The illusion of the roof vanished, revealing the roaring crowds.

"We have a new champion, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the stage, the new apprentice powerhouse of the Scar, White Hawk."

The roars that met my arrival seemed suitably fitting. I had never thought such a thing possible. A crowd was screaming for me. Delirious dreams of madness were all the experiences I had with such an event in the past.

Now it was different. I would be decisive for the people around me.

I was ushered back into the waiting areas. The matches quickly moved on from our event. Blue had already left by that point. He hadn't been injured.

Only I had stayed to revel in the crowds. The other more veteran mages knew the score. As we made our way out of the room, the winners were sent to collect their rewards.

I was no different. The rewards for beating the reigning champion should be quite useful. Blue had seemed unbeatable. Any low-level mage was rendered useless in front of his lethality.

My odds would have been terrible. So Sammy should have won quite a sum as well.

The legendary awards area. I had spent many a drunken night chatting about what it must feel like to enter there a champion.

It turns out pretty ordinary. I had only won the apprentice bracket. Something that accounted for very little of what the Scar would earn on any given night. It didn't matter what fancy bets they added to the mix.

I was handed a simple bag. Heavy with coin. One hundred and sixty gold, I was told. Those winnings would go a long way.

I had the means to turn that one hundred and sixty into sixty million. I could do it pretty quickly, as well. Knowing formulas that wouldn't be invented for thirty or so years put me in quite an advantageous position.

I just had to find out when the next auction was going to be.

I made my way out of the fighters area looking around for Sammy. No one took notice of me, even though I had won the bout less than ten minutes ago.

The attention span in the Scar was built short.

Sammy was nowhere to be seen in the bustle of the main stands. The mage mark I had left on him was not pinging anywhere nearby.

I would have to awaken my mage sight soon. Having to use magic waves to locate the mark reminded me far too much of my past life.

I soon noticed him emerging from the betting area, looking around shiftily. He didn't blend in. I would have thought he knew the best way to hide your winnings was to act natural. Now people were assuming he won a lot more than he truly had—a bother.

I made my way over to him as quickly as I could. He seemed like a lost cub as he looked around.

I could have never imagined him like that. To me, he had always been a bastion of confidence. Someone who didn't take kicks from the world. Seeing how young he truly was. It was a sobering experience. Reinforcing why I was doing all of this.

His eyes lit up as he saw me. He hurried over. Ready to start shouting in amazement. I had to calm him down quickly. After shushing him, I grabbed him by the arm and began to take him out of the arena.

He bewilderedly looked at me as we rushed out. He was wondering what the hell was going on.

We passed the friendly ogres as we made our way out, back the way we came. Their nod was a bit warmer this time around as we came back out into the dark chamber. The noise was fading into nothing as the enchantments kicked in. That change would never get old.

It was only when we were back in the stache house, after checking our tracks, that I relaxed.

"What the hell was that? Were we being followed?"

Sammy's eyes were wide. He was still in a state of shock from it all.

"Unlikely. First-time winners always have a small chance of getting robbed. I was being cautious. So Sammy, tell me the good news."

Getting back into known territory, the confidence came flooding back to him. Mixed with the winnings made for a delighted individual.

"You got me at a lucky time. It's rare for me to travel around with much coin. Today I just felt lucky and decided to bring a few gold with me. Do you know what odds you were?"

I had some ideas.

"I have no idea."

"Eighty to one, Gan, we're rich. We have made four hundred gold in a matter of minutes."

That was less than I was expecting. They must have been playing it cautious. They often placed incredible odds for opponents to champions. We were unlucky today.

He promptly handed me a bag that was a lot smaller than mine.

"Four platinum coins. I had never seen them before today."

It would just be enough to buy everything.

"When's the next gang war?"

His happiness evaporated quickly.

"Two days from now. We will be meeting on the docks. I will see you there."

With that change in mood, he quickly left. Leaving all the money behind. Sammy was a good man, even when I was rude.

My impatience got the better of me once again. I had to learn that I wasn't alone anymore. If I wanted to save them, then I couldn't push them away.

Now I had the means to set my life in an entirely new direction.

First, I would have to buy another disguise.

 

The market district of the capital was busy. Everything that could be bought was being sold here. At the moment, I was looking for some particular things.

A new disguise, along with an aura modifier, was easily found—a popular commodity no matter how well policed the area was.

The rest of my list brought me to one of the least assuming alchemy houses in the district. The Cilka Alchemy shop was one of the few bastions of hope when the city began to fall. They treated all who came to them. It only made sense that I would allow them the opportunity to prosper with my creations.

Renting an alchemy lab was cheap. Buying the Herbs necessary for the potions were not. It would be much cheaper for me If I aimed for the top.

I asked the pretty shop attendant if I could meet with their grandmaster alchemist while I was here.

"I am afraid Grandmaster Cilka is not taking any visitors at the moment."

"Tell him that a Master from the Belti Isles knows the exact ratios of the EverFern Potion."

She seemed unconvinced.

"No matter what I do or say, sir, it simply won't be possible."

"All I ask is that you give it a try."

That is what she did. Soon an out of breath alchemist with insignia of a master on his robes came out to meet me.

His smile was disarming. The face of the company had arrived.

"A gentleman from Belti, please let me extend my warmest greetings from everybody in the capital. My name is Master Cilka. I must ask, is what you speak true?"

I had never met a master alchemist who was so courteous before. I did like this Cilka lineage of alchemists.

"The ratio of the Everfern potion your Grandmaster is working on, yes, I believe I do."

"Sir, please follow me."

The rest of the Cilka shop behind the commercial area was surprisingly homely. We soon came to the back of the building. Going through an ornate archway, we arrived at the central laboratory area. There were dozens of apprentices working hard.

There was a good sense of work ethic.

We made our way through a series of similar workspaces. The level of alchemists growing higher and higher.

Soon we arrived in a large chamber.

There, an old man was inspecting a series of plants growing under magically enhanced light. Hearing our arrival, he turned to us. His wisened eyes seemed to bore right through me. I had only ever felt that from the few archmages, I had the misfortune of running into. This man was close to reaching those lofty ranks.

"So, you are the one who claims to know the ratio."

"I am Grandmaster. I do not claim to have a hundredth of the knowledge you do, but I have discovered through my travels that I am quite interested in the theory of alchemy. It seems the EverFern potion has many similarities to the icesprite potion of the Ophir Delta. It is simply a change of element and counteragent."

"Stop your chat. Just tell me. What are those ratios? If you speak true, then you will be greatly rewarded."

"Thirty percent Knot Garlic, Forty percent Nuccenamon, and finally, the rest is the mix of herbs you already prescribed."

His eyes lit up. He didn't speak a single word. His movements spoke to a renewed vigor as he saw the path ahead for the first time in a long time. I knew the feeling.

Soon the rewards for my actions would not result in a measly four hundred gold.