Ichor Cell-Chapter 51: Learning Lore II

Alex lowered the book and exhaled slowly.
“Well damn.”
‘If the book is to be believed, with a one in a hundred chance of passing on traits, a tenth-generation variant is a…’
His face paled as he counted in his mind.
‘One in a septillion chance. A mathematical impossibility.’
A septillion. That was twenty zeroes. A truly, incomprehensibly large number. And yet despite that, it had happened—fairly recently at that, a mere seventy thousand years ago.
Duran watched him from the side, expression curious.
“What did it say?” He finally asked.
Alex dragged a hand across his face. “That goblins are way more dangerous than I gave them credit for. And that the receptionist wasn’t overreacting.” He tapped the closed book with a finger. “These things can probably grow into one of the biggest threats in the world if left unchecked.”
Duran raised an eyebrow. “Really? Those little guys?”
“Yes. Those little guys.” He leaned back in his chair, letting the information settle.
Soon enough, he pushed the problem out of his mind and got back to reading, his interest in the book greatly rekindled.
Just like that, he lost track of time.
“Ughhh.” Alex stretched, muscles stiff from being curled up in a chair for so long. He set his current book, [The Seventy Wonder of the World] and looked around. He went to stand when a thin beam of soft, pale light crept across the table, edging closer to his hand.
He frowned.
“That better not be what I think it is.”
Duran followed his gaze to the window. A long rectangle of morning sun cut across the floor, sharp and unmistakable.
He sighed. “It’s daytime.”
Alex groaned and dropped his head into his hands. “Great.”
He hadn’t meant to stay this long. He’d planned on reading a few entries, clearing his head, and going back to the inn well before dawn. But he’d gotten absorbed, then distracted, then curious, and now—
“We’re stuck,” Alex said bitterly.
“We are,” Duran confirmed.
Alex thumped the closed book lightly against the table. “I really need to start paying attention to the sky.”
Duran sat back, folding his arms. “How is this any different from being trapped inside the inn all day?”
He wasn’t wrong.
Alex paused, his irritation fading. Why
did
he have to stay in the inn during the day? He had to spend the time inside; that didn’t mean it had to be in his room. Nothing was preventing him from spending it in a library, a pub, or the damn guild. Since he became an adventurer, it was stupid of him not to explore the massive building and its facilities. If even the showers were that amazing, he couldn’t wait to see what else they had there.
The library was a strong second choice.
With this shift in attitude, Alex looked at the library in a new light—no pun intended—and went back to reading about the twenty sixth wonder: a lake of cheese. No, really. The twenty sixth wonder of this world was a giant, self-replenishing lake of cheese.
Alex shook his head in disbelief.
It must have been close to noon when light, hurried footsteps approached them from the front. Alex put the book down to see Grenil emerge from between the shelves looking tired but significantly more awake than last night, his expression hovering between relief and exasperation.
“There you are,” he exclaimed. “Why didn’t you come back?”
Alex blinked at him, suddenly remembering that they were meant to come back to the inn. “…I forgot.”
Grenil stared at him for two full seconds before sighing so deeply it might have come from his soul.
“Of course you did.” He rubbed his temples, then straightened his coat. “And what's your plan now? The sun has risen, and now you’re stuck here.”
“Then I’m just gonna stay in the library until sundown.” Alex shrugged. “There’s plenty of stuff to do here, so I might as well expand my understanding of the world.”
The old man raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Alex asked defensively. “It’s not like I have much of a choice in the first place.”
“Hm, I guess you’re right.” The old man conceded. “Well, since you’re clearly going to be here all day, I came to tell you this: I found us a new place to stay.”
Alex perked up. “Better?”
“Cheaper,” Grenil said immediately. “Almost half the price. And a little closer to the guild.”
Duran nodded approvingly. Alex let out a low, impressed whistle.
“Given your conditions,” Grenil looked between the two of them, “I suggest we move after sundown. No point dragging everything in broad daylight. I already told the owner we’d come by tonight.”
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Alex nodded. “We’ll meet you there.”
“Good.” Grenil jabbed a finger at him, the gesture somewhere between accusation and amusement. “And try not to forget this time.”
Alex opened his mouth to reply, thought about it, and simply nodded instead. Grenil gave one last pointed look before turning and heading for the exit, muttering under his breath about young people.
Once he was gone, the silence settled again. Duran resumed sitting perfectly still, and Alex picked up a new book, though his attention drifted more than before. He eventually leaned back and closed the book, titled [Deep Dive into Dungeon Development] or DDDD for short, letting it rest on his chest.
“This isn’t that bad,” he admitted.
Duran didn’t react.
Alex threw a worried glance his way. “You could at least pretend to have an opinion.”
“…No.”
Alex groaned and slumped lower into his chair.
But he wasn’t angry, not anymore. The library was warm, quiet, and full of books about a world he didn’t yet understand. There were far worse places to be trapped for the day.
He let himself relax, fingers tapping lightly against the book’s spine. It was going to be a long wait before sunset—but for once, he didn’t mind.
Before he knew it, the light coming through the window faded.
Alex straightened, rolling his shoulders until his back cracked.
“That should be enough,” he said.
Duran glanced toward the window, then gave a short nod. “It’s dark.”
Alex set RRRR (Records of Rare Races and Realms) back on the table, stacked the other books he’d used into a neat pile, and carried them over to the returns shelf. The clerk gave him a tired but polite nod as he passed. No words were exchanged; none were needed.
Outside, the night air was cool and familiar. Alex breathed it in like he’d been holding his breath all day.
“Let’s go get Grenil.” He said.
They walked the now-familiar streets back toward the Rusted Fox. The city was still bustling with life at this early hour, with streams of pedestrians weaving through the streets. Alex had to jump out onto the street to prevent a young girl from being run over by a horse, the girl’s mother thanking him profusely.
They reached the inn in short order. The sign creaked overhead as usual, and the smell of stale ale and sweat seeped out the cracks around the door. Alex pushed it open.
Grenil was waiting just inside, in the process of devouring yet another bowl of stew. Either the man had a particular fondness for the dish, or that was all the inn could provide. He looked up when he heard them enter, wiping his mouth when he realised who it was.
“There you are,” he said. “On time, for once.”
“I said we’d come after sunset,” Alex replied. “Here we are.”
Grenil jerked his chin toward the counter. “Come on. Let’s settle up. The cart is packed in the stables.”
The innkeeper, the same portly man who’d taken their coin the first night, stood behind the counter counting a stack of copper. He looked up only when their shadows fell across his desk.
“We’re checking out,” Grenil said. “Here to pay off the rest.”
The man grunted, named the amount, and Grenil counted out the remaining amount they owed for their stay and handed them over. Once the last piece clinked down, the innkeeper swept them away and gave them a curt nod.
“Right. You lot’re clear. Now get out of my establishment.”
“That’s a bit rude.” Alex said dryly.
Stepping out onto the street, he glanced back at the closed door. “Did we do something to offend him, or…?”
Grenil shrugged. “He’s probably not too happy that he’s losing customers. Business isn’t exactly booming, if you haven’t noticed.”
Alex thought about how empty the inn always felt. Then remembered the man’s sudden change in attitude.
“Well, maybe he’d have more customers if he wasn’t such a dick.” He argued as he entered the stables.
Grenil grunted in agreement.
Inspecting the cart, Alex saw that Grenil had been thorough; all their things were accounted for. With a jolt, he suddenly noticed a suspiciously shaped lump among the pile of stuff.
“Is that…?”
“The artifact boot,” Grenil confirmed. “From the dungeon. You forgot about it, didn’t you.”
Alex opened his mouth, closed it, then conceded with a nod. “Completely.”
In his defence, it really wasn’t that significant of a thing compared to everything else he had experienced in the past month.
“Guess we should find out what it actually does one of these days.” He said.
“One of these days,” Grenil agreed. “Preferably not in the middle of the street.”
Alex took hold of the cart’s handles. Although they had only purchased it a few weeks ago it already looked old and beat to shit, though he didn’t blame it. It was already impressive it hadn’t fallen apart completely after everything they’d put it through. He pulled once, testing it, and the wheels creaked into motion with only minor protest.
“Lead the way,” he said.
Grenil took point, weaving them through side streets and narrower alleys to avoid the congested main road. The new inn wasn’t far—less than half a mile away, across the bridge—but the path still took almost half an hour with turns and detours.
Duran walked alongside the cart, occasionally steadying a loose sack when it threatened to slip.
Eventually, they turned onto a quieter side street lined with modest, well-worn buildings. Grenil stopped in front of a two-story structure with a freshly painted sign hanging above the door. The artistry wasn’t great, but it was at least new.
[Sophie’s Inn]
“We’re here.” The old man said.
The inn itself looked only marginally better than the Rusted Fox from the outside—same old stone, same narrow windows, same slightly crooked door. But the light spilling out from inside was warm, and the smell that drifted through the doorway was food, not stale alcohol.
Alex left the cart outside with Duran and followed Grenil in.
The common room was small but clean. A few tables, comfortable looking chairs, and a crackling fireplace framed by two plushy armchairs. Behind the counter stood a middle-aged woman with her hair tied up in a bun, wearing an apron and a smile. Sophie, presumably.
“Welcome,” she said cheerfully. “Nice to see you again, mister Grenil. You told me you’d be bringing two companions; is this one of them?”
“Hi, I’m Alex.” Alex waved, his impression of the woman already better than the last innkeeper. “Our last friend is outside, keeping an eye on our things. Where can we park our cart?”
“That…” A complicated expression appeared on the woman’s face. “Unfortunately, my inn doesn’t have anything for that, but there’s a place you could use nearby. I’d be happy to show you.”
“Yes please.” Alex readily agreed. “Just let us unload our things first.”
“Of course, dear.” The woman smiled brightly. “Let me show you your rooms.”
The woman quickly led them deeper into the building and showed them a pair of rooms right next to each other. After unlocking the doors, she handed them the keys and they went out to unload their belongings. Once done, the woman walked down the street with them, quickly introducing them to this world’s equivalent of public parking, though surprisingly cheap.
After they dropped off the cart, they quickly returned to the inn, thanked Sophie, and entered one of the rooms. They quickly sorted the pile of things in the middle of the room, and once everything was shoved into corners or onto bedframes, Alex dusted his hands off.
“I’m going to the guild.” He said. “Now that we’re closer, we might as well take advantage.”
“I’m going too.” Duran got up to follow.
“Actually, no.” Alex shook his head, looking at the ghoul. “You stay here. Now that I’ve remembered that we possess an extraordinarily valuable shoe, someone should stay to keep an eye on it. Grenil should come with me.”
“Actually I could…” Grenil trailed off when Alex turned to him, his expression conveying pleading. “I could go to the guild on my own, but we may as well go together.”
Duran frowned but sat back down. Alex’s gaze flashed with something unknown.
“Okay, let’s go.” He turned to the exit, opening it and letting the old man walk out ahead of him. Throwing one last glance into the room, he shut the door and followed Grenil out of the building.
For a few minutes, they walked through the streets in silence, the city’s nightlife going in full swing around them. When they turned into a relatively quiet street, Alex finally spoke.
“I think there’s a problem with Duran.”