As he crossed the threshold, a tide of clinking glasses and overlapping voices hit him—an atmosphere thick with joy, grief, and the dull edge of drink.
“Festive,” Tom thought, eyeing the crowd. But I’m not here to raise a glass. I’ve got a deal to close.
He spotted the stairs and headed up without breaking stride, leaving the clatter and cheer behind.
Upstairs had the same bones—same tables, same walls—but everything felt tighter. Quieter. Like the laughter knew to stay downstairs.
“Brother Liang Shen!”
A man in a blue robe waved from a corner. Eastern features, a warm smile—Tom recognized him instantly.
That’s him.
Tom smiled and walked over.
“Brother Yan Shuo.” Tom bowed. “Apologies for the delay—I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.”
“No trouble at all,” Yan Shuo replied warmly. “I just arrived five minutes ago. Once our business is finished, I’d like to treat you to a meal.”
Tom hesitated—then his stomach growled before he could respond.
“I’d be honored.” He reached into his robe and handed over the deed to his shop.
Yan Shuo blinked in surprise, then chuckled.
“You are straightforward, Brother Liang Shen.” He slid five gold coins across the table. “We agreed on three—but take two extra, in celebration.”
“Beep. Quest Complete: Sell Your Shop (Chap. 1) Please select Mana-Familiar.”
“Celebration?” Tom arched an eyebrow while silently thinking, Beep, can I choose later?
“Beep: Yes. Would you like to put it on hold?”
“Yes. Put it on hold.”
“Yan Fan, the young master of my family, is getting married soon,” Yan Shuo said, beaming.
“Must be a big deal, judging by that smile. I’ve never really understood how big families work.”
“He’s marrying Lady Mei of the Su family from Riverjade City. It’s a strong match—profitable, too. Ties like these strengthen both families.”
Tom nodded, impressed. “Thank you, Brother Yan Shuo. You’ve opened my eyes.”
“Just like one of those web novels back on Earth”, he thought, amused.
They ordered food and drinks. As they ate, Tom leaned in slightly.
“So, Brother Yan Shuo—anything interesting happening in the city? Or around Whispering Pine Hollow?”
Yan Shuo sipped his drink, then said, “Magistrate Liu Wenhai’s been hiring more mercenaries. It’s nearly that time of year.”
Tom was about to ask what that meant—but a shout from the street cut through the quiet.
“Someone help! We need help!”
Two panicked voices echoed from outside, sharp with desperation. Chairs scraped, conversations died, and in seconds, the tavern emptied as the crowd surged toward the door.
Tom followed, heart thudding. Stepping into the cool night, he froze.
Blood—more than he’d ever seen on a person outside a horror movie. Someone lay crumpled on the cobblestones, barely moving. A dark red pool spread beneath them.
Tom’s stomach turned. His face drained of color.
He staggered back toward Yan Shuo, who remained near the rear of the crowd, his expression tight.
“What do you think happened?” Tom asked quietly.
Yan Shuo’s eyes narrowed.
“I think they’re with the Hollow Fang mercenary group. Looks like Magistrate Liu hired them… and something went wrong.”
They stood in silence as others rushed to help.
“Come on,” Yan Shuo said. “They’ve got it covered. Let’s finish eating.”
They returned to the upper floor. For the next ten minutes, they ate in silence.
Then, footsteps pounded up the stairs. A man burst in, breathless, and leaned in to whisper something urgently in Yan Shuo’s ear.
Yan Shuo’s face froze.
“Forgive me, Brother Liang Shen,” he said, standing abruptly. “I must go. Please enjoy the rest of the meal—I’ll cover the bill.”
With a brief nod, he followed the man downstairs and vanished.
Tom sat alone, the silence suddenly heavy.
This isn’t a game. I could die here—no second chances. His jaw clenched.
“I need to know more about this world and what happened...”
His eyes drifted to the window, the streets below still thick with tension and shadow.
“Status,” he called out in his mind.
Status Menu
Name: Tom Riddle / “Liang Shen”
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Rank: 0 Acolyte
Mana Coins: 10
HP: 20/20 (Regen: 5/day)
Mana: 20/20 (Regen: 0.1/min)
Stats:
? STR: 1.0 (≈70 lbs lifting power; affects defense)
? AGI: 1.0 (~15 mph run speed; affects body control)
? VIT: 1.0 (+20 HP)
? INT: 2.0 (+10 Mana)
Spells:
? Mana Hand (Lv. 0)
? Cut (Lv. 0)
Equipment:
? Basic Acolyte Robes
? Basic Wooden Wand
? (x2) Weak Mana Potions
? (x2) Weak Health Potions
Completed Quests:
? Learn Your Second Spell
? Sell Your Shop
Current Quests:
? Find a Place for a Magic Tower
Mana Store: Locked
“Beep, how do I select a Mana-Familiar?” Tom asked.
“Beep. Here is the Mana-Familiar list. I can filter by type/species for you.”
“Please do. Can you give me a list of queen-type ants I can use as a Mana-Familiar?”
“Beep. It will take a few seconds. Please wait… You should be seeing it now.“
Mana-Familiar Selection: Queen Ants Filter: Queen Type – Magical Abilities Enabled – Size: Small” (“small” as in small dog)
- Glassweaver Queen
Species: Myrmica Lucida
Soul Cost: 1%
Affinity: Light / Illusion
Appearance: Iridescent carapace that shimmers like blown glass; six thin legs like silver threads.
Abilities:
Mirage Mandibles (Active): Infused mandibles generate false movement trails and duplicate illusions that confuse foes’ depth perception.
Prism Web (Trap): Can spin reflective silk that refracts light, creating dazzling zones or redirecting spells.
Silent Step (Passive): Silences movement within a short radius(8 feet); effective for scouting or ambushes.
Personality: Quiet, calculating, and almost meditative. Patient enough to stalk prey for hours before striking.
“Feels more spider than ant—lays traps, spins illusions… basically the stealth ninja build. Sneaky little thing might get me through the Hollow alive.”
- Embercarve Queen
Species: Formica Ignis
Soul Cost: 2%
Affinity: Fire
Appearance: Charred-black exoskeleton with glowing orange veins. Constant faint heat haze surrounds her.
Abilities:
Ember Pulse (Burst): Releases a low-intensity heatwave that can scorch and disorient low-level foes.
Flame Mandibles (Infused Strike): Her bite becomes a torch of searing heat, causing continuous burn damage.
Lava Resistance (Passive): Can survive and walk across magma, fire traps, or volcanic terrain.
Personality: Fiercely protective of her summoner, reacts with aggressive heat if threatened.
“The best offense by far—but knowing my luck, I’d sneeze and set the forest on fire. “Walking fire hazard.”
- Ironroot Queen
Species: Camponotus Ferrum
Soul Cost: 3%
Affinity: Earth
Appearance: Thick-plated with moss-like hairs between her joints; armored like a living fortress.
Abilities:
Earthen Bulwark (Aura): Raises the defense of all nearby allies by reinforcing them with earthy mana.
Earth Bending (Skill): Can reshape terrain for cover, trenches, or walls using nearby soil and stone.
Stoneplate Mandibles (Infused Buff): Forms temporary stone armor around a target, significantly boosting defense until the plating cracks and falls away.
“Now she’s a wall. A wall that builds more walls. If I need someone to hold the line—or hold me together—this is the one."
- Thorn Queen
Species: Pheidole Cobaltis
Soul Cost: 4%
Affinity: Poison / Mental
Appearance: Deep blue exoskeleton with thorn-like spines. Eyes glow with a faint violet hue.
Abilities:
Neurotoxic Mandibles (Infused Strike): Attacks cause hallucinations, disorientation, and disrupted spellcasting.
Venom Bloom (Area Hazard): Leaves behind a slow-spreading toxic mist trail that lingers and weakens enemies.
Poison Eater (Passive): Converts poison absorbed from attacks into mana regeneration or minor healing..
Personality: Cryptic and observant. Communicates in dreamlike flashes of thought.
“This one’s a walking war crime. Mental poison? Summoning her might violate a treaty. I’ll keep her in mind… if I ever need to start a cult.”
- Myrmidessa Queen
Species: Lasius Umbralis
Soul Cost: 5%
Affinity: Shadow
Appearance: Matte black body with fading gray legs. Light seems to “bend away” from her surface.
Abilities:
Shadowmeld (Stealth): Blends into darkness, granting temporary invisibility in dim or no light.
Shadow Mandibles (Infused Skill): Allows her to phase between shadows when mana is channeled into her jaw—excellent for repositioning or ambush.
Grave Stillness (Zone Silence): Creates a radius of supernatural silence that suppresses all sound and some vocal spellcasting.
Personality: Reserved and regal. Demands respect. Will abandon masters who treat her as disposable.
“If I needed someone to erase a guy without a sound, she’d be it. But that’s not the plan… yet.”
“Beep, is there a limit to how many familiars I can have? And do they all go in my soul or something?”
“Beep. Yes. Familiars take a sliver of your soul, between 1% and 5%. The theoretical limit is 20 if all are minimal. Stronger familiars take more. They replace the missing soul fragment, forming a bond that can’t be broken or turned against you. You may feel a little tired for a few days—nothing a good nap and warm meal can’t fix.”
“Just a piece of my soul?” Tom smirked. “Well… I guess it’s time to live up to my name.”
Is there a way to get more right now?”
“Beep. You’d need a summoning spell or to earn it as a quest reward.”
“This changes many of my plans,” Tom said, grinning. “This is going to be fun.” He scanned the list one last time.“The Thornqueen and Myrmidessa are too pricey. Besides, Thornqueen practically screams ‘evil cultivator.’ Hard pass. "Myrmidessa’s a flex. I’m still in the ‘don’t die to rats’ phase. Priorities. Embercarve? One sneeze and I’m in the middle of a wildfire. Also out. That leaves the ninja… or the bunker builder. Either way, I’m not dying easily.”
(Which Mana-Familiar will Tom choose? Find out next week in Bringing Magic to the Cultivation World.)