Chương 3: The Sect of Scraps (II)
Amon followed a paved, stone path. His house appeared smaller and smaller the farther he walked.The irregular stones below his feet were mostly covered in grass and dirt, but he could still see some of them timidly peeking from beneath the earth.
There were small streams of clear water and large expanses of farmland in every direction. Small children assisted adults with gathering water, taking care of the crops, and feeding the livestock. With the sounds of their hard work, chirping birds, rustling grass, and flowing water, the Outer Sect was always a lively scene.
After walking for two hours, the first few buildings of the Northern Junction came into view. The agglomerate of administrative buildings and stores was a place for people from the northern side of the Outer Sect to mingle. It served as a central hub for those that couldn't make the long trip to the headquarters. Members could spend their contribution points or apply for new jobs within the sect.
Since the Outer Sect had a radius greater than fifty kilometers, eight junctions were spaced evenly around its perimeter. There were carriages that provided transportation services from one junction to the next. The rides, of course, took hours and cost a considerable amount of points. These junctions made up the Middle Ring of the Outer Sect.
The junction itself wasn't fenced off from the rest of nature. Docile animals were often seen roaming the streets and nibbling on the shrubs. A multitude of buildings gave the junction its shape and defined its boundaries. The main street was in a much better condition than the path Amon had taken. Smooth slabs of white stone were neatly arranged close to each other, making it easier for carriages to traverse and for people to see from a distance. A perfectly-cut carpet of grass was placed along the sides of the street and between the buildings. Lush trees were planted and flowery bushes nearly lined the entryway to the more important buildings, making the entire area visually pleasing.
At the end of the street stood the northern market. It was a three-story building made from green jade that glistened in the sun. Its thick, white doors were open and the ground floor was bustling with activity.
Wide windows welcomed the warm rays of sunlight, illuminating the inside of the building. Inside, the jade walls stood out against the white marble floors and pillars. At the far right side, a set of stairs cascaded to the next floor where more goods were being sold. The cashiers were positioned at the front of the store where a long line of patrons patiently awaited their turn. Anyone that caused a ruckus was thrown out by white robed guards with golden spears.
Amon chose the shortest line and waited to be served.
"Have you heard? It seems like Jake managed to kill an earth dragon during his last mission. That kid is only sixteen and can already kill a class four spirit beast."
"The son of the second protector? Of course he would be able to do something like that. Even if we ignore his father, he still is the direct disciple of Sect Master Borgin."
"There he is, slaying monsters left and right while the most dangerous thing we do is face this terrifying line."
"If you want to go on a hunt you can always finish body tempering and reach elemental purification to get into the Inner Sect. Just remember to wake up on time for work afterwards."
People were gossiping everywhere in the marketplace, bored by the long lines. Amon stood in silence, mechanically walking forward whenever needed, thinking on how many contribution points he would end up spending.
When he approached the third position in queue, a familiar voice dragged him back to reality.
"Found you!"
Amon turned around to see a young man looking at him. He seemed to be in his twenties, had black hair, brown eyes and a handsome face punctuated by a sharp nose. He was a bit short and somewhat slim, but one could see his well-built muscles bulging slightly from his blue clothes.
"Hey, Daniel. What's up?" Amon asked with a smile. Daniel was one of his few friends. Maybe the only one he could really count on. Daniel, on the other hand, was clearly annoyed.
"Nothing much. I was sure you would still be sleeping when I visited your house. To my surprise, you were already up and had even left without me. I thought we had agreed to come together and discuss our plans for the Scavenging."
"Sorry about that," Amon nonchalantly replied, frustrating Daniel more.
"Forget it. We'll talk later. Look, it's your turn."
Amon saw that there was no one in front of him anymore. He walked to the counter and took a purple card from his clothes. He faced the clerk, a pretty woman wearing neat purple robes and a somewhat stiff smile.
"I'll need three bags of rice, one of onions, one of carrots and ten black nuts. Add a bottle of nourishing pills too," he said while offering the card in his hands.
The clerk nodded and took the card from him. She took a crystal ball from behind the counter and her hands glowed for a moment. The crystal ball slowly floated above her open palms and a stream of white words flowed from it, gathering in the air in front of her.
She pressed a few of the words with amazing speed, and a number popped out from the ball.
"It will be two hundred contribution points," the woman said with an indifferent voice.
"Two hundred? Are you kidding me? Last week it only cost me one hundred and seventy points!"
Amon was surprised. There is no way the price could increase so much in a mere week.
"I'm sorry sir, but this week we received fewer supplies than normal. Except for the pills that are made by the elders, everything had a slight increase in price. The sect had to cut the prices of our exports, so we have to sell more than usual. There's currently a small shortage of just about everything," the clerk replied in an apologetic tone.
Amon calmed down and thought for a while before making a decision. He gave a long sigh, subconsciously running his fingers through his hair.
"Forget about the black nuts. I guess I can do without them for now," he said, clearly disheartened.
The clerk nodded and waved her hands. The numbers disappeared and the words scattered in fragments of light before joining again. She tapped a few of the words again and a new number popped up.
"It will be one hundred and seventy contribution points."
It was the same price as last week. Things were indeed much more expensive.
"I'll take it."
The clerk touched the ball with his purple card. The words dissolved and the card lit up with a faint light before dimming again.
"Your balance is seventeen contribution points," she informed, offering the card back to Amon.
As she spoke, a tall man wearing purple robes appeared from the back, carrying the items that Amon had purchased and dropped them on the counter. Amon hid the bottle in his clothes before taking the heavy bags and thanking them before departing.
As they left, Daniel took the bags from Amon's hands and signaled him to stop by a small tree in the shade of two buildings. They sat under the tree while Daniels searched for something in a small leather pouch. It took him a long while, but he finally retrieved a tiny bottle and a bundle of cloth from the pouch before closing it and putting it back in his clothes.
"Here. Aunt Becca asked me to give you these. She said you didn't have breakfast and didn't sleep very well, so she was worried."
Amon's face sank. He couldn't fool his mother in the end. Unable to accept Daniel's things, he refused them politely. Daniel didn't waver.
"It's nothing much. Just a piece of cheese and a drink. A friend gave them to me for free."
Amon was resolute.
"Just take it. I don't care about what you want. I don't want auntie nagging me because I didn't take care of you properly," Daniel said, pushing the items into Amon's arms despite his protests.
Satisfied, Daniel grinned as he leaned against a tree and closed his eyes, enjoying the refreshing shade.
Amon pouted for a bit, but was completely ignored. He sighed and opened the bundle. There was a piece of strong-smelling, yellow cheese inside. Opening the bottle, a sweet and delicate smell invaded his nostrils. A clear red liquid was churning inside the bottle.
He ate the cheese in one bite and sipped the beverage to get rid of the sour taste from the cheese. The drink was sweet and left a tart aftertaste. It was cold, but seemed to turn hot as it went down his throat. Amon liked it quite a bit.
After he finished, he left the bottle and the cloth beside the bags of food and tried to relax. He was still stiff from the uncomfortable night, but he managed to get comfortable. Drowsiness overcame him, and his eyes started to droop.
"Hey! Don't fall asleep on me now," Daniel scoffed.
Amon opened his golden eyes, giving him a reproachful glance.
"Don't look at me like that, we still have plans to discuss."
Daniel took out his pouch and retrieved a tightly bound piece of parchment. He opened it on the ground, revealing a detailed map. Amon's face scrunched in annoyance.
"I told you before, I'm not going," Amon huffed.
"Is that why you were avoiding me today?"
Daniel narrowed his eyes as he spoke.
"If you really want to know, yes."
Amon didn't hide it. It was Daniel's fault if he didn't take him seriously before.
"You hurt me," Daniel said disappointedly, lowering his head.
"Oh please. You're twice my age, act like it."
Amon knew that Daniel was being dramatic.
"Aunt Becca was right. Puberty is making you grumpy."
The counterattack was swift and fierce. Amon couldn't take the blow.
"Not you too!"
Daniel cackled as he reveled in victory, his fake sad expression from a moment ago was completely gone.
"Anyway, the Scavenging is in a week and you are going with me."
"I refuse. Even if you drag me there, I won't go."
"Oh, really? Then how are you going to make it through next week?" Daniel struck a weak point.
Amon was basically broke, and because of the Scavenging, it wouldn't be easy for him to find work that could pay for the weekly expenses of him and his mother.
"I'll manage somehow. If I decide to go, chances are we will return empty-handed and I would've wasted four days without getting any contribution points."
His reasoning was sound. The Scavenging was nothing short of a bet. A bet that people lost most of the time. It was never a big loss, but not many people could afford to not work without carefully planning for months, saving enough points to make up for it.
Though it only took place every five years, Amon still felt it was a waste of time and resources. Rummaging the area north of the sect for remnants of a war long gone was pointless. Even if a single fragment of a weapon could be sold for thousands of points, and even though the sect allowed people to keep their findings as long as they were reported, the place could be considered barren for decades now.
There was no way Amon and Daniel would gain anything in the Scavenging, so Amon would rather stay in the sect and work as much as possible.
"What if I have a commission to investigate a certain place?" Daniel inquired with a mischievous look.
Commissions were one of the faster ways to gather contribution points within the sect. Someone filed a request at the Commission Center and after processing it, the sect would divulge it to anyone interested. Some of them were for hunting monsters, others were for gathering materials or herbs. Even if the difficulty was low, the pay was always good.
Most of the tasks were designed for members of the Inner Sect. However, a few of the jobs managed to reach the Outer Sect, causing people to fight over them as if their lives depended on them. Commissions issued by the sect itself were exclusive to Inner Sect members and were treated as official missions.
Amon was shocked. He could tell when Daniel was lying and he knew that he was telling the truth about this mission.
"What!?"
"I'm not joking. One thousand points to search in a specific place. We'll get paid even if we find nothing. If we do find something, the client will receive seventy percent of the reward points. We'll get thirty percent plus the one thousand points he will pay anyway."
Amon was surprised. He couldn't even begin to understand who would be insane enough to spend that many points in such a crazy way. The only explanation would be that they were reasonably certain that something was there.
He cautiously tried to read Daniel's expression. He had many questions. Why Daniel? Why now? Why this absurd pay?
Amon was sure this task was not going to be easy.
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