The watch stationed at the gate was bored and tired and Iris got them past any proper inspection with a smile and a wave, with Aaron trailing behind her. Apparently she had made this journey plenty of times in the past and so the guards were used to her going in and out and the only attention Aaron garnered was an envious glance. They walked a few minutes down a fairly beaten path, passing beetles who slowly walked to and fro with big carts strapped to their harnesses until they reached the construction site.

Iris and Aaron's welcome at the construction site was very different this time. Work did not exactly stop but they garnered a lot of attention from everyone and the boss, Frank Bohr, came without being told and shook both of their hands.

"Well this makes me look like an ass." he said embarrassed, looking from Aaron to Iris.

"Not at all, we appreciate your discretion. Aaron here is my employer, so please extend him the same courtesy you would extend to me." Iris said with a smile that made the middle aged man blush. She clearly had an affect on the man and on most of the workers on the construction site.

"Of course, you wanted a tour, right?" he said tearing his eyes away from Iris and looking at Aaron.

"Yes, if you would be so kind." Aaron said slightly amused.

Bohr cleared his throat and then guided them to the entrance of the construction site, which was a tunnel down into the earth.

"We have two skilled vessels for carpentry and stone cutting that work up here. They produce the materials we use to support the tunnel and the excavated area underground. We tried as best as we could to stick to the guidelines from Miss Baker here, so the tunnel is rather steep."

The man showed them the entrance and it looked on the first glance like an almost 45° angled shaft elevator shaft that was dug into the earth. But on a second glance one could see the intricate design behind it. The slope was used with a winch to transport carts on small wheels up the tunnel dragged by a beetle in a harness that Aaron had not really connected with the construction program before. On the right side of the tunnel were stairs cut into the earth and each step was reinforced with a stone plate. The slope of the tunnel was almost completely even and the material reminded Aaron of concrete.

"The steep angle allows us this rather neat way of excavating earth from below and has saved us an incredible amount of time. As you can see every 3 meters there is a beam holding up the tunnel along with the crossbeams forming a pattern." the man pointed out the intricate web of wood and stone that held up the tunnel. Each beam was fastened in almost a socket of stone and the ceiling was held up like a roof of a building it had that many crossbeams. Bohr stepped down the stairs and they started to make their way down into the earth. It was easy with the stairs and in some way reminded Aaron of the Tower itself and how it must have been built. There was a similar amount of precision and dedication to perfection. The skills the worker Vessels had must give them this machine like precision, otherwise Aaron could not explain it to himself.

"A bit deeper we use stone walls to ensure there is no water that can seep in and rot the wooden beams. There are also stone gutters above and underneath the tunnel funneling water down beneath the construction site. Also there are regular drains in the slope so that any water that does come in somehow does not just flow down the slope." Bohr explained.

"What exactly is this slope made out of, some sort of concrete?"

"Ah, yes. Its an alchemical solution often used for this kind of building purposes. If its not straight up or down where you can work with stone properly, this is the next best alternative for durable design. We got it rather cheap from one of your… I mean one of the districts alchemists." The man said with a look at Aaron and then pointed at the first layer of stone tiles that turned the shaft into the earth into what felt like a castle.

"The water, where exactly does it go?" Aaron asked as they kept walking deeper and Aaron admired the absolute seamless construction work. There were no gaps in the stone walls. They fit so perfectly together it looked almost like a natural wall.

"Well, as I said, there are stone pipes that go underneath and above the tunnel and then get funneled underneath the excavated area, why?"

"Would it be possible to funnel the water into a storage above the cellar so that water could be used inside of it?"

"Storage? Like what? A giant reservoir of water? That seems kind of precarious."

"For bathing purposes. If the reservoir is above it you can funnel it through pipes down to wherever you want it, right?"

"Huh, with some kind of plumbing? I heard about that before. But that requires a lot of dedicated work by the stone mason. Yes, his skills allow to make stone pipes etc, but still…"

"I will pay extra if I can occasionally have running water as long as the tank above the cellar is full."

"Now you are talking my language." Bohr said with a chuckle. "I will have to ask around for blueprints and we will have to crunch the math for where to put it exactly as well as drainage. Don't want to have that much water pool anywhere underneath the cellar either… But should be doable for a good sum."

"Shards are not really a problem."

"Music to my ears. We will get right on that then."

Bohr led them to the bottom of the tunnel and into an excavated part of the actual cellar. It was a big room around three meters in height with beams holding up the ceiling at regular intervals. The actual walls, ceiling and floor were made out of stone tiles. The ones on the ceiling being held up by crossbeams. It was a rather unique and interesting way to build. Small fire basins were set up for light and for melting some sort of tar that was applied to the tiny gaps in between the stone tiles. In the distance Aaron could see men work with pickaxes and shovels to excavate more earth.

"Impressive. How deep are we?"

"Around 20 meters." Bohr explained and then gestured around.

"Are you satisfied with the space? Now is the best time to make adjustments."

"Depends, can you put some walls up to create rooms?"

"Of course, that is the easiest thing in the world. Well, as long as you want the wall going from one beam to another." he explained.

"Good, I will come up with a layout I want soon, but generally if you make this a square cellar, which it looks like you are working towards, then I am more than satisfied with the space."

"Excellent."

Aaron studied the underground bunker like cellar and walked around a bit while Bohr explained more about the Tar like substance that was made to keep the cellar dry in case some tiles shifted a bit over the years. In his head Aaron added exits at places and then told the man he wanted tunnels in those directions. He planned for three exits for now, one more tunnel like the one they had just went down here to and one straight up to the surface. Bohr especially liked the last one because it meant he could place the water tank close to that without having to do some complicated excavation work from below. All in all this would take a few more weeks, especially if Aaron had them put up some walls down in the bunker. He asked the man for his advice and Bohr showed him a layout he had used before for hallways and rooms that Aaron decided to basically copy with a few differences.

Once they were done with the tour and planning, Aaron thanked the man and shook his hand.

"Great work, I will make sure you are properly compensated for this. Pleasure doing business with you."

"Likewise, I was at first a bit hesitant to build out here, but the shards were too good to say no." Bohr added with a short laugh. "This cellar is an interesting project, we rarely get to make such intricate underground facilities."

Aaron left with Iris in tow and escorted her back towards the Town gates. She turned to him when they were out of earshot of the construction site and gave him a broad smile.

"Soo, how did I do?"

"Brilliantly. At first I just hired you to have a middle man who could buy things for me without putting me into danger, but now I see I have caught someone really talented."

"Oh come on, talented?" Iris said and waved his compliment away with a slight blush.

"No, I mean it. You got all of this organized and set up in less time than I could have ever imagined. Looks like I lucked out choosing to poach you."

"Okay now you are just flattering me. Buuut I will take it." she said with a smirk. They walked for half a minute or so until she broke the silence again.

"So, do you have anywhere to stay tonight?"

"Not really, but I will be fine. I am meeting some people tonight and I am sure I can find somewhere to crash afterwards."

"Oh, friends of yours?"

"The team I climbed with." Aaron said, because it was neither a secret, not hard to find out as Mars. Aaron did not want to put Iris in a position where she had to lie to Mars. Better to treat this relationship as what it was, a go between between him and Mars. Aaron knew they both did not trust each other so he did not want to put Iris in a bad spot where she had to choose loyalties. Although he was pretty sure she would act in his favor now. Better safe than sorry though.

"Ah, well I am happy you have made some friends." she said although it did not really sound like it. Aaron looked at her, but she pointedly was not looking in his direction. Had he said something wrong? Aaron could not think of anything and raised his eyebrows. But when she continued to ignore him, Aaron just shrugged and stopped on the path. They were just out of sight of the Town gate but still in the cover of trees. Their path was empty at the moment, so this was a good spot for him to say goodbye either way.

"Alright, good work Iris, I will probably visit you tomorrow and take some of the gear in that warehouse with me."

"You are going?" she asked, turning and looking at him abruptly.

"Yeah, probably going to go back to climbing alone, keep the grind going. Although I might wait for the clothes to be ready first." he said and looked down at his rather disheveled appearance.

"That does sound like a plan, but I meant, you are leaving now, for tonight?"

"Ah, yes, I would rather not get identified by a Town guard right now, so I will find another way into Town."

"I see…" Iris held the pause before she seemed to come to a decision. She straightened and looked Aaron in the eyes.

"Listen, if you ever need someplace to stay, I have a room in my house that you can use. It was my sisters room, but now that she is gone we use it as a sort of guest room and I doubt someone as sneaky as you would bother my mother." she said and looked up at Aaron, almost expectantly.

"Oh, thanks. I appreciate it. I will keep that in mind. But I don't want to put you in an awkward position with Mars."

"I am sure Mars would have no problem with it." Iris quickly interjected.

"Right, but him knowing where I am in advance is not good. I don't really trust him. Its better to keep some distance. But I really appreciate your offer." Aaron looked towards the sky that was turning darker by the minute and gave her a wave.

"I got to go. See you tomorrow." Aaron said and jumped up into the trees. Iris opened her mouth, her hand raised as if to stop him, but he was already gone. For a long minute she just stood there like that frozen in time before she straightened and sighed.

"See you." she murmured and then slowly made her way towards the Town.

The fake sun was already setting when Aaron reached a pair of trees that stood at the correct angle away from the gates. He did not want anyone to see him cross the huge distance in a single jump. There was no way to explain that to anyone. So he meticulously checked that nobody was watching before he held his breath and leapt over the moat. It stunk even without breathing and Aaron shuddered and hurried off deeper into the Town, getting some distance between him and the stinking sewer. Once he had caught his breath he made his way over the rooftops towards the red-light district. It was not difficult to find. At this time of day it started to become a locus of noise, smells and lights.

Aaron left the rooftops behind him once he was close and went to ground in an alley. He walked out into the street casually and basked in the vast canopy of sensory delights that assaulted him. He paused and let the beginning of the night market wash over him with a deluge of enticing smells. The scent of roasting Meat, fresh bread, sugary treats and spices of all kinds mixed with body odor and clouds of perfume creating a multilayered dish of sensory over-stimulation. The first red lanterns were lit and small fires were tended to, to grill meat and congregate around. Their flames turned the streets into a crimson red fever dream of red light and flickering shadows. Music was playing from bars and from street musicians filling the street with an orchestra of life.

Aaron felt right at home. It felt incredible easy for his senses to work through it all and when he opened his eyes he was ready to blend in. He turned to the next best vendor with an enticing smell and bought himself a stuffed bread which smelled as incredibly spicy as it was. With his mouth on fire he kept walking, buying a sweet herbal tea to soothe his burning mouth. He tasted four completely different dishes all made with venison within five minutes and Aaron had no idea how people on this floor were able to make the gamey tough meat taste like this. To have this buttery soft texture or be juicy like steak. But it was delicious beyond belief even without a Vessel making the dish perfect. Aaron always found things that disturbed the taste of the dish, but the many flavor and texture combinations were more than enough to allow him to look past the imperfections. The evening was just getting started but a crowd was already gathering, chatter was everywhere and Vessels were a common sight here. This close to the red-light districts they behaved though. There was no jostling, no looking down on normal people. Here everyone was a guest and the host was always watching. Aaron could spot some red armbands on some men loitering around corners, keeping the peace.

Aaron turned into the red-light district proper where stores opened or were about to close. The actual drug stores sold their last chemical delight to customers while the brothels opened their doors and welcomed the first customers of the night in. The ladies of the night were gathering on the upper floors leaning over the railings of their balconies in very revealing outfits and waved their would be Johns closer. But they were not the only ones showing a lot of skin. Gambling dens had women in tight outfits shout about new games or odds. One girl was even promoting a fist fight between Vessels and Aaron let the whole thing wash over him. This was the true entertainment district of the Town and Aaron could see how Mars could afford to pay any price if he really wanted to. Without any other places for entertainment people were literally lining up here to sate whatever desire they had for that particular night.

The culture of the Town was very open about indulging in people's desires it seemed. There was no shame, no posturing, no taboos he could see, but Aaron guessed it was partly because everyone here was young. From the Vessels to the people working or partying here. It felt like Aaron had wandered into one of the popular clubs back on Earth, just ten times as big and ten times as varied.

He stopped and asked one of the girls promoting a Casino for directions to the Headless Horseman and the girl, clearly disappointed he was not asking her about the game she was promoting, pointed him in the right direction. Aaron walked towards an alley filled with pawn shops where thieves were selling their goods. It was obvious, and well organized. Red-light district enforcers stood at the entrance of the street and anyone could enter, but if you wanted to leave you had to show you sold your goods or came without anything. Almost at the end of the alleyway hung a wooden sign with a headless centaur carved into it, clearly a play on the name of the tavern. Aaron snorted quietly, ignored the looks he got by the crooks or the enforcers as he walked past and entered the tavern.

The Headless Horseman looked like a big Irish pub furnished with lots of wood and tables made out of stone. A bar made out of a single giant log, varnished to a sheen, dominated the center of the establishment and from behind it came some of the most enticing smells Aaron had ever had to pleasure to smell. But the entire inside of the dimly lit room smelled absolutely delicious. A hint of tobacco or more exotic herbs was mixed with the smell of various dishes prepared close by. Together it reminded Aaron a bit of a hookah bar back on earth. A hookah bar with 3 Michelin stars from the smells alone.

The bar was full, but not packed and red armbands were everywhere. Vessels dominated the establishment and there were hushed whispers of heists and scams as well as people talking about a past climb or a new route they wanted to try that did not require them to kill this or that boss on the fourth floor. Overall it was absolutely a den of criminality, but it was clear these people had the shards to afford to live well and were not afraid to spend said shards. Because Aaron could smell floral wines and highly alcoholic spirits being consumed along with dishes that looked almost as good as they smelled.

Aaron did not recognize any of the scents in the tavern as one of the group he had climbed with and so he just walked up to the bar. He might be a bit early, Aaron considered. A giant well muscled man stood behind the bar, pouring drinks into big earthenware mugs, before one of the pretty barmaids brought the drinks to one of the many tables or up some stairs towards more private rooms. Or at least Aaron guessed that there were more rooms upstairs from the faint sound of muffled talking from that direction. The man turned to Aaron and gave him a once over before he nodded.

"What can I get you?"

"I am supposed to meet some people here, Robin and his team, well its Rogers team, but Robin invited me." Aaron said and the man paused, checked a book nearby, before he nodded.

"Robin. Yeah, he made a reservation on the third floor. If you want to you can go wait for them there. It is room 3B."

"Thanks...well can I order something to start with?"

"Of course, but a few things first. There are rules here in the Headless Horseman. No stealing, no violence and you always pay up front. If you get handsy with anyone, we will throw you out. There are brothels enough close by. Got it?"

"Got it. So what is on the menu?" Aaron asked with a smirk. The barkeep pointed at a blackboard above the kitchen and Aaron was surprised to see only 4 things listed there. It read: 'Today: 4 floor full course."

"Full Course? So multiple dishes each?"

"Yeah, themed after different floors. You want to try any?"

"Yeah, all of them please."

"All of them? Well okay." the man said with a deep chuckle and made a note on a notepad.

"And bring some drinks that go well with each course. I have to say if the food tastes only half as good as it smells, I will be in heaven."

"We have a good cook." Was all the man said and he waited for Aaron to order anything else. When he did not he ripped the note from the notepad and handed it over to the kitchen.

"Will take around 20 minutes, any course you want to have first?"

"First floor to fourth floor?"

The man nodded with a chuckle.

"Alright, pay up."

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Aaron did not balk at the steep price they demanded and handed over the manastones. It was really expensive, but he hoped it would be worth it. With his purse significantly lighter he went up towards the third floor. Aaron guessed this had been an inn in the past from the layout that was now used entirely as space for the restaurant. The third floor was almost underneath the roof and it was quiet up here. He entered the room, which turned out to be a small suite with a big table with comfortable looking chairs, a sitting area with couches and an open balcony door leading out to look over the red-light district. Aaron walked out to the balcony and was greeted by the last rays of golden light from the fake sunset. It was wrong in some ways, because it was artificial, but it was beautiful nonetheless. From the sounds and smells he could tell they were above the pawn shops and right next to a brothel that was slowly picking up business.

The sounds from the brothel reminded him vividly of the night he had spent with that pretty barmaid and Aaron tried to control his urges. This was not the time. Not wanting to deal with that right now he returned back to the suite and sat down on one of the couches. Luckily for him he did not have to wait too long. A barmaid came in with an aperitif for the first full course and Aaron sat down on the table. It was a small vegetable dish made out of tomatoes and vegetables with plenty of spices. It was sweet, spicy and had a whole lot of different textures. It was served with a light wine and Aaron was absolutely floored just by the first dish. It was utterly perfect. Cooked to perfection, seasoned to perfection. It felt almost artificial it was that good. The flavor was incredible and he sighed in delight after he had devoured the small dish in a few bites.

Next came various light dishes following the theme of the first floor. Breads, vegetables, spices and venison were the most prominent stars of the dishes, who all were extremely delicious but barely big enough to make Aaron even more hungry. The main course was bear stew of all things and various cuts of bear steak over rice with a sauce that cut through all the gameyness and made it an absolute delight on the senses. The desert that followed was out of this world too, a delightfully light cake with just the right amount of sweetness and a fresh fruit salad.

But before he had fully recovered from the sensory overload the next course came. The various drinks that were served always paired really well and went from fruit juices to highly alcoholic spirits. The second floor course was all about exotic fruits and dishes with yams and other delights out of the jungle. When the first meat dish came Aaron was not very shocked to find out that it was snake meat. It tasted a bit like chicken, but not entirely. The meat broke apart on his tongue, filling his mouth with an exotic fragrant savory flavor. The rest of the course was a flurry of exotic dishes with even more exotic ingredients that robbed Aaron his breath. He was just trying to digest a snake meat stew when Robin entered the room.

"Hey Aaron, you are already here and eating." the man chuckled and sat down across from him. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Hey Robin, this food is incredible!" Aaron said as he tackled the desert, which was made out of tropical fruit that was served with a sweet port like wine.

"It really is! The chef here is from Ambition originally, nobody knows his level and those who can identify him won't tell us. But damn, is this your second course?"

"Yeah, by this point you should be used to how much I can eat." Aaron said with a chuckle.

"I am, but still, seeing it in person is always insane. Let me order something too. What course did you try so far? I was fairly surprised to see themed courses on this week."

"The first floor course was super good, second one too, but it takes more getting used to with all that snake meat."

"Hah, yeah I bet, the first floor it is!"

In quick succession Mortimer, Roger and Shia joined them and they each ordered a full course. While Robin wore a vest and suit pants, Roger was still in the clothes he had climbed with. Mortimer wore a red suit that made him stand out like a sore thumb, but it fit him really well. It was strange to see the man without his armor and he looked at least three sizes smaller without it. Shia wore a long dark dress with a long slit down the side for mobility. She still had some throwing knives prominently strapped to the dress and a red armband made out of silk around her wrist. She teased Roger and Aaron for their outfits mercilessly though.

"Aaron, you really disappoint me, you should be the richest of us all and you show up in this?" she clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

"I wasn't aware of any dress code and I did go to a tailor today."

"Well, fine I let it slide for now, not everyone can look as fabulous as Mortimer and me." she said while striking a pose by leaning against Mortimer. Mortimer snorted and pushed her off him.

"I was working the whole time. Debriefing, making sure we deliver the kids correctly, payments to the guilds and from the guilds. You know the whole stuff you don't have to deal with." Roger said preemptively, but Shia just grinned.

"Sure, you had time to store your equipment, but not to dress nice. I don't believe you, oh fearless leader of ours."

Roger snorted and looked embarrassed.

"Fine, maybe I forgot we agreed to this and Mortimer had to drag me here."

Shia laughed and they all grinned.

"That is more like it. But now lets party! We just made a fortune in dust and Mars personally will bury us in manastones for a job well done!"

"Indeed, cheers everyone!"

They all clinked glasses and ate. The food came steadily, every single one of them progressing through their courses at their own speeds. Aaron had reached the third floor, which started with a salty and savory broth and went through all the seafood he could imagine. Shrimps, fish of all kinds, even shark meat. There was sushi, seafood stew and a dish that reminded him of chili crab. The rest of the team had all either chosen the first floor course or in Roger's case the second and they had a taste from Aaron, who was fine with sharing a bit. The atmosphere was good and they talked about anything and everything. Starting from levels gained and paths they wanted to follow to their personal lives.

To Aaron's surprise, Roger was apparently married, but the other three were bachelors. Although Mortimer was courting someone, a courtesan apparently, which gave Shia plenty opportunities to mock him for it.

"So where is Stab?" Aaron asked in between bites of sushi that were basically melting in his mouth.

"Stab usually does not join things like this." Roger explained sipping from a cup of wine.

"Says an old man like him does not need to go out as much." Shia quipped.

"Really? He said that?"

"In not so many words." she admitted chuckling.

"I think he is doing some work for Mars actually. Recently the district has been growing more...agitated. I think the big boss is planning something big." Roger said thoughtfully.

"Probably. He wants us all to level up as fast as possible." Mortimer agreed.

"Means more jobs in the future." Shia said with a groan.

"More jobs, more opportunities, more manastones." Robin said nodding. "Sounds fantastic to me, to be honest."

Aaron listened as they discussed plans to go climb up to the fourth floor and go on a leveling spree before going up to the fifth floor. He finished the third floor course and was poised for the fourth level one, when Shia asked him.

"What about you, Aaron? What are your plans?"

"Going to the fifth floor and training there."

"Training?"

"Killing magical beasts. I heard they have beastcores in them on the fifth floor."

"Hehehe and here I thought you were rich. Taking such risks just for some beast cores." Shia giggled.

"I won't sell many, probably gonna use them all up myself."

"Use them? What? Another of your Cultivator secrets?"

"Something like that." Aaron agreed, but the conversation halted when one of the barmaids brought over a giant plate with a massive spider leg. Shia cringed and Mortimer gagged, but Robin wanted to try it instantly. Roger just shook his head over their antics.

The fourth floor course was all exotic meats of different monsters from the fourth floor. There was anything on the table, except darkstalker. The spider leg to everyone's amusement and delight tasted almost exactly like a king crab leg. The meat was juicy and flaky inside, if not exactly the right flavor it was close enough to seafood that it was tasty. Aaron ate in short sucession a cave ant served like a lobster, rat stew that tasted almost exactly like Robin's stew just seasoned better and cooked to perfection and a various assortment of root vegetables you could apparently find on the fourth floor.

The group all agreed that Robin's stew was almost as good as the Headless Horseman's and none of them cared they had been eating rat. They laughed and cringed over the different foods, but they were all delicious and they tried everything along with Aaron, who was actually enjoying himself. It was a strange but good feeling to be in the company of this group, who all accepted and liked each other, him included. Finally he reached desert, which was a crystal dust cake of all things that gave slight hallucinations, but tasted incredible. By this point the others were all slightly drunk. Shia was slurring her words, Mortimer was red faced, which was a source of endless amusement for Shia who called him a Tomato in a suit. Only Roger and Robin seemed to take the alcohol well, Roger because he did not drink much and Robin because he seemed to have a high tolerance. Aaron of course was entirely unaffected. He could drink spirits like water, although his enhanced taste would protest at that.

Where he had been able to feel a slight buzz for a bit before, now he basically did not feel any alcohol unless it was an actual high percentage spirit. But the buzz from those faded within seconds as well.

"I am feeling like going dancing!" Shia declared standing up and doing a slow drunken pirouette. "What about you guys?"

"Well..."Robin said with a smirk." We could always go next door and extend the party...in other ways." he said with a wink.

"Next door?" Aaron asked.

"Well, my friend." Robin said and put his arm around Aaron's shoulders. "You see the Headless Horseman has a door that connects to the upper floor of the building right next to us which is called the Velvet Delight. There we can sample some other delicacies, if you know what I mean."

"Uhhh, isn't that were Mortimer's girlfriend works?

"She is not my girlfriend!" Mortimer protested.

"Oh but you want her to be, riiight?" Shia said with a chuckle when Mortimer looked away, shy like a schoolboy.

"Come on, Morty, she will totally fall for you, the strong, reliable Warrior." she intoned the last bits in a hushed whisper.

"Don't call me that and Elise could do much better than me."

"Oh, she is a courtesan love, you are one of the best Climbers in the district. You are the catch, not her, Mortimer."

"Either way." Robin interrupted their bickering. "I am sure we can all find someone to celebrate with." he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Not for me guys, thanks." Roger said and held up his hands to halt Shia's boos. "The missus would not be happy about it."

"You could bring her with you next time. I am sure they would give you a couple's discount." Shia joked.

"Yeah...no. Not happening, but I am sure you guys will have fun."

"Oh yeah, I hear the Velvet Delight has some handsome men on staff." Shia said and stood up. "Lets go find out!"

Robin smirked and nodded in agreement, before he looked at Aaron.

"What about you, Aaron? You gonna join us?"

"If I don't have to join you, join you, then sure." Aaron said with a chuckle and stood up as well. Roger offered him a hand.

"Well, then its goodbye again. If you ever need a group to climb..."

"Or party!" Shia interrupted.

"...with. Please don't be shy and call us." Roger finished his sentence with a glare towards Shia who was a little bit more than just drunk.

"Of course, I want to challenge the fifth floor alone though for now. But later maybe."

"You know, I would call anyone crazy if they said something like that, but I can see you succeeding. Best of luck."

"Thanks." Aaron said, before he was dragged along by Robin and Shia, who were both eager to visit the Brothel. Mortimer tagged along as well, clearly still shy about his relationship with that courtesan. Since they had paid up front they could just leave without waiting to pay, which was a bonus in Aaron's mind. He was not sure if he really wanted to visit a brothel with half the group watching, but he felt good, sociable and he did want to get laid. His body had very strong opinions about that, much to his chagrin. He was aware how dangerous it was to indulge in this. Sex was the only drug he knew he could fall victim too with his enhanced senses and enhanced physique and he would not let that happen. But then again, if he was doing it in moderation… He let that thought hang there as they reached an unassuming door and opened it into a whole other vibe.

The Headless Horseman was all dark furnished wood and privacy. It was quiet and the food, the drinks and the company you brought with you were the focus, while the Velvet Delight was a cascade of colors and smells. All the lights in the Brothel had a red tinge and there was music coming from below. They found themselves on a balcony looking down into an open Atrium and all around them were rooms and beautiful men and woman that stood in front of said rooms. A fair few were closed and Aaron's senses told him in no uncertain terms what was happening inside. Down below in the atrium was a party going on with a crowd of dancing, moving men and women partying. It felt like a night club crossed with a Brothel and it was apparently a really good business model. A man in a suit and a red armband checked them out and grinned at Mortimer when he saw him.

"Hey Mortimer, come to see Elise again?"

"Hey Horix, if she is free…"

"She should be, its early. If you hurry up you can steal her for the night...again."

Mortimer looked a bit embarrassed and nodded, while Shia smirked and bumped him with her hips.

"Yeah show us this Elise." she said with a smirk and Mortimer grumbled but lead the way. They climbed some stairs to another floor and reached a quieter part of the Brothel, here the women were a notch more beautiful and more bountiful too. Mortimer though ignored all others and went straight towards a small woman almost two heads smaller than him with a big bust and a pretty oval face that brightened when she saw the big warrior.

"Mortimer! You are back!" she said in a rather high pitched voice and they hugged each other. Shia and Robin stood back and she sighed.

"Aww, look at them. They are so cute!"

"Yeah, she is real pretty too. Must cost a bunch of stones."

"I am sure she is giving him a discount." Shia quipped. "Look at her, she is all over him."

"Oh yeah, we all get discounts because we are part of the district, Aaron." Robin explained and looked around.

"So how about it, anyone catch your eye?" he asked and Aaron blinked and looked around. There were plenty of women offering. Leaning against the balustrades, wearing dresses or other, more form fitting or revealing clothes. His gaze wandered over the courtesans until he paused on an older woman in her thirties with long dark hair and a very curvy figure that was looking straight at him. She wore a long red classy dress with glittering accessories that flickered like flames in the dim red light. When she realized Aaron was looking at her, she smiled broadly and entered a door next to her, only looking back once over her shoulder, as if to say: 'Are you coming?'

Aaron hesitated, was he? Robin followed his gaze and smirked before he nodded approvingly.

"What a beauty, good eye. Well, enjoy yourself. Time to look for someone myself." he said and wandered in the direction of a young pretty thing with long blonde hair that had made pretty eyes at him. Shia checked out the guys and gave Aaron a look, before she smirked.

"Don't break her, you monster." she said with a hoarse laugh and then sauntered off down the stairs. Aaron hesitated only a moment before he walked down the balcony towards the open door the woman had vanished towards.

He walked in and the first thing he heard was a gentle:

"Close the door behind you, love."

Aaron closed the door and looked around in the rather small room occupied only by a big bed and a small dressing table with a chair tucked to a side. On the bed sat the courtesan, her legs tucked to the side smiling up at him. Up close Aaron could smell her enticing scent. It was a mixture of fresh sweat, freshly washed skin and a very feminine undertone barely hidden by a few sprays of perfume. Her curves strained in the dress and she said with a pretty, deep, feminine voice:

"So...pretty boy. What are you? Warrior? Rogue? Or something else?"

Aaron did not know why he did not lie, but he said:

"Something else."

"Oh? Well, you are not a normal person like me that is for sure." she said with a slight teasing tone and a pretty smile.

"How about you show me exactly what you are and strip out of those clothes, handsome."

Aaron had not expected his visit to go this way, but he was intrigued. So he stripped out of his pants and pulled the shirt over his head and soon he stood naked in front of her. The woman let her eyes wander down his body and let out a soft appreciative hmmm, before she stood up and walked up to him. She was almost as tall as Aaron and she stood way too close before reaching out with one hand and gently letting her fingertips caress his distinct muscles. She looked him straight in the eyes while she touched him and then she gave him a coy smile and lowered her gaze.

"You did something for me, so its only right for me to do something for you." she said and started to trace his chest with kisses, slowly wandering lower. Aaron had not expected it to feel any better than last time he had been with a woman, but he was wrong.

What this woman did to him was nothing like the sex he had enjoyed before. In the next few hours she showed him all the depths of pleasure he had never even known there was. She taught him gently things he had not even known existed and then surrendered herself to him entirely. The sensations washed Aaron away, made him a helpless addict seeking ever greater pleasure. The sex was a revelation, nothing he had ever even imagined felt this good. Aaron came to himself later, much later, entirely spent, not knowing or caring how much time had passed. He was still panting, lying next to her on the bed. Her bounteous chest heaved in his peripheral vision and she was just as out of breath as he was. He sighed and leaned back, still in bliss and in shock over the newfound depths of pleasure he had experienced. He could not say anything or do anything besides staring at the ceiling in awe.

Aaron did not even know he could get tired anymore, but this was not a physical tiredness, but one from sensory overload. First the food, now this. It was too much. He just laid there, listening to the courtesan's breath even out and then he felt her arm reach over and her hand caress his face, as she laid her head right next to his and snuggled against him.

He turned his head and looked into her eyes. She smiled at him.

"Hi." she said with a smirk. "My name is Ella, what is your name, handsome?"

"Aaron." he answered and she gave him a gentle kiss.

"Nice to meet you Aaron. Now, what can I do for you, besides...what I already did?"

Aaron blinked confused.

"What do you mean?"

Ella chuckled and snuggled a bit closer to him, her fingers gently caressing his cheek and neck.

"There are of course as many types of men as there are men, but I have found that most men don't just want to fuck. Sure that is the main thing they want from a courtesan like me. But beyond that what most men desire even more is someone that listens to them, someone who tries to understand them, no matter what their problems are."

"So what, you want to be my therapist?" Aaron said and it sounded harsher than he meant it.

"No." she chuckled. "I am not going to try and fix you, I am just here to listen, if you want. Use the time to talk, instead of just waiting until you can go again. But if you don't want to, we can just stay silent like this. That is also really nice" she said and shifted her leg that was slung around him possessively.

Aaron laid there for a few long moments and was not sure what he felt. The physical intimacy she displayed, her gentle, soft voice and the way she clung to him made him feel good. Really good. Like he could relax. It was a strange feeling and he took a moment to take stock. Since when had he enjoyed things like that? Yet another thing that had changed. More things that were different about himself. His voice caught in his throat and he remembered that he was in a brothel in the red-light district.

"I...I don't think its a good idea. I don't want to talk to you only for it to get to Mars ears." he explained and Ella shifted and Aaron turned to look at her. Her eyebrows were raised and she asked.

"Why would the big boss of the red-light district want to hear about what you tell little old me in the sheets?" she said with a slightly teasing tone. "Is he that interested in you?"

"I think so, yeah." Aaron said honestly, which made Ella pause.

"Why? Wait...are you...are you the Cultivator?" she asked curiously. Aaron nodded and she let out a soft noise of surprise and chuckled.

"No wonder you had such stamina. They told me you are a monster." she said with a smirk.

"But I won't tell anything you say to me to anyone, no matter who you are or who asks me, Aaron." she said seriously.

"Why? Courtesan confidentiality?"

"No." she chuckled. "Because I want you to come back to me, very much so and you won't if I blab of you to anyone." she said dead serious.

"That is nice to hear, but...I don't know." Aaron said, clearly not believing her. Ella shifted closer to him until their foreheads touched.

"Listen, Aaron. I have had many monsters in my bed and you won't be the last." she said and looked him straight into the eyes. Her presence was overwhelming this close, he could sense all of her with all of his senses, could hear her heartbeat, smell the musk of what they had done just moments ago on her skin and she smiled so beautifully before she continued.

"I won't betray you, just for a few favors from Mars. Because one day, not too far in the future I will open my own brothel." she declared.

"That is my dream, my retirement plan. The district is expanding and I have almost the money for it. And as you can tell, I am very good at my job."

"Oh I know." Aaron said and she kissed him again with a grin.

"Good, you don't have to share any secrets with me, I would prefer if you don't, but just know that you can talk to me and I won't judge."

For a long while they where silent and Aaron was too overwhelmed by her presence to mind smelling the various other couples doing it all around him. He could hear their voices moan, hear the music and the steps of the dancers below them. He did not realize he had started talking until he had stopped.

"I am...I am worried I am losing myself. I don't recognize myself sometimes. The more powerful I become, the more of a different person I seem to be. I am scared of waking up one day and not being me anymore."

"Hmm, you might not believe me, but that is a pretty common problem people like you have."

"People like me?"

"Vessels, Climbers, people with powers that make them more than what they ever were meant to be. If you think you are becoming a different person, then that means you are accepting, integrating your powers into yourself. Nobody can stay the same person if they can suddenly run for hours without getting tired."

"Its not so much the physical changes...more...the emotional ones." Aaron said, not thinking really, just pouring his heart out.

"Hmmm, I see. Do you think those changes make you into a better or worse person?"

"I...I am not sure, better I guess."

"Then isn't it a good thing?"

Aaron snorted. "You really are trying to be my therapist."

"Nooo, not at all. Its just really not uncommon. People change all the time. Its not important that you change, just into what."

"Hmm." Aaron thought about it and could only agree with her. He wasn't exactly worse than he had been, right? He could kill now without hesitation and he was much more emotionally stable. He could have friends without feeling like he had to pretend to be someone. He never had that in his old life.

"You really are good at this."

"I know." she said with a smirk and let her hand wander lower to caress his chest in small circles.

"You have not been to many brothels, have you?"

"What, that obvious?" Aaron said slightly embarrassed. "I think you were my first courtesan."

"Ohh, that makes me happy. And yes, you don't have much experience. But more than enough enthusiasm and stamina to make up for it." she said with a chuckle, he felt rumble through his shoulder.

"Which probably means you haven't tried much." she said in a teasing voice and he felt her hot breath at his ear and her fingers slowly wandered lower again.

"Ready to try something new?" she asked breathlessly.

It was dawn when Aaron finally said goodbye to Ella, who complained to him with mock outrage that she could barely walk now. It was one of the best nights of his life. They had not stopped for the whole night. Whenever one of them needed a break they talked in the dim candlelight and Aaron felt light and unburdened when he walked out of the Brothel. They had talked about all kinds of things, about their lives in the Tower and Aaron even talked some about his old life. How different his mind had worked. Ella had listened, asked question and had not pried. She just had been there for him, had just lent an ear to him to pour his heart out. So at the end of the night he felt like he had unburdened himself in more than one way.

His wallet had been emptied as well, but Aaron did not mind splurging for that kind of experience. He vowed to himself not to go visit her too often, for both of their sake's. Because although Ella did not think Mars would do anything and he believed her when she said she would not tell a soul about anything they talked about, he was sure if Mars found out he visited her regularly he would find a way to pressure the courtesan.

Dawn had never smelled so sweet and Aaron walked through the district that was still bustling, but now with the morning crowd coming for the drug stores. It was also full of normal people bringing goods, cleaners, cooks and so many more. Aaron had barely slept and yet he was not tired at all. He felt relaxed and ready for the next step. Ready to go out and train and challenge the fifth floor. But before that he would visit the Prison and deliver some manastones. He would need a new wallet filled with his proceeds from the climb, if he wanted to take care of them. Although he did remember that not all of them had been appreciative of his efforts to hold up the end of his bargain. Especially that Alchemist jerk Modestus. Although some real cultivator Pills might be very helpful in an emergency.

Aaron paused his thoughts and his steps at a corner and tried not to show it in any of his reactions, but someone was following him. He could hear a man pause when he did and he had noticed the man's steps following him. That was unexpected. He doubted Mars was behind that, he would have a pretty complete picture of his movements from vendors and the Headless Horseman if he wanted it. So who could be so stupid and follow him? He went to buy himself breakfast, a sweet filled bun with sugary paste inside and looked over the street when he was paying. He did not notice anyone, but his ears had not lied.

With a frown Aaron continued. Time to make a little trap and see who was following him and why.

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