[Scene: Inside "STRIKE & STEEL" weapon shop. The clang of metal fades as Aryan approaches the counter, where the gruff blacksmith is hard at work.]
Aryan (nervously):Excuse me… sir?
The old blacksmith pauses, his robotic eye narrowing as he takes a closer look at Aryan. His gaze lingers a little too long, like he's sizing him up.
Blacksmith (gruffly):Huh... I ain't seen you 'round here before. You're not from Moro City, are you?
Aryan freezes for a second, unsure of how to respond. But then he calms himself and smiles awkwardly.
Aryan:Yeah... not from here. Not from this world, actually.
The blacksmith raises an eyebrow. There's a brief silence as he studies Aryan's face, but he doesn't seem too concerned.
Blacksmith (shrugging):Well, I don't know where you're from, but I know what you're after. You want a weapon, don't you?
Aryan (shaking his head):Nah, no weapon. I was hoping to get some... info about this place.
The blacksmith stops, his expression flickering with suspicion.
Blacksmith:Info, eh? And what makes you so curious about Moro City?
Aryan (nervously chuckling):Well, I don't know anything about it... so I thought I'd ask someone who does.
The blacksmith studies Aryan's face for a moment longer, but then he shrugs, setting down his hammer and wiping his hands on a cloth.
Blacksmith:Alright. You're in Moro City. Not much to it, really. Big place. People come and go. What's it to you?
Aryan (grinning):Ohh, thanks, bro! That's helpful. One more thing though—how do you channel your... magic power here? Like, how do you use it?
The moment those words leave his mouth, the blacksmith stares at him like he's speaking another language. There's a long pause before he speaks again, his voice laced with confusion.
Blacksmith:Magic? What's that? Never heard of it.
Aryan's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
Aryan (perplexed):Wait... what? You're telling me that people use magic here and you don't know what it is?
The blacksmith looks at him, clearly confused, as if Aryan's the one who's lost.
Blacksmith (grinning):Magic? Nah, kid. No one here's ever used anything like that. We've got something different. We call it... Pluses.
Aryan blinks in disbelief, stepping back slightly.
Aryan:Pluses? What do you mean, Pluses?
Blacksmith (gesturing around the shop):You see, we don't learn it. We're just born with it. Some people can't use it, but the ones who can... well, we call 'em Players. Those are the people who can channel the Pluses, use 'em in ways that help or hurt, depending on how you use 'em.
Aryan's mind races. He's heard of people being born with magic abilities before, but this... this felt different. Something about the word "Pluses" just clicked.
Aryan (slowly):So... you're saying... that power you just used when you were hammering that sword? That wasn't magic?
Brook chuckles, crossing his arms.
Brook:Nope. That's just the way it is here. Everyone's got something. It's not magic, though. Don't make that mistake again. We're all born with a Pluse, whether we want it or not. Some can control it better than others, some can't control it at all. It's the way of the world.
Aryan looks around, trying to process everything. His mind is buzzing, trying to make sense of this world he's suddenly in.
Aryan (murmuring):Pluses… players… huh. So what exactly are Pluses, then?
Brook:What you saw? That's just one way to use a Pluse. Mine is... well, let's just say I've got a way with metal. But don't think you can just pick it up. You can't learn it like some trick. It's part of you. And if you're lucky, you get a strong one. If you're not, well, you get by with what you've got.
Aryan nods, his curiosity piqued. The pieces are slowly starting to fit together, though there's still so much more to understand.
Aryan (grinning):Okay, thanks, Brook. That helps more than you know.
Brook just shrugs.
Brook:No problem. Now, you go on and figure out whatever you're after. Just remember—don't go talking too much about Magic to folks. People get funny about things they don't understand.
Aryan (smiling):Got it. Stay cool, Brook.
With that, Aryan turns and leaves the shop, his mind spinning with the new knowledge he's gathered. As he steps back out onto the bustling streets of Moro City, he can't help but feel a little bit more at ease—like maybe, just maybe, this world isn't so terrifying after all. But at the same time...
Aryan (thinking to himself):What else is out there? What's really going on in this world...?
The chapter ends with Aryan walking down the street, the weight of the mystery hanging heavily in the air.
[TO BE CONTINUED...]