantime.” Rugrat’s face was still impassive as he moved to the desk and sat down. Even though he was on the receiving side, Hiao Xen was clearly the subordinate.

  Rugrat took on the role of leader, leaving the funny business at the door.

  “I added in new rules to the crafting workshops and the Crafting trial dungeon. In response, they had people start lazing around the construction site, making it unsafe. They started all of this propaganda about us not being a city for crafters. They used the fact that we don’t have crafters as a reason we can’t raise other crafters. Using their bodies and their words, they have essentially stopped all crafters from working and there are only a handful of people who have the guts to apply to join the administration department. It is hard for us to leave the castle. We were able to use the Fighter’s Association guards at the totem to resolve the issues there—few of the associations want to get on their bad sides.

  “Otherwise, the guards from the other associations are in a tough position because they’re enforcing our rules against their own people who have a higher standing in their association than them. I didn’t want to use the forces training the Vuzgal army because of the focus you and Erik have placed on them. Also, if they made an issue with them, then this could blow up.”

  “Smart. It’s just that they have people and reputation on their side and they’ve stalled the city. Do we know all of the players involved?”

  Hiao Xen pulled out a stack of paper and put it on the desk. “These are the names of all the people Zhen Fu or her fellow Expert crafters have pulled over to their side.”

  “Good.” A plan started to form in Rugrat’s head. “Sometimes one needs to just cut the infection out so it doesn’t fester.”

  “What was that?” Hiao Xen asked.

  “Nothing.” Rugrat sent a sound transmission.

  A moment later, Tan Xue and all of the crafters who would become the department heads in Vuzgal opened the door.

  “Rugrat?” Tan Xue asked.

  “Come in. Close the door behind you,” Rugrat said.

  “I’m sorry, sir!” the secretary said.

  “Dougie, just do as they say,” Hiao Xen said.

  “Yes, sir,” Dougie said, sounding confused.

  The door closed behind the crafters, who walked up behind Rugrat.

  “These are the new teachers for our own crafting school. Each is at least of the high Journeyman level,” Rugrat said.

  Hiao Xen nodded.

  “None of them are older than thirty-five, and Tan Xue is an Expert smith,” Rugrat said.

  These words made Hiao Xen choke on his spit and have a violent bout of coughing. “Thirty-five?” he managed to choke out.

  “Yup, we might be young, but we’ve got drive. As long as we work together and we’re driven, then we can cross more barriers than you’d think.” Rugrat smiled as he stood and looked at the crafters.

  “I need all of your help. Today, you will familiarize yourselves with the workshops within the castle. Tomorrow, I want you to display all of your abilities.” Rugrat pulled out Heart Calming pills that Erik had made him to help with his smithing.

  He passed them out to everyone within the room, their eyes shining.

  “Show the world your strength with your skills. Materials will be provided as needed. Show me what you can do.” Rugrat looked into each of their eyes, the corner of his mouth pulling up slightly.

  The crafters all showed their fighting spirit. They had been bottled up, working within Alva to display their skills. For many, this was their first time that they were in a city with their crafting skills.

  They wanted to see just how far they could push themselves and the items that they could make.

  Associations, bah—we’ll show them the strength of the Kanesh Academy!

  Rugrat turned back to Hiao Xen. “They’ve been stopping people from joining, saying that we have no way to create proper Journeyman and Expert-level crafters; showing them that we have an Expert-level crafter already and a fully developed bunch of Journeyman smiths? I think that’ll be a nice kick to the teeth.” Rugrat grinned.

  “Then we just need to find other Expert crafters—we show that we don’t care the level of people but their determination. We open up the training fully. I can see if we can’t get some teaching staff. They’ll be Journeyman level, but with time in the Expert-level crafting rooms and being around other crafters, I’m sure they’ll be able to make Expert sometime soon.”

  “They’ll all be low level,” Taran said.

  Rugrat used his sound transmission so Hiao Xen wouldn’t hear.

  “Even better—shows how we have high-level crafters even at a young age. We should bring a few of the younger students who have done well on a trip,” Rugrat said. “Give them an incentive, allow them to improve and we increase their levels passively because of it. If the Kanesh Academy is the place that people go to learn, then this is the place where people go to make!”

  “This will show our crafting ability, but then what about the people disrupting the city?” Hiao Xen asked.

  “Summon all of the association heads here. They have three hours to comply. I wish to see them all.” A chill pervaded the air.

  “I will see to it.” Hiao Xen started to send out sound transmissions.

  ***

  “Who does he think he is?” The head of the Vuzgal Blue Lotus, Lang Bo, harrumphed as Nadia Shriver sat across from him.

  “Acting city lord—does he think that will mean anything when he returns to the Blue Lotus?” Lang Bo said flippantly, before he waved to Nadia.

  “Go in my place. He summoned me to a meeting in three hours? I have much more important things to deal with. He is undoubtedly unable to deal with the current situation and is looking for our help now. Make sure that you get good conditions from him. Zhen Fu’s influence is no small thing. She will only be pleased by him kowtowing and becoming the head of this council.”

  Nadia knew the true purpose of the council was to pull power away from the leaders of Vuzgal and turn it to the power of these high-level crafters, who would then use the workshops and resources of Vuzgal to increase their position and their skill level.

  She kept her mouth shut as she cupped her hands to Lang Bo. “I will do as you say.” It’s unfortunate that Hiao Xen ran into Zhen Fu before he was able to build up his network and his power base.

  She left the room to prepare, going to her office—only to run into Zhen Fu on her way out.

  Head Lang Bo must have told her.

  “Expert Zhen Fu.” Miss Shriver bowed to her.

  “I heard that Hiao Xen had the audacity to order our head around. I wish to see just what tricks he is up to,” she said, not hiding the information.

  “Of course, Expert Zhen Fu.” It wasn’t as if she had the power to order her otherwise. Tricks? You mean the ways that he has tried to keep Vuzgal running? She wisely kept these thoughts to herself as they went to the awaiting carriage.

  Zhen Fu ordered the driver to slow down, bringing them precariously close to the deadline they were supposed to meet Hiao Xen.

&
nbsp; The groups that had been making a mess of Vuzgal moved aside respectfully, cupping their fists.

  Miss Shriver didn’t say anything at their clear deference toward the associations and the Experts who had tagged along with different heads or deputy heads.

  The same thing happened at the castle when they gained access.

  Miss Shriver felt that she was more of an attendant rather than the representative of the Blue Lotus.

  A guard frowned, looking at them both. “Neither of you looks like Lang Bo,” he said.

  “You dare to look at us with those eyes!” Zhen Fu said, going into a rage looking at the low-level fighter.

  His eyes moved to her. There was no emotion in them, her rank meaning nothing to him.

  “I am Deputy Head Nadia Shriver,” Nadia said.

  The man let out a huff and waved a woman guard forward. “Escort them to the meeting hall.”

  As they passed the man and followed the woman guard, Zhen Fu opened her mouth.

  “I will see you in the streets. No one, not even the other beggars, will help you and your family,” she said as she passed, flashing her Expert-level tailor badge.

  Nadia couldn’t do anything, but the man, instead of apologizing or getting angry, just shook his head and continued to look out on Vuzgal.

  In Zhen Fu’s eyes, only those who were of a higher position than her or of the same status were worth her time. All others were subservient and they should act as such, or else she would ruin their futures.

  She was petty and cruel; one only needed to look at how she had motivated the different groups within Vuzgal. She saw the city, with a lower level non-crafting manager placed above her, and she couldn’t take it.

  Was her outrage all a pretext so that she could take control over the city, to wield its power as she sees fit?

  A chill went down Nadia’s spine. She felt as though she had started to see another side of Zhen Fu: a cold, calculating woman who played with people in her hand as if they were dice.

  ***

  Zhen Fu looked over the castle as if it already belonged to her.

  Forcing the council of crafters upon them will be the first step. Then I will slowly choke them out and establish my rule over Vuzgal, making them deal with the running of the city while I deal with how power is exchanged. Other than the headquarters for each of the associations, Vuzgal will become the most powerful place in the Fourth Realm. After all, the reason I came to the Fourth Realm from the Fifth was not because of the fighting, but for the ability to earn greater rewards than possible in the two higher realms and not have to compete with others while doing so. A mid-Expert-level crafter in the Fourth Realm is akin to a god.