'Why would an Awakened need to steal in such a blatant way?' Lith thought while going downstairs.

'Even a bit of spirit magic would be enough to get her what she wants without drawing so much attention.'

'Maybe she just discovered her powers.' Solus pondered. 'Otherwise I can't explain how she still has a red core. Another thing I can't understand is how she can possibly keep Invigoration active while moving.'

Lith found several guests of the hotel staring at the scene through the windows.

"I told you we shouldn't have picked a hotel in the outer rim, you damn cheapskate!

" A middle aged woman was angrily whispering to her husband, like she was afraid of drawing the attention of the crazed thief.

The couple was wearing a grey dressing gown with the hotel's insignia over their clothes.

'One silver coin per night is cheap?' Lith shuddered at the idea of how much money more luxurious accommodations would require.

"Why? Does this happen often?

" He pointed his forefinger toward the events unfolding outside.

"Of course, it's the gods damned outer rim.

" The woman was clearly annoyed at Lith's question which forced her to state the obvious.

"Every year, when winter approaches, all kinds of vagrants and lunatics fill the roads of the city to find shelter until spring. Because of those hungry beasts, the crime rate always spikes. Speaking of hungry beasts, why are you still here?

"Aren't you a Ranger? It's your duty to uphold the law!

"

"Not inside Othre. At the moment I'm just a tired traveler.

" Lith wanted to investigate the mystery, but the woman's rudeness had almost changed his mind.

"The hotel would greatly appreciate your help in keeping its guests safe.

" Someone promptly added.

Lith turned around towards the voice. It belonged to a silver haired man dressed like a member of the staff. According to the tags on his chest, his name was Penon and he was the night manager.

'Please, help them.' Solus pleaded him. 'Some of the people outside are badly wounded. They need a healer and you will get your money back. It's a win-win situation.'

Lith didn't care about a single silver coin. Penon's offer was meaningless to him. Solus's plea and discovering how the heck someone of that age with no experience with magic could possibly Awaken was another story.

Lith came out from the hotel and extended his arm, using spirit magic to paralyze his opponent. He didn't expect it to work. To be able to knock down men way taller and heavier than her, the woman had to be able to use fusion magic.

Lith's intention was to check how effective spirit magic would be against such a weak Awakened. Best case scenario, he would manage to slow her enough to hold her in place and get some answers before the city constables arrived on the crime scene.

Contrary to his expectations, his tendrils of mana were sucked by the woman's Invigoration technique and completely nullified.

'What the heck?' Lith thought. 'Invigoration shouldn't work that way. Absorbing someone else's mana is like drinking poison.'

The homeless woman screamed in pain before turning toward Lith and releasing a fire wave the size of a truck. The spell was powerful, but there was no technique or planning behind it. Like a child throwing a tantrum, its energies were violent but chaotic.

Lith needed but a thought to take control of the fire wave and snuff it out. Before he could counter attack, the woman clenched her belly and collapsed to the ground. Lith had no idea what was happening.

He wanted to use Invigoration to study her body, but he knew that if she adsorbed it too, she would die before she could answer his questions.

'Solus?'

'It's just like you think. Your spirit magic has infected her core and it's killing her. It's already half grey.' She replied.

There was nothing Lith could do for mana poisoning. He could only hope the woman's core would recover while he took care of the wounded. All of them were badly burned, some almost to a crisp.

Only because Lith could cure two people at once and was able to use Invigoration to give them massive amounts of life force no one died that night. No one except the woman.

'How is this even possible?' Lith thought. 'Invigoration should be able to absorb only world energy. Plus, the mana I used to wasn't nearly enough to kill her, not even if I poisoned her on purpose. Which I didn't.'

'I know.' Solus replied. 'Normally her mana flow should have countered the foreign mana all the way to her core. It would have caused her pain but would have also weakened your mana to the point that even a red core could resist such measly pressure.

'Her Invigoration technique carried it directly to her core, making it lethal instead.'

A few minutes later, a couple of constables and a mage arrived to the scene.

"Thanks for taking care of the problem for us.

" The senior officer said.

"Usually our response time is much better than this, but criminals like this one are popping up like mushrooms and we cannot move without a mage. We have already lost too many people.

" The officer spat on the homeless woman's corpse.

"It's terrible news.

" Lith said eager to go back to sleep.

"Those people were severely injured. This is what the city owes me for the healings.

"

The mage took a small piece of paper where Lith had listed the cares given and his fares according to the White Griffon standards. She put it in her pockets without even looking at it.

"What happened to her?

" The mage said while pointing at the corpse. Her honey colored eyes looked tired and dispirited, like those of a soldier fighting a lost battle.

"Wish I knew. I used a simple air spell to restrict her and…

"

"And she died.

" The mage completed the phrase for him.

"Don't worry, it's not your fault. It happens every single damn time, no matter the element used. Once the constables managed to restrict one only for the poor guy to die under the effects of a diagnostic spell.

"

'That's great news. It means that whatever they are, they are not Awakened. Which makes this none of my business.' Lith thought.

Solus would have liked to comment about his total lack of care for the well being of the people of Othre, but she had seen enough in one day to know it would be pointless.

'Maybe this is what that Felhorn guy wanted to talk about. A lot of magic users committing crimes is something the Association would have to deal with. It could fetch you a lot of merits.' Solus tried a subtler approach on the matter.

'Too bad I don't need them. I've already got what I could from the Association after I graduated. Otherwise I wouldn't have joined the army. What I need is to finish my patrol as fast as I can. That way I can obtain a long leave and work on the crystal.' Lith replied.

The following morning, during a sumptuous breakfast served privately on the hotel's terrace for Lith only, he called his handler.

"This is Ranger Verhen. I need some time to restock my provisions and then I'll be ready to leave Othre.

" He actually had no need for food, his pocket dimension held enough to last him months. His aim was to look for rare books.

"Negative. You are not allowed to leave the city's perimeter. The Commander has received a request for help from the Association. Depending on his decision, your stay in Othre might be prolonged until further notice.

"