Some quick shopping and selling later, and Raime made 300 rishi off the thirty herbs he sold. It turned out that the herbs he picked during his quick stint of gathering three in-game days ago weren’t actually all that valuable. They went for 10 rishi a pop, and while such an exchange rate may be enough for a street urchin to make a living, it certainly wasn’t enough to fuel the violent obsessions of an Immortal adventurer. An unknown number of indistinct consumables with vaguely uncertain effects was easy enough to pick up in the area, however. Though the Keystone Plaza itself was largely bereft of vendors, surrounding areas had plenty of merchants plying simple gears and good for the monster slayers that so often congregate here.

No one else was particularly interested in shopping though, not with a large-scale battle on the horizon. Though Ames appeared ambivalent, Klein had glorious plans of power-farming while Amulak was looking at the possibility of his top-pick clan being straight-up wiped out within just a week, and with that, the party of five strode off northwards, into the Thunderstruck Grove once more. Some of them were stronger than before, while others were simply better-equipped, but they all had one goal as they stepped into the confounding mists of these godless lands.

Kill shit and get swole.

And as if reading their intent, the mists parted with their own answer to the party’s bloodlust. Five oni, paler-skinned than the ones that Ames and Magpie encountered, were crouched over a bus-sized phantasmal bull, tearing into the dead creature hungrily. Wounds, wounds that would have been fatal on a normal human being, could clearly be seen on the burly monsters, but they kept eating regardless, cracking ribs and slurping up organs ravenously.

None of them seemed to have any weapons nearby, and the party had the advantage of surprise…

…but maybe it was time for another dance-off?
[sub][@Shovel][@Searat][@Psyker Landshark][@OwO][@Yankee][/sub][hr]
[b]“Don’t worry,”[/b] Zhi-Toren laughed, taking Ari by the wrist. [b]“Your escapades aren’t exactly well-known, and that’s why I’m here!”[/b] With that, the woman pulled Ari off into the side-streets of Nyu-Taro, her grip gentle yet inescapable. The two crossed through various little shops and restaurants, the density of individuals on the road thinning out as they travelled further and further into the more residential-esque areas of the city-state, before they finally stopped in front of one particular shop.

In bold, Western-style font, a sign read ‘Estelle Café’, featuring a steel-and-glass storefront that looked like a modern anachronism beside the more traditional storefronts around it. The building was three stories tall, enough so to stand above the neighbouring buildings as well, and the doorman, dressed in what looked to be a mascot cow, made a vaguely friendly, vaguely disgusting ‘moo’ as they energetically opened the door. The interior of Estelle Café was similarly anachronistic, brightly lit with popped plants, framed paintings of various desserts, and multi-colored floor tiles that clicked satisfyingly when you stepped over them.

[b]“Two milk teas and your fruit parfait pancake tower,”[/b] the suited woman called out to the cashier. [b]“With sugar on the side! Extra tapioca too!”[/b]

[b]“Haiyo!”[/b] was the energetic response.

Zhi-Toren brought Ari up to the third floor of the building, where the windows shed unobstructed light and the tables were wholly empty. She sat down at one of the tables, elbows leaning against the clouded-glass surface, and said, [b]“Anyhow, surprised you don't know anything about CCC, but hey, no biggie. We're a wiki, really. Gather up info in-game. Sell what's important and publish what's not, both online and in-game. Pretty profitable, really. But that's a lot about me, and I'm really rather interested in you. You’ve been heading into the sewers, Ari. You’ve also been dying in the sewers. Brought yourself a friend the second time, and they died too. Why is that?”[/b]
[sub][@Greengoat][/sub][hr]
A Rien (at least, they dressed like a Rien) stood behind the counter of the San-Li recruitment office. Like many others, there was no door for Lugh to pull, push, or slide open, and it was immediately obvious what the clan had to offer. Stunning vistas of rivers and waterfalls, glorious karsts shrouded in cloud, and port cities extending towards a shimmering ocean, the natural beauty of the San-Li clan’s territory made it look almost like a vacation dream spot. Of course, natural beauty was present in the wall-scrolls of the individuals present as well. Depicted in minimalist silhouettes were individuals known as ‘The Art’, ‘Ancestral Kensei’, and ‘Honored One’, the Superiors known collectively as the Three Peaks of the San-Li. Of course, Lugh wouldn’t have any real inkling of a clue as to who they were, but certainly, it seemed as if they were prominent individuals to show up as advertisement in the recruiting offices. The Ryoku-Jo and the Tato-Ie did something similar, after all, and if nothing else, the Flamebringer Princess had been instantly recognizable to Lugh as he passed by.

The Mora-Sho had been the outlier then, seeming to advertise their ruling family instead of any powerful Immortals in their ranks.

As Lugh approached, the Rien straightened her back and put on a smile. [b]“Welcome to the San-Li clan registration office,”[/b] she said, pulling a strand of hair away from her glasses. [b]“Do you have any questions, or would you like to register immediately, sir? The current situation has caused some transportation issues recently, but we’ll still be able to arrange for transport to the closest San-Li-affiliated station within the hour.”[/b]

It was almost unnervingly [i]modern[/i], the way she spoke. But perhaps this was just put in here to simplify the process for players? After all, while Lugh was the only Immortal here present at the moment, there were still at least a hundred other Immortals milling about in the area.
[sub][@Cu Chulainn][/sub]