After spending the first day away from the inn laying low, Lukas started the second by visiting Esther’s clinic. Unfortunately, she was too busy to entertain him, and he turned to the markets instead. Lukas and the clones had passed several interesting stores and businesses during courier jobs or deliveries for Kat’s father. Time for investigations was a luxury, and they settled for glancing through or at the window displays when passing. Now, Lukas finally took the time to explore his new world.

The midday market was in full swing. Crowds filled the streets, vendors called out to customers, singing the praises of their wares, and patrons argued for lower prices. It was a scene Lukas had grown used to over the past couple of weeks. He liked it.

The Realm of Great Beings had few such places. Entities like Lady Silverspine and their demigod-like minions, or the ‘Lesser Great Beings’ as most used to call them, controlled far too much for free markets and full-on trade cities to exist. Even though Lukas was weak and had little money to his name, he felt free. No godlike being was tracking him or demanding his praise. He didn't need to answer to anyone. Next, he needed power, influence, and wealth. His degrees of freedom would increase.

El-Two’s visits to the library had helped Lukas regain a fraction of his knowledge of Fracture. The world didn’t have as many god-like entities as the Realm of Greater Beings. The history books spoke of several powerful warlords, emperors, and sentient creatures with enough power to solo armies, tear down or raise mountains, and divide seas. Chatter on the streets and in taverns claimed that a good deal of the relevant entities still walked the many landscapes of Fracture or ruled over them.

An immortal king ruled over the Kingdom of Schwarzberg. He rarely left his mountain palace, but his masterwork metalwork often appeared in the markets. Lukas couldn’t tell whether it was propaganda or he genuinely spent all of his life in a forge heated by lava. The Empire of the Holy Sun apparently had a trio of centuries-old demigod siblings rulers. Their late mother, also an immortal, had bedded a god, a dragon, and a mythological ice wolf to birth them. Lukas hoped the entities had the power to adopt human form or it was all propaganda.

Apparently, people attempted to rise to their ranks on a regular basis, but time, limited resources, and stiff competition worked against them. Power also painted a target on one’s back. Lukas and his clones had snuffed out one too many hopefuls that Lady Silverspine or one of his other masters considered a potential future threat.

What Lukas liked most about Fracture was that most of it was wild and unsettled. There were also several free cities and settled, civilized lands like Iskandar, which mortals ruled. Lukas had little interest in becoming a ruler or land grabber. He preferred the freedom of anonymity and the ability to move around. Ruling a kingdom or empire came with too many responsibilities and dependents.

Focus on completing the Pillars first. Then, you can dream of becoming a Greater Being.

First, Lukas needed to figure out what kind of shards existed, whether there were any patterns and rules regarding how they functioned with the pillars, and see examples of them and their conjunction abilities. He intended for everything to compliment Arcane Clone. Body enhancements or transfigurations were necessary to improve their physical capabilities. Any and all magic would also help push them to new heights.

The research began in stores that stocked shards and essences. The former were rare and sat in well-protected display cases. Inspector’s Compendium told him that not all of their labels were strictly correct. Lukas couldn’t tell whether it was a matter of dishonesty or incorrect identification. He scanned a forearm-sized glass shard filled with swirling grey and black particles.

The Shard of Iron Sand can produce the following abilities:

Ironskin(Body): Turn your skin into iron while also reinforcing bones and muscles. The increase in strength and durability will come at the cost of speed and flexibility. Your skin will also exhibit all the same qualities as iron as well, becoming hard but malleable and conductive.

Heart of Iron(Heart): Gain a significant boost to willpower and psychic fortitude. Shaking your resolve is challenging, and the mental strain of casting magic will be insignificant. A lesser version of the empowerment can be shared with all nearby as an aura. Your body will also process poison better than individuals of your tier.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Iron Sand Sorcery(Mind): Conjure, shape, and manipulate iron sand. You may also take care of iron sand not born of the ability. However, control over it will be weaker and demand significantly more magic.

It was an excellent shard. Ironskin was perfect for the clones if he went down the mage path—assuming they eventually gained the power to use shard abilities. They could defend Lukas while he cast long, complicated spells. Meanwhile, the Mind ability was similar to something Lady Silverspine had offered him when they first met.

Lukas had requested Arcane Clone from Lady Silverspine because it was one of his favorite supernatural abilities from a childhood favorite TV show. The same program also had a character who carried a giant gourd of sand and used it defensively and offensively. Lukas had often wondered what path he would’ve walked with a similar spell or ability. It would probably be one of magehood or more direct combat. Killing phoenixes and similar entities would’ve been much easier. However, his life probably wouldn’t be as fun.

The shopkeeper had labeled it only as Shard of Black Sand. There were estimations of possible abilities the shard would grant, but they were also incorrect. Lukas wanted the shard, but the price of a thousand crowns put it well outside of his reach. Glowing spellscripts lined the display case, and armored guards filled the store. It felt as if even the thought of stealing the shard would get him arrested, if not killed on the spot.

The next shard was similarly mislabelled. It was only as big as Lukas’s finger, and a glimmering white wisp floated within. When Lukas’s attention moved toward the sign that said ‘Shard of Foresight,’ he was sure the crystal’s contents winked at him.

The Shard of Seeking can produce the following abilities:

Sharpened Senses (Body): Temporarily enhance any or all physical and metaphysical senses to superhuman levels. Nothing and no one can escape your detection. Beware of sensory overload and the headaches that come with it. The longer anything is enhanced, the greater the risks of physical strain. Empowering any sense for too long or too frequently will weaken it afterward.

Spirit of Exploration (Heart): Traverse faster and with natural care and grace than individuals of the same tier. Develop a sixth sense that guides you to water and game animals and easily identify edible plant matter.

Scryer (Mind): Gain the ability to magically divine the location of objects and organisms you have touched or studied from afar. You may also shape floating eyes out of magic and direct them to travel close or far.

Despite the misrepresentation, it wasn’t a bad shard. In fact, Lukas believed a lot of people—who weren’t him—would greatly benefit from it. Most thieves, assassins, and hunters would kill for Sharpened Senses. The enhanced metaphysical changes also sounded great for mages. Treasure hunters, scouts, explorers, traveling merchants, and cartographers would find value in the Spirit of Exploration. At the same time, Scryer seemed like the perfect gateway into divination magic.

Besides occasional thieving, assassinating, and hunting, Lukas didn’t see much use in most of the shards on sale. Many would likely buy the shard for clairvoyance-related abilities, paying a hefty twelve hundred crowns for it, but then end up disappointed.

Of all the stores he explored, only one had a correctly labeled shard.

The Shard of Metalsmithing can produce the following abilities:

Born To Smith(Body): The art of blacksmithing comes naturally to you, improving your instincts regarding metal temperatures, the correct spots to hammer, quenching times, and all else. You tire slowly around forges, metal workshops, and smithing tools. Fires of metal workshops don’t bother. Instead, they’re comforting like a mother’s embrace.

Heartforge(Heart): Gain incredible resistance to heat and fire. Your heart and lunge embody a forge, and your breath carries one’s fury. Your internal heat keeps frigid temperatures at bay and reduces the potency of diseases and toxins.

Molder of Metal(Mind): Metal might as well be clay to you. Replace fire with magic, gaining the ability to soften, shape, and harden metal without ever heating it up.

Despite the incredible magical and combat potential of the shard in the Heart and Mind Pillars, it was far cheaper than all the others he had found thus far at only eight hundred crowns. The shard looked like it was once a crystal anvil, and then repeated impacts had chipped and cracked its edges. It was almost as tall as his torso and twice as thick. Even without all the enchantments and guards, he couldn’t have stolen it if he wanted. It was the only shard he considered a good match. Molder of Metal had potential for use in all walks of life, including thievery and combat.

Lukas imagined softening or melting weapons and arrowheads before they hit him. A sword swinging at his axe could just as easily become a constricting serpent that no amount of struggling could remove.

As Lukas explored other stores, he encountered many other shards and inspected them all, kicking himself for not doing so sooner or using the journal’s function more often over the past couple of weeks. Even though he couldn’t afford any of them, window shopping helped him understand shards and the accompanying abilities much better.