ã€ŠThe Merchant Class (LITRPG)ã€‹


 Chapter 1 A very long two-week journeyâ€¦

    Prologue

    ¡°Ha¡­ ha¡­ ha¡­¡± Mike panted heavily as he stood over the dead demon lord. ¡°Man that sucked. Livia? You okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Livia answered, breathing just as hard. ¡°I just wish that it wasn¡¯t so gross.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Mike smeared black blood and guts from his face. ¡°I think it¡¯s time we retired.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Demitree asked. He was the party¡¯s Mage. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, Mike?¡±

    ¡°We talked about this Demitree.¡± Isabelle chimed in. ¡°One last job, remember?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Mike agreed. ¡°Then me and my lovely wife are going to retire.¡±

    ¡°I thought that you were joking¡­¡± Demitree said in disbelief. ¡°We were supposed to take out the demon king together.¡±

    ¡°Oh, give it a rest, Dem.¡± Livia groaned. ¡°That¡¯s just a suicide mission anyway. If the crown really wanted to get rid of him, why would they send six adventurers instead of an army?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a ploy to get rid of anyone that might threaten the status quo.¡± Isabelle agreed. ¡°I say we take our retirement and reap the rewards.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Demitree deflated. ¡°Fine, you guys quit. I¡¯m not.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Sugar.¡± Riviera the party scout wrapped him up. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. We agreed to this.¡±

    ¡°Damnit, Riv!¡± Demitree snapped at his husband. ¡°You know what they did!¡±

    ¡°A quest.¡± Riviera answered before Shealla could snap out in anger. Shealla was a demon kin Mike had convinced to join the party. ¡°No different than the quests that we were given.¡±

    ¡°One that conveniently took out an upstart Mage with the power to challenge the throne.¡± Isabelle stated.

    Shealla couldn¡¯t help but snap out. ¡°Just like Lord Finkly here.¡± She gestured in a softer tone. ¡°He is the one that attacked your village. That is why I agreed to this farce. Dem, don¡¯t make me regret helping you. Please¡­¡±

    Demitree sighed heavily. ¡°Fine¡­ But, don¡¯t expect me to be happy about it.¡±

    Riviera squeezed him tightly and kissed his cheek. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit, Love!¡±

    Shealla, Isabelle, and Livia gathered as close as they dared to Mike and his disgusting filth. He was still trying to get rid of the guts and blood that covered him.

    ¡°What was the name of that town again, Mike?¡± Shealla asked. ¡°Will Meloney be there?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the mountain mother will be there.¡± Mike said, try to wipe away the black gunk that persisted in clinging on. ¡°Ugh, did you really have to blow him up like that?¡± He shot a glare at Demitree.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Demitree huffed. ¡°I did.¡±

    ¡°Calvara.¡± Livia wrapped an arm around her friend and kissed her cheek. She completely ignored Mike and Demitree¡¯s glaring contest. ¡°Did you know that Meloney was Mike¡¯s first wife?¡±

    ¡°The goddess of the mountain?¡± Shealla asked in disbelief. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°It was before my time¡­¡± Livia explained. ¡°But, I¡¯m sure that Meloney will tell you all about it. She just loves telling the story of how a mortal stole her heart¡­¡±

    Mike¡¯s dying testimony. A statement recorded and confirmed by Demitree the Mountain Hermit.

    I write these words to remind myself that my parents were not always bad people. It was the tick of the clock and the memories of heroism that drove them to what they were in the end.

    Act 1

    "This tome is Mike''s notes on his early days. Before setting up a trade empire, before his journey for revenge, and before he helped change the educational system to something other than apprenticeship. They can be somewhat jarring, as the events were for him. Hell, he didn''t even know why his first girlfriend fell in love with him until the memories unlocked. Other perspectives were written as notes of events that were explained to him later.  That and his intelligence was too low to recall everything in greater detail.  He has tried to piece this journal into a somewhat educational tome for students that are studying to become Traders and Merchants. I find that it is more entertaining than educational. But the director thinks that as an integral part of setting up the school, it would be wise to read the thoughts of the current ruler."

    Multi-class Academy Instructor, Fayt the Grand Protector and Senior Trader Instructor, introducing this year''s group of freshmen traders.

    Chapter 1

    A very long two-week journey¡­

    20 years later¡­

    Mark Collier

    I fidgeted in my room, sitting on the edge of the bed. My parents had been adventurers, pretty famous ones at that. Therefore, it was no surprise to find out that they were less than disappointed with me and my lack of skills. Especially, with the perk Plus Player I had. Most people with that perk became legends. Most could fight with a natural skill that would put even hardened veterans to shame. I was not most people.

    Plus Players gained a few special perks. Sadly, no one really knew what they were. Except for me and those that were like me. And I wasn¡¯t about to be the one to let that cat out of the bag. It was a rare enough perk as is. Where the typical person gained three stat points per level, Plus Players gained five. They also gained a fifty percent bonus to experience gain. My problem was that I hadn¡¯t even gained a class yet. I couldn¡¯t gain any levels... yet. Consequently, I was a huge failure.

    In this world of levels and stats, people horded their leveling secrets like treasures. There were no academies, no training guilds, or schools that trained one to be and adventurer. Adventurers hid there secrets from the working class and vice versa. At best you could recieve an education in one or the other from a mentor that had traveled that path. Or you could buy books written by retired adventurers and hope that they weren''t full of crap. I had a few books on the Worker classes, but I knew next to nothing about it. Other than Tyler''s mom I didn''t really know any Traders.

    Dad was disappointed that I hadn¡¯t been an absolute monster walking out of the womb. Mom was disappointed that I couldn¡¯t cast magic with my first word. Nonetheless, they made sure that I had the best training available.

    Shealla, a demon kin soul warrior, could set her body aflame, greatly increasing her strength in close quarters combat. Which was what she was training me with. That and she was trying to teach me to use her demon fire ability. Apparently, one of her sisters was a Plus Player as well and she could learn cross race abilities. She was a neighbor and former party member of the Black Dawn party. My parents¡¯ former party. She also had an infuriatingly attractive daughter. I still haven''t figured out how to do it. But i believed her.

    Rica was Shealla¡¯s daughter. She was older, sexy, and a complete flirt. She also did not care who I was. Rica had an older boyfriend that was an adventurer and a warrior to boot. As a mage, she planned to join his party as soon as she could convince her mother.

    Isabelle was a dark elf and another neighbor. She was a rogue in the party and trained me in skills such as lock picking and stealth. Of all the people that I grew up around, she had been the most mother like. Where my own mother treated me like a tool to be used. Isabelle actually cared. She would ask things like how many friends I had, or if I had a girlfriend yet.

    Her daughter/son Gale hadn¡¯t decided which she/he was yet. They were originally thought to be a boy, but to everyone¡¯s surprise, Gale began to grow breasts at thirteen. The problem my eighteen-year-old brain had with it, was that Gale was hotter than most women I had ever met. Yet, much like Rica, Gale was not the least bit interested in a talentless nobody.

    All I could hope for was getting a decent class. I had to be an adventurer. Had to be. I didn¡¯t know what would happen if I didn¡¯t. Well, I did. My parents would cut me off and kick me out. Maybe they would give me a few coins before sending me packing. My sister Becky was their pride and joy anyway.

    Becky was also a sweetheart. As the little sister, albeit by a few minutes, it was my job to protect her. A task that seemed like I was needed less and less for. She used to look up to me. She used to treat me like her own personal hero. Now, I could tell that every stat she had outshined mine by at least a few points. Mine just took longer to increase. She also refused to tell me what her stats were.

    The issue at hand kept me on edge. My thoughts kept drifting. My knees bounced up and down as I just knew that I would fail to be an adventurer. No matter the hope, the dream, wish, or prayer. I could feel in my gut that I would get a commoner class. Or worker class as they were officially called. I had no idea why, but I could just feel it and was trying to prepare myself mentally. My bags were packed and placed at the foot of my bed and I would know in the morning if I was worrying about nothing or not¡­

    ***

    Congratulations! You have gained the Merchant Class! You have 5 free stat points, 2 skill points, and 1 ability point available. Please choose.

    ¡°Shit!¡± I cursed as I awoke to the message and examined the class descriptions.

    Merchant Class: Rare. (Upgraded Class only available to Plus Players) The ability to buy/sale and trade anywhere in the world without the need for a permit. Profits gained from business ventures are only taxed by the system and free from the tyranny of man. You may use system shops on a tier-based system and gain discounts as your level improves. Charisma is a core Stat for this class.

    Well, at least I won¡¯t be charged for no reason. I moved on to the character sheet.

    <u>Character sheet</u>

    Name: <u>Mark Collier</u>

    Age: <u>18</u>

    Class: <u>Merchant</u>

    Level: 1

    XP: 0/100

    Health: 60/60

    Mana: 120/120

    Stats:

    Strength: 8

    Agility: 9

    Dexterity: 7

    Constitution: 6

    Intelligence: 12

    Wisdom: 10

    Charisma: 11

    Free stat points: 5

    Going over the stats, I realized just how pitiful they really were. The base value for a human was ten. Mine were extremely poor. With the core attribute of a Merchant being Charisma¡­ maybe I should just put it all in that? Worker classes gained experience in sort of the opposite way of an adventurer. It was all non-combat. Just like adventurers, workers could gain out of class experience, at a reduced rate. So, if I tried to focus on combat stats and skills, I would be hindering my growth.

    Well, this sucks. I thought as I placed them all into Charisma. Now, at sixteen, I hoped that my Charisma would be enough to convince my parents that I wasn¡¯t a complete waste of space.

    ¡°Valkyrie!¡± Becky burst into the room shouting. Before I had time to react, she tackled me back onto my bed squealing. ¡°What did you get? Warrior? Ranger? Sorcerer? Tell me that it was Sorcerer!¡±

    ¡°Ugh.¡± I groaned at her weight pinning me down. ¡°You¡¯re a shieldmaiden? That¡¯s awesome.¡± I tried to fake enthusiasm. Pointedly avoiding telling her my class and disappointing her.

    Becky frowned. ¡°Come on bro, you can tell me. Was it bad?¡±

    I nodded slowly.

    ¡°How bad?¡± Becky refused to move.

    ¡°Merchant.¡± I mumbled.

    Becky sagged and rested her head on my chest. ¡°That okay, it¡¯s totally okay! It¡¯s fine! You know what? With my Class, I am sure that I can convince mom and dad to let you stay. Right?¡± She spoke quickly. ¡°You¡¯re my hero, right? And heroes don''t get to leave, right?¡± She began to get irritated. ¡°I¡¯ll just tell them. If you are out! Then so am I!¡±

    ¡°Becky.¡± I gripped her shoulders. ¡°Please, don¡¯t do that. Mom and dad are going to power level you. You can come find me when you are a big-time adventurer.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Becky began to tear up. ¡°That¡¯s not the plan. We were going to do this together. You and me. All the way to the top.¡±

    I kissed her forehead and gave her a sad smile. ¡°I know, Beck¡¯s. I know.¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡± Dad hollered from my doorway. ¡°Time to put up or shut up!¡±

    Before Becky could even stand fully. I sent my character sheet and grabbed the pack at the end of my bed. Preparing for the worst.

    ¡°Get out of my sight.¡± Father sneered. ¡°Fucking merchant?! I always knew that you were a little blood sucker.¡±

    ¡°Dad.¡± Becky warned in a dangerous tone.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I said, trying to calm her down. ¡°Isabelle said that I could stay with her a few days.¡±

    ¡°Not bloody likely.¡± Dad snorted as he checked Becky¡¯s sheet. ¡°It looks like she¡¯ll be coming with us to train your sister.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need power leveled.¡± Becky had been adamant about that from the very beginning. ¡°I can do it on my own.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Mother interjected. ¡°The deal was that if your brother got a decent class, you two could go together. Not on your own.¡±

    Becky balled a fist up. Placing a hand on her shoulder and kissing her cheek, I whispered. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just be safe out there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Becky choked out as the tension escaped her body and I left for the nearest town.

    ***

    ¡°They didn¡¯t used to be such assholes.¡± Shealla stated as I met her at the gate. ¡°In fact, neither of them wanted to be adventurers.¡±

    I chuckled. ¡°Yeah, why don¡¯t you remind them about that. You¡¯ll probably never see me again.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Shealla quirked an eyebrow. ¡°Planning to keep me away from Rica, are you?¡±

    ¡°Ha.¡± I laughed. ¡°What? Are you marrying her off to me?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Shealla deadpanned. ¡°I gave her a quest. And if she wants to go adventuring, she has to complete it.¡±

    ¡°What quest?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know your class, boy.¡± Shealla admitted. ¡°But knowing your parents. I asked her to guard you for a month while you get settled into your new role.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I appreciated the help. ¡°But, if I have to pay her¡­ well, I won¡¯t be able to for a while.¡±

    Shealla hugged me tight. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, boy.¡± She choked up a bit. ¡°You were always my favorite.¡±

    I returned the hug. ¡°Thanks, Shea. Where should I meet her?¡±

    Taking a step back and patting my shoulder with a good thump. Shealla spoke up. ¡°She¡¯s got a small wagon with travel supplies ready and waiting in my barn. You just tell her where you want to go, and she¡¯ll take you.¡±

    I nodded, not trusting myself to speak and made my way to her barn. Isabelle was waiting for me, arms crossed, and toes tapping.

    ¡°My baby, boy.¡± Isabelle wrapped me in a hug as I approached the barn. ¡°Shealla mentioned that you might be leaving today. Where will you be heading?¡±

    I hugged her back and sighed. ¡°Tarkon, I suppose. Gonna have to register with the Merchant¡¯s Guild to get any kind of work.¡±

    ¡°Ooooo.¡± Isabelle grinned and pinched my cheek. ¡°A trader class? I wish that my gale had gotten something like that.¡±

    I grinned at the warm affection she was showing. ¡°Yeah, hopefully I can get it leveled up quick enough. Maybe then I won¡¯t be such an embarrassment.¡±

    ¡°Oh, honey.¡± Isabelle frowned. ¡°You are no embarrassment. Your parents just don¡¯t understand that you walk a different path.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± I muttered. ¡°I wish they could see it that way.¡±

    Isabelle kissed my cheek and shewed me off. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll stock your shop for you, once you get one.¡± She laughed.

    I rolled my eyes. ¡°So, all my neighbors can blame me for stealing?¡±

    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you?¡± Isabelle smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not stealing, it¡¯s borrowing.¡±

    I waved her off with a smile on my face.

    ¡°Took you long enough.¡± Rica said grumpily. She was sitting in the drivers seat and ready to go. I noted that the wagon was weighed down with various trade good, as if someone had known that this would be the class I gained.

    ¡°Thanks for doing this, Rica.¡± I said, as she snapped the reins before I even sat down. It caused me to nearly stumble over the bench and into the wagon.

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me, thank mum.¡± Rica spat.

    I could already tell that this would be a long month and a half.

    ¡°I did.¡± Was all I said, before I noticed that she had already turned the wrong way. ¡°We¡¯re going to Tarkon, it¡¯s the other way.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Rica glared at me. ¡°Well, I¡¯m taking the scenic route.¡±

    I frowned, until I realized where we were headed. Rica¡¯s boyfriend Tyler lived down this road. Tyler was pretty cool, for a minotaur. He stood at a whopping 8 foot 6 inches tall, with long curved horns that protruded from his forehead. Thick, bull muscles covered his body. Cloven feet. And a black leathery hide.

    Other than being an ass, Tyler was cool. In fact, he was cool with just about everyone. Not me. But everybody else. Just because I was never allowed enough time to drink at the bar. Doesn¡¯t mean he had to be a dick.

    ¡°Rica!¡± He bellowed and climbed aboard and promptly sat between us.

    He nearly knocked me off. I had a sneaking suspicion that he did it on purpose.

    ¡°Mark.¡± Tyler grunted and I could tell that he did it on purpose.

    ¡°Tyler.¡± I grunted back. Dick.

    ¡°Thanks for coming babe.¡± Rica said sweetly. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could last a month with this loser.¡±

    My eye twitched at the comment.

    ¡°No, problem.¡± Tyler rumbled and looked around nervously. ¡°Shealla is okay with me going, right?¡±

    Rica giggled. ¡°Of course, she was happy to hear that her precious little boy would have some extra protection.¡±

    The way she said that makes me think that she might hold some resentment. But what¡¯s Tyler¡¯s problem?

    ¡°Your mom too, eh?¡± Tyler grumbled.

    Tired of the conversation and nearly being squeezed off the bench. I climbed in the back for a nap. ¡°Hey, Rica. Tarkon, don¡¯t forget.¡±

    ¡°Whatever, runt.¡± Rica spat. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me again.¡±

    Ignoring her attitude, I did my best to get some sleep¡­

    ***

    I woke up sometime later. Judging by the position of the sun, it had been hours. A pair of notes were hanging from my pocket. And I had to check to make sure Tyler and Rica hadn¡¯t ditched me. It was a stupid thought. The wagon was still in motion. So, yes, they were, and it looked like they were chatting merrily without me.

    I picked up the first note and began to read.

    Dearest boy,

    I hope you are far into your journey when you find this note.

    My mother once told me to find what I love and do it well. Being a mother is what I love. I would like to think that I do, do it well. You have always been special and don¡¯t let anybody say otherwise. No matter how tough it is out there, remember my love. It will always be with you no matter what. When you break down and feel like you can¡¯t go on, remember that you are still loved. If you ever feel like it¡¯s just too much, I want you to take out this letter and remember that I still love you.

    As for Rica, don¡¯t let her get to you. She loves you in her own way. Don¡¯t tell her I said this, but I heard her begging her mom to let her go with you. She said that she would drag that bull with her. She thought you were defenseless. I¡¯m sorry, as you can imagine, I am giggling pretty hard right now.

    Remember baby boy. Find what you love and do it well. You will be much happier that way.

    Love,

    Momma Isabelle

    I appreciated the letter and suspect that I may need it down the line. Tucking it back in the envelope and saving it in an inner pocket I read the other one.

    Hey kid,

    Listen up, this is important. Your mom and dad don¡¯t hate you. They want everyone to think that they do. There is more going on than you know. I couldn¡¯t just let you go out there blind. There is a small chest in the hideaway in that wagon. We all chipped in. The stuff that you will find in there has a personal meaning for each of us. There is also a good number of coins in there. Don¡¯t waste it.

    In a month¡¯s time, I will be joining you in Tarkon. How did I know? Trust me kid, I know a lot more about you than you might think. I¡¯ll also have a surprise for you when I arrive. Just focus on your leveling for now. Everything will be fine.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Now for the important part. You are not safe. Don¡¯t tell anyone about your perk. Just be vague or tell them that it¡¯s against your customs for you to reveal anything more personal than your name. Trust me, it¡¯s a more common custom than you might think. <u>Do not do anything that might draw attention to yourself.</u>

    With all the love in my heart,

    Shealla

    P.S. Rica might play hard to get. But don¡¯t forget that she loves you too. In her own way.

    Not knowing how to take it, I put away the note and pondered over the words in it. Shealla¡¯s note was a warning. She knew way more about the class than she had let on during our training. I still find her words about my parents hard to believe. Shrugging it off, there was little that I could do about it now. My thoughts came to a halt as the wagon stopped.

    ¡°Time to set up camp.¡± Tyler called back. ¡°Can you cook?¡±

    ¡°A little.¡± I admitted. ¡°I¡¯ll see what there is.¡±

    ¡°Then get to it.¡± Rica spat. ¡°We¡¯ll set up camp. You find the stuff to cook with. Have it ready within the hour. My ass hurts after that trip.¡±

    ¡°Ha.¡± Tyler chuckled. ¡°Just wait till we¡¯re doing it from horseback.¡±

    Rica frowned and glanced at me. ¡°Yeah¡­ I can imagine.¡±

    While we all set about doing our own tasks, the evening passed relatively quickly. Rica set up a tent that she would share with Tyler. She explained that the wagon was where I would sleep. Tyler set up a series of alarms around the camp. And I started the fire, along with the cooking pot, vegetables and meat. Tyler had gathered some water for me as well as some edible berries. We snacked on the berries as I prepared the meal.

    The clearing we were in looked to be a commonly used rest area set up just off the main road to Tarkon. The grass was worn down to practically nothing. The trees were thick enough to mediate strong winds while thin enough to allow for a gentle breeze. It was open enough to get a glimpse of the purplish orange sky as the sunset.

    ¡°Why Tarkon?¡± Tyler asked as I let the stew simmer, stirring occasionally.

    ¡°Huh?¡± I jolted up to see that he was across the fire from me.

    ¡°I mean, there has to be at least a dozen Larger towns between here and there.¡± Tyler explained. ¡°And two or three cities. So, why Tarkon?¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I sagged with relief, he was just trying to be friendly. ¡°Actually, I did some research on that before I knew what my class was. If I had gotten something like a fishing class, I would have chosen a port town, like Pheboes. As a farmer, I could have gone to a provincial town, such as Torper. But, since it was a Merchant class, I wanted to go to a border town that doubled as a trade hub. It should be swarming with smithies and clothiers. Maybe even enchanters and such. I figured that it would be a great place to get a start. Especially, since I gain more experience from making a trade.¡±

    ¡°Nice.¡± Tyler grinned. ¡°I bet I could make a little coin on the side, with all the dungeons around there too.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°I hadn¡¯t known that either of you were coming. But another reason I chose it was all the low-level dungeons. Which meant that I could supply adventurers as well.¡±

    ¡°Smart.¡± Tyler nodded. ¡°Good way to make a name for yourself.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I agreed with excitement. ¡°I figured with my class; I could sell high-quality goods at affordable prices.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Tyler snorted. ¡°And lose your profit after the king takes his taxes.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know that you could read.¡± Rica teased as she sat down next to Tyler.

    ¡°Funny.¡± Tyler chuckled. ¡°Nah, that¡¯s something that my mother had to deal with my whole life. I can¡¯t remember a day that she didn¡¯t complain about the king taking his pound of flesh.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but that¡¯s the thing.¡± I grinned.

    ¡°You have to pay your taxes, just like everyone else.¡± Rica narrowed her eyes at me in warning.

    ¡°Right.¡± I agreed with a flinch. ¡°It comes out automatically. Not, like I have a choice.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Tyler agreed. ¡°But your heart is in the right place. Maybe, we can help stock your store while your still low-level and earning enough to buy one.¡±

    I gestured to the wagon. ¡°I¡¯m thinking I might go with the traveling merchant specialization. Lots of money in that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, nice!¡± Tyler grinned. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll see you in our travels later on. Besides, you can always settle down and get a shop when you switch to another specialization. So, which one are you going with. Caravanner? Rancher? Mercenary?¡±

    ¡°How do you know so much about his class?¡± Rica demanded.

    ¡°Like I said.¡± Tyler huffed. ¡°Mom taught me all about it. In case I got saddled with her class.¡±

    ¡°E-emperor route.¡± I admitted as if it was a secret.

    ¡°Ha!¡± Tyler barked with laughter. ¡°A decent choice. Most merchants or traders try that one. Takes a lot of specializations though. Want my opinion?¡±

    As nice as Tyler was being, I decided to take him up on the offer, with a nod. ¡°It¡¯s better to focus on one path at a time. The common misconception is that the more you spread out the better your chances. Mom said that she realized that too late. That you had to level each class skill at a time.¡±

    ¡°How do you mean?¡± I asked, suspecting I knew the answer. But wanted clarification.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s say you chose cattleman early on but chose to switch at a low or even mid-level. Then you decide to change it up and own a shop in the big city. Eventually, you won¡¯t be able to improve your business without going back to leveling your cattleman class.¡±

    ¡°How does that work?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, with merchants or traders, it¡¯s a special case.¡± Tyler explained. ¡°Because you have the opportunity to become a noble, without death defying risks, you have to max-level each class before gaining another. Otherwise, your previous class can hold you back.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± I said as it dawned on me. ¡°Which creates a bottle cap on each subsequent class.¡±

    ¡°Which most merchants and traders learn years down the line.¡± Tyler nodded. ¡°Most often once it¡¯s too late to start over.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡± Rica interrupted. ¡°Is that how it works for adventurers as well?¡±

    ¡°Sort of.¡± I agreed. This is more my area of expertise. ¡°While adventurers can be more versatile and learn more skills. Those skills can be limited. I would recommend that as you level you save skill points back until it becomes too difficult to level naturally. Only use them to purchase skills. The most common mistake young adventurers make is sinking points into already learned skills. Which can outright halt any natural progression that you might make.¡±

    ¡°Is there a limit to that?¡± Tyler asked.

    I nodded. ¡°The prominent theory is that five is the limit, and for each point up to that, you lose 1/5 the progression speed.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Rica leaned forward. ¡°Where did you learn that? My mom never said anything like that.¡±

    ¡°Books and research.¡± I stated. ¡°Remember, I was supposed to be some sort of champion class adventure by the time I was ten. So, my parents invested heavily in everything that could give me an edge. Then¡­¡± I trailed off.

    ¡°You were you, and you failed just a I expected.¡± Rica teased.

    "Yeah..." I said standing up. ¡°Dinner should be done. I¡¯ll eat later. Night guys.¡± I hurried off toward the wagon. Ashamed.

    ¡°Good job.¡± I heard Tyler remark. His big booming voice could never be considered a whisper. ¡°The kid was finally warming up to me.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Rica said in a hushed tone.

    I wept myself to sleep that night¡­

    ***

    As the trip continued on, we traveled in relative peace. A monster attacked here or there. Tyler and Rica took care of those in short order. Bandits gave us a scare once, until they saw the battle-crazed Minotaur charging them swinging an axe. Other than that, I barely left the wagon. Well, except for the valuable lesson I learned about combat before and after having a class. Before gaining a class you were allowed to train in anyway that you want. Even hunt monsters. You wouldn''t gain XP from it, but it would teach you a valuable lesson in how to deal with them. After gaining a non-combat class... not so much.

    Upon making a fool of myself the first night, I decided that it would probably be for the best if I didn¡¯t bother them. They were adventurers and I was just a lowly merchant. This was more of an escort mission to them. I was just a nobody. Rica obviously hated me, and her boyfriend was just trying to be nice. I would just have to get used to this being the way things were. In all the tales about adventurers, merchants were just a footnote for the low-level adventurers to gain some easy experience escorting or trading with. Sure, I knew my escorts. But Rica made it obvious how much that really meant.

    Until one day¡­

    We were travelling through a denser portion of the forest and the humidity was thick. The canvas cover on the wagon did little to help as I sat back there leafing through some texts about the dangers of a border town. It was over four hundred years old and described the last time that we were at war with a neighboring country. The night before we had been attacked by some odd looking bandits. Honestly, the looked like priests. I was still a bit embarrassed, because I couldn''t remember what exactly happened. It sort of felt like I blacked out as soon as one of the priests grabbed me.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Rica growled as she handed the reins off to Tyler. ¡°I can¡¯t take this anymore.¡±

    ¡°Do what you gotta do.¡± Tyler chuckled. ¡°I trust you, babe.¡±

    Rica climbed into the back, over the seat. She made sure that I was paying attention before doing whatever she had planned. I gaped as she began to strip down to her underwear.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Was all I could get out.

    ¡°What?¡± Rica, the demon kin, asked. ¡°It¡¯s hot.¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­¡± I narrowed my eyes and sighed. ¡°Rica, I¡¯m tired of making a fool out of myself. Please, just stop teasing me.¡±

    ¡°I intend to.¡± Rica said as she strutted forward removing her bra and panties. ¡°At this rate you¡¯ll want me gone as soon as we get there. After what had happened last night... I won¡¯t leave.¡± She stated as she nudged the book from my lap with a foot and took its place.

    ¡°Listen, Rica, you really don¡¯t have to do¡­¡± I trailed off as Rica wrapped her arms around me.

    ¡°I do.¡± Rica said, nervously. ¡°Or you¡¯ll never understand.¡±

    ¡°But Tyler.¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°What about it?¡± Rica asked, looking me dead in the eye.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you two together?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No.¡± They said together.

    ¡°That was more of an excuse to party up.¡± Tyler explained from the driver seat. ¡°Sure, we¡¯ve had some fun. But I always knew what this was.¡±

    ¡°Mom wouldn¡¯t let me explore the dungeons near home without a partner that I trusted.¡± Rica explained. ¡°It was never serious.¡± Her husky voice was near my ear as she whispered. ¡°Not like I feel about you.¡±

    I shuddered as she pushed me onto my back. ¡°Rica¡­¡± I exhaled, looking into her fiery golden eyes. ¡°I thought you hated me.¡±

    Rica ripped my shirt open and kissed my chest. ¡°I have been waiting for you to be a man and claim me. Especially, after @#!@#$¡± A severe screeching noise pierced my skull as she spoke at length about... something. She rested her head on my torso and trailed a finger over my abs. ¡°You could at least show some interest.¡±

    I sighed, realizing that this would go no further and that something in my class or the system would not allow me to understand whatever it was that she had said. ¡°You really are a tease, Rica.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Rica sighed and let her hand rest on a pec. ¡°Do you forgive me?¡±

    Knowing that I would never be strong enough to ¡®claim¡¯ her. I took a few slow, deep breaths and rubbed my hand across her back. ¡°Yeah¡­ and you know that I could never be strong enough to do that.¡±

    Rica didn¡¯t respond. She hardly moved. I realized that she must have fallen asleep.

    ¡°Tyler?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah, Mark?¡± Tyler responded.

    ¡°Is this a joke or are you guys serious?¡± I had to ask.

    ¡°Dude.¡± Tyler chuckled. ¡°Trust me. It¡¯s all good.¡±

    I could feel that Rica¡¯s body temperature was much higher than mine, and she didn¡¯t appear to be sweating either. I suspected that she used the humidity as an excuse to strip down.

    Me on the other hand, I was now sweating buckets. But, despite everything, I dozed off as well¡­

    ¡°Mmmh.¡± Rica moaned in my ear sometime later. It woke me up enough to see what she was doing. I was not stupid enough to ruin the show by jumping, jerking, or moving in general.

    I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. Rica was rubbing one out right next to me. It looked as if she were biting a finger to stay quiet. The problem that probably woke me up was that she had a leg wrapped around mine as she was grinding into me. Hot wet fluids had soaked through my trousers, and I presumed that this wasn¡¯t even the first time she had done this.

    ¡°Oh, Mark.¡± Rica mumbled through her bit finger. ¡°Almost there, almost, almost¡­ Ahh!¡± She sagged into me. ¡°I love you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself before the words came out.

    Rica¡¯s golden eyes fixed on mine so fast I thought she might have hurt her neck.

    ¡°You heard me.¡± Rica squinted dangerously. ¡°Time to set up camp. Are you cooking that horrible stew again?¡±

    ¡°Uh, sure.¡± I was tempted to kiss those pouty lips to see what her reaction would be. But alas I did not have the confidence for something like that.

    ¡°Good.¡± Rica said as she got up and dressed. ¡°I hope you enjoyed the show, because it was your last.¡±

    I groaned as I got up. So, she¡¯s back to hating me¡­

    ***

    Rica took the first watch as Tyler headed to their shared tent, and I read by candlelight in the wagon. This one was a more current book that was based on prices for goods coming out of the capital. Ores such as Iron, bronze, and copper were fairly cheap and a good product to invest in due to the demand. Leather could be expensive depending on the beast that it came from. Food, such as potatoes, corn, and wheat fluctuated depending on the region it was sold. Same went for various types of meat. Cloth was another type that varied depending on quality, rarity, and availability.

    There was a base price for goods that could not be bargained with. Anyone that tried to sell below base would be in serious trouble. The first time was a fine. The next time it was a heavier fine, plus a week in prison/mining camp. If you were dumb enough to do it a third time, you got a permanent ban on selling items. There were a fair number of Adventurers that would try to force merchants into that very thing anyway. Whether it was with a skill like intimidation or barter, or if it was just outright theft and beating them within an inch of their life. Adventurers wanted special treatment, no matter the cost, from those they referred to as NPC¡¯s.

    NPC was an incredibly derogatory term that they used to describe townsfolk. Whether it was a blacksmith, a mayor, or even a guard. They thought that their levels and abilities made them better than everyone else.

    I knew most of this of course, but it never hurt to do a refresher. Especially, if you¡¯re going to be working in the field. This wasn¡¯t the only type of book that I had collected over the years, and I had guides for most available occupations. Whether those guides were all that useful was circumspect. As well as guides that gave the best locations for dungeons, monster farming, and where to find high-level repeatable quest monsters.

    I had hopes that I could get Rica and Tyler to do some mapping for me. Then I could use that as an earner as well. Hopefully, once I reach level ten and establish a trade, I can use them as a supplier of sorts. Granted, the more I dug into it... that was not nearly as straight foreward as I once thought. Apparently, each tier of my class ranged for ten levels. So, once I reached level ten i would need to choose a specialization. At level twenty I had the option to sacrifice half my earned stat point and chose another Tier 1 specialization. Or I could just take a Tier 2 specialization and sacrifice the ability to gain levels in anymore Tier 1 abilities. Which is fine if you are not interested in gaining a noble title or ranking all the way up to Emperor.

    As for Rica and Tyler, I¡¯m sure that they will have goods, that they will be more than happy to get rid of. Specifically, if they are dungeon diving. Typically, the Adventurers Guild only wanted specific items, everything else that took up space and seemed next to useless would come in handy for the townsfolk in one way or the other.

    Adventurers may not realize that the useless junk they find in a dungeon, such as a hammer or even a button they received from a looting ability, actually worked as gear bonuses for townsfolk. That hammer could wind up being a +4 Carpentry or the button once sown on could give a +2 health or something. It was all random. The only people that were really in on the secret were merchants. And only those that either read it like I had, or those lucky enough to be in a specific field of commerce. Why give away trade secrets and lose out on all that potential profit? That would be as stupid as an adventurer finding a moronically easy, repeatable boss, and just giving away it''s location for free. (Bosses give out massive XP and the only time that information is ''given away'' is when the adventurer in question wants to sell it for a sizeable profit. After they had leveled as much as they could from it.)

    The more I delved into the class and the branching options, the more intrigued I was by it. Sure, I wouldn¡¯t save the world with a sword. But, with enough gold, I could own it. I was also beginning to see the perks of my plus player perk. Without the need to pay taxes, I could pocket my excess coin for stats, skills, and abilities.

    Technically, with enough gold, I could save the world with a sword. I had access to something that most people did not. I could make purchases directly from the system. At an extreme cost. But according to the description, with time I could gain discounts. There were these tiers set in place, and I had to work my way up. My first goal was to purchase these tiers one at a time. The first-tier cost 100,000 gold, but that would gain me a ten percent discount. The next tier was 1,100,000 gold, which I suspected would drop ten percent after purchasing the first tier. In turn that would gain me another five percent discount, and so would each consecutive tier after that.

    ¡°Hey.¡± Rica said, stepping up to the wagon. ¡°You still reading?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s up?¡± I said, placing the book down.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Rica said nervously, looking at her feet. ¡°About earlier. I just don¡¯t want you to be mad at me. It''s just difficult for me to be overly friendly, you know?¡±

    ¡°Like your teasing?¡± I smirked.

    ¡°It¡¯s your own damn fault!¡± Rica snapped defensively.

    ¡°How?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re always reading those damn books.¡± Rica ticked off a finger. ¡°Or training with my mom, your mom, your dad, Isabelle, or working out, or running, or hunting¡­¡±

    ¡°I get it.¡± I laughed. ¡°How is that my fault? You know what my parents are like. And what¡¯s that got to do with your teasing. As far as I could tell, you hate me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t hate you.¡± Rica grumbled. ¡°I hate that you don¡¯t see me. Or didn¡¯t see me. Until I started teasing you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I was lost.

    Embarrassed, Rica began to back away. ¡°Remember when we were twelve and you were trying to flirt with my mom while training?¡±

    ¡°Uh, no?¡± I admitted. Honestly, I had been flirting with her mother for years. It was part of my Charisma training. Shealla loved it, she said I made her feel young again. Probably why she let me do that thing with her the night before I gained a class. Don¡¯t tell me Rica knew?!

    ¡°Well, that hurts.¡± Rica admitted and took another step back. ¡°Not gonna lie. But that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about. You were always too busy for me. Or anyone else. How else am I supposed to get your attention?¡±

    ¡°Rica¡­¡± I was at a loss for words. ¡°Come here.¡±

    Rica just looked at me for a second then back at her feet. ¡°No, I-I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡±

    Like approaching a skittish deer, I stood and crept toward her. ¡°Rica don¡¯t run off again. Please.¡± I took another cautious step. ¡°I¡¯m not fully aware of what¡¯s going on, but I do know that if we don¡¯t talk about it, things will never change.¡±

    Suddenly, Rica¡¯s head snapped to the side, and she ran off. I sighed and sat in the open door of the wagon. Either she was helping with a threat to the camp, or I scared her off. Rica¡¯s behavior was odd today. There was obviously nothing I could do if there was an attack. Not only were my stats too low to help, but I also had a class that reduced the damage that I dealt. I would need God like weapons and the skill requirements necessary to use them properly. Even though I had been trained in their uses before gaining a class. Right now, I could no longer pick up weapons with an intent to use them.

    ¡°I¡¯m so fucking useless.¡± I groaned as I heard the battle take place.

    Rica was shouting out fire spells and Tyler was taunting. I had witnessed the scene a few times already and accepted that I couldn¡¯t help. The first time, I really did try to help. Until I embarrassed myself with a conscious losing fate. Because that¡¯s what happens when a non-combatant picks up a weapon to fight. The only caveat is when you gain a skill for it. Not many non-combatants can afford to purchase a skill scroll and those that do, do not purchase one for a wasted skill. Why gain a combat skill when you would never use it? Just hire some guards and pray that they are enough.

    As I read more in detail, I also learned another interesting quirk that the adventures never knew about. Yes, non-combatants can give out quests, that¡¯s normal. But they can also receive quests, even from adventurers. It¡¯s more of an intent type of thing. For example, if an adventurer went to a blacksmith for a specific sword, that blacksmith would receive a quest to make the appropriate weapon. That¡¯s not the interesting part though. The blacksmith would gain experience to match that of a dungeon run of the same tier. Without ever facing danger! It¡¯s no wonder then that townsfolk are content with their lot in life.

    On top of that, townsfolk gain a city-wide defensive stat when working in a town, village, or even a city. Just to protect them in case of an attack. In a high-level city it would be nigh impossible to take down a lowly merchant or barmaid. Especially, considering that a business is allowed to hire guards that in turn receive the same defensive bonus, along with an attack bonus to boot. Hired guards also receive a payment from the system to match that paid by the business that hired them. For instance, if I were to hire a guard at a silver a week, that guard would hear and be paid two silver a week. In the case of the guard talking to me, I would hear and agree to pay a single silver a week. This was accidentally discovered when a merchant had accused his high-level guard of skimming.

    My vision began to blur as a large man with larger white wings protruding from his back and they were shining even in the dark of night...

    ***

    BAM!

    Lost in thought, I was taken off guard as Rica dove into me, planting kisses in the process. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, baby. I love you.¡±

    I blinked rapidly wondering what happened to the figure that had approached. If I were to guess, by this confusing conversation starting point, might have a mix of things I am unaware about going on. Probably, heightened blood flow and adrenaline, whatever was going on in her head throughout the battle, and whatever other assumptions she had made. But, who was that guy?

    I noticed that adventurers or at the very least, Rica and Tyler, tended to do that after combat. My book had yet to touch on the topic. Except for the few that I read about being married to one. According to one account, she had been married to an adventurer for years, and her husband would leave for a time. A week at most. Then said adventurer would return and speak of a journey that lasted for years, maybe more. I was rather curious as to how that would work.

    ¡°Rica.¡± I smiled and brushed some hair from her eyes. ¡°Are you okay?¡± The first thing that I had noticed was the age lines that creased around her eyes and mouth. Were they always there? Then there were her eyes themselves. They looked... darker? No... desperate.

    ¡°I thought, I lost you!¡± Rica began kissing me repeatedly. ¡°That monster! He¡­ he¡­¡± She began to weep.

    I held her tight. ¡°I¡¯m fine Rica, I take it you won.¡±

    Rica looked at me strangely for a second. ¡°Yes, we won. We¡¯re back, and you are safe. Just don¡¯t scare me like that again.¡±

    It was my turn to give her an odd look. ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t forget, did you?¡± Rica asked¡­ hopeful?

    ¡°Uh, sorry.¡± I stated a bit confused.

    ¡°I promised.¡± Rica stated. ¡°You are mine. I told that Angel too fuck off. That you were mine and then you came to me. You remembered me.¡±

    ¡°I must have forgotten.¡± I was lost. None of this happened. This was odder than her usual pattern. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s okay.¡± Rica began to shake in my arms. ¡°You weren¡¯t yourself at the time. Now, you are back. Right?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± I agreed. ¡°It¡¯s like I never left.¡±

    Rica kissed my lips. ¡°I¡¯m so glad that you are back to your old self. I was worried the whole trip back. Don¡¯t ever, ever scare me like that again.¡±

    I smiled and built up the nerve to swat her booty. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to.¡±

    What the fuck is going on?

    ¡°Good.¡± Rica smiled. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get back to our bed. It¡¯ll feel much better with you¡­ here.¡±

    Here? I never left.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I nodded. ¡°But I think you¡¯ll have to get up first.¡±

    ¡°You with us?¡± I heard Tyler ask. He looked to have gained a new scar since I had seen him last. And the same sorts of aged markings.

    ¡°He is.¡± Rica said cheerily. ¡°I told you my Mark would come to his senses.¡±

    Tyler let out a long heavy sigh. ¡°Phew, that¡¯s great news. Looks like we can finally start this journey again.¡±

    ¡°Um, Rica?¡± I asked. She looked a little¡­ older? More haggard? Than she did a few minutes ago. ¡°How long was I out?¡±

    ¡°Shh, let¡¯s not talk about it, love.¡± Rica whispered, putting a finger to my lips.

    With that, we laid down, and an uncomfortable feeling settled over me as we fell asleep.

    ***

    Over the next few days, similar events occurred, and Rica grew more and more affectionate each time. A bandit would grab me and I would black out. A dryad beckoned me into the forest, same thing. For some reason, it began to feel natural to think of her as at the very least my girlfriend. I mean I had always had a crush on her. But now it felt different. Reciprocated. It was still strange knowing that I was missing some very important details as to why we were in a relationship. And I''d be nuts to turn her down. She was my dream girl. It was better to just pretend that I knew and go with the flow. Tyler seemed happy for us too. It was a little odd, but I just accepted that it was something strange about being an adventurer.

    I noticed that their skills and abilities seemed to be getting stronger as well. With our journey nearly complete, Rica was beginning to show her excitement at us having a place to settle down for a while. She kept trying to convince me that it would be better if I set up a shop in town and waited to become a traveling merchant. I grunted, noncommittal at the topic. I really wanted to travel.

    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± Rica snapped at me, tired of not receiving a straight answer. ¡°Baby, please. I just want a break. After you gain some levels, we can move on.¡± She didn¡¯t even try to bring up how many times that she ¡®supposedly¡¯ saved me.

    ¡°Fine.¡± I huffed. ¡°You can do all the adventuring you want. Go! Have fun! I¡¯ll just stay home and keep a tidy place for you.¡±

    ¡°Mark!¡± Rica looked hurt. ¡°It¡¯s not like that and you know it. Tyler and I need to visit a trainer and work on our abilities for a while. We won¡¯t be leaving you. It¡¯s just¡­ hard.¡±

    Tyler gave me a sad smile. ¡°If you could just remember what¡¯s been happening, you would understand, little buddy.¡±

    A growl of frustration escaped my lips. ¡°How the fuck am I supposed to do that, huh? The damn system locks me up every time apparently. Or you two are making it up.¡±

    They both looked hurt at that.

    ¡°What level do you think I am?¡± Rica asked, innocently.

    It was a trap and I knew it. I aimed high. ¡°I don¡¯t know, twelve or thirteen.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Rica said flatly. ¡°I started this journey at six. Tyler started at eight. We¡¯re at about half a level from thirty and with beginner skills that are maxed out. You have been kidnapped by bandits, an Angel, a fucking wolfpack for some fucking reason, and a literal hag. We just want to sit back and relax for a while.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about the dryads.¡± Tyler grinned.

    ¡°Why do you keep bring that up?¡± Rica demanded. ¡°Like I want to keep remembering my boyfriend having the life literally fucked out of him.¡±

    ¡°Any man should be so lucky.¡± Tyler grinned. ¡°Death by snu-snu.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± I grumbled. ¡°Why don¡¯t I get to remember any of these adventures? They sound fun.¡±

    Tyler hi-fived me. ¡°Yeah, I think its called the adventurers paradox or something. Mom said that it happened to her from time to time. That¡¯s how she met dad.¡± He explained.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah, basically time stops for you while we adventurers rescue you.¡± Tyler continued.

    "Wait, time stops?" I asked.

    Tyler nodded. ¡°Yeah, at least until you can gain control of your motor functions during a quest. I think it''s a parameter in the system that stops you form waking up old enough to die before you even gain a level. You''ll have to ask her. She said that back when she was around level 4, she got wrapped up in a quest that took two years. Her younger sister came out older than her at the end of it. At lower levels, you are basically guided by instincts. At higher levels, you will have more control over your faculties. So, until you¡¯re at a higher level, we¡¯ll be stuck rescuing you from every little mouse that wants to steal you. When you get to a higher level, you can gain the opportunity to do something about it. Right now, we are gaining maximum experience from the rescues.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I felt like I was on repeat.

    ¡°Well, the way mom described it.¡± Tyler said. ¡°It¡¯s like you are gambling with the monsters for your life. You¡¯ll see when you get stronger. Typically, the world will freeze, and you have the chance to place a bet. The riskier the bet, the less control you have. As weak as you are right now at level 1. Every bet is automatically at max.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± I muttered. ¡°But my instincts always send me to Rica?¡±

    Rica squeezed my leg and smiled. ¡°Yes, love. They do. But it scares the shit out of me every time. What happens if we¡¯re in an area out of our level range? Or skill set?¡± That almost felt like a lie. Like maybe she was omitting stuff.

    ¡°My hero.¡± I groaned as I leaned into her shoulder. ¡°Fine, but as soon as I max the shop owner class, we¡¯re hitting the road. All I¡¯ve seen is this fucking boring ass main road. Hell, have we even left the woods?¡±

    Rica and Tyler shared a look.

    ¡°What do you see right now?¡± Tyler asked curiously.

    I rolled my eyes. This is going to suck. ¡°A dense forest area, with the exact same clearing looking area that we have had every night of the journey.¡±

    Rica groaned.

    ¡°I wish.¡± Tyler laughed. ¡°No, my friend. Right now, we are cutting across the Sand dunes of Cavarr. With any luck, we will be in Tarkon tomorrow.¡±

    A thought occurred to me. ¡°When was the first time I was kidnapped?¡±

    ¡°About a day before Rica came all over your pants the first time.¡± Tyler chuckled.

    Rica reached across to punch his shoulder. Tyler batted her fist aside.

    ¡°Tyler is right.¡± Rica glared at the big man. ¡°However, I would not have put it that way. The bandit leader asked you to beg your lover for your life. You begged me to leave. You said that whatever happened you would always love me. But didn¡¯t want me to risk my life. You understood how much I hated you and that we would never be together.¡±

    I had to chuckle. It did sound like me. But not something I would say out loud. Way to emotional.

    ¡°Gee.¡± I mumbled embarrassment. ¡°How romantic.¡±

    ¡°It was sweet.¡± Rica said. ¡°Tyler explained that whole paradox thing and I wanted you to understand that it was never what you thought. Then that Angel¡­¡± She finished in a near growl.

    ¡°You were in pretty bad shape, dude.¡± Tyler grimaced. ¡°Like fit in a backpack bad. Your body took a long time to recover. Then one night, Rica found you sitting at the edge of the wagon. Like you never moved from your spot the night that you were taken.¡±

    I sat there in horror, that was the first time that I had heard that story. I wish I hadn¡¯t. ¡°How¡­ ¡­ long?¡±

    Rica tensed up.

    ¡°Two years to find you.¡± Tyler admitted. ¡°Rica was nearly out of her mind. When we finally got you back¡­ needless to say it took some effort to find a way to fix you. The temples don¡¯t restore the working class. At least without a.. nevermind. Necros and alchemists were baffled. Rica found a hint in one of your books.¡±

    "!@$#" Rica and Tyler told a grand tale or epic or sad? It was hard to focus on anything but there lips as they spoke. My head pounded and my ears throbbed as I strained to understand them. I couldn''t interrupt them and they couldn''t tell that I didn''t understand. Eventually, when they stopped speaking and the ringing subsided, I spoke.

    ¡°How long?¡± I asked again.

    Rica and Tyler shared a look.

    "%#$$" Tyler said as Rica watched me closely.

    She frowned and shook her head.

    "!@" Tyler asked.

    Another shake.

    ¡°It¡¯s been eleven years since we began this journey.¡± Tyler tried.

    ¡°It was only supposed to be two weeks.¡± I mumbled and looked at my character sheet. I was still eighteen.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Tyler rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Well, technically we¡¯ve already been there once.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Rica admitted. ¡°I thought¡­ if we completed your quest, it would be fine. Your body was healed. But it was like¡­¡±

    ¡°No one was home.¡± Tyler ripped off the band aid.

    ¡°Eventually, I found the notes from an adventurer about returning to the place you were first captured.¡± Rica said slowly. ¡°But we got you back.¡±

    I suppressed a groan and forced a smile. ¡°Well, I¡¯m back now.¡± Then I chuckled. ¡°I suppose that explains why you haven¡¯t spoken about adventuring without me for a while.¡±

    Rica nodded solemnly. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough major quests for a while.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll still run some dungeons for me, right?¡± I asked with a cheeky grin. ¡°I would hate to have to do it myself.¡±

    Tyler chuckled. ¡°Yeah, little buddy. But we do have enough to stock a store right now.¡±

    Rica squeezed me tight around my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll be too busy guarding the shop.¡±

    Planting a kiss on her cheek I chuckled. ¡°But I¡¯m still level one. I can¡¯t even own a shop until I''m Tier 3.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Rica smiled much brighter at the attention that I still had to work up the nerve to give her. ¡°Only, until you get that shop.¡±

 Chapter 2 Tarkon power levelingâ€¦

    Chapter 2

    Tarkon power leveling¡­

    Mark Collier

    ¡°Level 1.¡± I stated to the clerk.

    The short elf with a pinched nose, long ears, and irritating look on his face, was giving me a formal interview. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t enough to have the class, to join the guild. You also had to have experience, wealth, reputation, blah, blah, blah.

    ¡°I see.¡± He frowned. ¡°Do you have any connections?¡±

    It was my turn to frown. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Do you know anyone famous, rich, elite, something boy?¡± The elf snapped his fingers. ¡°There must be a reason that you would be dumb enough to apply with a measly level one Merchant class. Whatever that is. I would assume that to be a trader and not some sort of sailor or mercenary class, right?¡±

    ¡°Uh, my parents were a part of Black Dawn.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Black Dawn?¡± The elf frowned deeper. ¡°Where have I heard that name before¡­¡±

    I shrugged, how the hell was I supposed to know where he had heard it.

    ¡°Now I remember.¡± His frown broke into a scowl. ¡°No, boy. A three-decade old, retired adventurer party does not count. Go work on your levels, once you get your specialization, come see me. Then we can get you registered. Once registered, we will help you establish supply contracts, for a small fee of course. But you won¡¯t need to worry about that until you can afford a shop.¡± He paused for a breath but held up a finger to signal that he wasn¡¯t done yet. ¡°Depending on your specialization, we will have job contracts that become available on a regular basis. These contracts will allow you to develop your own connections as well as gain experience. If you are looking to set up a shop in town, I would recommend that you begin saving immediately. As shops are expensive and will cost a lot to maintain.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I smiled. I did it just to irritate him further. It did not have the desired effect.

    ¡°You are most welcome.¡± The elf smiled back. ¡°Keep working that charm, boy. It will indeed help you in the future.¡±

    I turned on my heels and headed for the exit. Rica stood there waiting for me outside the guild hall. She was dressed in her usual mage robes. At her insistence, she wanted me to do the trading for her. That way I could gain experience. Tyler was on the other side and had been of the same opinion. Neither of them seemed to care all that much about the experience or cost of it. They were probably the only level thirty or nearly level thirty people who had to make a journey the way that they had. Basic gear had not bothered them. They just wanted me to start leveling as soon as we got to town. All of us had thought I would need to go to the Merchant¡¯s guild first.

    ¡°Well, that sounded exhausting.¡± Rica commented.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I agreed. ¡°Where to next?¡±

    ¡°Mage¡¯s guild.¡± Rica stated. ¡°I need to get a message to mother. Maybe, she¡¯ll finally forgive me.¡±

    The way that she said that, not the words, but the tone. Spoke volumes. It sounded as if she were the one expecting the apology.

    ¡°Fat chance.¡± Tyler chuckled. ¡°After that, it¡¯s the Adventurers guild. Then we need to get the wagon back to the outskirts and set up camp.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll seek out a realtor and find a place to stay.¡± Rica picked up where he left off. ¡°Once that¡¯s done, we can worry about getting gear.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡± I halted the group. ¡°Can we afford to rent a place?¡±

    Rica chuckled. ¡°We¡¯re not renting love. We¡¯re buying.¡±

    I glanced at Tyler. ¡°You¡¯re okay with that?¡±

    Tyler nodded. ¡°I¡¯m getting my own place. Like we said, we plan to stay a while.¡±

    ¡°Can you guys afford that?¡± I asked, more than a little stunned.

    Rika chuckled. ¡°After we took down that fucking Angel and sold off some of the gear that his minions had, yeah. We can afford it.¡±

    ¡°And the quest for that douchebag.¡± Tyler chuckled. ¡°The rewards for taking down a fallen angel are nuts.¡±

    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you updated your equipment yet?¡± I asked. ¡°Surely there were some drops that you could use, or you could have bought some along the way.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Rica spoke sarcastically. ¡°A demon using holy weapons is a great idea. Why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡±

    ¡°As for me.¡± Tyler shrugged and hefted his massive axe. ¡°That crap was way too flimsy and its hard-to-find stuff in my size in the places we¡¯ve been.¡±

    More of that nagging sense that I wasn''t being told everything.

    ¡°Eventually.¡± Rica continued. ¡°We out leveled anything that was worth replacing. This is a 0-20 zone Mark. I¡¯m okay with you outfitting us because you need the levels. But honestly, we could walk naked down the street and slaughter the entire town without getting barely a scratch on us.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I can imagine your base skills are pretty deadly too.¡± I agreed.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Tyler smiled. ¡°It would probably take a ballista to break my defensive shield right now. And if I use cleave? Forget about it. Did you know that when you hit level twenty it becomes an area of effect?¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± Rica barked with laughter. ¡°My Fireball is now a multi-fireball. Instead of Meteor strike I call it rain of fire. As for my magic shield¡­¡± She shrugged as if what she was about to say was no big deal. ¡°It¡¯s just a magic bubble the gives the target immunity for thirty seconds. With most fights being short, it rarely loses the effect before the fight is over.¡±

    ¡°So, did you use skill points?¡± I asked, to see if they had taken my advice or not.

    ¡°Nah, you were right.¡± Tyler grinned. ¡°There aren¡¯t many adventurers that have base skills as high as ours. I¡¯ve got about fifteen points stocked up.¡± I must have looked confused at that statement, because he continued. ¡°Six from leveling and nine from achievements. Because I¡¯m a fighter, I have just about as many ability points. Can¡¯t gain those through achievements.¡±

    Rica nodded. ¡°It was actually, the opposite for me. But I have a similar number of points.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you unlock stuff with them?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It takes time to train those.¡± Rica explained. ¡°Time that we didn¡¯t have. Now, we do.¡±

    Seriously? Is that my charisma picking up falsehoods or something?

    I nodded. I would have time to process that later. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the Mage¡¯s Guild then.¡±

    ***

    ¡°As I said.¡± Rica warned in a dangerous tone. ¡°This is my guest, and unless you want to find out what it feels like to be hit with a max-level fireball¡­¡± She let the words hang in the air. ¡°You will get the fuck out of my way.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mam.¡± The elf mage backpedaled in fear.

    Is this an elf town? How did I miss that in my research?

    ¡°You can¡¯t invite civilians in.¡± The elf continued, almost pleading. ¡°It¡¯s against the rules.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine Rica.¡± I placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°I can wait outside.¡±

    ¡°I just got you back, Mark.¡± Rica said aggressively. ¡°I am not letting you out of my sight so soon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be with Tyler.¡± I reassured her. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Not until you claim me.¡± Rica threatened. ¡°Besides, mother will be happy to see you.¡±

    I rolled my eyes and turned to the elf. ¡°Why am I not allowed?¡±

    ¡°Due to the mana stone located in the building, the over saturation of mana can kill you.¡± The elf stated. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s very dangerous.¡±

    I sighed and turned to Rica. ¡°Is that true?¡±

    ¡°Mm, maybe?¡± Rica stated.

    ¡°How about I just go with Tyler to the Adventurers Guild, and we meet over there?¡± I suggested. ¡°They might even have some decent stuff to trade.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Rica pouted. ¡°I¡¯ll tell mother that you have recovered. I just hope that she believes me this time.¡±

    ¡°This time?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡­ may have thought you had recovered a few times.¡± Rica admitted. ¡°I mean we almost umm, never mind.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± I backed away awkwardly. ¡°So, I¡¯m going to go now and pretend that you didn¡¯t just admit to trying to take advantage of an invalid.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡± Rica protested. ¡°An adventurer had told me of a rare quest to wake a sleeping Commoner class. It had to do with a kiss to break the trance. When that wasn¡¯t enough¡­ I thought maybe I should put in some extra effort.¡±

    ¡°Wow, just wow.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe my ears. ¡°And did this guy tell you he was a prince looking for his true love, too?¡±

    ¡°Now that you mention it.¡± Rica nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether you are gullible or on the same level of pervert that he is.¡± I chuckled while backing away slowly. ¡°Should I start having Tyler check my drinks and food? Tell me, will it be in an apple or something? Should I be on the lookout for several very emotional dwarves or something?¡±

    Rica stepped forward to snatch my arm and I barely evaded. ¡°Hey!¡± She protested. ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that!¡±

    ¡°Sure, it was.¡± I teased. ¡°Next thing you know you¡¯ll be selling off our first-born child to a goblin for threads of gold.¡± She blushed at the statement of a kid and used her much higher speed and dexterity to move.

    ¡°Hey.¡± Rica whispered as she caught me and pulled me tight. I could feel her ample breasts press into my upper abdomen. ¡°It¡¯s not fair when you do the teasing.¡±

    I rolled my eyes and held her a little tighter. ¡°Yeah, my five seconds of it was totally worse than the torture you put me through for years. I mean, I had to watch you run around with Tyler for how long?¡±

    Rica giggled. ¡°Were you jealous?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡± I deadpanned and kissed her forehead. ¡°I know you are killing time to avoid the call, but don¡¯t. I¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯re in the city and I¡¯ll be with Tyler.¡±

    ¡°But I just got you back.¡± Rica pouted.

    ¡°Which will make it all the sweeter when we meet again.¡± I consoled her.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Rica said, reluctantly. ¡°Just¡­ be careful. I really don¡¯t want to have to burn half the city to the ground looking for you.¡±

    ¡°Its fine.¡± I assured her. ¡°I doubt there will be any problems. In fact, as far as I recall. I haven¡¯t had a moment of danger since we started out on this journey together.¡±

    ¡°Funny.¡± It was now her turn to deadpan. Then she kissed me. ¡°Now, get out of here before I change my mind.¡±

    I accidentally gripped her tail as my hands traversed her bottom.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Rica let out a little moan. ¡°Not here you jerk.¡±

    Chuckling, I returned to Tyler.

    The problem was, Tyler was nowhere to be found when I exited the building. Apparently, he already went to the Adventurers Guild. I shrugged. How bad would it be if I did some trading? I wasn¡¯t a little kid anymore. I could handle a little trading without the need of a babysitter. After making the quick decision to start with the general trade goods store caddy corner from where I stood. I marched in that direction.

    Victor''s General Emporium, the sign above the door stated in bold letters. The store looked like a good place to get rid of basic items. I currently had a pack filled with random junk from the back of the wagon. We had decided that it would be best to save any of the higher quality goods that the had collected from the Angelic forces for a time that my skill was high enough to make a profit. That meant having a shop to boost maxed out trader skills. They had also recommended that we might do that somewhere like the royal capital. It was mostly my idea. For some reason Rica and Tyler treated it as if they were my items to begin with.

    "Welcome to Victor''s General Emporium!" The clerk called out as I entered. "We buy, sell, and trade quality items for the quality customer! Let me know if you need any help."

    "Actually." I stated as I approached the counter. "I have some items I would like to sell. After that I would like to take a look around."

    "Great!" Victor I assumed. "Place them on the counter and we''ll see what we''re dealing with."

    I began pulling the items from my bag and placing them on the counter as instructed. Keeping track of each kind and how many of them that I had. Not that I didn''t trust him, but I just met the guy. All in all, there were 4 wolf skins, 2 stamina potions, 3 goblin ears, a Torper fang (whatever that was), and 16 daggers that were dropped by bandits in the last leg of the journey.

    "These are some good quality pelts." Victor stated as he ran a hand over them. "Are you sure that you don''t want to have a tailor or leather worker do something with them?"

    "Nah." I shook my head. "I''m just trying to earn some XP mainly."

    Victor grinned like a used wagon dealer. "That''s great! We''ll get you leveled up quick as can be."

    I winced, knowing that I had screwed up. "By my count, this should be 3 gold, 27 silver, and 14 coppers worth."

    It was Victor''s turn to wince. "I wish, lad. Base price is 4 gold, 45 silver, and 2 coppers. I would hate to cheat another Trader like that. An adventurer, maybe. They can always go through side channels, but us Worker Classes need to stick together. Since you are new. Make me an offer. I''ll try to haggle with you. We''ll see if we can''t get you half a level."

    "Why do you think I''ll get half a level?" I asked.

    "With those prices?" Victor stated. "I would only assume that this is your first time. Besides those sound like quotes from a few decades ago."

    I shrugged. I wasn''t really sure how old my books were before I started the journey. Hell, the title read This Year''s Current Pricing In The Capitol. It didn''t actually state the year.

    "Uh, 5 gold, 30 silver, 10 copper." I said.

    Victor shook his head saidly. "That''s a bit too much. Remember, you cannot bargain for more than your barter skill will allow. So, we will say that your first offer was max at 4 gold, 89 silver, and 52 copper. You should be at level one in barter and this is the max allowed. Understand."

    I nodded eagerly, I was learning a lot. "Makes, sense."

    "Good." Victor nodded. "Now, sense I have a much higher skill I can just haggle that down to base. But, that wouldn''t be very sporting would it."

    "No." I shook my head solemnly. "It would not."

    Victor''s greasy smile came back. "Which is why I will offer 4 gold, 45 silver, and 3 coppers."

    I grumbled immediately. I knew that my skill being what it was, I couldn''t raise the bar. He would just slap that price back down. "Fine." Never coming here again.

    As I took my coin and left the building a thought hit me. I should have just taken my goods elsewhere. I walked toward a shop labeled The Finest Tailor.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    "What have we got here boys?" A raspy voice asked from behind me.

    A hand touched my arm and the world began to spin. I caught sight of a man missing more than a few teeth as I lost control of my own body...

    ***

    ¡°Mark, baby.¡± Rica teared up shaking me. ¡°Are you back now? Please, be better.¡±

    Congratulations! You have earned 500 xp!

    You have leveled up!

    You have leveled up!

    I blinked away at the notifications. ¡°Yeah, Rica. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°How many times did I tell you not to wander off like that?!¡± Rica sounded angry with me.

    ¡°How long?¡± I asked. I really needed to get this whole memory loss bs under control. If I lost another year without realizing it¡­ I was going to go insane.

    ¡°Just a few hours.¡± Rica admitted, somewhat less angrily. ¡°Luckily, you led us back to the place you had been taken.¡±

    Glancing around, I saw that I was in front of a tailor shop. What was I doing, here? Oh, that¡¯s right, I was going to surprise Rica with a new dress. I had stowed away some of the coins from that chest that Shealla had mentioned for this very reason.

    ¡°Come on.¡± I said, frowning and drug Rica indoors. ¡°I¡¯m not done yet.¡±

    Rica frowned but nodded and followed. ¡°What were you doing out here, anyway?¡±

    ¡°Well, I suppose that I¡¯ll have to tell you¡­¡± I began and continued with a growl in my throat. ¡°Since I can¡¯t simply walk around town for no reason.¡±

    I had gained the general skill, barter, earlier. It was part of the reason I had been shopping. General skills that aligned with your class were much easier to learn without a trainer. I had the brilliant idea to surprise Rica and Tyler with a level increase by the time they had gotten back. I was going to prove to them that I wasn¡¯t useless. Hell, I had been waiting years for this.

    ¡°Welcome to The Finest Tailor.¡± An exceptionally large orc called out as we entered. ¡°How can I help you?¡±

    ¡°What are we doing here?¡± Rica asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting you a new outfit.¡± I stated. ¡°And one for Tyler.¡± I nodded at the big man right behind her. ¡°Two a piece actually. It was supposed to be a surprise thank you for all that you have done.¡±

    With a quick glance at my stats, I decided that now would be a good time to invest some points. Even though I realized that they would not take effect immediately, I was tired of being too weak to help.

    I dumped my ten free stat points into Intelligence and Wisdom equally. My brain began to buzz like I was drunk, the world spun for a second as I got used to the sensation, and suddenly I just knew more details about everything that had happened during our journey. Most of it was still fuzzy, but I knew that I had made a correct decision when investing my points. I immediately made the decision that that was where I would invest heavily for the foreseeable future. Charisma was a great tool to get people to like you. But it did little for having control over your own faculties. I never wanted to lose it again.

    If I had to guess, the reason the blackouts were mentioned so little in my research, was that it was such a common occurrence for the worker class that they felt it wasn¡¯t necessary to bring up. That or no one was so stupid as to get caught at such a low-level.

    ¡°Yes, I would like to purchase two sets of men¡¯s and two sets of finery for these talented adventurers.¡± I spoke to the clerk. ¡°They have traveled a long journey to bring me to my destination and I would like to reward them.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that Mark.¡± Rica gasped. ¡°Where did you even get the coin?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I waved off her protest.

    ¡°Do you have a particular color or fabric that you want?¡± The orc asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I remarked and looked at Tyler. ¡°For the gentleman I would suggest a dark blue and white ensemble for one of them. Dark green and a light grey for the other. I want at least mid-grade Vokin¡¯s wool or better for the quality of it. And¡­¡± I looked Rica over. ¡°For the lady, I would like to go with a purple evening gown and a white with yellow flowers summer dress. For material, make it mid-grade cotton or silk at worst.¡±

    ¡°Certainly.¡± The orc smiled. ¡°While we don¡¯t carry Vokin wool, we do have a very nice quality of Hanick velvet. Would that suffice?¡±

    ¡°Hanick velvet?¡± I asked a bit stunned. That was high-tier goods from Clavia, a country to the north. Annnnd¡­. It was rather expensive. ¡°How much?¡±

    ¡°Oh, is the cost of saving your life really worth so little as to ask?¡± The orc began the negotiations.

    Congratulations! Barter skill is now level 2!

    Congratulations! You have earned 100xp!

    Congratulations! You have leveled up!

    Several minutes and measurements later, we left the store. The price was a little high, but that was to be expected. I needed to level my skills and gain experience. Saving the points for the time being. I left the shop.

    ¡°Where did you even get 32 gold?¡± Rica asked as soon as we were outside. She knew that I had no time to earn money upon arrival. And 32 gold was about a thousand times what any starting out adventurer or worker class should have.

    I shrugged non-committal. Not sure why, but I was still hesitant to let her know about the stash location. Probably, because I had those letters stashed in there. In preparation, I had withdrawn about fifty gold, silver, and copper. The two hundred gold coins were still stashed in there were for my first shop or wagon.

    Considering Rica¡¯s opinion, that I was starting to agree with, I was leaning towards the shop options. I just wanted to raise my negotiating skills first. Right now, I just needed to focus on the task at hand. That was to max out my tier one classes and gain skills. All while saving for the system discounts.

    ¡°Come on.¡± I tugged hat her hand. ¡°That stuff won¡¯t be ready for a few days, let¡¯s get back to the wagon. We¡¯ll find a place to stay tomorrow.¡±

    ***

    The next day I marched into the central square, in search of work. I hated the idea of spending money to gain experience. There had to be another way. I could sell goods, but that felt just as wasteful. My stats and skills were nowhere near high enough to make a decent profit. Honestly, my purchases the other day should have been much closer to 10-13 gold. But I really wanted to do¡­ something for my comrades.

    I was already feeling pretty horrible about the whole situation. As I looked around for work, I took note of the damage done to the town. Rica had not been lying when she said that she would burn the town to the ground if something happened to me. Well, mostly. There were several buildings that had been nearly destroyed. Burned out husks of businesses, houses that were missing portions of their roofs, and the streets filled with scorched holes burned into the ground. There were also cleanly blown out portions of the buildings that looked to be the size of a very large minotaur.

    I snorted as I looked over my shoulder. ¡°Should be easier getting work tomorrow.¡±

    Rica smiled. ¡°I warned them.¡±

    ¡°Can they charge you with a crime?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Who would enforce that?¡± Tyler asked. ¡°This is why you should always purchase the Adventurer damage insurance.¡±

    ¡°Besides.¡± Rica stated. ¡°As your beloved, I received a quest for it. We even hit level thirty in the process.¡±

    I nodded. Not because I understood, more because she had a crazed look in her eyes as she surveyed the aftermath of yesterday¡¯s damage. ¡°Why don¡¯t we find the townhall? Someone should be available to sell us something.¡±

    Tyler turned and led the way. The one building that didn¡¯t appear to have received any damage at all. Turned out to be the place that we were heading to. It was a sturdy stone structure that was placed inside a stone wall, with steel gates and a pair of guards that stood on each side. Unfortunately, this led to me not being able to find work today.

    ¡°Halt!¡± Demanded the guard on the left as we approached. ¡°State your business.¡±

    I smiled. ¡°We seek to purchase a residence. Is the mayor available?¡±

    ¡°To seek the purchase of property with in Tarkon, you are required to visit a realtor.¡± The guard on the right stated blandly. ¡°They will take care of the required permits, paperwork, and sale prices. The council does not bother with such trivial matters. Unless you are here to purchase an estate within the noble district.¡±

    Rica snorted. ¡°What noble district?¡±

    ¡°Currently.¡± He continued. ¡°The noble district is located about a mile north of town. Once the city has reached its former glory once more, it will be connected once again. Please be aware that if you seek you purchase a noble estate, you must have gained a title and proven your value to the city.¡±

    ¡°Prove your value?¡± I asked slowly.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± The guard on the left stated. ¡°Whether through deed or taxes you must ensure that you are here to help improve Tarkon before claiming a noble plot of land.¡± He spat at our feet. ¡°Which means don¡¯t go pulling shit like yesterday.¡± He pointed behind us. ¡°Again.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your problem?¡± Tyler asked using his natural intimidation.

    ¡°You fucking adventurers, I swear.¡± The guard on the left growled and disappeared.

    ¡°Uh, what just happened?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Youthful indiscretions.¡± The remaining guard answered dully. ¡°He is still somewhat new and rash in his decisions and the goddess has confined him to maintain order. You have done nothing outside of the law and will not be punished unduly.¡±

    ¡°Thanks?¡± I questioned.

    ¡°Not a problem, citizen.¡± The guard tilted his head in the direction of a mostly intact building. ¡°That building right there is the only business open today. I assure you that by the end of the week, all buildings found within the walls of the town will be in order. Please tell Tracy that I have sent you and she will see to your needs.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I said, with a bit more confidence this time. ¡°What¡¯s you name so I can give you the referral.¡±

    ¡°Not necessary, citizen.¡± He explained. ¡°Just tell her the Town guard sent you by.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± I spoke. This guy was respectable. Compared to the other guard at least. ¡°Much appreciated.¡±

    The guard nodded and we headed toward the building he had indicated.

    ***

    ¡°Welcome to Tracy¡¯s Realty!¡± A dwarven woman announced as we entered. ¡°Looking for a new place of residence?¡± She asked hopefully. ¡°The properties may be damaged as of the moment, but I promise that within two days of the purchase, it will be restored.¡±

    ¡°Hello, Tracy, I take it?¡± I replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s the name my mother gave me.¡± Tracy smiled. ¡°What can I help you with today? Sir¡­¡±

    ¡°Mark.¡± I stated. ¡°This is Rica, and that big fella is Tyler. We are in need of two residences today. Preferably next to each other. Both with enough room for a wagon and a stable for horses. There must be a kitchen in at least one of them and a spare room for both.¡±

    Rica and Tyler both nodded along as I explained. This is what we had spoken about last night as I tried to figure out their plans.

    "Going to brute force negotiator I take it?" Tracy chuckled. ¡°Never mind. One story or two?¡± I could practically see the coin dancing in her eyes.

    ¡°Both.¡± I answered. ¡°Preferably. Oh, and that guard at the townhall suggested that we come here today.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± She waved away my last statement as she began to dig through a stack of papers. ¡°That was probably my husband. He might get lucky tonight if you can afford to purchase a property in the heights today.¡±

    ¡°The Heights?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Upper echelons housing district.¡± Tracy explained. ¡°Unless you live in a rural community, you are not likely to find a place like that without spending a good amount of coin. Are you merchants or Adventurers? Ah, who am I kidding? Adventurers.¡± She shook her head as she dug through the papers. Mumbling the whole time. ¡°Are you wanting a fenced in yard as well?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± I spoke for them. Rica and Tyler didn¡¯t particularly care about that other than the added security. Apparently, their merchant friend had a knack for getting kidnapped. I honestly did not know who? I chuckled to myself.

    ¡°Room for a garden?¡± Tracy asked as she narrowed down the stack.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I answered. That was at my request. I suspected that I might need to sale some wares in a stall before being able to afford a store.

    ¡°Do you plan to have pets?¡± Tracy questioned. ¡°If so, indoor or outdoor?¡±

    ¡°Maybe?¡± I frowned. We hadn¡¯t really talked about it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡± Tracy shuffled even more out. ¡°Okay, we have a few options. They are all within a block of one another. Shall we?¡±

    Without pause, Tracy walked out the door all business like and led us down the street. It looked as if we were in a middle-class district right now. The streets and shops were in disrepair due to Rica and Tyler¡¯s actions. But the solid wood siding and tiled rooftops were a steeple of the middle class. The bonus of living in this area would be how close to the traders you were. The downside was that adventurers tended to roll through and destroy half the neighborhood trying to finish a quest. Granted most of the time, it was nothing like what Rica and Tyler had done. Unless a similar situation came about. It wasn¡¯t that uncommon for some high-leveled parent to destroy some kidnappers or other sorts of scum that had harmed their child in one way or another.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Tracy began speaking after we passed through the gate to The Heights. ¡°So, we don¡¯t have any houses available right next to each other. But what we do have is a bunch of houses within a few blocks of each other. They all have kitchens, fences, stables, pet housing, and a garden. With these houses located in the heights, you will not have to wait for repairs. The damage caused yesterday was mainly focused on the Border district. Um, that¡¯s the district that we just left. The first one that we have available is a single-story bungalow valued at 45,000 gold¡­¡±

    We spent the next two hours inspecting each of the houses. What can I say? They all looked nice. Hardwood floors, elegant stairs and windows, stone walls, and slate rooftops. Each home had a chimney and a balcony on either the roof or a room on the second floor. They all had large yards, stables, the aforementioned pet houses, and the fences varied. Each fence was more durable and expensive than the last.

    She seemed to understand Rica¡¯s biggest concern. So, it was no surprise that Rica chose the most expensive property. It was a two-story Victorian style house with the largest well¡­ everything. It had three bedrooms, two magical bathrooms, a magical kitchen and pantry, and something called a Magical Codex. Whatever that was. All I know is that the building cost 153,462 gold. That was the lowest that I could negotiate it down to. Rica just shrugged as she handed over the coins. Which made me wonder exactly how much she had earned on her way to level 30.

    Tyler on the other hand chose a single-story cottage about two blocks away. It was a moderately sized lot with the essentials and two bedrooms. He spent 83,243 gold. From the balcony he could see Rica¡¯s new house and was satisfied with it. When he mentioned setting up a smithy in the backyard, Tracy immediately shut the idea down. The district did not allow crafts to be practiced in it. He would have to work in the Adventurer Hall.

    The rest of the day was spent on paperwork, moving in, and a relaxing night in the tavern. With our newfound status in town, the citizens seemed to take a more considerate approach to us. All-in-all, I was rather proud of what we had accomplished. The only thing that irritated me was how much money was left on the table due to my low level. Rica and Tyler reassured me that the coin did not matter. They were more excited to hear how many levels I had gained, my achievements earned, and new class skills.

    Achievement unlocked! Big spender!

    Achievement unlocked! The force is with you! (You cheating prick!)

    Achievement unlocked! Money Bags!

    Achievement unlocked! Negotiator!

    Achievement unlocked! Hoarder!

    Barter has leveled up!

    Barter is now max!

    Negotiator gained!

    Negotiator has leveled up!

    Coin purse earned!

    Coin purse has leveled up!

    Congratulations! You have earned 23,671 XP!

    Due to hitting the level cap 18,771 XP has been stored!

    Please choose a specialization!

    Congratulations! You have leveled up!

    Congratulations! You have leveled up!

    Congratulations! You have leveled up!

    Congratulations! You have leveled up!

    Congratulations! You have leveled up!

    Congratulations! You have leveled up!

    The bombardment of messages hit me at the tavern, and I nearly fell from my chair. So many achievements, skills, and levels. I opened the descriptions.

    Big spender: Spend over 10,000 gold in a single transaction! (+1 Charisma)

    The force is with you: You have forcefully earned a class skill beyond your level. (+3 Wisdom)

    Money bags: Spend over 100,000 gold in a single transaction! (+10 Charisma)

    Negotiator: Class skill ¨C The upgraded version of barter. Negotiate better for yourself or a client. Stacks with similar skills. Achievement (+2 Intelligence)

    Hoarder: General ability ¨C due to spending in excess of 10,000 total. You have earned a coin pouch. Stores up to 10,000 gold coins.

    Then I moved on to checking my Character Sheet.

    <u>Character sheet</u>

    <u> </u>

    Name: <u>Mark Collier</u>

    Age: <u>18</u>

    Class: <u>Merchant</u>

    Level: 10

    XP: 0/10,000

    Stored XP: 18,771

    Health: 60/60

    Mana: 190/190

    Stats:

    Strength: 8

    Agility: 9

    Dexterity: 7

    Constitution: 6

    Intelligence: 19

    Wisdom: 18

    Charisma: 27

    Currency:

    Gold: 18

    Silver: 50

    Copper: 50

    Free Stat Points: 35

    Skills:

    Barter: Level 20 Maxed ¨C (24%) allows you to haggle for goods in your favor. Level 1 value adjustments 5%. (Each level adds 1%) this is a general use skill and can be stacked with skills of an appropriate class.

    Negotiator: Level 2 ¨C (1.5%) allows you to haggle for goods in your favor. Level 1 value adjustments 1%. (Each level adds .5%) This is a class skill and can be stacked with similar skills. (Allows user to negotiate terms in hostile situations.)

    Free Skill Points: 8

    Abilities:

    Coin purse: Level 2 ¨C Allows users to store up to 100,000 coins of each type.

    Free Ability Points: 4

    Perks:

    Plus Player ¨C Player is granted a free skill with each specialization and a free ability upon completion. It takes half the effort to gain experience.

    ¡°Dude!¡± Tyler slammed his cup on the table. ¡°Did we just power level you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, buddy!¡± I chugged the rest of my cup down. ¡°Maybe I can catch up to you sooner than we thought!¡±

    ¡°Nah.¡± Rica frowned. ¡°Once you hit level 10, the difficulties increase.¡±

    Tyler nodded along. ¡°And¡­ For traders such as yourself, you have specific types of XP. You got lucky this time. Because that is considered general XP. But everything else will be class specific. You can¡¯t level cattleman with store owner XP.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. You mentioned that before.¡± I looked at each of them, a grin spreading across my face. ¡°Who else is finally ready to sleep in their own bed?¡±

    Rica chuckled. ¡°You better choose a class tonight and spend the rest of your stats points.¡±

    I ordered another round and glanced at Rica. ¡°What class should I pick, babe? I¡¯m pretty drunk.¡±

    ¡°What are your options?¡± Rica smiled. She was drinking the strongest stuff in town and barely buzzed.

    ¡°Uh, Security, Stock boy class, Sweeper class, Errand runner, Clerk, Mascot, Server.¡± I rattled them off as I read them.

    ¡°That depends on the bonuses.¡± Rica explained. ¡°You¡¯re real squishy right now. But that¡¯s my personal opinion. Something that boosts your Strength or Constitution.¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± Tyler barked with laughter. ¡°Says the mage!¡± He pounded the table several times laughing the whole time. ¡°The real question is which one interests you the most. You aim to be Emperor, then choose the one you like the most. Eventually, you¡¯ll have to do them all.¡±

    I drank deeply. ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s do both! Security!¡±

    Tyler and Rica glanced at each other frowning as I made my selection, slid from my chair as the world spun around me, and passed out¡­

    ***

    Please place your stats before gaining specialization.

    I awoke to the message blaring in my vision. I rubbed my eyes and tried to blink it away. What happened? The last thing I remember was getting a message about leveling and gaining a bunch of achievements. Specialization? What did I pick?

    Please place your stats before gaining specialization.

    Well, that¡¯s no help.

    Let¡¯s see. I had previously decided that I would choose either Clerk, Sweeper, or Stockboy. It was the safest way to gain free stat points to some of my weaker stats. I definitely wanted to avoid Errand boy, Mascot, and Security until I ran through the other three first. So, as long as I played it safe with my points, I should be good with what I choose. My Intelligence and Wisdom were the main options that I definitely wanted at thirty. Maybe that would be enough to make sure I didn¡¯t blackout when someone tried some bs.

    I sank 11 points into Intelligence and 12 points into Wisdom. Charisma was just three points away from 30 so I gave it the bump. Staring at Constitution I glared at the low number. That stat had always bugged me. No matter how hard I had worked at it, it was the hardest stat for me to improve. I jabbed the last nine points into it.

    Congratulations! You are now specialized!

    (One-time tool tip. As a merchant you have two classes to level. From now on, Experience will be stored. Main class may accept any experience. Specialization must gain either general experience or specialized experience. Plus Player tip, it is recommended that you select one specialization at a time. You may gain a new specialization every ten levels of your main class. To gain more tier 1 specializations you must sacrifice half of your earned free stats and ten levels. If you do not have half of your free stats available upon level up, they will be taken from your investments.)

    Great. I rolled my eyes; Tyler had already explained as much. Well, except the leveling thing. As I examined my character sheet again, I groaned. Security? What the fuck was I thinking? Two beers and I was hammered. That¡¯s why I pounded 9 points into Constitution. This is F¡¯ing ridiculous. Judging by the stats that Security leveled, I had definitely chosen the wrong places to put my points.

    Well, mostly. +1 Agility, +1 Dexterity, +1 Charisma per level. The one good thing was that I gained a perception skill from the specialization. As a plus player I got the skill at cost but did not need to purchase it or have to buy a scroll, no long training montage for me. I glanced at my stored XP and dumped a level¡¯s worth into security. I sighed as I realized that I would not be getting any free stat points. Dumping 10,000 into the main class before continuing. I stuck those into strength. I may not be a combatant, but strength was important to everyone. Raising Security to level 4 I closed my stats, realized it was the middle of the night, hugged Rica a bit tighter, and went back to sleep¡­

 Chapter 3 Settling in...

    Chapter 3

    Settling in¡­

    Mark Collier

    ¡°As I said before, sir.¡± The same clerk at the Merchants Guild reminded me as I approached. ¡°You need to level to a specialization in your class, to register with the guild. No need to waste your time.¡±

    <u>Character sheet</u>

    <u> </u>

    Name: <u>Mark Collier</u>

    Age: <u>18</u>

    Tier: <u>1</u>

    Class: <u>Merchant</u>

    Level: 11

    Specialization: <u>Security</u>

    Level: 4

    I sent him an edited version of my Character Sheet. To which he gaped. It had only been a couple of days since I had been here last. Sure, the first ten levels were considered the easiest. They were quick, dirty, and like dipping your toes into your new class. Usually, it took about a year, maybe two, as you leveled and tested the various facets of a job. You got some stats, learned some skills, and earned some money. By then, the other merchants or whatever class you have, would have had time to gather information on how reliable you were and among other things they could trust you with.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I let the word settle. ¡°Did that already. I need some work and the only way I can get it, is if you let me register.¡±

    ¡°Security?¡± He looked me over. ¡°You don¡¯t look very strong. What in all the hells made you think that that was a wise decision?¡±

    I shrugged. There was no way I could tell him that I chose it while I was blackout drunk. ¡°I¡¯ve always had a bit of an interest in security.¡±

    The elf quirked an eyebrow. ¡°Really? Did you not read any guides before picking that specialization?¡± I shook my head. ¡°The recommended path is to start with Stockboy or Sweeper, then the other. Then Clerk or Server, followed by the other. Security, Errand runner, and Mascot are considered on the higher end of tier 1.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I felt my charisma kicking in. ¡°I got a bit excited and chose this one before thinking about it overly much.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you try using that measly Charisma on me.¡± The elf sneered.

    ¡°Wait.¡± I held up a hand to forestall. ¡°You can control when you use it.¡±

    The elf sighed. ¡°You would have learned this had you been trained properly and not power leveled through, like a neanderthal.¡±

    ¡°Neanderthal?¡± I asked.

    The elf, just face palmed. ¡°Yeah, that thing you and your buddies did, was similar to what those neanderthal adventurers do. You shot up to that level without learning a single thing along the way. Now, I must figure out what to do with you. Your first ten levels should have been simple. Buy and sell a few things, rent a room, and buy a meal. Then start with the basics and get the low-level tasks out of the way.¡± He groaned, knowing that there was nothing he could do right now. ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do. You are going to tell me your stats. Then I¡¯m going to find something that should be acceptable.¡±

    ¡°Uh, okay¡­¡± I agreed. I couldn¡¯t imagine that my early level would be all that different from the standard.

    Stats:

    Strength: 13

    Agility: 13

    Dexterity: 11

    Constitution: 15

    Intelligence: 30

    Wisdom: 30

    Charisma: 34

    The elf quirked an eyebrow after looking at it. ¡°Been captured for quests a few times I take it? You¡¯re a bit weak for a Tier 1 class, but that¡¯s to be expected when you focus on the levels rather than the achievements.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I did not elaborate.

    ¡°Fine.¡± The elf sagged with relief. ¡°I think I can work with this. Security is a dangerous job and requires high Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. I would assume that you have gained the Negotiator skill with that stunt?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡± I agreed.

    ¡°Good, you¡¯ll need it.¡± The elf stated. ¡°Now, you barely meet the mind requirements for the level one security class. We¡¯ll assign you something in that order. I recommend that you get yourself a few items. Affer¡¯s sunglasses of perception, Clint¡¯s business class security suit, Torpin¡¯s boots of threatening speed. Each of these items will help you in areas that you are lacking. Hopefully, you¡¯ll live long enough to either earn or purchase the perception skill. These will allow you to level this class much faster.¡±

    ¡°What will I be doing?¡± I asked, taking the list that he handed me.

    ¡°Learning on the go.¡± The elf stated. ¡°Your only available job will be to catch thieves in a local shop. You are not quite strong enough to work the night shift, but the day shift should be fine. You will need to be very perceptive and catch anyone that might try to steal items from the shop. You can call for the guards if they are needed. Gain more XP for catching a thief without their help. Although, with your stats, I would recommend that you call the guards. You do not receive the same boost to your stats as the guards. This is a merchant¡¯s guild quest; you are not being hired by the shop. There is a difference.¡±

    I nodded and feigned understanding. I was getting a little tired of this guy talking down to me. ¡°Is there any recommendation on point allocation as I level my main class?¡±

    The elf snorted. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t even think about that until you have maxed out your specializations. Hopefully, over the next few years, you will be ready.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± I nodded.

    We spent the next half-hour filling out paperwork, going over the best way to apply for a job, collecting rewards, handling rough situations, and what was expected of me in any given situation. As the man that registered me, this elf had taken responsibility for me. Therefore, if I did well, so did he. If I failed, it was on him. In the process of learning this stuff, I had learned that his name was Charlie.

    Charlie was a brusque person that treated everyone like that. He was a mid-level administrator. As a tier 3 trader, Charlie had worked for years on the path to nobility. He was almost half-way there. Training me was considered a privilege of sorts, the type of privilege that clerks fought over for leveling purposes. Not because I was special or anything. Being and administrator for the guild was a great alternative for those that could not afford to purchase a shop of their own. The guild also had alternatives for several other types of hard to afford positions. Such as temporary caravanner positions that allowed for you to rent a spot to lead a caravan owned by the guild. You still had to provide security, purchase merchandise required for the delivery, and ensure that your goods were properly stored on the wagons. Any lost goods, wagons, or pack animals were on you, and you were required to either purchase the outrageous insurance or replace any damaged guild goods. It sounded a bit like extortion to me, but to those that could not afford the alternative, it was probably a good deal.

    After making the rounds to the recommended shops, I mostly learned where different businesses were. The glasses gave a +2 to perception, the suit had a +2 charisma and +1 agility, and the boots gave a +1 agility and +1 intimidation. Overall, it was about what you might expect from the position that I had. I had noted that since I did not have intimidation, my stats sheet did not have a perk for it. Then headed for home.

    ¡°So, when do you start working?¡± Rica asked as we sat down for dinner.

    ¡°In the morning.¡± I stated. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to pick up those gifts I got for you and Tyler. They should be ready.¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± Rica nodded while chewing on some food. ¡°Going to be a bit boring without you though.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°But you and Tyler can run a few dungeons this week if you get that bored. There is also that training that you wanted. I bet a few more spells could keep you entertained.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Rica smiled. ¡°I would go for an upgraded fire spell, but I¡¯m thinking a few more base spells might be the way to go.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡± I said, digging into the fried chicken. ¡°Base spells are easier to max. It might be better to start with those before trying the higher-level spells. I read that there is a relation that uses aspects from other types at higher levels. Have you ever heard of Borokial Magdux?¡±

    ¡°Who hasn¡¯t?¡± Rica quipped. From the smile on her face, I could tell that she was teasing.

    ¡°Quite a few of my magical texts were written by him.¡± I explained. ¡°He stated that with a good base, you¡¯ll have an easier time creating your own personal spells at higher tiers. Honestly, the way I understood it. The more points you use on your base spells and max them out. The easier it is supposed to be to create your own spells or learn new ones. Granted it may take more effort to gain higher tier spells. But how often do you hear about someone casting a tier 8 hellfire ring?¡±

    ¡°Never.¡± Rica snorted. ¡°That¡¯s more of a threat to use rather than a useful spell.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡± I smiled. ¡°It also has a ten-minute cast time. Which means, if the fight were to last that long, you would need protection from warriors for long enough to cast it. Then you have to consider that if they were strong enough to defend for that long, you wouldn¡¯t need to cast that spell. There is also the fact that if you actually need to cast that spell, everyone in your party is already dead.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Rica chuckled. ¡°I think that one might just count as a party trick. That¡¯s why I was thinking about working my way up slowly. Besides, you won¡¯t have to watch the boring slow wait time part.¡±

    ¡°Oh, does you fire spell have a shorter cooldown?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Rica snorted. ¡°You could say that. At level ten it was cut down to 2.5 seconds from 5 seconds. At fifteen, it became a multi-shot spell. At twenty, the max, it became sustainable.¡±

    ¡°Sustainable?¡± I frowned.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Rica nodded excitedly. ¡°So long as I have the mana, I can cast a continuous rain of fire spell. With the damage output as is, the fights tend to end quickly.¡±

    ¡°Nice!¡± I pumped a fist. ¡°Wish I could do that. All I can do is buy and sell stuff at a discount. Oh, and look at something really closely.¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± Rica barked with laughter. ¡°I bet the shop that you buy in the future will be super cheap compared to this place.¡± She squeezed my hand from across the table. ¡°Totally worth it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I squeezed back.

    ¡°Pshh.¡± Rica laughed it off. ¡°Call it a small investment in our future. That money was just sitting around anyway. I¡­ I only had one focus for the last few years.¡±

    ¡°Was it bad?¡± I asked gently.

    Rica nodded. ¡°At first, when we were focused on finding you¡­ I couldn¡¯t sleep without Tyler forcing sleeping potions down my throat. I blamed myself for getting mad at you before the attack. Then again for not noticing the monsters were a diversion that let the Angel approach you.¡± She took a painful breath before continuing. ¡°At least, I had a goal at that time. When we had finally got you¡­ I¡­ I was lost. You were broken and I had no idea what to do. Our parents¡¯ party was no help. Your sister threatened to kill me. Mother disowned me. Gale just seemed indifferent. They wanted me to just forget about you. Tyler was the one that intervened. He took care of both of us. He should have a saint class to be honest.¡± With a heavy sigh, she couldn¡¯t quite meet my eyes. ¡°Eventually, years later probably, Tyler got me to snap out of it. As soon as your body was whole, he came to me with a plan. We began to travel from city to city, speaking with priests, mages, alchemists, and rumor mongers.¡±

    ¡°Rumor mongers?¡± I asked with a chuckle.

    ¡°Hey.¡± Rica swatted my arm. ¡°I¡¯m trying to be serious here. Where was I? Oh, yeah. Rumor mongers. No one helped. There were some plausible leads that we chased, but they turned out to be nothing. One night, we were lying in that wagon, about to go to bed. You just stared at your chest full of books. I remembered how you loved reading those stupid things. So, in a moment of inspiration, I decided to start reading them to you. And that¡¯s what we did, night after night I would read to you. A year passed by as we worked our way through your collection. About a half-hour at a time. Then you did something strange as I read from a sleezy romance novel that I enjoyed.¡±

    ¡°Sleezy romance?¡± I grinned. ¡°What kind of sleezy romance?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Rica blushed. ¡°You closed my book and nodded to your chest. Startled, I dropped the book and began to dig out book after book from your chest. Nothing. You didn¡¯t respond any further. I explained it to Tyler, and he probably agreed that it was a sign just to placate me. I thought you were coming back. It was exciting. I began to read other types of books. Accounting, historical, Magic guidance, and just about anything educational.¡±

    ¡°Did you pay attention to them?¡± I grinned cheekily.

    ¡°Yeeees.¡± Rica protested with a slight smile. ¡°It was a historical tome written by an adventurer married to a commoner that got a reaction from you. You even flipped the pages and got me to the right section. That was how I learned that we needed to return to the place that we had been camping the night you were taken. It had been years and we were not as certain as to the exact location. The roads had changed over the years as the local nobles had the bright idea to turn it to stone. But after about six months of back-and-forth travel, we stopped for the night to discuss other locations that it could¡¯ve been. I had left you in the wagon by yourself, you usually stayed put, it was common to find that you hadn¡¯t moved for half a day or more. But that night you got up and sat down in the exact spot that you were in when you were kidnapped.¡±

    ¡°At which point, you attacked me with lust in your eyes and love in your heart.¡± I grinned.

    ¡°Ugh.¡± Rica groaned. ¡°Why did I even tell you this story?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m one sexy hunk.¡± I winked.

    ¡°I liked you more without the confidence.¡± Rica tried to hide a smile. My stats were starting to affect my looks and the way others looked at me.

    ¡°Want me to sleep on the couch?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare.¡± Rica warned.

    ***

    ¡°Your goal is not to stop them.¡± The clerk, a shorter than average elven woman stated. ¡°That is for the guards that I pay. No, your job is to spot the thieves and either notify the guard or notify me. You may try to talk them out of it, but I will not be paying any death insurance or hire adventurers to save you. Understand?¡±

    I had to try exceptionally hard to ensure that I didn¡¯t bark with laughter at the end of her statement. Rica would burn this store and half the town to the ground in search of me. I had learned to accept that whether or not I could claim her, she would not give up waiting for the day. And she didn¡¯t want it spoiled by a fling in the night.

    ¡°Yes, mam.¡± I agreed. ¡°Are there any items in particular that you want me to watch? Stuff that has a higher probability of being stolen.¡±

    ¡°Everything!¡± The elf stated, frustrated. ¡°Everything in the store has some sort of value. I want you to watch out for anything and everything to be stolen. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s an expert thief or some beggar child. If they are stealing, report it. My guards will take care of the situation. Got it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, mam.¡± I said and started my patrol.

    I had no idea what I was doing or looking for. But, as a wiseman once stated in my favorite novel, ¡®fake it till you make it.¡¯ So, I paced in a circuit slowly. Pausing at various locations, looking for anything shady. I checked the faces as the bell rang at the entrance. Not fully convinced of what I should do, I continued to check on each customer as they perused the stock.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Honestly, I probably wouldn¡¯t have caught anyone had it not been for my perception. I stopped three children, a woman with a high Charisma by the looks of her, and a teenager that looked as if he was going for a rogue class. I notified the guards on each of them. They were posted at the door and caught each of them. But¡­

    Congratulations! You have caught a criminal! 70 XP earned.

    Congratulations! You have caught a criminal! 70 XP earned.

    Congratulations! You have caught a criminal! 70 XP earned.

    Congratulations! You have caught a criminal! 85 XP earned.

    Congratulations! You have caught a criminal! 120 XP earned.

    Congratulations! Your perception has improved! Level 2 earned.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± The short elf looked concerned at the end of the day. ¡°Normally, we catch more on an average day. But, considering that this is your first day and you are still learning. I understand that you had power leveled to get to this point, yes? You know what¡­ never mind. Return tomorrow and try to catch a few more.¡±

    ¡°Yes, mam.¡± I breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯ll try harder tomorrow.¡±

    She passed me a bag of coins. ¡°Don¡¯t try. Just do better. Or you¡¯ll be stuck at tier one forever.¡±

    Congratulations! You have earned 60 coppers.

    ¡°Yes, mam.¡± I agreed. ¡°I will.¡±

    ***

    That night Tyler met up with us for drinks in the tavern. He and Rica did not seem to care for the Adventurers guild all that much. And in the Heights, we didn¡¯t have to deal with someone trying to use me for a kidnapping quest nearly as much. The ale was expensive and tasted better than the stuff they served at the Guild Hall. The servers were better looking, and the bartender was a nice guy. Coincidently enough, he was the only other demon kin that I had met in town.

    Most of the clientele was upper class and not as likely to start a random brawl either. To my surprise, Tyler liked that part the most. I supposed that I could understand why. Everywhere he went it seemed like the rougher looking people were always trying to size him up. Probably to see if they could take him.

    ¡°There I was, pants around my ankles and my axe was lying back in camp by the fire.¡± Tyler acted out the story and it got funnier the drunker he got. Another reason he liked it here. He could actually get drunk. They had higher tiered alcohol for people with strong constitutions. ¡°A freaking Gorber Snake showed up.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± As Rica laughed, ale shot out her nose. ¡°Then he latched onto your balls, like a calf to a cow.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Tyler laughed. ¡°I killed the beast with my bare hands.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Rica continued. ¡°And couldn¡¯t wear your pants until we met a healer.¡±

    ¡°I forgot that part.¡± Tyler grumbled. Then looked at her with a wicked grin. ¡°Why don¡¯t you regale us with one of your epic adventures?¡±

    Rica suddenly stopped laughing.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± Tyler pouted, half-drunk. ¡°Maybe next time you won¡¯t ruin the story.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°Did I miss something?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Rica shook her head. ¡°I just forgot what Tyler¡¯s like when he gets into his cups. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t be like that, Rics.¡± Tyler slurred. ¡°The funs just starting. Why don¡¯t you tell Mark about the time I walked in on you trying a new method for waking him up?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an ass, Tyler.¡± Rica said, pulling me toward the door. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, when you are ready to apologize.¡±

    ¡°Fuck that.¡± Tyler muttered as we headed for the door. ¡°I don¡¯t need to apologize. You need to apologize.¡±

    ***

    The next morning, Tyler was at the door when I answered it. His eyes were bloodshot, the ale was still on his breath, and he looked absolutely miserable.

    ¡°Hey, Tyler.¡± I greeted him.

    The foulest belch I had ever smelt escaped from his lips as he leaned forward. ¡°Hey, little buddy. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry man. I shouldn¡¯t have been such an ass. Rica¡¯s always been good to me. I didn¡¯t mean to insinuate the stuff she did to help you was bad, man. Hell, I encouraged it. Anything to not have to check for shit¡­ Ah, fuck man. I¡¯m just gonna shut up now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I said. ¡°Rica told me about how you helped me out. There¡¯s nothing you could say to upset me. I¡¯m not so certain that I could have done the same.¡±

    ¡°You would.¡± Tyler slapped my shoulder confidently and looked seriously into my eyes. ¡°You did far more than that. No way I could forget that debt.¡±

    ¡°Debt?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Tyler nodded. ¡°I owe you big for &$%^¡± And the headache consumed my brain as he explained what I did.

    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t even remember that. So, don¡¯t go feeling like you owe me.¡±

    Tyler frowned. ¡°Did you not hear what I said?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°With the added stats, the headache isn¡¯t nearly as bad.¡±

    ¡°Trust me.¡± Tyler smiled. ¡°It was the least that I could do.¡± He pat my shoulder again. ¡°Is Rica still here or should I meet her at the gates?¡±

    ¡°She likes to visit the Mages Guild every morning.¡± I explained. ¡°I¡¯m about to head out for work. See you guys later.¡±

    ***

    A few weeks passed as I got used to my routine. I leveled once, both in my specialization and perception, and had gotten much better at my job. I noticed smaller details. I learned that anyone, anyone could be a thief. That didn¡¯t mean that I had caught everyone, just that I knew that I was getting better at it. I was starting to get confident enough to use my Negotiator skill with the criminals. I suspected that that would give me more experience. Even though, I had yet to try it out.

    There was a definite change I noticed upon getting home. Rica sat in the swing on the porch reading a book, dressed in the white with yellow flower summer dress that I had purchased for her. She looked gorgeous. Her almost ash grey skin, long flowing silver hair, just a hint of makeup that accentuated and highlighted her sharp cheekbones and drew attention to her beautiful golden eyes. Her nails were painted red, her horns seemed to have been polished to a shine, and her tail flicked back and forth, almost nervously.

    Rica looked up as I approached, delivering a smile that nearly dropped me to my knees, she gave me a small wave.

    ¡°How was your day?¡± Rica asked sweetly.

    ¡°It was okay. I caught twelve thieves today.¡± I said as I approached, practically drooling as I openly let my eyes roam over her figure. The last I had saw her, she was wearing her beat-up and well-worn mage¡¯s robes. They were thick, hid her figure, and incredibly bland.

    ¡°That¡¯s-Oh!¡± Rica squealed.

    I couldn¡¯t help myself as I grabbed at her rear and kissed her deeply.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Rica melted into my arms. ¡°What¡¯s got you all feisty today?¡±

    I grinned and kissed her again. ¡°Have you seen yourself today? You¡¯re gorgeous, Rica. We need to get a dozen more of these dresses for you.¡±

    Rica blushed, suddenly looking very shy. ¡°Y¡­ yeah. I¡¯ll go order some tomorrow¡­ you like it, though?¡±

    My hands ran over her hips feeling her form through the fabric. It was blissful. ¡°Yeah, Rica.¡± I nearly moaned, myself. ¡°I like.¡±

    Rica gathered herself with great effort and slapped my hands away. ¡°As much as I like the attention, this is a new dress from my current suitor.¡± She gave me a smug grin. ¡°And I would like it to last for more than a day.¡± She had the thing in her closet and had yet to wear it.

    Rica took my hand, led me through the house, and up to the balcony. She had a table, some chairs, and a canopy set up to give us some shade. As she sat down, I noticed that the book she was reading was titled, <u>Wives and Darlings</u>. It sounded like a smutty romance book. That was her favorite genre. The last one I caught her reading was called <u>Guest in the Forest</u>. I found that I liked that she enjoyed reading. It was something that we shared. I may not care for the ten copper novels that were her favorite guilty pleasure, but that didn¡¯t mean that it wasn¡¯t a shared hobby.

    Rica would discuss these stories with me, and I would share my more educational knowledge with her. I learned the story of how Henander had taken his fourth succubus wife. Shaking my head in disbelief, I could only grin at the hidden content that she did not mention. It is full of sex, domination, and slavery.

    Slavery was not particularly frowned upon in the kingdom, there were certain aspects of it that twisted my guts. Sex slaves, children, sometimes both. Indentured servitude was not nearly as bad. Mostly a debtor¡¯s contract is placed on an individual for failing to repay a debt. It essentially forced the pledger of the debt to work at half the wages normally earned while working for the loaner. Usually, these contracts would be sold to various businesses and enforced by the system. Bounties were dispatched and town guards were notified. It was useless to run when you were labeled an outlaw.

    I in turn would educate her on civilian information that she did not receive as an adventurer. Explaining taxes, registration regulations, rules for commerce, as well as many other trivial facts. She had found it interesting that there were stringent rules placed upon citizens that were not in their favor. She knew but hadn¡¯t known. Her little retribution that destroyed half the town was common. Had a civilian tried the same thing¡­ they would have been hung from the gallows. That¡¯s if they lived that long.

    The most shocking thing she had heard was that civilians could only have one married partner. The number of wives/husbands one could take increased with nobility rank. As a merchant, it did not matter if I was the richest man in the country, I could only have one wife. You could not gain a rank of nobility without land. Land could be claimed through a number of paths. Of course, the property we lived in did not count. You had to either set up a new settlement, with people that settled on it willing to pay taxes. Have a settlement granted to you by the king. Inherit a settlement from your family, so long as you meet the requirements. Gain one through the right of conquest. And so on¡­

    The problem was that you needed to be able to defend that land as well as provide the citizens with a certain degree of authority. In all cases you had to adhere to the laws of the land and the system. Invest in the lands and instill improvements. How? I don¡¯t know. (It was a secret that nobility would not relinquish even upon death.)

    The only land currently available to set up your own kingdom was in the dead lands. And unless you were willing to set that up deep into the territory, one of the five kingdoms that surrounded it would just conquer your territory. That and the fact that the name had explained it all. You would have to have an army of high-level soldiers or adventurers at your command, just to conquer and defend it. The elite level mobs and champion tier bosses were so numerous that only the most suicidal person would go there. There were tales that that land was where high-level people went to die when they had finally had enough of living forever.

    ¡°How long do you think it¡¯ll take you to finish your security duty?¡± Rica asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± I muttered as I paged through my book. ¡°I¡¯m thinking I might start some high-risk stuff soon. Maybe it¡¯ll give me a boost to my leveling. A year at minimum. Unless we can figure out something to speed level my merchant class.¡±

    ¡°Like buying something big?¡± Rica smirked.

    My eyebrows shot up. ¡°I had forgotten that we can do that. But I don¡¯t want to waste money on stupid shit.¡± Wait, that¡¯s a great idea. The food purchases alone would be a steady supply of XP.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how stupid it would be.¡± Rica smiled. ¡°But I was thinking about getting a pet.¡±

    ¡°What kind of pet?¡± I asked. A cat or dog? Something larger?

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Rica smiled. ¡°Maybe a Devil Dog or Hell Cat? I would rather not get something gaudy like a Dragon or Griffon. A unicorn and their damn holy horn would likely kill me. And could you imagine a grand eagle?¡± She shuddered. ¡°No, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Not a bad idea.¡± I agreed. ¡°What¡¯s the budget?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not spending more than 50,000 gold.¡± Rica stated, pointedly avoiding how much she actually had.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± I nodded. ¡°If you want, I can start looking around tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Would you!¡± Rica clapped her hands in delight.

    Quest alert! Find a pet for Rica the Mage. ¨C Rica is feeling a bit down and lonely. Please help her find a pet to fill the hole in her heart. Pet must cost less than 50,000 Gold. Reward ¨C Trader¡¯s tunic, 2,000 gold, XP varies based on the quality of the pet and satisfaction of the customer.

    Accept? Y/N

    ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± I mumbled as I accepted. Why didn¡¯t I get a quest for the houses? Too low-level? Because they were partially for me? Whatever. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll see what I can come up with.¡±

    She¡¯s lonely?

    Hopefully she¡¯ll start feeling better when her mother arrives. Whenever that was supposed to be. As of right now she had responded and let Rica know that she would stop by when she had the time. Rica said that that had meant that she might show up. Shealla¡¯s faith in Rica¡¯s ability to restore my faculties was minimal at best. I had the nagging sensation that she was not telling me the whole truth.

    Something big had gone down during the time that I was checked out. But neither she nor Tyler had mentioned what it was. I had the feeling that it was dire. But not in the way that affected adventurers the same way it affected civilians. I got the vague sense that it was something that everyone knew, but no one spoke about.

    The way that Rica and Tyler had emphatically demanded that we ¡®settle down¡¯ for a while. The snippets of conversation that I overheard when they thought I wasn¡¯t paying attention. Something to do with the king and Rica¡¯s grandfather. Whatever it was, it wasn¡¯t good. Like a war maybe? Or assassination?

    ¡°So¡­ Hell Cat?¡± I asked. I knew that the only reason she was with holding that information from me, was likely because my mind couldn¡¯t handle it, and she hated seeing me in pain.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Rica beamed. ¡°I just think that they are soooo cute! Devil Dogs are fiercely protective and loveable. Hell Cats can be a bit haughty but they are known to be just as protective of their owner as a Devil Dog. On a hunt, Hell Cats have mostly stealthy attack skills. They¡¯ll slip into the shadows and takeout targets without a sound. Devil Dogs on the other hand, will guard their owner while trading massive amounts of damage. Like a tank.¡±

    I smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can find. Maybe they¡¯ll be fairly cheap. Last I heard, not even dragon pets cost 50,000 gold.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Rica deflated. ¡°Yeah, just expect some inflation. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Quest alert! Find out what¡¯s driving up the price of pets. During your absence, something occurred to drive up the prices of all goods. Did you not notice the cost of housing? Figure it out. Reward ¨C knowledge, varied XP, chain quest progression, 20 silver, and trader¡¯s shoes.

    Accept Y/N?

    I nodded to her while accepting the quest. Lying to Rica wasn¡¯t on my priority list, but this felt like everyone around me was lying as well. Maybe it was just some inflation. Then again, maybe not. The only way I would find out is to ask. Even if it took becoming an information broker. Probably wouldn¡¯t have to go that far, but the class was essential to ferret out secrets. Something that would definitely come in handy as a noble. Guaranteed discounts on a spy network. The same reason to work security, traveling merchant, and cattleman. Cheaper prices and an increased reputation for setting up trade routes, and business necessities.

    ¡°That dress is so much better than I could have imagined.¡± I stated not remembering if I had complimented her on it already. ¡°Your beauty really draws out the colors.¡± My eyes peeled her form like a lecherous bastard. ¡°Are you not wearing any undergarments, Rica?¡±

    Rica¡¯s ashen skin darkened with blush as she refused to give me a straight answer. ¡°Tyler said that he found the first dungeon we¡¯ll be diving. It¡¯s super low-level, but should be a great learning experience, considering that we have never run a real dungeon. And don¡¯t say that bear cave near Calvara. It was just a cave that had one bear spawn on repeat.¡±

    I chuckled in response. ¡°What kind of dungeon is it? Supply or fodder to sell off?¡±

    ¡°Goblin?¡± Rica stated confused. ¡°So, fodder, I guess. You can sell our goods to the local merchants and keep five percent for yourself. I¡¯m less worried about the money and rewards, than I am about the chance to level my new spells.¡±

    I grinned. After explaining my Negotiator skill to her, Rica had understood that I would gain more experience for it if I only took a cut of the profits. Rather than the charity that she and Tyler had planned on doing until I reached noble rank. I didn¡¯t want charity, I wanted to earn it myself. This was our middle ground.

    ¡°Great!¡± I clapped my hands together. ¡°Are you excited? What spells are you working on.¡±

    ¡°Snowball, shocking grasp, magic missile, and the move earth spells. As for the excitement?¡± Rica rolled her eyes. ¡°No. I just want you to claim me and skip this farce. We can move far away and be happy. No need for this nobility crap. That was our parents¡¯ plan for you. They wanted you to make the most of your class, even if it wasn¡¯t adventuring.¡± The note of bitterness in her voice told me exactly what she thought about them and their plans.

    I shrugged. ¡°Better than scraping by with nothing to gain. Besides, you know that I can¡¯t do that until I can stand by your side. Not clutch to your skirts.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± Rica protested. ¡°You know how I feel and by the way that your body reacts, I can tell that you feel the same.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not do this again.¡± I sighed. ¡°Rica, it doesn¡¯t matter how I feel about you. How can I call myself a man if you are the one always protecting me? For fuck¡¯s sake, I can¡¯t even remember confessing to you. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair.¡± Rica pouted. ¡°Why does it have to be like this? The fucking system blanked out some of our most important moments.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I groaned. ¡°But believe me. That¡¯s not how I imagined gaining your favor. I wanted you to see me as an equal. No offense to Tyler, but I wanted you to see me as a better option. Right now¡­¡± I feel like a pity case.

    ¡°Fine.¡± Rica snapped, standing abruptly. ¡°But you better get your shit together and level quickly.¡±

    I nodded as she left me to stew in my seat.

    ***

    As the days passed, I began to dual level. I would make purchases that we required and sell the objects that Rica and Tyler would bring in. Collecting a share from the sales and experience in the process I pressed it for a much faster leveling process than Charlie recommended. My need to impress and feel on the same level as Rica drove me to a new level.

    Merchant hit level twelve and security hit seven. Negotiator and perception increased by three levels a piece. Storing my excess points for the moment, because I didn¡¯t want to know what it felt like to have them ripped out of me when I took my next tier 1 specialization. I was now catching thieves at a nearly normal rate. My need for XP had pushed me into catching the criminals myself. I was right, it had vastly improved my experience gain.

    In between purchases, I gathered intel on what had happened in the last decade while I was out. Yet, it did very little good. Townsfolk knew nothing and adventurers refused to talk with some low-level nobody. I think that it might have something to do with my inability to see anything other than the woods while we were traveling. A little mind fuckery. I decided to let the matter settle for now.

    As for the pet¡­ well that was another matter altogether. Without finding one in the wild, you had to go to a breeder. Hell beasts were bred far to the south. They needed much warmer climates to be comfortable. Rica was not interested in the local variety of beasts, so I had to do a little digging.

    Looking into the System shop, I did have an option to purchase pets. Untrained, baby, pets. Little monsters that would piss and shit everywhere, and just might attack on sight. Depending on the pet. Those were marked at an astounding 10,000 gold. If I wanted a specific pet? Add on another 1,000. Potty trained? 2,000 gold. Trained to attack only monsters? 5,000 gold. Special skills and traits? Forget about it. Want one that is better than common? Go fuck yourself. I haven¡¯t decided if I should even mention it to Rica. After finding out about breeders, I explained that it could take some time. She just accepted that we would have to relocate before getting a pet. As dejected as she had looked was the reason that I even investigated the system shop in the first place.

    ***

    ¡°Look.¡± I stated, looking at the elven woman slipping a potion in her bag. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you need the money, have a sick sibling, baby, or whatever. I care that you are trying to steal from my employer. Either put that back or I¡¯ll call the guards.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± She said quickly.

    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t. And I don¡¯t want to. I have a job to do. Now, put it back. Or I¡¯ll call the guards.¡±

    ¡°Please, mister, it¡¯s my mother.¡± The elf pleaded.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I said pitiless. ¡°Talk to the guard or the owner. But you need to put that back before you do so.¡± My hand snatched out at a passing child. ¡°That goes for you too.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± The kid protested loudly.

    ¡°Right.¡± I deadpanned. ¡°I¡¯m not falling for that shit again. Correct me if I¡¯m wrong kid. But this is your third offense. I believe that puts you up for indentured servitude.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± The boy spat as my hand snapped out and caught the girl. ¡°I ain¡¯t done nothin wrong. Hey! Let her go!¡± He tried to kick at me. Good thing I was a human with long arms.

    ¡°Just put the stolen goods back and we can forget this whole situation.¡± I said and began to haul them to Gertrude the owner. ¡°Got two here Gerdy. This one.¡± I shook the boy. ¡°Claims he ain¡¯t done nothin wrong.¡± I smirked and shook the dangling girl. ¡°This one, claims that its important and her kid¡¯s dying.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The girl nodded eagerly. ¡°She¡¯s such a sweetheart, too. I could bring her by the next time I¡¯m here.¡±

    The boy, much younger than her, face palmed and shook his head.

    ¡°Wait.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I thought it was your mother.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± The girl panicked. ¡°Her too.¡±

    Gertrude examined the potion in her hand. ¡°And what would either of them need a vial of petrification for?¡±

    ¡°You see¡­¡± She was having trouble explaining it.

    ¡°Just shut up, Tammy.¡± The boy sighed. ¡°If you¡¯re lucky, they might only fine you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Thomas.¡± I grinned. ¡°But I think Tammy can speak for herself.¡±

    ¡°Take them to Gerald.¡± Gertrude said. ¡°He can sort them out.¡±

    I nodded and headed for the entrance. One thing that I had learned since starting was that even if I didn¡¯t have the boosted guard stats, the customers didn¡¯t know that. Which meant, I could ¡®fake¡¯ it. And that alone made my job so much easier.

    ¡°Gerald.¡± I greeted the ex-adventurer/guard. ¡°Got another two for you. Tommy¡¯s back!¡± I smiled shaking the boy out toward him. ¡°I believe he is due for indenture. Check his inventory to be safe. And this¡­¡± I shook the girl out for him as he finished cuffing Thomas. ¡°Is Tammy. She¡¯s got a whole host of family issues. Apparently, her mother and daughter are sick with some sort of strange illness that requires a potion of petrification.¡±

    ¡°Is that right?¡± Gerald chuckled. ¡°Tommy, you know the drill. Tammy, copy your friend.¡±

    ¡°I liked you better when you were an unobservant fool.¡± Tommy glared at me. ¡°And how many times do I have to tell you. It¡¯s Thomas, not Tommy.¡±

    ¡°And I liked you when you were an innocent little brat.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Tommy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a little brat!¡± Tommy protested. ¡°I¡¯m thirty-five for fuck¡¯s sake. I work at the thief¡¯s guild. And I could kill you in your sleep if I wanted.¡±

    ¡°Sure, you are.¡± I chuckled and patted his head. ¡°Then you should be used to indentured servitude contracts.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± He spat, swatting at my hand. ¡°They soon regret it! I take everything not nailed down!¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± I barked with laughter. ¡°Good for you, Tommy. Let me know how the mines work out when they catch you.¡±

    ¡°Screw you!¡± Tommy shook his manacled fists at me.

    ¡°Okay, Tommy, that¡¯s enough.¡± Gerald clamped a big meaty fist down. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you let Mark get you so riled up.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s an ass!¡± Tommy growled. ¡°Petrification potion is a 20-copper potion. How¡¯s a thief supposed to earn their stripes?¡±

    ¡°Be better.¡± I chuckled and turned to the girl. ¡°Your class sucks. But there are so many good things that you could do with it.¡± I looked at Tommy. ¡°If she wants to earn her stripes, she could do it in a dungeon. Plenty of locked chests, doors, and traps. Stop stealing from honest hardworking folk and join a team.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡± Tammy agreed quickly.

    Not really caring if she followed through with it, I returned to my duty¡­

 Chapter 4 The perks of leveling...

    Chapter 4

    The perks of leveling¡­

    Mark Collier

    Congratulations!  You have leveled up!

    New ability earned!  Hire guard.

    Please select a Specialization.

    I just blinked as I stared at the notifications.  It had taken three months.  Granted that was extremely fast for a merchant.  But compared to the speed at which an adventurer could level, hitting twenty was something that could be done in less time.  Okay, that was a lie.  Much like me, the adventurers would need to be power leveled.  And while they are facing down death at every turn.  The hardest thing I had to do was ask my girlfriend for a loan.

    Well, technically she called it a gift.  I called it a loan.  I wanted to see if I could get the first-tier discount at the System Shop and justify purchasing anything from it.  Through my earnings from the loot sales, my job as a security agent, various investment deals at the market, I had earned just under 80,000 gold.  Rica had also invested in my future.  I was now the proud owner of the first-tier discount in the System Shop.

    I hesitated to purchase guard services for the time being.  Who heard of a guard for a sweeper?  My first priority was to do something about the quests sitting in my log.  As I thought about it, I dumped my twenty free stats into Intelligence and wisdom.  I felt that that was probably the best way to learn more of the information the system was blocking me from.  A high settled into my brain as the stats jumped ten points apiece.

    I had zero gold and that was the only thing stopping me from purchasing her pet.  That meant riskier jobs.  Maybe a night shift?  Tyler and Rica said that since they had maxed out the level their skills could gain from the first dungeon, they would be starting on the next dungeon tomorrow.  That meant better items and equipment to sell.  I still refused to get rid of the holy gear gained from their rescue of me.  I didn¡¯t need the quick levels that badly.  Plus, it would be awesome to open my first shop with high-quality goods right off the bat.

    For now, though, I had a tough decision in store for me¡­

    Stock boy ¨C the duties of a stock boy include keeping track of inventory, adding the appropriate amount of goods for the coming day, and sorting out bartered goods.  (+1 strength, +1 Constitution, +1 Intelligence) Plus player advantage ¨C Identify skill.

    Sweeper class ¨C the duties of a sweeper include cleaning up any spills, removing a dirt and dust from the floor and shelves, and cleaning any gunk and gore from bartered goods.  (+1 Agility, +1 Dexterity, +1 Wisdom) Plus player advantage ¨C Clean spell ¨C This spell may be cast on an item to remove the remnants of filth from items.

    I was kicking myself now.  I could have had a magic spell from the very beginning?  Damn it.  Even if it was a bullshit spell that did nothing, it would have been awesome to cast magic.  Then again, it might be better if I chose stock boy first.  As awesome as magic was, it could get a better value on my bartered goods if I could Identify them¡­ Shit.

    ***

    ¡°Rica, Tyler.¡±  I said to each in greeting once I arrived at home.  ¡°How¡¯s the hunt for the dungeon going?¡±

    ¡°You would think that it would be easier.¡±  Tyler groaned, turning his gaze on Rica.  ¡°But someone managed to piss off the guilds in town and they refuse to give us a guide.¡±

    ¡°Well, if that slimy little elf bitch looks at my man again¡­¡±  Rica stated.  ¡°I¡¯m going to roast her ass.¡±

    Tyler rolled his eyes.  ¡°She was gaping at the quantity of goods we were handing over.  Not Mark.¡±  He focused on me.  ¡°No offense, Mark.  But you¡¯re just not that sexy.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡±  I drawled.  ¡°I can see why too.  I mean the dwarf girl at the tavern was looking at the size of your gut, not something else that is nearly eyelevel.¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡±  Tyler grinned.  GO BRO-CODE!  ¡°But no.  We¡¯re close.  It might take another day or two.¡±

    Rica glared at the two of us.  I could tell that she was happy we were getting along though.  ¡°So, did you pick your new specialization?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±  I said seriously.  ¡°Last time I got drunk and didn¡¯t really think it over.  But this time I might need some help.¡±  I held up a hand to forestall any questions.  ¡°It¡¯s between sweeper and stock boy.  They¡¯re both going to take a long time to level.  However, I can¡¯t decide which is better.  Stock boy is kind of a strength build and comes with the Identify skill.  It would definitely help with purchases.  Sweeper is a bit different¡­ it¡¯s an Agility type build with a Cleaning spell that could come in handy.¡±  Plus¡­ MAGIC!

    ¡°Stock boy.¡±  Rica said immediately.  She had been trying to get me to invest in strength from the very beginning.

    Tyler frowned at her comment.  ¡°Okay, Mark.  Just like last time.  Money is not really an issue.  What¡¯s your gut say?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re both great.¡±  I answered honestly.  ¡°I want to make the most that I can as fast as I can.  But I mean¡­ magic!  I¡¯d love to be able to cast spells.¡±

    Rica rolled her eyes.  ¡°Trust me, take the strength build.  Next time take the agility build.¡±

    ¡°I also gained an ability.¡±  I admitted before making a choice.

    ¡°What ability?¡±  Tyler asked.

    ¡°Hire guard.¡±  I grinned.  ¡°Not like it¡¯ll do me much good.¡±

    ¡°Fuck that.¡±  Tyler laughed.  ¡°Take Stock boy, work the nightshift and hire one of us.  You said that we¡¯re only gone for a couple of hours when we leave town, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  I nodded.  ¡°So, you¡¯re both in favor of Stock boy, then?¡±  That hurt for some reason.  But I let it go.  They were both good classes.  And the whole reason I brought it to them was because I couldn¡¯t decide.

    ¡°Yes.¡±  Rica stated.  ¡°Now, try to hire me.¡±

    Warning!  This player is too high of a tier to hire.  Please choose someone else.

    ¡°Sorry.¡±  I shook my head.  ¡°You are too high tiered.¡±

    ¡°Shit.¡±  Tyler groaned.  ¡°We hit tier two a week ago.¡±

    ¡°Level forty?¡±  I asked, confused.  The adventurer tiers were a bit different than townsfolk.  I could be tier 2 at level twenty.  So long as I had been willing to focus solely on security class.  But that wouldn¡¯t be feasible if I wanted to be emperor.

    The thing about the Emperor Class, is that it ruled over all the kings.  The highest adventurer class, there were a few requirements to gain it as well.  You must level-up to prestige and gain a noble title.  Each time a person Prestiged they gained another rank of nobility.  The max prestige rank was the king rank.  The system for adventurers and worker classes are completely different.  Probably because an adventurer could just kill stuff to level, a blacksmith or leatherworker couldn¡¯t.  It was the difference between rapid growth and a steady pace.

    The problem with a non-combatant trying to gain that is that usually one of the kings would remove merchants or traders before they could approach that level.  My main goal to skirt around that was to take over some unclaimed territory.  My sister and the Black Dawn party, as far as I knew, were working on gaining the strength to secure land within the Dead lands.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  Rica nodded.  ¡°It was unavoidable.  I wanted to make sure you leveled quickly.¡±  She looked disappointed.

    ¡°Maybe I can still do that plan.¡±  I stated.  ¡°The night shift allows for double XP.  I should be able to get to the cap in half the time.  And if I can manage to hire a local to guard me, then I should be able to level my hire guard skill.  I¡¯m not sure how it works, but I imagine that eventually I can hire you guys.  It goes by slots and says that I gain bonuses for every other level.  Maybe it just takes two slots for a tier 2 guard.  Or I will gain a bonus that lets me do so.¡±

    Congratulations!  You have chosen the Stock boy specialization!

    Congratulations!  You have gained the Identify skill.

    I grinned as I felt the points from the new specialization soak in.  I knew from experience that it would take until tomorrow morning for my stats to settle throughout my body.  Sure, I would receive a slight boost right now.  But it wouldn¡¯t be until tomorrow that I would feel the full benefits of it.  In the morning I would meet with Charlie and work on my options.

    Identify¡¯s effects were immediate though.  I learned that it not only identified items, but people too.  Granted Rica and Tyler just gave me a bunch of question marks.  I suspected that the name displayed was only because I knew it already.

    ¡°Ooo.¡±  Rica grinned as she gripped my arm, feeling the slight improvements as they occurred.  ¡°Won¡¯t be long now.¡±

    ¡°Did you hold off on physical stats just so Mark could make his claim?¡±  Tyler chuckled.

    ¡°No.¡±  Rica balked.  ¡°My class just doesn¡¯t require a high strength or constitution.¡±

    ¡°Will that change once Mark makes an honest woman out of you?¡±  Tyler snorted.

    ¡°Wait.¡±  I interrupted.  ¡°Don¡¯t you have a mixed class?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±  Rica answered.  ¡°I have the option to be a spell sword.  I have yet to claim it.  As it was a level up choice, I haven¡¯t found the need for it yet.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±  Tyler chuckled.  ¡°I don¡¯t recall you getting the Archmagi option.¡±

    ¡°I still could!¡±  Rica protested.

    ***

    ¡°Oh, look.¡±  Charlie snarked.  ¡°You are only partially normal.  A perfectly normal starter choice.  Perfectly normal stats I imagine.  And you only leveled your security class about four times faster than any normal person.  You do understand that you are doing yourself a disservice.¡±

    I shrugged.  ¡°I¡¯m not settling for being a landed baron.¡±

    Charlie chuckled.  ¡°Well, I do recall saying much the same thing when I was your age.  Careful though.  You¡¯ll go broke at this rate.¡±

    I nodded.  ¡°I want an overnight Stock boy position and a guard.¡±

    Charlie rolled his eyes.  ¡°How did you manage to get that ability already?¡±

    ¡°Rich friends.¡±  I shrugged.  ¡°Adventurers.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±  Charlie smiled.  ¡°Yes, the tier 2 adventurers pissing off half the town.  That Rica sure has a short fuse.  I have to admit though, that setting up a trade deal with them was a wise move.  It¡¯s probably why you are leveling so fast.  Most adventurers want to keep their riches like trolls and dragons.  I don¡¯t know how you managed it, but good job.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±  I sighed.  ¡°If you know a demon kin that doesn¡¯t have a short temper, I¡¯ll know you¡¯re a liar.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true.¡±  Charlie chuckled and began going through some paperwork.  ¡°It¡¯s looks as if you did well when you were working with Gertrude.  She even noted that you had a record number of caught thieves in the last week.  She stated that she would be more than willing to help supply a stall for you once you¡¯re ready.  Congratulations on setting up your first connection.  I¡¯ll mark this contract as complete.  You may collect your gold from the clerk later.¡±  He began digging through some papers.  ¡°I¡¯ll have to send a request to the Adventurer guild for a tier 1 adventurer.  You may interview them or just accept whoever they send.  However, I recommend that you just accept the first one that they send.  At least until you gain some reputation and level that ability.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±  I asked.

    ¡°Refusing an adventurer can have some negative consequences.¡±  Charlie explained.  ¡°Right now, you do not have any reputation.  Therefore, it would be unwise to refuse them and gain a negative reputation point before you even get started.  I do not recommend paying more than a silver a week, however.  At the level of guard that you will receive they will not be worth any more than that.  If you choose to pay less, your reputation will climb at a much slower rate though.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±  I nodded.  ¡°A silver a week.  How long before I gain some levels with it?¡±

    ¡°Typically.¡±  Charlie scratched his chin.  ¡°About a single reputation point a week.  Ten weeks and you gain your first level of reputation.  I recommend, if you have the money to spend, either giving the guard a raise of a silver or hiring someone better.  The key to leveling this ability is how much you spend.  But you can¡¯t just throw money at it either.  It¡¯s an ability that grows over time type of issue.  This is more about management.  You¡¯ll need to pay the guard you hire accurately while not overspending or under spending.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡±  I asked.  ¡°I can¡¯t just throw a gold a week at the problem and power level it.¡±

    Charlie shook his head.  ¡°Your idea of leveling is severely skewed.  No, you cannot power level it.  This falls under the management side of the Trader Class.  If you fail to pay your employees properly, your reputation will reflect that.  The only people that will work for you will be those looking to take advantage of you.  Underpay them and you will get a reputation for being miserly, no one will want to work for you.  But if you pay them fairly and do performance evaluations you will gain the respect and attractiveness that will draw in the desired employees.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±  I huffed.  It¡¯s not like that¡¯s a specialization or anything.  More of a convenience that will come in handy down the road.  ¡°What have you got for me, work wise?¡±

    ¡°I actually have an overnight position at a warehouse that you would be perfect for.¡±  Charlie said, passing me a sheet of paper.  ¡°They¡¯re just starting out and haven¡¯t made much use of the hired guard ability.  I suspect that unlike you, they couldn¡¯t afford to get the skills and abilities right out of the gate.  You know, like a normal person.¡±  He gave me a flat look.  ¡°So, they are willing to pay extra for someone that has a guard.¡±

    ¡°How much?¡±  I asked.

    ¡°Your silver stipend.¡±  Charlie stated.  ¡°You¡¯ll be making quite the profit with that ability in the coming specializations.  Many traders would be willing to pay the cost.  If you manage to reach Tier 2 with that ability, you¡¯ll be happy to find some that will pay double.  So long as a guard of that tier can be found.¡±

    I grinned.  ¡°Sounds perfect.  Do I go to the Adventurers Guild from here?  Or wait until tomorrow?¡±

    Charlie shook his head.  ¡°I¡¯ll have to send a notice to the guild as well as notify your new employer.  You should be able to meet both tomorrow in the square.  I¡¯ll try to set up the appointment with the adventurer first.  But if that is not obtainable, I¡¯ll be sure to send him by your new place of employment.¡±

    ¡°Cool.¡±  I gave him a small mock salute as I stood.  ¡°I guess that means I¡¯m free for the day.  See ya¡¯ when I need new employment.¡±

    ¡°Or a new guard.¡±  Charlie muttered as I walked away.

    ***

    The sun shone down bright as summer began to fully come into effect.  I whistled a jaunty tune making my way through the market.  The merchants at the stalls were calling out their wares as I passed.  This was more of an open market than the quiet solitude of a full-blown store.  It was livelier, vibrant, and loud.  I could smell fresh cooked meats, baked breads, and sweets.

    ¡°I got sweet hot and salty balls.¡±  Called a vender as I passed.  It made me chuckle as heard the phrase.  There was no way I would get anywhere near his balls.

    More venders called out as I searched for a specific vender.  Rica and Tyler had given me some goods to sell off.  It was just simple copper rings, rusty daggers, and bone shards for some reason.  But whatever they were used for, I had no idea, just that they were probably the most valuable items of the loot.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    So, my plan was to start with the alchemist in hopes of selling off my wears before he ran out of coins and potions.  The guy used this opportunity to stock up as well as sell his potions.  I had made the mistake of showing up in the evening once and learned that he didn¡¯t hesitate to purchase an insane amount of ingredients to improve his class.  Which usually left him flat broke at the end of the day.  Honestly, I didn¡¯t blame him.  I would do the same thing.

    ¡°Paul.¡±  I greeted him as I sat the pouch of bones on the table.  ¡°Got a hundred-forty-three nose bones here.  I¡¯ll take that much in silver for it.¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡±  Paul barked with laughter.  ¡°You are way too early to get that sort of rate.  I¡¯ll give you one gold for it.¡±

    I smirked.  ¡°Now, come on Paul¡­ you know as well as I do that these are the very best goblin nose bones, you¡¯ll come across today.  How many other people bring in bones that are scorched clean for your benefit?  One gold twenty-five silver.¡±

    ¡°Scorched clean?!¡±  Paul balked.  ¡°Nearly burnt to a crisp!  I¡¯ll barely get any alchemical ingredients.  One gold ten silver.¡±

    I shook my head sadly.  ¡°If you would prefer¡­ I¡¯ll make sure that my adventurers bring the mucus glands in as well.  One gold twenty silver.¡±

    Paul shuddered.  ¡°I appreciate the thought.  But please don¡¯t.  All I can afford is one gold fifteen silver.¡±

    ¡°Deal.¡±  I left the bag and scooped up the coin.  ¡°Rica and Tyler said that they¡¯ll be starting the slime dungeon soon.  Anything in particular you might want?¡±

    Paul nodded as he thought about it.  ¡°If they have some vials, I could use some jelly from the base monsters.  But I would rather purchase as much as you can gather of the King Slime jelly.  I take it they¡¯ll be running this quite often?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  I agreed.  ¡°There mainly training up their base skills and spells.¡±

    ¡°You might have them gather all the cores that they can.¡±  Paul gestured to a stall across the road.  ¡°Jenny over there would appreciate as many of those cores as you can get.  They¡¯re great for enchanting.  At least at her level.¡±

    I nodded my thanks.  ¡°I¡¯ll mention it to them.¡±

    Making my way to the blacksmith shop that I typically sold daggers and rings to for scrap materials, I crossed paths with a familiar face.

    ¡°Well, well, well¡­¡±  Tommy stated, resting a hand on his dagger.  ¡°What do we have here?¡±

    ¡°Tommy.¡±  I nodded.

    ¡°It¡¯s Thomas, damn it.¡±  Tommy scowled.  ¡°And it looks like you¡¯re no longer a security guard, Mark.¡±  He thumbed the pommel on his dagger and glanced around.  ¡°I think it¡¯s about time you learned some respect for the Thieves guild.¡±

    Intelligence check made.

    Wisdom check made.

    Charisma check made.

    Negotiator check made.

    Congratulations!  Would you like to place a wager?

    5/5 Available.

    Y/N

    ¡°What do you want?¡±  I asked as I accepted the prompt.

    Tommy recoiled as I asked the question.

    Please state your wager.  (Note: wagers may alter the difficulty of your rescue mission.  The more you are hampered the more experience you receive.  You may now gain experience for negotiating favorable terms.  This will cause your rescuers to lose out on the experience gained.)

    I grinned.  ¡°I bet you¡¯ll regret this.¡±  I said with a chuckle knowing that wouldn¡¯t count as a wager.  ¡°Now, I would like to wager a notification to a person of my choosing that you won¡¯t live through the night.¡±

    Tommy frowned.  ¡°Who could you possibly know?¡±

    ¡°Gonna half to put those daggers up for that information.¡±  I guessed and rightfully so.  Apparently, with five points in negotiator, I could make a wager for each point in it that I had.  And I was sitting at five.

    Tommy growled.  ¡°That¡¯s not how this is supposed to work.¡±

    I just smiled.

    ¡°No bet.¡±  Tommy sneered and tried to grab my arm.  His hand recoiled as a bolt of lightning struck it.

    ¡°Fine!¡±  Tommy growled.  ¡°Yes, to the notification, no to the daggers.  Is there anything else you would like to wager?¡±

    3/5 Wagers Available.

    ¡°Yes.¡±  I stated.  Suspecting that he must be able to use a stat, skill, or ability to decline my wagers, I decided to save the best for last.  ¡°I wager my ability to call for a town guard against your ability to cover your tracks.¡±

    ¡°Deal.¡±  Tommy smirked.  ¡°Anything else?¡±

    Damn!  I thought that one would get him to burn one.

    ¡°Final destination.¡±  I stammered.  ¡°Against 50 gold.¡±

    ¡°No deal.¡±  Tommy smiled.  ¡°Done yet?¡±

    ¡°One last one.¡±  I returned his smile as he gaped.  ¡°Current location marker on myself included in the notification, against 500 gold.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡±  Tommy bucked at my demand.

    Wagers have been placed.

    Notification has been sent.

    A trail has been marked.  Your companions will be able to follow a sparkling trail.

    A beacon of your current location has been placed on the map of your rescuer.

    ¡°I just did, Tommy.¡±  I chuckled.  ¡°Now, lead the way.¡±

    ¡°I could kill you right here.¡±  Tommy threatened.

    ¡°No.¡±  I laughed.  ¡°As many times as I have been captured, I know that that is not an option.¡±

    ¡°How many times have you been captured for a quest?¡±  Tommy grumbled as he led me toward the slave market.

    ¡°A half-dozen or so.¡±  I shrugged.

    ¡°How could you have pissed so many people off?¡±  He asked a bit stunned.

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t.¡±  I explained.  I was probably way to calm for something like this.  But I was ecstatic that I would remember it this time.  ¡°Most of them were on my trip here.  It was only supposed to be a two-week journey.¡±

    Tommy frowned.  ¡°How long did it take?¡±

    ¡°Ten years.¡±  I grumbled.

    ¡°Ten¡­ years?¡±  Tommy came to a halt and just blinked at me.  ¡°What could have taken ten years?¡±

    ¡°An Angel.¡±  I stated blandly.  ¡°Some bandits, a wolf-pack, goblins¡­ I think.  Other stuff.  I didn¡¯t really get the full story.¡±

    ¡°An Angel¡­¡±  Tommy looked quizzically toward the sky.  ¡°Where have I heard that before?¡±  A short-few-minutes passed as he puzzled it out.  When he did, his eyebrows shot up.  ¡°The Michael incident!  You were the victim of that?!  Oh, shit!  Didn¡¯t those guys prestige from that?  Fuckin hell, man.  Don¡¯t tell me that demon bitch is here!  Wait, that wasn¡¯t within the last ten years¡­ it was-¡±

    As Tommy¡¯s panic settled in, I had a sudden realization.  This soon to be dead asshole had just explained more of my missing history than anyone had since I had gotten here.

    Just as I was about to ask, two things happened simultaneously.  Tommy was splattered into a gory mess as a giant minotaur with an axe smashed into him.  Then to add insult to injury¡­ or death, a few dozen fireballs slammed into the bloody pulp that was left.

    Congratulations!  You have earned 346 XP!

    ¡°That was some smart negotiating, little buddy.¡±  Tyler laughed as he slapped my back.  ¡°Good thinking with that beacon.¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡±  I laughed with him in disbelief, as I couldn¡¯t believe my luck.  ¡°Yeah¡­ I even got some XP from it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±  Tyler cheered.  ¡°Did you have a guard yet?¡±

    ¡°Nah.¡±  I shook my head.  ¡°Tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Baby!¡±  Rica squealed as she approached.  ¡°I was so worried.  He didn¡¯t hurt you, did he?¡±

    ¡°No, Rica.¡±  I smiled.  ¡°We didn¡¯t even get very far before you guys showed up.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but kick myself for the shitty luck.  I¡¯m not sure if it was a good thing or not that they had caught me so fast.  On the one hand, a member of the Thieves Guild who wanted to sell me off to slavery or murder me or I don¡¯t really know, was dead.  On the other, my only lead to my missing history was dead.

    ¡°Thanks for coming so fast, guys.¡±  I put on a forced smile.  ¡°I appreciate the save.¡±

    ***

    Rica drove me into the corner of our library.  Her natural strength manhandled me like a child.  She forced kisses upon me as she pinned me to the wall.  I struggled to gain a modicum of control and her tail wrapped around my waist as it held me tight.  Lust had taken over any semblance of control.

    ¡°R-Rica.¡±  I whimpered uncontrollably.  ¡°Please¡­ not like this.¡±

    Rica ignored my protests as she stuck her tongue in my mouth, claws dug deeper into my skin, and I cried out in pain.

    Rica recoiled as if I had struck her.  ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.  I don¡¯t know what came over me.¡±

    I held her in a hug as she loosened her grip.  She slowly fell into it rigidly.

    ¡°I love you soooo much.¡±  Rica whimpered.  Her breath was hot, and I could feel a dampness form on my shoulder.  ¡°It¡¯s just really hard sometimes.¡±  She sniffled silently for a few minutes.  ¡°Like earlier when you proved that you were stronger.  I couldn¡¯t control myself when we got home.¡±

    I looked over the remains of the room.  After we got home, something came over her.  Rica ripped my shirt off before I even realized.  I tried to run, and she chased me.  I toppled into shelves, tables, and chairs, and she just blasted through them.  She had me pinned for longer than I could count, until I finally got those words out.  Her robes had been ripped open, revealing naked breasts and a fiery hot wet patch pressed against my crotch.  Her legs had been wrapped around me and her tail made sure I could not escape.

    I sighed.  ¡°Your inner demon wouldn¡¯t accept that though¡­  It¡¯s not the way of your people.¡±

    ¡°Frugh!¡±  Rica growled in frustration.  ¡°Why can¡¯t you just be a warrior?!¡±  She howled.  ¡°You could have had me years ago.¡±

    I stroked her hair calmly.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±  I whispered.  It was my fault¡­

    ***

    ¡°The name is Fayt.¡±  The bulky looking female elf greeted me.  Granted it could have been her armor that had made her look bulky.  That and the giant two-handed sword slung across her back.  ¡°I¡¯m a level twelve adventurer with a warrior class.  I believe that I might be the guard you have agreed to meet with.  If I may inquire as to my duties, I would like to know what I¡¯ll be doing.¡±

    ¡°Mark, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±  I felt my charisma kicking in.  ¡°As to your duties, I¡¯m going to be working the nightshift at a local warehouse and in need of protection during the that shift.¡±  After a moment¡¯s thought, I quickly added.  ¡°My girlfriend would probably like it if you could guard my person the rest of the day.  We do have a spare room if you require lodging and you¡¯re welcome to join us for dinner.¡±

    The elf frowned for a moment.  ¡°Will I be allowed to adventure as well?  When will I have free time?¡±

    ¡°When Rica is home.¡±  I stated.  ¡°I know that you may not gain as much experience as you would monster hunting, but from what I understand, the gains are similar.  Besides that, they are steady.  And as far as I understand, the longer that you are consistently guarding me, the more that those experience points multiply.¡±

    Fayt¡¯s eyebrows rose in shock.  ¡°How would you know that?¡±

    I tapped my head.  ¡°Trade secret.¡±  I technically didn¡¯t know that.  I had overheard a conversation between Gerald and another guard were having.  He was explaining why a permanent personal guard was the route to go.

    Fayt seemed to way her options.  ¡°Why would you need a personal guard?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been a hostage a few times.¡±  I shrugged.  ¡°Besides, you are not the only one trying to gain levels.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah¡­¡±  An aha moment appeared on her face.  ¡°I heard that low-level merchants are prime targets for kidnapping quests¡­¡±  Then her face scrunched up.  ¡°How bad is it?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been here a few months and been kidnapped twice.¡±  I explained.

    ¡°That¡¯s not too bad.¡±  Fayt mused.

    ¡°Not that bad?¡±  I asked in shock.  ¡°You try having your mind go blank for weeks at a time, only to wake up and find out that something had happened.  It¡¯s not pleasant.¡±

    ¡°Good point.¡±  Fayt agreed.  ¡°I suppose that I can agree to be your guard.  I will require a few hours to get my things from the Guild Hall and move them to your place.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, Fayt.¡±  I waved off her concerns.  ¡°I don¡¯t actually start work until this evening.  Rica is the one that is more concerned about me needing a guard.¡±

    ¡°Rica?¡±  Fayt asked.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ll meet her tonight.¡±  I nodded.  ¡°Don¡¯t let her demeanor scare you.  She¡¯s a sweetheart.¡±

    Fayt frowned, nodded, and left.

    Having little else to do, and a promise to Rica.  I went home until my shift at the warehouse.

    More than a little happy to be out of the heat, I practically ran home.  At least as fast of walking as was politely necessary.  Stripping down to just a little more than my underwear, I activated a wind/ice enchantment and settled in for a cool afternoon of reading.

    The book covered a broad range of leveling tactics for a low-level merchant.  I had read it before, but it never hurt to check it over to see if I had missed anything.  The purchase/sale everything you come across method was one that was established already.  It was recommended early on to contract out adventurers to acquire goods to sell.

    Hiring guards at an early level was recommended for those looking to reach nobility and a steppingstone on the way to having a personal army.  So, long as I continued to have a single guard, I could continue to level it.

    Thoroughly leveling each specialization was recommended but not required.  This was where the book varied from what Tyler had explained.  I suspected that this was done on purpose to put a cap on merchants and traders.  That way you can never reach a level to outrank the current king.

    Purchasing skills from a kingdom affiliated trader was also recommended.  I just snorted at the blatantly obvious trap.  That would give someone a way to track your abilities.  It was also recommended to purchase as many as you could as fast as you could.  A laughable joke that I had figured out for myself.  It was better to save your points until after you had reached a noble rank.  Besides, by the time I reached that level, I could afford to make my purchases through a heavily discounted System Shop.

    As I continued to read, I found that there was little I hadn¡¯t already learned.  Which was rather unsurprising, considering that I had read this particular book three times.  It just felt like I was on the edge of learning something new.  I wasn¡¯t sure what, but I got the feeling that it had to do with my Intelligence and Wisdom stats.

    ¡°I¡¯m home!¡±  Rica interrupted my thoughts as she came in.  ¡°How did it go today?¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±  I shrugged, then shuddered as I felt her eyes crawling over my boxer clad form.

    Rica practically leapt into my lap.  ¡°Couldn¡¯t wait, could you, love?¡±  Her hand traced my newly formed slightly stronger pec.

    ¡°It was hot out there.¡±  I complained.  ¡°Can¡¯t you feel the cooling system?¡±

    Rica shrugged.  ¡°I haven¡¯t really noticed the difference in temperature since my Constitution reached a hundred.¡±

    I frowned as I stared at her.  ¡°Bit high for a mage, babe?¡±

    Rica covered her mouth in shock but nodded slowly.

    ¡°Have you gone through a Prestige?¡±  I asked wearily.

    Rica nodded slowly, watching me closely, she spoke.  ¡°Can you understand me when I say, #@$$%%^&^?¡±

    I shook my head.  ¡°Some sort of staticky screech came out at the end.¡±

    Rica sighed.  ¡°How much can you understand?¡±

    ¡°None of it.¡±  I sighed in return.

    ¡°But you didn¡¯t pass out!¡±  Rica cheered as she planted a kiss on my lips.

    I nodded when she broke away.  ¡°How long was I really out?  The way Tommy made it sound; it was a lot longer than ten years.¡±

    Rica suddenly found something very interesting across the room to focus on.  She didn¡¯t speak.  She just, sort of slipped out of it, deep in thought.

    I cleared my throat.  ¡°What¡¯s going on babe?¡±

    ¡°Have you noticed anything different since we got here, babe?¡±  Rica turned to me, tears in her eyes.

    ¡°Not particularly.¡±  I hadn¡¯t been paying extra close attention.

    ¡°You have been awake for ten years.¡±  Rica explained as she looked away.  ¡°The bandits were the very start of everything.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, awake for ten years?¡±  I couldn¡¯t stop the scowl that appeared on my face.  My Charisma wasn¡¯t high enough yet.

    ¡°So, the bandits were priests to a¡­ local deity.¡±  Rica explained as she searched for replacement words.  While side-stepping my question.  ¡°They had marked you for sacrifice.  We were too late.  Tyler and I were just a couple of inexperienced kids.  When we saved you, we thought that that was the end of it.¡±  She wiped her tears away and smiled weakly at me.  ¡°You were right, I thought that I had loved him.  But¡­ after that rescue, Tyler saw the way that you felt and took a step back.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure how to process that.  Neither she nor Tyler had ever mentioned anything like that.  They just pretended that it was never all that big of a thing.

    ¡°A day or two later, it¡¯s hard to remember now.¡±  Rica continued.  ¡°That Angel Michael appeared.¡±  She spat and I watched as the spittle flew across the room, hitting the carpet in the process.  ¡°He had such a high level.  We fought as hard as we could.  In the end, he took you.  #$@%.¡±

    I clamped my hands over my ears as the screeching rang out.  ¡°How long?¡±  I growled out.  The noise was unbearable.

    ¡°Sixty years.¡±  Rica said reflexively as she recoiled.  ¡°I¡¯ll finish the story when you can understand it.¡±  She hugged me gently.  ¡°We did Prestige.  I had gotten to keep that fireball spell that you loved so much.  Tyler kept his favorite.  If you could just remember, you would understand why I love you so much.  We had to retrieve you from the heavenly realm.¡±  After placing a gentle kiss on my cheek, she sniffled and spoke again.  ¡°I¡¯m not that teenage girl that you once knew.  Claiming me isn¡¯t about force of strength.  You have claimed me in all but the deed.  I love you, Mark.  It took me a long time to understand that it was always like that.¡±  She placed a hand on my chest and sighed.  ¡°We have always been tied to one another.  I just wish that you could see it.¡±

    I stared blankly.  That¡­ that was a lot to process.  My parents were adventurers with high stats, so they were most likely alive, barring a world ending monster threat.  What about Becky?  Shealla?  Gale and Isabelle?  Why hadn¡¯t they come to at least verify that I was alive?  What is it that the system wouldn¡¯t allow me to learn?  How am I even alive?...

    ¡°How am I here?¡±  I finally settled on asking.  It wasn¡¯t uncommon for someone like me to die during a quest.  Thing is¡­ non-combatants stayed dead.

    ¡°I wish I could tell you.¡±  Rica admitted.  ¡°But, until you can listen to the whole story, I just can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Why lie?¡±  I asked.

    Rica sighed.  ¡°Every time we tried to explain it, you would just get this glassy look in your eyes.  But now!¡±  She looked much more excited with those last two words.  ¡°We know that you can learn¡­ eventually.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s not an extra hundred years hiding somewhere in that explanation is there?¡±  I chuckled.

    Rica smiled and shook her head.  ¡°No, your mind just couldn¡¯t process that much information before.¡±  She frowned as she looked down at herself.  ¡°I imagine that I must look like some hag taking advantage of someone young enough to be my grandchild.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re only a year older than me.¡±  I laughed.  ¡°And I suspect that you are still immature in some ways that I am not.¡±  I pinched her tail and she squealed with delight.  ¡°So, get over yourself.  If you say that I don¡¯t need to use a force of strength, I¡¯ll believe you.  But I still want to do this right.  That means getting our families approval.  Including Isabelle and Gale.¡±

    Rica was back to frowning.  ¡°I¡­ may have burnt some bridges to get you back.¡±

    It was my turn to plant a kiss on her lips.  ¡°I don¡¯t care.  Sounds like a great time to start rebuilding them.  Since I can¡¯t go into the Mage¡¯s Guild.  That means you need to.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±  Rica huffed with a smile.  ¡°But they have refused to speak to me ever since $@#$.¡±

    I clamped my hands over my ears.  ¡°I get it.  Is there someone else that you want here?¡±

    ¡°My grandfather.¡±  Rica smiled.  ¡°He¡¯s the one that took my side.¡±

    I scrunched my face in confusion.  ¡°I don¡¯t believe that I have ever heard you talk about him.  But if it¡¯s to be a wedding, I suppose that he should be there as well.¡±

    ¡°W-wedding.¡±  Rica blushed with a smile.  ¡°You haven¡¯t even proposed.¡±

    ¡°I said I wanted to do it right, didn¡¯t I?¡±  I laughed.  ¡°But that means everything, the ritual, the Demon¡¯s Luck trial, and your deity¡¯s favor.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡±  Rica squealed.  ¡°That might get everyone to come around.¡±

    Even as she spoke, I had a nagging feeling that there was more to it than that.  I just wish that I knew what it was¡­

    ***

    Fayt had arrived around the time that I had to leave for work.  She openly gaped at Rica as she recognized who it was that I was talking about.  It was quite funny to see the facial expressions play across her face as she tried to process the meaning of our relationship.  Especially, when Rica not so subtly hinted about the pile of embers that would result if Fayt failed to do her duty.

    So, taking her duty extremely seriously, we left.  Fayt trailed a step behind and to the left.  She watched for threats, and I rolled my eyes.  I¡¯m sure that there might be threats out there, but with an abnormally large female elf guarding me¡­ I doubted that there would be an issue.

    ¡°Fayt?¡±  I asked as we walked.

    ¡°Yes, sir?¡±  Fayt responded in a distant tone.

    ¡°Are you a half breed?¡±  I realized that it might be an offensive question.  But curiosity got the best of me.

    Fayt missed a step.  ¡°Y-yes, sir.  My mother runs a tailor shop.  She is an orc.¡±

    ¡°Cool.¡±  I stated.  ¡°She made Rica¡¯s dresses.  Small world I guess.¡±

    ¡°More like small town.¡±  Fayt grumbled.  That statement was laced with so many complicated annotations.

    ¡°Something wrong with living in a small town?¡±  I asked.

    ¡°No.¡±  Fayt exhaled in a way that said the opposite.  ¡°Just this one.  If you haven¡¯t noticed, you¡¯re in a border town.¡±

    ¡°No way.¡±  I chuckled.

    I could practically feel her scowl on the back of my head.  ¡°My father is from this town.  My mother is from a mountain clan just across the border.¡±

    I thought about that for a minute before responding.  ¡°I take it that there are quite a few skirmishes.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  Fayt huffed and did not elaborate.

    ¡°As per the contract.¡±  I stated, drawing out the contract for my job.  ¡°You¡¯ll need to stand guard at the door while I work my shift.¡±

    Fayt groaned.  I imagine at the thought of losing XP for not hovering on top of me at all times.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±  I pat her massive shoulder.  ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that this will give you double XP for guarding the business as well as me.  So, if you stick with me¡­ we¡¯ll have you up to Tier 2 before you know it.  Who knows, maybe you¡¯ll want to stay on full-time.  Even if Rica can be a bit intimidating.¡±  I couldn¡¯t help but tease her at the end.

    Fayt paled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±  I relented, it was probably a bit too soon to be joking like that.  ¡°Tyler is a pretty cool dude.  I bet you¡¯ll like him.¡±

    ¡°Tyler¡­¡±  Fayt gaped at me.  ¡°Isn¡¯t he¡­¡±

    I shrugged.  ¡°Wouldn¡¯t know.  I grew up with the big guy.  There was this one time he chased me from one end of the village to the other.¡±  I chuckled.

    ¡°Why?¡±  Fayt inquired.  ¡°Aren¡¯t they old enough to be your grandparents?  What could you have possibly done to cause that?¡±

    I chuckled.  ¡°Tyler might have a few years on me, but his mom was hot.  And the Rica I know, probably isn¡¯t the same as the Rica that you know.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±  Fayt looked me over like I was crazy.

    ¡°Yeah, I remember when she was all pimples and pigtails.¡±  I explained.  ¡°Plus, her mom is cool.¡±

    Now, completely confused, Fayt lined up next to the door, folded her arms, and tried to look sharp.  ¡°Have a good evening, sir.¡±

    ¡°Yes, mam.¡±  I slapped her arm in an attempt to console her and entered the building.

 Chapter 5 What are they thinking...

    Chapter 5

    What are they thinking¡­

    Mike Collier

    About a month later¡­

    As I entered the warehouse I noticed the lit torches, stacks of boxes, and aisles of merchandise.  There was moonlight shining through the windows and I caught a glimpse of the stars.  An orc sat at a desk strewn with papers awaiting my arrival.

    ¡°Mark.¡±  Gunther nodded at my approach.

    ¡°Evening.¡±  I greeted him.

    ¡°Fayt still out there?¡±  Gunther asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  I agreed.  ¡°She¡¯s finally starting to settle down.¡±

    A memory of dinner came to the fore, as I thought of Fayt¡¯s blushing cheeks.  She thanked me for buying her meal.  It really wasn¡¯t all that expensive.  Hell, we had been going to that same restaurant for a few weeks now.  Rica and Tyler had been out clearing dungeons until later and later in the evening.  I rarely felt like cooking, so we went out for dinner.

    After clearly making the mistake of going to a tavern in the merchant district, I was the victim of yet another quest.  We decided that it would be best to eat in a restaurant in the Height¡¯s.  The food quality was better, the people¡¯s manners were better, and Fayt was beginning to open up.  A smile here, some makeup there, even her hair had taken on a sheen that looked much better.  When we had first met, her hair was a complete mess.  She didn¡¯t wear makeup.  And there was no smile in sight.

    Rica, who had a negative attitude toward her for some reason, had begun to soften up.  Where at first it was all glares and threats.  Now, she was cordial and friendly.  I would like to claim that I didn¡¯t know the reason for it¡­  But I had overheard her and Tyler speak about her jealousy and how she needed to get it under control.

    Fayt had a great smile, and I had no idea why she hid it so much.  She barely talked about herself or her history.  She would either poorly misdirect the questions or outright refuse to answer.  I took the hint.

    ¡°Probably the raise.¡±  Gunther chuckled.  ¡°How¡¯s identify coming along?¡±

    ¡°Reached level 4 just last night.¡±  I smiled.

    ¡°Good.¡±  Gunther grinned.  ¡°That, along with being a level 5 Stock boy will help you as I unlock some of the more restricted areas of the warehouse.¡±  He waved away my concerns as he continued to talk.  ¡°Don¡¯t think that I haven¡¯t noticed your main class reaching level 14.  You are proving to be quite an asset.  Though I know that you¡¯ll be moving on much faster than anticipated, I believe I know why.  So, let me ask you one thing.¡±

    I glanced around, making sure that there was no one listening.  ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±  My charisma was the only thing that let me keep my cool.  Barely.

    ¡°Rather than asking the obvious.¡±  Gunther grinned at my reaction.  ¡°I would like to do you a favor.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±  I blurted out, fully confused.

    ¡°Because a favor now, will be worth so much more in the future.¡±  Gunther slid a contract across the table.  ¡°This is an open supply contract.  It is set up to help you stock your inventory on your first store.¡±  Seeing my reaction, he chuckled.  ¡°You have born witness to my base inventory.  Trust me when I say that that is the tip of the iceberg.  Don¡¯t worry about the cost.  Consider it an investment.¡±

    As I processed this information I frowned.  If he couldn¡¯t hire more than a single guard and required me to supplement that, why would this be that good of a deal?  Other than free.  Well, something wasn¡¯t making any sense.  Was Hire guard that rare of an ability?  Or was it just that costly?

    ¡°And what sort of favor would you like in return for this¡­ investment?¡±  I asked.

    ¡°Just remember me, when you¡¯re a noble trying to supply a village.¡±  Gunther gave a smug grin.

    ¡°Right¡­¡±  I stated slowly and pocketed the contract.  There wasn¡¯t a whole lot of value in that to me or him.  It was more of a promise.  Something that would mean more as a Tier 2 merchant than a lowly Tier 1.  ¡°So, what have we got going on today?¡±

    I followed Gunther to the back.  There was a door that I could swear was not there yesterday.  Chalking it up to a system related problem or illusion issue, I ignored it and began to do as instructed.

    The night continued in much the same way as any other.  I just had more inventory to count.  I also had piles of inventory to identify, count, and sort.  That was something I had taken a habit of doing at the end of the shift, closer to sunrise.  Mainly because in the early days I did it to familiarize myself with locations of various items.  As the days passed, I kept it up because it had easily become part of my routine.

    The most common item to identify was the low-level rings.  They varied from +1 Strength to +1 Stealth and everything in between.  Most of it was useless junk.  But a skilled enchanter could absorb the weak enchantments and use a concentrated form on a higher-level item to make it a +2 Strength or whatever.  Then they could do the same with the next level of items.  It was a horrendously inefficient process that helped low-level enchanters gain levels.  It cost something like 10 base rings to make one of a higher tier.

    The same went for daggers, shields, armor, or even magical staves.  Gunther made a hefty profit off the goods.  When he was deeper into his cups, he would shamelessly brag about the turnaround he made off the goods.  Being somewhat of a shyster, I suspected that was the reason he couldn¡¯t gain the use of guards and was in part trying to salvage his reputation with the ability to make use of it himself.  Not being informed, all I could do was speculate.  And those speculations tended to vary wildly.

    ***

    As I soaked in the hot bath, I mused over my stats and how many people were going to start figuring out my rapid level gain.  That made things dangerous.  It wasn¡¯t until I got home that Gunther¡¯s offer finally sunk in.  It was more of a threat than generosity.  He was essentially saying that he knew what my perk was and that he knew what would happen if people found out.  It was more of a ¡®you better take this contract¡¯ type of thing.

    As I read it over, he was trying to hit me with a deal that heavily favored him in the terms.  A full 25% of the profits that came from anything that he supplied would be going in his pockets.  He wanted to be the only supplier.  And he wanted partial ownership of my shop.  A generous 49%.

    I had to laugh at the stupidity of it all.  One word from me, and Rica would burn his business to the ground.

    <u>Character sheet</u>

    <u> </u>

    Name: <u>Mark Collier</u>

    Age: <u>19</u>

    Tier: <u>1</u>

    Class: <u>Merchant</u>

    Level: 14

    XP: 1,506/14,000

    Specialization: <u>Stock boy</u> (+1 strength, +1 Constitution, +1 Intelligence)

    Specialized:  Security

    Level: 5

    XP: 1,985/5000

    Stored XP: 3,186

    Health: 160/160

    Mana: 140/140

    Stats:

    Strength: 18

    Agility: 19 (+2)

    Dexterity: 17

    Constitution: 20

    Intelligence: 45

    Wisdom: 40

    Charisma: 40 (+2)

    Currency:

    Gold: 1263

    Silver: 72

    Copper: 43

    Free Stat Points: 20

    Inventory:

    Equipped: Affer¡¯s sunglasses of perception, Clint¡¯s business class security suit, Torpin¡¯s boots of threatening speed.

    Unequipped:

    N/A

    Skills:

    Barter: Level 20 Maxed ¨C (25%) allows you to haggle for goods in your favor.  Level 1 value adjustments 5%.  (Each level adds 1%) this is a general use skill and can be stacked with skills of an appropriate class.

    Negotiator: Level 5 ¨C (3%) allows you to haggle for goods in your favor.  Level 1 value adjustments 1%.  (Each level adds .5%) This is a class skill and can be stacked with similar skills.  (Allows user to negotiate terms in hostile situations.)

    Perception: Level 7 ¨C (16%) (+2% equipment bonus) increased awareness that allows you to notice anything out of the ordinary.  Level 1 value adjustments 10% (Each level adds 1%) Stacks with similar vision skills.

    Identify: Level 4 ¨C (Level 1-40 enchantments) You gain the ability to identify low-level enchantments.

    Free Skill Points: 17

    Abilities:

    Coin purse: Level 2 ¨C 436,737/1,000,000 to next level.  Allows users to store up to 100,000 coins of each type.

    Hire guards: Level 1 ¨C (1 slot available) Upon completion of the security specialization you have gained the ability to hire a guard.  You may gain experience and reputation through hiring a guard for long periods of time.  --(Starting at level 2 and all even levels you may unlock boosts.  Odd levels unlock more guard slots.)

    Free Ability Points: 8

    Perks:

    Plus Player ¨C Player is granted a free skill with each specialization and a free ability upon completion.  It takes half the effort to gain experience.

    System Shop Discount ¨C Tier 1 (10%) The ability to purchase items in the System Shop with a discount.

    Progress was going fast, but not fast enough.  It was either dial my leveling speed down and potentially lose out on whatever gains I could potentially earn or keep at this pace because there was no way I could speed it up any faster.  If I kept at this pace, it would risk quite a few things.  Tyler and Rica would be in danger¡­ well, maybe not.  Fayt would die if she chose to stay.  And there would be nothing left of me.  At all. Granted Fayt had been leveling fairly quickly lately.

    As I continued to ponder on what to do, the bathroom door swung open.  Figuring it for Rica, I barely moved.  She had a habit of joining me in the bath.  It was her way of crossing the line without crossing the line.  I couldn¡¯t say that I was against it either.  Her sultry form pressed against me for the better part of an hour as we soaked and discussed our day¡¯s activities was one of the better parts of my day.  Okay, it was the best part.  At first, she had begun teasing me relentlessly.  After I had threatened to not bathe again, she had relented and just accepted soaking while sitting in my lap.

    ¡°Hey.¡±  Rica spoke softly as she climbed in the tub.  ¡°I missed you today.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah?¡±  I asked as I wrapped her up into a hug.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  Rica said as she leaned into me.  ¡°We were fighting some trolls that had holed up in the mountains.  And I remembered that time when we were younger.¡±

    Knowing that she didn¡¯t need my interruption, I stayed silent.  Giving a hum of agreement here and there as she explained.

    ¡°You used to be soooo¡­ valiant.¡±  Rica sighed.  ¡°Remember when we were kids and you used to save us from different monsters?¡±  I hummed wanting to ask a question and knew that it would sidetrack her.  ¡°That time you, Gale, and Becky ¡®saved¡¯ me from trolls.  It was my first kiss.¡±

    ¡°I was seven.¡±  I chuckled.  ¡°That barely counts.  It is the duty of the hero to kiss the rescued damsel.¡±

    Rica giggled.  ¡°I didn¡¯t say that it was a bad thing.¡±

    ¡°So, trolls?¡±  I asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  Rica relaxed.  ¡°It was just something Tyler had said that reminded me.  There was this girl adventurer that got caught up in the mess.  When we were done, I recommended that he ask for a kiss as a reward.  Then I couldn¡¯t stop giggling.¡±  Her voice saddened some.  ¡°Eventually, it hit me that we would never have that sort of relationship again.¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± I muttered.

    I knew that it wasn¡¯t my fault and even with the knowing, I couldn¡¯t help but apologize.  It had felt like it was my fault in some way¡­

    ***

    ¡°Get behind me!¡±  Fayt roared as the assailant charged toward us.

    I ducked behind her as ordered.

    Fayt slammed a heavily armed boot into the attacker¡¯s chest as she drew her sword.  The attacker rolled head over heels as he recoiled from the guard¡¯s boosted stats.  I had no idea what his level was but with my most recent level gain in the Hired guard ability.  She now received a third of all my stats while protecting me.  That was roughly 14 levels worth of points spread out to boost her stats.  And that number would only increase as we gained levels.  It may spread out as I gain more guards.  I wasn¡¯t sure how the ability leveled and wouldn¡¯t know until I reached level three.

    ¡°Yes!¡±  Fayt roared as she charged her downed opponent.

    The fight was over so fast that I felt bad for the guy that had attacked.  I didn¡¯t even know why he had attacked in the first place.  He had no idea it was over when it was, because his head toppled to the ground after Fayt had passed his position.

    ¡°Thanks, Fayt.¡±  I said sincerely.  ¡°That¡¯s the first time I believe that I avoided an encounter entirely.  I¡¯m pretty sure that this one would have resulted in my death.¡±

    Fayt flicked her sword, cleaning the blood from it.  ¡°I was beginning to think that you wouldn¡¯t have need of my services.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I had no doubt that I would need you sooner or later.¡±  I chuckled.  ¡°Loot him.  I¡¯ll trade off anything that you don¡¯t want to keep.¡±

    Fayt glanced at the corpse as if realizing something.  She froze.

    ¡°Ah.¡±  I said in understanding.  ¡°First dead body?  I get it.  My parents were high-level adventurers and we had to deal with this sort of thing frequently enough.¡±

    Fayt nodded and looked puzzled at her hands.

    ¡°I get it.¡±  I really didn¡¯t.  This was the sort of thing that I had to deal with for as long as I could remember.  My parents had the demon version of quests placed on them quite frequently.  This was just a normal part of life for me.  ¡°Do you want me to do it?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ uh¡­¡±  Fayt began to pant trying to get herself under control again.  Her hands clutched to her chest as confusion settled into her features.  ¡°Just¡­ uh¡­ give me a¡­ minute.¡±

    I think she¡¯s having a panic attack.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±  I asked, side-eying her.  ¡°We have to get back to work.  If you can no longer do your job, that¡¯s fine.  I¡¯ll request another guard tomorrow.  Can you make it through the night?¡±

    Fayt nodded.  ¡°It¡¯s not like killing monsters, is it?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea.¡±  I admitted.  ¡°The only time I tried to help with a monster attack, I blacked out.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±  Fayt balked.  ¡°I didn¡¯t mean¡­ never mind.  I¡¯ll be fine.  You need not find a replacement.¡±  With that she began stripping the body.  Stuffing it all in her storage bag, I nodded with approval.

    ¡°Great!¡±  I clapped my hands and led the way.  ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.  The town guards will take care of that.¡±

    ¡°Of course, sir.¡±  Fayt said as she fell in behind me.

    ***

    Becky Collier

    Somewhere off the port shore of the southern isles¡­

    Becky sat in a tavern, deep in her cups, with a girl wrapped up in each arm.  The room spun as she sang a shanty about a leviathan taken down by a guy named Mark.  The captain of a pirate crew that smuggled illegal goods, raided merchant vessels, and drowned themselves in ale every time they were at port.  After losing her brother so many years ago, she had taken a liking to it.  It reminded her of him.  Not only the name, but also the daring deeds that he blundered himself into.

    Her twin may not have been the most gifted person born under the sun.  But he had an instinct that was rare in adventurers.  He could take any situation, any, and boil it down to cold hard facts.  Emotion held no sway over Mark.  No way, no how.  For example, he would see this situation that she was in and not see the humor in it.  He might even agree with her choice of actions.

    A devilish grin spread across Becky¡¯s face as she thought about it.  Becky, the daughter of the Black Dawn party.  The future champion of the world, meant to be second only to her twin, and Hero of Heroes.  She cackled at the thought.  Looking at the band of criminals she called her crew, she could only imagine what Mark would say.  Not that she would ever know now.

    After the fuck up that was Rica and Tyler occurred, Becky had gone rogue.  Not at first, no.  She had been a part of that shit show they called a world quest.  Anyone to survive that ordeal had come out of it at max level and Prestiged as a result.  Not that her twin got anything out of it.

    ¡°Fucking bitch.¡±  Becky muttered.

    A memory flashed.  That fucking asshole Michael wanted her brother, her brother to plead for help from the one that he loved most.  It had broken Becky¡¯s heart to witness him blubber for Rica as that prick cut a piece at a time off of him.  Well, not literally, it was some sort of suicide disintegration spell.  And not the part about it being Rica, everyone knew how they felt about each other.

    Except for them.  The pair had this awkward sort of love for each other since they were kids.  They were blind to it.  Danced around it.  Mark would watch her until she caught his gaze.  Then she would do the same.  It only got worse as they got older.  Mark would moon over everything that Rica did but didn¡¯t have the balls to say anything.  Rica never let another girl near Mark as she desperately tried to gain his attention.  Neither of them could take a hint.

    Then there was that display she had put on before they left for Tarkon.  Rica had challenged her own mother in a duel to be allowed to go.  Becky was pretty sure that Shealla had taken pity on the girl and let her win.  Only on the stipulation that Rica take at least Tyler with her.  Gale too if she could swing it.  Rica had adamantly refused to let another girl join her.  She had only allowed Tyler to join in hopes of making Mark jealous enough to act.

    No, it was how he was dismembered piece by tiny fucking piece with each word.  None of the fucking champions could do a damn thing.  A spell of holding.  Fifteen max tier, max level, adventurers were helpless as they witnessed that horror show.  Blood, tears, and piss, you name it.  Her brother expelled it as he bravely spoke.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°You see, it was a twisted fucking deal.¡±  Becky drunkenly slurred to no one in particular.

    Mark had a choice to make.  Either speak to save his saviors and lose a sliver of himself with each word or stay silent and watch them die at the hands of the Fallen Angel.  It was one of the few times she had witnessed him throw caution to the wind and speak from the heart.  He spoke to each person in turn.  Her mother and father were useless as he told them that he loved them no matter what.  All those people that trained him and claimed to want to throw their lives away, if need be, to save him¡­ they did nothing when push came to shove.  It was all a lie.  They didn¡¯t care about Mark at all they just wanted the accolades and recognition that comes with a world event.  They even claimed the credit for defeating that monster¡­

    Becky kicked herself for falling into that very same crowd.  No.  It was Rica and fucking Tyler that broke their chains demanding a duel.  They had refused to watch Mark kill himself for their sake.  The weakest Max Tier members of the group, and they couldn¡¯t even use the powered up holy gear.  They had few skills, abilities, and spells.  Just a determination that had driven them to this point.

    The surprise came near the end.  Rica was bleeding out and Tyler was lying in a broken mess.  Mark, her brother, the fool that he was, sacrificed himself to save them.  He spoke so rapidly that it was hard to make out the words.  Becky¡¯s nightmares were filled with the results of his actions.  He exploded into a mass of white emoting lights.  Just like those that monsters left when they died.

    In the end, with his sacrifice, the heroes could claim victory and honors.  Twelve of the members chose the story and that left Becky, Rica, and Tyler the youngest of the group to either agree or be put down.  Gale was mostly indifferent to it all.

    Tears formed on Becky¡¯s cheeks as she tried to banish the memory.  She must be really drunk right now, because she hadn¡¯t thought about that shit in a long time.

    ¡°What was that, love?¡±  The girl on her right, a succubus named Tilly asked.  Becky¡¯s first mate as well as first wife.

    ¡°Nothing, love.¡±  Becky sniffed.  ¡°Just having some flashbacks.¡±

    Becky had met her shortly after she left Black Dawn.  She had decided to go solo after the events of the world level quest.  The trust for her team was gone.  They were willing to let her brother sacrifice himself and then had the gall to steal the credit for his victory.  Her father even had the nerve to make a comment about it being the only useful thing that Mark had ever done.  It was needless to say that they did not part on good terms.

    ¡°Which ones?¡±  The girl on her left asked.  She was Diente, an elven mage that Becky had taken for a second wife.  ¡°The death or resurrection?¡±

    Becky¡¯s eye twitched.  ¡°That was not a resurrection.¡±  She snarled.  ¡°There is no soul in that thing¡¯s body.  Whatever it is, he doesn¡¯t even know who he is.¡±

    As a Valkyrie class, Becky had been the first one that Rica and Tyler had turned to.  And at first, she tried to help, she did.  But her skills and spells were outside that realm of possibility.  Her class abilities were more in line with sending off rights.  Rights that ensured heroes were sent to the side of there chosen god.  A task proven difficult when there was no fucking body to send off.  When she had found out the deal that Rica had made with Baal, her grandfather, Becky nearly killed her on the spot.  Especially after witnessing the husk of a man shaped like her brother.

    ¡°Rica said he¡¯s back and asking for you, love.¡±  Diente cupped a hand on her cheek.  ¡°She even sent a copy of Mark¡¯s status sheet.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need a status sheet to confirm that he¡¯s still a shell of a man.¡±  Becky slurred.

    Name: <u>Mark Collier</u>

    Age: <u>19</u>

    Tier: <u>1</u>

    Class: <u>Merchant</u>

    Level: 14

    Specialization: <u>Stock boy</u>

    Specialized:  Security

    Level: 5

    Health: 160/160

    Mana: 140/140

    Stats:

    Strength: 18

    Agility: 19 (+2)

    Dexterity: 17

    Constitution: 20

    Intelligence: 45

    Wisdom: 40

    Charisma: 40 (+2)

    ¡°I think she might be right this time.¡±  Tilly agreed.  ¡°Homunculus do not have stats.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just saying that because she is your niece.¡±  Becky argued.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  Tilly snorted.  ¡°One of like a thousand.  And I barely know her mother, let alone her.  Get the fuck over yourself and go visit them.  Diente is getting requests almost daily now.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±  Becky demanded.  ¡°We¡¯ve been at sea for the last six months.¡±

    Tilly laughed.  ¡°Wow, maybe we should cut you off from the spirits.  If you can¡¯t even remember that precious apology gift you got Diente for sleeping with that dryad.¡±

    ¡°What dryad?¡±  Becky questioned.  ¡°Did I get you anything?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±  Diente giggled.  ¡°I got the magical link, and Tilly got the whips.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right.¡±  Becky nodded as the items came back to her.  They were fucking expensive.  ¡°Wait, what dryad?  I don¡¯t remember any dryad.¡±

    Just then a pair of slender wooden arms wrapped the three of them up.  ¡°How could you forget about me, captain?¡±  She asked.

    Fuck.

    ¡°Wendy?¡±  Becky nearly jumped out of her skin.  ¡°When did you get here?¡±

    ¡°I thought we were going to ask Tilly and Diente tonight, captain.¡±  Wendy pouted.

    ¡°How fucking drunk am I?¡±  Becky slurred after taking another swig and sort of fell back into the seat.

    ¡°Good.¡±  Becky could hear one of her wives¡¯ say as slumber took her.  ¡°Wendy, can you keep her asleep until we reach Tarkon?  There¡¯s a wed¡­¡±

    ***

    Fayt the elf/orc warrior

    Standing watch¡­

    Guard duty at night was both terrifying and boring as hell.  Fayt had to guard the door to the business that her employer, Mark, worked in.  Gunther was an ass.  She knew him from growing up here.  She suspected that he was a spy for the orcs just across the border.  And¡­ just couldn¡¯t find it in herself to care.

    The only thing in this town that Fayt could even care about were her parents and her latest employer.  At first, it was all about the 2 silver a week that she was earning.  She was no high-level adventurer that gained multiple gold from each drop.  No, she earned a few coppers here and there from monster drops¡­ if she hadn¡¯t managed to completely destroy the beast in the process of killing it.

    Then there were the levels she was gaining at a much more rapid pace.  Every moment of free time she had, went to leveling.  Other than the ridiculous amount of XP she gained for pulling double guard duty, she also ran quests, hunted monsters, and ran dungeons with pickup squads.  The best part was¡­ so long as she wore her guard armor, she still received the stacking bonus from guard duty.  It would wear off over time, but the results had her out of the early teens before she knew it and knocking on the door for twenty.

    Then it was because she no longer had to spend what little money she did earn on lodging and food.  Her parents had offered to let her stay with them, but Fayt had to decline.  She wanted to prove to herself that she could do it on her own.  Which she had done¡­ barely.  Up to this point at any rate.  Adventuring was an expensive job.

    Then there were the little things.  The first time that Mark had come to Fayt¡¯s attention, was when he had met with two oddities in the Adventurers Guild.  A demon kin and a minotaur.  He was a somewhat passively attractive human.

    I mean I wouldn¡¯t kick him out of bed for snoring.

    A human trader that had managed to swindle some high-level adventures into a contract.  Both of which were of a race that was rarely seen in this Podunk town.  They were giving him a massive amount of goods from the local dungeon.  It was as if they were clearing it on a daily basis.  She couldn¡¯t help but gape at the site before her.  Which, unfortunately, drew the attention of the demon kin.  She thought that Fayt had plans on her merchant friend.

    Despite being on the border of two kingdoms, Tarkon was a hotly contested town that had been built up and brought to ruin so many times that they had begun to plan wars over sacking it.  The most recent occurred two years ago.  It was now time for the rebuild.

    Back to the little things.  Mark had begun taking her to dinner on a regular schedule.  Right before their shift.  Normally frugal with his hard-earned coin, he was lazy in the kitchen.  Rica took care of his meals.

    Fayt begrudgingly accepted the dining experience.  It was not expected for an employer to pay for the meals of their guards.  She was worried that she would wind up wasting most of her money on the meals.  To her surprise, Mark gladly covered the cost and refused any form of repayment.

    Fayt began to enjoy those meals.  Mark was a gentleman and didn¡¯t judge or try to make advances.  To her, it seemed like he actually wanted her as a friend.  It was a new thing to her.  Well, not that new.  It wasn¡¯t like she never had a friend.  More like, she hadn¡¯t had one in what felt like a very long time.  She found herself caught up in the moment more than once, laughing at a joke that wasn¡¯t that funny.  Blushing at a completely benign compliment.  It had been years since the last time that someone had told her that she looked pretty.  Other than her father.  Yet, Mark, said it with a straight face and wasn¡¯t trying to make a move on her.  He just stated it as if it were a fact.

    Fayt¡¯s heart had thumped harder at those words for some reason.

    Most of the patrons at the restaurant were familiar to Her.  Fayt had grown up here and gotten used to the sneers and remarks behind her back.  They quickly shut up as Mark left a massive tip on his first night with the threat of going elsewhere.  The staff had made a special effort to place some of the more outspoken citizens at the far end of the dining area.

    Then there was the attack tonight¡­

    Fayt acted without thinking.  She cut down the threat without remorse and just a hint of excitement.  Finally having a chance to prove herself to Mark she mercilessly slaughtered the dipshit that was foolish enough to attack.  After it was over and Mark asked that she ¡®loot¡¯ the corpse, something struck her deep in her core.  Mark was handsome, charming, and completely unaffected by her bloodlust.  She had already been planning to loot the corpse.

    But the way he said it, the way the moonlight had shone down on his face, and the smile that he wore.  He wasn¡¯t afraid of her.  Mark wasn¡¯t afraid.  Her heart began to flutter, and panic twisted her gut.  Fayt had not expected that.  She had expected him to cower in fear.  Scold her for her brutality in the moment.  Even fire her on the spot for looting the corpse.  Not¡­ this.

    It took everything she had too not¡­ do something.  Fayt didn¡¯t know what, but she knew that it was important to regain her calm.  Did she want to kiss him?  Fuck his brains out?  She didn¡¯t know.  Fayt had never been in a situation like this.  Most people had a revulsion toward her, no matter the state that she was in.  But, when her berserker rage had taken over, no one wanted to be near her.

    Until now.  Mark approached her without a care in the world.  He touched her and smiled that sweet smile.  Her nerves had begun to settle when she realized that he had misread the situation.  Mark had assumed that she was in shock after killing a man.  He had been wrong, but she was okay with that.  So long as he continued to touch her.  It gave her a warm tingly feeling inside.

    Yes, Fayt was a Berserker, but it was easier to tell everyone that she was a warrior.  She had learned early on that it was a mostly orc class and people tended to turn her away when they knew that she could go crazy at any moment.

    As Fayt continued to ponder the course of the night¡¯s events, she began to wonder if this was what love felt like.  Maybe¡­

    ***

    Baal the demon king

    Meanwhile¡­

    ¡°So, the runt finally did it, eh?¡±  Baal grinned at the latest notification.  He turned a glare on the manacled demon tasked with delivering these messages as punishment.  Her shameful display during the world event had earned her this position.  ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll be paying little Rica a visit.  And now I have the perfect gift to deliver.¡±

    ¡°Please, father.¡±  The insignificant demon kin begged.  ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡±

    Baal swiped a hand and delivered a telekinetic smash that sent it reeling.  ¡°Not what I think!¡±  He demanded.  ¡°You had your chance!  If not for your daughter, the entirety of the demon race would have looked like weaklings in the face of our true enemy!  Then you dare to threaten my little Rica if she did not play along with your cowardly story!¡±  He had gotten up from his throne and marched toward her, a step with each word.  His hand gripped her throat and squeezed tightly, he continued.  ¡°Then you shamed me again by running away and pretending to be a hero.  When I find the rest of your companions they will not have long to live.¡±

    ¡°We saved the world.¡±  The thing rasped.

    ¡°No, you only delayed events for a true hero to save it.¡±  Baal hissed.  ¡°You sacrificed my little Rica¡¯s savior.  You¡¯re damn lucky I was here to bring him back.¡±  His voice dropped to a dangerous rasp of his own as the thing¡¯s eyes began to bulge.  ¡°Because my little Rica would not respond so kindly now that she is as strong as you.¡±

    It was a well-known fact in the demon kin community, that they valued honor, loyalty, and strength above all else.  When a demon kin sets their mind to something, it is a fate worse than death for them to go back on their word.  This thing before Baal had already used her one chance to regain her honor before the incident.  And that was because she was his daughter.

    When little Rica had declared that Mark was her mate for life and that she was willing to trade her life for his, Baal knew.  He knew.  That was not a statement lightly made.  When she declared the actions taken by these false heroes, he could feel the truth of her words.  Of course, as part of the deal made in the meeting of the gods, he would have revived Mark anyway.  Baal sided with his granddaughter and declared the false heroes to be traders.  The system announcement had practically said as much anyway.

    Congratulations!  The world boss has been stalled by sacrifice.  You have been given a respite until the return of your doom.  Prepare yourselves.

    Baal glanced at the old notification again.  Having peaked out max prestige, max tier, and max level.  He knew that she was not worthy of succession.  No, none of his children were.  They kept getting hung up in the old ways.  Soul contracts, wish fulfillment, among many other vices that were used to power level even before his time.  It was a despicable practice that he had tried to abolish, but there would always be family secrets that were passed down.

    Right now, however, Baal was in need of a successor.  That way he could move on through the portal.  The portal was a well-kept secret for the powerful people of this world.  Once you peaked, you were given a mission that would take years.  For each individual it was different.  And for each individual it was difficult to achieve.  For Baal, it was to find a successor worthy of his kingdom.

    The thing¡¯s arms went limp, and Baal dropped it to the ground like the trash that it was.

    ¡°This is a time for celebration!¡±  Baal barked to those gathered in his throne room.  ¡°Tomorrow, we set out for Tarkon!¡±

    An eruption of cheers broke out at these words.  From the demon lords gathered on the ground floor to the commoners in the rafters.  Baal ensured that they all heard, and that the news would spread¡­

    ***

    Gale

    Same time different place¡­

    ¡°Mom.¡±  Gale whispered.  At this moment she was sitting in the Adventurers Guild in New Haven.  Her mother¡¯s party was drinking boisterously as they told the tale of how they saved the world.  It was an easy way to save on drinks.  ¡°If we don¡¯t go, Tyler is threatening to expose us and put a quest out.¡±

    Isabelle frowned.  ¡°He can very well try, it¡¯s his word against ours.¡±  She was deep in her cups and her ¡®perfect mother¡¯ fa?ade was slipping.

    ¡°Mark is awake and regaining his memories.¡±  Gale hissed as quietly as she could.

    Isabelle¡¯s gaze snapped toward her daughter.  ¡°What has he said?¡±  She demanded.

    ¡°Not much so far.¡±  Gale admitted.  ¡°We need to do something.  Or this could turn on us.  Why don¡¯t we just visit Tarkon?  Say, ¡®hello.¡¯  Then return to this tour.¡±

    A knife appeared in Isabelle¡¯s hand; she slammed it into the table.  ¡°I¡¯ve received some bad news.¡±  She spoke in a tone that quieted the whole room.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±  Gale hissed.  She wasn¡¯t thinking.  Gale knew it.  It was always like this when she was drunk.

    ¡°It¡¯s looks as if a demon spirit has possessed a former acquaintance of ours.¡±  Isabelle winked conspiratorially at Gale.

    Gale winced.

    ¡°A person wearing the face of Mark Collier has appeared in Tarkon.¡±  Isabelle continued.  ¡°Two former heroes appear to have conjured it into existence.¡±  She shook her head sadly.  Fucking fake bitch!  ¡°Those heroes are Rica the granddaughter of Baal and Tyler the unbreakable.  I say we gather an army of adventurers, march on the border town, and put an end to this threat before it grows to a world event!¡±

    ¡°Here, here!¡±  Mike Collier, Mark¡¯s own father, was the first to cheer.  It was quickly picked up by his mother Livia, and soon the rest of the heroes and adventurers.  She couldn¡¯t believe her ears.

    Gale had never cared much one way or the other about Mark.  But she knew, a bad idea when she saw it.  Unlike Rica and Tyler who had been leveling constantly without a care for safety or a concern for much sleep for the last fifty years or so.  Black Dawn had mostly been traveling around drinking on other people¡¯s copper and basically ignoring their jobs as adventurers.  Hell, most people thought that they were retired and that¡¯s why they turned down anything above low-level quests.

    Shealla had made the mistake of trying to visit Mark, just to verify Rica¡¯s messages.  She had not been heard from in over a year¡­

    The biggest problem with the prestige level that they had gained was that all their abilities were reset to zero except for one.  Sure, they kept their stat points and had a gift of skill points to start over with...  In contrast to Rica and Tyler¡¯s sheer determination to continue to level, Black Dawn didn¡¯t want to bother with doing it again.  Gale on the other hand had decided to take contracts whenever she could.

    While everyone was cheering and celebrating the announcement.  Gale decided to slip outside.  She wasn¡¯t about to get herself killed by those morons.  Having experienced it for herself, she knew that skills gained after a prestige level were gained twice as fast.  And depending on your previous tree selection¡­  There was a chance that you could retain some of those levels.  Another thing was that Rica and Tyler, even before the prestige, seemed to have stronger abilities than their levels suggested.

    As a Wind Walker mage, Gale had decided that the best thing she could do for her old friend Rica was warn her.  So, she headed for the Mage¡¯s Guild to leave a message¡­

    ***

    Rica Granddaughter of Baal

    Early morning in Tarkon a few days later¡­

    Rica had awoken again to the delighted feeling of Mark being there.  After fifty years of her lying next to a vegetable, it was still hard to believe that her Mark was back.  Even if it had only been a for few months so far.  She could feel the rock-hard difference pressed against her leg.

    Smiling as she stroked his hair and watched him sleep.  Rica noted the subtle differences in his posture, the ones that reassured her that it wasn¡¯t just a dream.  Mark had begun to grow facial hair, something that did not occur in a body without a soul.  Even in his sleep he carried that stone-cold serious face.  The way his facial muscles were used was just naturally different compared to the soulless form they had been before.  Besides, the most glaring difference was between his legs.  His body hadn¡¯t done that the entire time his soul was separated from this form.

    Rica was still having trouble trying to explain many things to Mark.  It saddened her to see him in pain or worse, the blank expression that he used to get when she tried.  How was she supposed to explain that nearly everyone he knew had betrayed him?  That the woman he most looked up to as a mother scoffed at the suggestion of dying in his place.  That his own father cracked jokes about him finally being able to do something right.  His mother was the one person that probably wouldn¡¯t surprise him at all with what she said.  Fucking bitch that she is.

    Mark would never fully comprehend the extent of what she and Tyler had gone to for him.  Becky was nearly as bad as the rest.  She had run away, scared.  With demons as an actual race living in this hell hole of a world and she had the nerve to accuse Mark of being one of us.  Like that was a bad thing!  If anything, the demon kin, had accepted him as a hero after she had spoken with her grandfather.

    Hell, her first wife is one of my aunts!

    More random thoughts popped into her head as she began to smile.  ¡°You really are like a demon kin, Mark.  You¡¯re a magnet for trouble.¡±

    A noise came from the door and Rica noticed the elf girl enter.  Rica beckoned her with a shooshing motion.  Having learned of the girl¡¯s infatuation about a week ago, Rica had begun offering to let her join them in bed for a time.  At least until Mark began to stir awake.  She smiled as she noted that Fayt, that¡¯s her name, right?  That Fayt had finally worked up the nerve to wear nothing.  After meeting the girl for the first time, Rica had a hard time not thinking about her as anything but the elf girl.  Honestly, she was just a kid.  Not much older than Rica had been when she had started out.  It was probably why Rica had taken such a liking to her.  That and after years of heart ache she wasn¡¯t about to cause someone else that pain.  It wasn¡¯t like Fayt was trying to take Mark away, she just wanted to be closer.  A younger, rasher Rica would have stomped the girl like a bug.  Or just like Jenny, the little harlot that liked to hang around while Mark was training.  That just wasn¡¯t who she was anymore.  Even if it may have taken a long conversation with Tyler about her insecurities.

    Mark and his damn stringent honor would never allow for a second woman that loved him in his bed.  No, that would sully the name of everyone involved.  He was just a merchant.  Well, if I had my way, we would be working on breaking the bed right now!  Rica thought with a smile.

    Fayt managed to slip herself into the crook of his arm.  Her head resting on his shoulder and a sweet smile on her lips.  Rica had to pull her arm onto his chest.  The poor girl didn¡¯t realize that he was quite the heavy sleeper.  It was rather cute.  She was rather massive for an elf, but in the arms of their love, she looked delicate and vulnerable.

    ***

    Rica Granddaughter of Baal

    Still early morning.  Just before sunup¡­

    Hours had passed as Rica had watched Fayt and Mark sleep.  Eventually, she had woken Fayt and together they prepared for the day.  Rica dawned her robes and then helped Fayt get her armor on.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice isn¡¯t it.¡±  Rica asked as they were finishing up.

    Fayt blushed as she nodded quickly.  ¡°Mark¡¯s the first person that hasn¡¯t looked down on me for being a half-breed.¡±

    Rica quirked an eyebrow.  ¡°That¡¯s not the only reason you fell for him, is it?¡±

    Fayt shook her head so hard that her armor rattled.  ¡°No, Lady Rica.  He makes me feel like a real woman.  Not like some adventurer on a job.  Or a beast that needs to be tamed.  Most guards don¡¯t get treated to lunch or a fancy dinner.  When I took the job, I half-expected to go broke supplying myself with rations.  Now look at me.¡±  She did a little spin.  ¡°Proper chainmail armor tailored to my size.  I don¡¯t have to tell you that no adventurer at my level can afford something like this.¡±

    Rica giggled.  ¡°I know.  Look at me.  These are still my starter robes.¡±

    Fayt gaped at her.  ¡°How?¡±

    Rica shrugged.  ¡°Gear isn¡¯t as important as the guild likes to make it out to be.  Don¡¯t get me wrong, I want you out fitted in a respectable fashion because you are as much of a reputation builder for Mark as his Charisma.  But, for me, it matters a lot less.  You have to hit me to damage my gear and I haven¡¯t been hit in a long time.¡±

    ¡°Is that how it is for Tyler too.¡±  Fayt asked curiously.  ¡°Having a similar class, I noticed that he is still wearing starter gear.¡±

    Rica leaned into whisper.  ¡°Since you plan on staying for the long haul, let me, let you in on a little secret.  Don¡¯t tell anyone, not even Mark.¡±

    Fayt nodded.

    ¡°Our gear gained a few things over the years.¡±  Rica continued.  ¡°The first was a boost called well worn, it gives us a movement speed buff as well as a boost to dexterity.  We didn¡¯t have much time to gather gear while we were on that world quest.  By the end of it we had seven individual buffs added to it.  When we prestiged, we gained a buff worth more than any other.  Automatic bubble for me.  I won¡¯t tell you how many times I can use it in a day or how long it lasts...  I will wear other robes if Mark feels like replacing these.  But for a dangerous fight, I¡¯m equipping these.¡±

    Fayt just blinked dumbly at her.  ¡°What did Tyler gain?¡±

    Rica shrugged.  ¡°Something similar.  You¡¯ll have to ask him.¡±

    Suddenly nervous, Fayt glanced at her shoes before speaking.  ¡°Does he know about¡­ us?  Me I mean.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±  Rica chuckled, she knew that Fayt was asking about Tyler and not their love snoring in the next room.  ¡°We keep no secrets.  You have to understand, we have been party members for a very long time.  Tyler is my most trusted ally and he alone stood with me to fight that monstrosity, when no other would.¡±

    Fayt looked confused.  ¡°The history books state that there were fifteen heroes.¡±

    ¡°I know what I said, girl.¡±  Rica snapped out.  ¡°There was only one hero that day and he died.¡±

    Looking even more confused, Fayt nodded.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to offend.  I had never heard that before.¡±

    Deciding to give the girl a break, for fuck¡¯s sake, Rica was twice as na?ve, ten times as angry, and paid even less attention to her histories at that age, she said.  ¡°Just be sure to guard our man well.  He¡¯s the most heroic person I know.¡±

    Rica left Fayt with a dumbfounded expression as she made her way to the Mage¡¯s Guild.  She typically stopped by on a daily basis before leaving town to dungeon dive.  It had become a routine for her.  Besides, she had noticed that when outside the town, she could be gone for days, and when she returned it would be like no time had passed.  It was some weird system quirk.  Her dungeon dives had taken about two days each time.

    Mark had called it the Adventurers Paradox.  Or was that something that Tyler had mentioned it?  At any rate, it all fell under the same umbrella of effects.  Weird time dilations between adventurers and workers.  They haven¡¯t really been able to pinpoint how it works at the Mage¡¯s Guild.  At best, the time difference was considered random.

    For instance, Rica could leave town for an hour and that¡¯s how much time would pass.  But, on the other hand, she could leave for days, and it would be like leaving for an afternoon.  She had remembered stories from Marks books about an adventure who had multiple wives in separate towns and villages, would spend years away from each of them, and it was as if no more than a week had passed for the wives.  It made no sense.

    ***

    Rica Granddaughter of Baal

    Mid-morning Adventurers Guild¡­

    ¡°Those sons a bitches!¡±  Rica pounded the table in frustration.

    ¡°Calm down, we knew this might happen.¡±  Tyler tried to placate her.

    ¡°His own fucking family!¡±  Unbidden, a blue flame erupted from her hands.  ¡°Fucking treacherous bastards!  Why?!  I explained that he regained his memories but not all of them!  Hell, I even sent a damn abbreviated character sheet.  I explained that he wanted them to come to the ritual ceremony.  All they had to do was pretend that they weren¡¯t complete assholes¡­¡±  Her tone softened into a mumble toward the end.

    ¡°Did you believe that they would behave any differently?¡±  Tyler asked with a smirk.

    ¡°No!¡±  Rica protested.  ¡°But it was what Mark wanted.  I figured that if they remembered half the speech he had made at the end, they could just let the stupid shit that he doesn¡¯t care about go.¡±

    A massive hand gripped her shoulder.  ¡°Listen Ric¡¯s, let¡¯s focus on the positives here.  You said that Backy¡¯s wives are dragging her here.  Bound and gagged.  Which means that she¡¯ll have no choice but to listen for once.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±  Rica had been excited about that.  The last time they had spoken, Becky had threatened to kill her if she ever saw her again.

    ¡°And your grandfather said he was coming.¡±  Tyler smiled.  ¡°That¡¯s great news!  When¡¯s the last time Old Man Baal left that capital?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget.¡±  Rica said with a bit more energy.  ¡°He said, he was bringing an entourage and gifts.¡±  She sighed.  ¡°He might just kill them all.  Did I mention how much Baal said he liked Mark?  For a human that he had never met, you would swear that they were brothers or something.  All he ever talks about is how smart and courageous Mark is.  He wants to claim him as a son and make him an heir to the kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Could you imagine that?¡±  Tyler chuckled.  ¡°The first human, Demon King.  Ha!¡±

    ¡°Would be pretty funny, huh?¡±  Rica giggled.  ¡°Mark would never go for it.  You know him.  He wants to do everything on his own.  Which I think is why my grandfather likes him so much.¡±

    ¡°You must talk to him a lot.¡±  Tyler encouraged.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±  Rica stated, feeling a bit more normal.  ¡°Other than you, he¡¯s the only one to stick by me over the years.  And I hadn¡¯t even met him until after the whole world event bs.¡±

    ¡°And Gale sent that warning.¡±  Tyler said, smoothly switching topics.

    ¡°She did¡­¡±  Rica agreed.  ¡°But I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s on our side, their side, or going into hiding until it all blows over.  She¡¯s always been a bit flakey.  That¡¯s why I knew that her actions were never personal with Mark.  They were never all that close, and she was just looking to get in on the quest.¡±

    ¡°I remember.¡±  Tyler smiled.  ¡°But at least she thought enough about you to send a warning.  Otherwise, I suspect it would have been quite the surprise when they showed up.¡±

    Rica gave him a flat stare.  ¡°Would it have been all that big of a surprise?¡±

    ¡°Not to me or you.¡±  Tyler agreed.  ¡°But we can warn his secret girlfriend and hopefully get him a second guard before they arrive.¡±

    ¡°Not from the Adventurers Guild.¡±  Rica warned.  ¡°That¡¯ll just give them a closer target.  I¡¯m thinking either a healer or mage.¡±

    Tyler chuckled.  ¡°Of course, you would say that.¡±

    ¡°You got a better idea?¡±  Rica asked.

    ¡°I do, actually.¡±  Tyler smirked.  ¡°Remember that Ranger Wolf girl we saved in the woods?¡±

    ¡°Is that the one I told you to kiss.¡±  Rica smirked right back.

    ¡°No, that one was a human.¡±  Tyler ignored the jab.  ¡°The one with a vendetta against those Dire Panthers.  She worked alone.¡±

    ¡°Ohhhh.¡±  It dawned on her.  ¡°Yeah, she was pretty cute.  Did you bang her too?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with you and the sex talk?¡±  Tyler rolled his eyes.  ¡°When was the last time you got laid?¡±

    ¡°You know the answer to that.¡±  Rica¡¯s claws dug into the table involuntarily.

    ¡°As I was saying¡­¡±  Tyler went back to the topic at hand.  ¡°I think you could convince her to be his guard.¡±

    ¡°What?  Why me?¡±  Rica asked.

    ¡°She mentioned something about changing careers.¡±  Tyler explained.  ¡°And you were the one that had actually saved her.  I didn¡¯t even get a hit in.¡±

    Rica nodded.  ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±

    Tyler¡¯s easy grin was back.  ¡°So, are we drinking the day away?  Or pushing past fifty before Black Dawn arrives?¡±

    Rica just chuckled as she tipped back her tankard.  ¡°So, how¡¯s your mom been?¡±

    Tyler glared.  ¡°She¡¯s still asking about Mark.¡±

    Ale shot from Rica¡¯s nose as she couldn¡¯t hold in her laughter.

 Chapter 6 Dreams of forgotten memories...

    Chapter 6

    Dreams of forgotten memories¡­

    Mark Collier

    About three weeks later¡­

    Despite the actions of a few brave souls trying to kidnap me over the last few weeks, things were pretty normal.  It was fairly common to be used as a quest when you are a merchant.  Especially, at early levels.  The trend did not stop if you made it to nobility.  They just changed in the way they were done.  If you were an adventurer, you had the right to defend yourself and fight off invading armies and such.  As part of the working class, I had to do different sorts of things.  Hire guards, build up an information network, spies, establish good relations, and manage to keep it all above board.  Well, sort of¡­ I had heard that there were criminal organizations that could be established in a similar way.  But I did not want to work with criminals.  I wanted to be legit.  Even if I couldn¡¯t be a hero that slew dragons, I could still do the right thing.

    I steadily worked at my job.  Fayt was relentless in her protection of me.  Tyler continued to drink the rest of us under the table.  And Rica was just as flirty as ever.  She had mentioned in passing that her grandfather was coming for a visit.

    I hope that he¡¯s nice.

    I continued to level.  Slowly.  Okay, I realized that I was cheating, but it still felt obscenely slow.  There probably weren¡¯t that many people out there with the advantages that I had.  Plus Perk was probably the biggest cheat.  Rich friends that allowed me to level that much faster, by purchasing everything for them.  A loyal personal guard that I shouldn¡¯t have even gotten for another couple of years.  (Due to a drunken accident.)  Security was an easier specialization to max out compared to Stock boy.  I could basically cheat by using my power level earned skill.  Negotiator had come in handy.

    Now, I just sorted through items and fought sleep.  Blacksmiths, enchanters, and adventurers had it easier in my opinion.  They could level in interesting ways.  All of them could level in basically any way that they wanted.  Whether it was trying to create new and unique items or killing various types of monsters in new and exciting locations.  They did not have to deal with the monotony of the same repetitive task.  Day in and day out.  They got quests on a nearly daily basis.  I couldn¡¯t even get a quest, unless one of my friends were looking for something specific.

    Just because I had quests did not mean that I could do anything about them.  I was close to finishing Rica¡¯s pet quest.  The problem was that when I hinted at the quality of Devil Dog she wanted, Rica claimed how she would love to have nothing less than a Rare Tier pet.  Preferably a Noble Tier, Baron rank or higher.  Which was the tier above Rare¡­ sort of.

    Well, let me explain this a bit.  Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary, and Unique were one set of tiers.  Then there were the Noble tier items.  Esquire, Knight, Baron, Viscount, Marquess, Royal, and Imperial.  In that order.  Coincidently, those were the same ranks for nobility.  The Noble Tier items were better quality than the other tiered items.  But only in each rank.  Then there were the Holy ranked items.  But they sort of followed the same rules as the Noble Tiered ones.  And, if someone were lucky enough to find a named item?  Those sort of fell outside the limits of rules and leveled with you.  But it couldn¡¯t be just any named item.  The outfit that I wore did not count.  It had to be something that was named by the gods and didn¡¯t fall under the other tiered items.  Usually, these items were found in high level dungeons or monsters.

    So, Esquire was better than common but not uncommon.  Depending on the situation, an Esquire ranked item could be better than an uncommon item.  But a common item could never be better than an Esquire item.  Confused?  Great!

    The problem I was having was that Noble Tier item prices were ridiculous.  Especially pets.  Because it was possible when certain requirements were met, they could increase in rank.  Whereas the Common Tier items would stay at whatever rank they began with.

    In theory, I could get her an Esquire Ranked pet, and take it to Imperial rank.  But it was unlikely that pet could rank up to a Royal rank.  The standard max was two to three Tiers, then again standard was not the same as the rule.  There were rare occasions when a pet climbed all the ranks of nobility.  Those were few and far between.  You also didn¡¯t want a pet that outranked your own noble rank by very much.  If they were too high, it was likely the pet would not respect you or follow orders.  Unlike humans, pets were born with an innate understanding of their rank and responsibilities.  As they increased through the ranks, they instantly had a better understanding of their new responsibilities.  Got it?  Good.  Me neither.

    The thing that made a Baron ranked Devil Dog or any pet of that rank special, was that they could call a number of ghostly hounds or apparitions of the common Tier variety that could help them in combat.  Esquire on the other hand could call only one.  Rare ranked on the other hand could have powerful techniques that the others didn¡¯t have.  These techniques only increased as the ranks went up.

    Needless to say, I couldn¡¯t afford it just yet.  That being said, I was getting closer.  My hopes of surprising Rica on her birthday or in the ritual that we haven¡¯t set a date for yet was my plan.  The one bonus to being a Merchant was that you could usually find a way to earn some coins.  Even if it meant buying from Paul to sell to Jim.  I could easily make 50 gold coins a week, so long as Rica and Tyler kept bringing in the goods.  With the new dungeon, they had nearly doubled daily proceeds to what they are now.

    I think I understand why people go on a guided course now.  It¡¯s kind of like getting the boring stuff out of the way first.  Maybe I should choose something more exciting next time.  Errand runner maybe?  I do have a guard¡­

    As my thoughts wondered, I heard a slight cough from behind me.

    ¡°Sir?¡±  Fayt stated.  ¡°We¡¯re off course again.  Are you sure that you want to work tonight?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±  I grumbled.  ¡°It¡¯s just a summer cold.  I can tough it out for the night.¡±  I had caught a bug or something that gave me quite a fever and nasty cough.  With my constitution I had thought it would be pretty difficult to catch a cold.  But then again, a virus can level just like an adventurer.  That¡¯s why high-level cities and towns did not have very many beginners.  Children were protected by the system in that manner.  If you caught a cold before having a class, you might die¡­ but it wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with the level of the virus.

    Almost gently, Fayt gripped my shoulder.  ¡°Let me check.  I can¡¯t have you dying on me, right?¡±

    I tried to shake her off as another dizzy spell hit me.

    Fayt pressed her cool forehead against mine and gasped.  ¡°You¡¯re burning up.  We need to get you to a healer.¡±

    With that, she picked me up princess style and we headed in the opposite direction.  I weakly batted at her arms in an attempt to free myself.  With the sorry state that I was in, it was like a child struggling against a tree.  There was no getting free.

    ¡°Fayt¡­¡±  I mumbled as I felt myself getting weaker.  Something was up.  I was getting weaker, way to fast.

    Quest has begun!  Would you like to say a few words?  They may be your last.

    Y/N

    ¡°You¡¯re so pretty...¡±  Was all my addled mind could muster before, I poked at a slightly protruding tusk that I hadn¡¯t noticed until now.

    ***

    Mark Collier

    It was a strange feeling to be aware of your surroundings and not be able to respond.  I knew that the healer had cast her spells.  I heard her explain that some rare herb was needed to fix my condition.  I felt the tears touch my cheeks as Fayt swore to recover the ingredients for the toxin.  Hell, I felt her lips touch mine before she parted.

    It was very odd.  It sucked to be the victim of a quest.  I don¡¯t know if it was worse to be aware of the things happening, or to miss them entirely.  I hate random system generated quests.  Before I had gotten my class, I had hoped to be the one saving people from these kinds of things.  Now however, I regret having those thoughts in the first place.

    Am I just a footnote in her grand adventure?  I wondered idly.  Maybe one day she¡¯ll mention me to her grandkids.  The stupid merchant she had worked for at the start of her journey.  Yeah, no.  That¡¯s stupid.  Who am I kidding?  If she remembers me at all, it¡¯ll be because I had died and she just failed a quest.

    I was alone for a very long time in my bed at the healer¡¯s temple.  Hours, maybe days, I couldn¡¯t really tell.  The healer checked on me a few times.  Priests and acolytes as well.  I had food forced down my gullet.  Bandages that I knew I didn¡¯t need, were wrapped around my head, chest, arms, and legs.  And sponges dragged, dabbed, and scrubbed against my skin.  I was poked and prodded more times than I could count.

    Everyone seemed to use me for some form of XP gain.  I wanted to cry.  I wanted to shout.  Hell, I wanted to be as far away as I could get from this situation.

    Then I heard an unusual clicking noise in the hours that felt like they were out of routine.

    ¡°Mhmm.¡±  A female voice hummed as the clicking noise drew closer.  ¡°This is the one?¡±

    ¡°Yes, mistress.¡±  A soft pleasant-sounding male said.  ¡°This is the man that you were asking after.¡±

    A delicate hand stroked my cheek.  ¡°Mark Collier.¡±  She hummed.  ¡°You don¡¯t look like much.¡±

    ¡°Right now.¡±  The male agreed.

    ¡°How long?¡±  She asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mistress?¡±  The male was clearly confused.  ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°How long before he becomes who you say he will?¡±  She asked as her hands worked gently.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, mistress.¡±  The male conceded.  ¡°In my previous life, I was just a common criminal.  He was the emperor before I even opened my eyes to the rest of the world.¡±

    ¡°That is not what I asked, Darius.¡±  She hissed.

    ¡°M-Mark should be reach Baron rank within the next five to ten years.¡±  The man stuttered out quickly.

    ¡°And I was a mere concubine?¡±  She questioned.

    ¡°Y-yes, mistress.¡±  Darius agreed.

    ¡°Come, Darius.¡±  She stated abruptly, and the clicking noise traveled away this time.  ¡°You are a regressor, you came to me, you are going to help me fix that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, mistress.¡±  Darius stated with more conviction.

    ***

    Fayt the half-elf/half-orc

    Right after leaving the temple¡­

    Fayt traveled as fast as her legs could take her.  She barely noticed the rats and rabbits in the fields that she had used to gain her early levels.  She ignored the signs posting directions, knowing this area better than most people.  She leapt over the familiar potholes and slid beneath the downed trees that bandits used for trapping merchant caravans.  She was heading for the mountains of Bendaff.  Her mother¡¯s home.

    As Fayt traversed the land, she was more focused on the fact that she had failed to realize Mark should have gone to the healer this morning when he first showed signs of being sick.  But nooooo.  She had been ignoring his illness because she was worried that Mark had caught her in his bed.  It was her fault for getting so comfortable.  It was her fault that she couldn¡¯t shake this feeling deep within.

    Fayt was no fool.  She could tell that Mark was not trying to tempt her.  He wasn¡¯t like the adventurers from out of town trying to turn every woman they met into an addition to their harem.  She was also aware of how ugly she was compared to elves, and how weak she was compared to orcs.  Neither race found her attractive and most of them made a point of telling her.  Humans, demons, beast kin.  They were all the same.

    Fayt had the unfortunate side-effect of being the daughter of a powerful orc warrior that had taken an elf slave.  Her father was a simple tailor.  Her mother ran the counter selling the goods her father made.  Her intimidation skill stacked with her barter skill and gained a tidy profit over the years.  Fayt, already an outcast, had never told anyone that she was the offspring of a slave and his owner.

    She wondered if that was part of why she had an infatuation with Mark.  In a way, it was the same sort of thing.  And even if her mother had a rough personality, she could be kind in her own way.  Shelly was more than capable of showing love, she just chose not to do so in public.  No matter what the townsfolk said.

    Fayt took a shortcut through the Staying Woods.  It was a forested area that Fayt knew well.  Littered with giant spiders that trapped adventurers that were looking to make a name for themselves and a great location for those around level 10-12 to gain some experience.  She used to take rescue and hunt quests here when she was around that level.

    Grimlocks inhabited the next region.  It was the in foothills and they were somewhat annoying.  It wasn¡¯t that they were stupid or that they liked to throw rocks to annoy young adventurers.  No, it was a fact that they traveled in packs that ranged from 25-50.  And if one of the little shits managed to escape before you killed them all, you would soon find yourself beset by a horde of the little fuckers raining rocks down on you like a storm.  It was considered one of the toughest regions that you could level from 16-18 in the kingdom.  And those that did do their leveling here were on a fast track to Tier 2.  You learned a great deal about tactics in this region.

    Even if it meant slowing her pace, it was still the quickest route to her destination.  Fayt had accepted the quest from the priest and promised Mark that she would return with the ingredients.  Ingredients that were located in the peaks of Bendaff¡­

    ***

    Mark Collier

    Dream world¡­

    I was dreaming.  I knew that I was.  There was no other way to put it.  My mind had clearly taken me back to when I was fifteen and had just finished a training exercise.  Gale was there.  I remembered the event clearly.

    She had cornered me out by the lake.  There was no one around.  My instructor had wandered off.  Rica had left, pissed at me for some reason.  Becky was off hunting in the woods.  I had just finished taking a dip in the water to rinse the sweat off.  Birds were chirping, frogs croaking, and grasshoppers were leaping this way and that.

    Gale just stood there, her dark elf tan and silver hair shined in all its glory.  She had red glowing eyes and a frown on her face.  Her arms were crossed just beneath her moderately sized breasts, and she was huffing.  I wasn¡¯t sure what to do.  She had been wearing a thin strap around her waist and chest.  I would say to cover her modesty, but the straps were barely big enough for that.

    ¡°Are you in love with Rica?¡±  Gale demanded.

    ¡°N-no.¡±  I stuttered embarrassed.  ¡°Why would you think that?¡±

    Gale rolled her eyes.  ¡°You know that you don¡¯t have a chance in hell, right?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±  I mumbled.

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you try chasing someone else?¡±  Gale snapped.  She had a desperate? no, angry look plastered to her face.  ¡°A loser like you probably couldn¡¯t get a girlfriend.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m not.¡±  I stammered.  Glancing around and gesturing toward the town I continued.  ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t really have any other options.  Do I?¡±

    Gale growled in frustration at the comment and kicked muddy water at me.  ¡°Asshole!¡±  She spat before marching off.

    ¡°Gale, wait!¡±  I chased her down and grabbed her hand.  ¡°What brought this on?¡±

    Gale spun around with tears in her eyes.  ¡°There¡¯s at least one other girl here and I don¡¯t have a lot of options either!  Rica¡¯s already with Tyler and you won¡¯t even look my way!  You¡¯re an ass, Mark!¡±

    Stunned, I lost my grip on Gale¡¯s arm as she sprinted away.  What was I supposed to say?  What should I have done?  She was right.  But she was also wrong.  When I get my class, I could prove that I am better than Tyler.  I don¡¯t dislike Gale.  But it was a little hard to see her as a woman when I saw her thing as a kid.  Hell, we used to share a bath.  Am I being too hard on her?  I get that it¡¯s probably more confusing to her than those around her.

    ¡°Shit.¡±  I cursed myself as she disappeared.  ¡°If Gale would have just waited, we could have talked about it.¡±

    I kicked myself for not having the confidence or words for the situation my whole way home¡­

    ***

    Fayt the half-elf/half-orc

    11 days before the end of the quest¡­

    Fayt slashed the final Mountain Ape dispatching it was¡­ distasteful.  She hated slaughtering just for the sake of it.  Even if she was on a quest.  It had taken her days to get here.  Only stopping in her mother¡¯s hometown to deliver some parcels at her request.  Only the chief had shown her a modicum of respect.  That was more due to tradition and customs than knowing her or her mother.

    Fayt didn¡¯t care for that town much either.  In the short few hours that she was there, she had been spat on, cursed at, kicked, and one time¡­ had shit thrown at her.  She knew better than to call her grandfather ¡®grandfather¡¯ unless she wanted to get into a duel to the death.  After delivering the letter, he spat in her face and told her to go.  The offspring of slaves did not have familial ties, they weren¡¯t even on the level of cattle.

    Fayt cursed herself as she wiped her eyes.  They shouldn¡¯t have affected her so much.  She had gotten used to such treatment as a child.  After her mother had moved them to Tarkon she was happy for a time.  At least the beast-kin-town would treat her better.  They didn¡¯t.  A few years later there was an influx of elves.  She had thought that things were looking up.  She had been wrong.

    By the time that Mark had arrived, she had been used to living through life in that way.  Even the adventurers avoided the ugly elf.  As much as they liked having harems, she wasn¡¯t to their tastes.  And the ones that were interested¡­  Well, they were worse off than her in the looks department.  That or they were so bad at their job they expected her to carry them through dungeons.  Not that any of this had hurt her feelings much.  The part that sucked was that she had a hard time finding a decent party to join up with.

    Because everyone knew that Adventurer parties were more like applications to join a harem of some sort, than an actual team.  Sure, for some it was all about friendship and rewards, blah, blah, blah.  But those were few and far between.  For most, it was about allying with the most powerful person they could and exchanging being single for a lifetime of wealth and protection.

    Then came the quest contract from the merchant¡¯s guild.  It was a cushy job.  Fayt snatched it up before the others could.  She did have to duel a mage for it, but that was over with quickly.  Guardsman jobs were sought after due to the steady pay and easy XP.  She had planned to double up on XP, adventuring and guarding.  She was going to get rich and hit Tier 2 in no time.  That was until Mark had revealed that precious secret about the level stacking bonus.  She took it with a grain of salt.

    Fayt figured that if she had stuck with Mark for about a week, it wouldn¡¯t hurt her too much.  With the raise to 4 silver a week and XP doubling to 100 a day, plus the 2 silver a week from the place that she was doubling up on¡­ Fayt began to see Mark in another light.  He gave away a valuable secret, paid her more in a week than she could earn from monsters in a month, and bought her dinner on a nightly basis.  If you added in the stay at his mansion and friendly demeanor, it was no wonder that her heart felt like it would break her new armor every time she looked in his direction.

    It wasn¡¯t just that though.  To Fayt it was the little things.  Like the way he looked at her we she came to his defense.  The words he used to describe the way she looked when asked.  ¡®Pretty¡¯ and ¡®beautiful¡¯ were foreign words to her.  Or at least not words she had heard to describe her.  Even if he wasn¡¯t interested in her in that way¡­ she was in love.

    It hadn¡¯t taken much effort for Rica to invite her to their bed.  She just beckoned Fayt in with a hand and a hushing motion.  In what felt like a dream-like state, Fayt wobbled in on unsteady legs and laid on the bed.

    It had felt soooo good!

    Mark was warm and comfortable.  Despite her warrior class and hard nature.  For the first time in her life, Fayt felt¡­ small, delicate, safe.  It was as if in those arms, no harm would ever come to her.  She felt girly.  It had made her smile.

    ¡°I will save you, Mark.¡±  Fayt muttered as she approached the final group of apes.  She needed five Alpha Mountain Ape hearts.  Next, she would have to gather Mountain Doe entrails, 10 of them!  A massive problem for a sword wielding warrior.  Luckily, so long as she could manage to stay quiet, she could take them down in one hit.

    ***

    Mark Collier

    Dream world¡­

    Shealla panted as she looked deep into my eyes.  There was lust in them, passion, a need to satisfy her heated desire, as she rode me like you would if you were trying to break in a bull or a horse.  Kisses were plastered to my chest, neck, and mouth.  The moment didn¡¯t last long, it was my first time.  But¡­  It¡­  Was¡­ Glorious!  Especially when she planted herself deep and laid her head on my chest.

    I remembered this moment in my vivid dream.  It was the night before I had received my class.  Shealla had promised that she would meet me in Tarkon in two weeks.  My plan was always to go there.  I just wanted to be as far from this little shit hole of a town as I could.  Then we spent most of the evening like this.  Cuddling.

    ¡°I love-¡± I began.

    ¡°Shh¡­¡±  Shealla whispered as she put a finger over my lips.  ¡°We both know what this was.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±  I asked, about as na?ve as ever.

    ¡°I need you.¡±  Shealla said in a husky tone.  ¡°You want Rica and settled for me.  Just¡­ don¡¯t.  Please¡­ don¡¯t do that to me.¡±

    ¡°But-¡± I started.

    ¡°Mark.¡±  Shealla choked up.  ¡°It¡¯s already going to be bad enough.  Your parents are kicking you out, your sister is being taken by the party, and I won¡¯t see you for at least an extra two weeks.  Probably a month.  If you truly believe those words, tell me then.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±  I huffed as I slapped her bare ass.  ¡°Pretty sure I got a thing for demon kin women though.¡±

    Shealla chuckled.  ¡°Yeah, they got a thing for you too.¡±

    A silence settled over us that lasted long enough for me to think Shealla had fallen asleep.  It was no wonder that this had happened.  What, with all the Charisma training and the flirting that was used to help it improve the fastest.  Clair, Tyler¡¯s mom, was another that had volunteered to help me with the training.  We had not progressed this far.

    ¡°I love you too.¡±  Shealla whispered...

    ***

    Fayt the half-elf/half-orc

    8 days before the end of the quest¡­

    ¡°Fucking fleet of foot deer.¡±  Fayt cursed as she chased down a 4<sup>th</sup> creature from this part of the quest.  ¡°Why does that healer need so many ingredients?¡±

    Fayt had gotten lucky and managed to find all of the Blue Ice Grass that she needed.  All forty of them.  That still left 7 Mountain Doe entrails and 1 Flower of Crystalized Mana.  They only grew at the peak of Bendaff.  Well, any mountain really.  But this was the closest, most easily reachable peak.

    If Fayt could manage to get 3 does¡¯ today and 4 tomorrow, she would have enough time to reach the peak, collect the flower, and return with a day to spare.  She crept through the woods and debated removing her armor for something much quieter.  The problem was¡­ she would lose all of her guard benefits.  Her armor, as noisy as it was, was somehow linked to the boost that she received as a guard.  Those boosts included a hefty bonus to¡­ well, everything.  She was smarter, faster, and stronger than ever.  Her new charisma gave her a confidence that she never had before.

    Until now, Fayt had dreamed of a quest like this.  But, when she got the quest notification and read it, her heart sank.

    Quest conditions met!  Heroic Adventurer: As an adventurer you, you have fallen in love with a non-combatant.  You must prove your love is worth saving and meets the requirements of the Adventurer¡¯s Paradox.  To do this you must save their life in the allotted time frame.

    That notification had surprised her when she had left Tarkon.  It had been delayed for some reason.  But, it was not the notification that forced Fayt¡¯s resolve.

    Quest Updated!  Heroic Adventurer:  Update.  The life of your employer/love interest¡¯s condition has worsened.  You must hasten your speed as the timer ticks down.  Each hour that they go without treatment will enhance their pain.

    With the updated status, Fayt had thrown caution to the wind and began using her berserker rage as soon as she saw the doe.  Only about half of the deer that she had managed to kill were in good enough condition to recover the much-needed ingredients.

    ***

    Gale the Wind Walker Mage

    Four days from Tarkon¡­

    ¡°Gale.¡±  Isabelle hissed.  ¡°What are all these people doing?  They keep following us.¡±

    ¡°You got drunk, mother.¡±  Gale rolled her eyes.  ¡°Then claimed that Mark was possessed by a demon.¡±  She settled with a glare on her mother.  ¡°A fucking made up racial stereotype and you know it.  That shit is not even possible.¡±  Her view returned to the ropes at her wrists.  ¡°Then you found me leaving the Mages Guild and forced me to join this fucked up campaign.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±  Isabelle was shocked.  ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like something I would do.¡±  Then she did a double take at the fifty-some-odd adventurers following them.  ¡°What was that about Mark?  Is he feeling better?  Did Rica solve it?  Did she fix him?¡±

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    Gale glared daggers at her mother.  Again.  ¡°The first time you decide to sober up in years and you do it during one of your grand schemes?  Why the hell should I answer you?¡±

    Isabelle reached across the gap between their horses and grabbed Gale by the shoulders.  ¡°My baby boy is feeling better.  Are you certain?  Come on Gale, don¡¯t lie to me now.¡±

    Gale cringed.  She knew exactly how much her mother wanted a son.  Especially after Gale developed boobs.  Isabelle had practically claimed Mark as her own afterward.  Nearly ignoring Gale in the process.  It was a big part of why Gale chose to identify as a woman.  That and the constant badgering of her mother to make Mark join the family.  An idea that Gale did not hate.  Or didn¡¯t hate when she was younger.  But now that she has had time to grow and explore the world¡­

    In the years after his death, Isabelle had not taken it well.  She drank a lot.  She was manic depressive and turned nasty when she drank.  It had literally split her personality.  When she was sober, the rare few times that that had occurred, she was a decent mother.  Almost like she had been when they were growing up.  It was a whole different matter when she was drunk.

    Eventually, Gale nodded.  ¡°Rica sent Mark¡¯s character sheet.¡±

    Isabelle glanced back at those trailing behind them and sighed.  ¡°That¡¯s good, sweety.  How do we get them to stop following us?¡±

    ¡°You took over as party leader.¡±  Gale groaned.  ¡°You do it.¡±

    ¡°I did?¡±  Isabelle asked.  ¡°When?¡±

    ¡°Like thirty years ago.¡±  Gale smirked.  ¡°Just after the last time you were sober.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±  Isabelle quizzed.  ¡°I thought Mike was the leader.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  Gale snorted.  ¡°Until he lipped off one too many times about Mark.  You nearly killed him and Livia.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±  Isabelle nodded.  ¡°That does sound like something I would do¡­¡±  She had a pensive look on her face.  ¡°Does that make you the vice leader?  Can you just tell them to go home?¡±

    Gale shook her head and ground her teeth.  ¡°No, you made Mark the vice leader.  With me just under him.  You said that it was the proper place for me.¡±

    Isabelle facepalmed.  ¡°Did I really say that?  I¡¯m sorry, sweety.  Can you ever forgive me?¡±

    Gale rolled her eyes.  ¡°Stay sober and I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

    Isabelle beamed.  ¡°As long as Mark is okay, I promise, I will.¡±  She edged her horse closer.  ¡°So¡­ do you think you might try again?¡±

    ¡°Mother.¡±  Gale groaned.  ¡°It¡¯s been like sixty years.  Do you really think that I¡¯m still holding a candle for Mark, of all people?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a no.¡±  Isabelle chimed, before she excused herself to disband the campaign.

    ***

    Fayt the half-elf/half-orc

    4 days before the end of the quest¡­

    Fayt growled in frustration as chased yet another doe.  It was the final one.  She had given up chasing them two days ago as she knew that she would need to find and collect the flower.  It was pure luck that she had found it and a pack of the deer at the same time.  They had nearly eaten all of them in the patch of frozen flowers.

    Enraged at the sight of her ingredients disappearing, Fayt slaughtered six of the animals that were more focused on eating the flowers than running from her.  There was only one flower left, she had noticed as she took in the carnage around her.  Blood had soaked the snow, turning it crimson red and half melted.  She scrambled for the crystalized mana flower and placed it in her satchel for protection.  Then she collected the intestines of the doe that were lying dead around her.

    Not for the first time, Fayt had considered pinning the flower on her chest in order to draw the creatures in.  But, with the flower being fragile, crystalized mana, she did not want to chance destroying it while killing the monsters.  With the expanded inventory space in her bag that she received as a boost for guarding Mark, she knew that it would be safer in her bag than anywhere else.  Apparently, traders had a separate sort of inventory perk that allowed for more space in their bags, chests, crates, and wagons.  She hadn¡¯t known that.  In fact, until this journey, she hadn¡¯t even realized that it was a possibility.  She was used to her old way of doing things.  Large traveler packs and extra bags for various types of loot.  You made a lot more for herbs and other types of ingredients if they weren¡¯t saturated in blood.  That went for gemstones as well.  As for the reason that you separated armor and weapons¡­ well, the weapons could damage the armor and vice versa.

    ¡°DIE!¡±  Fayt roared as she charged the doe she caught in the corner of her eye.

    Congratulations!  You have earned 2,396 XP.

    The doe toppled over as relief settled throughout Fayt¡¯s veins.  Tears came to her eyes as she watched the head and neck topple forward to the ground and its body fell sideways.  She made a quick slice with her sword and dug what she needed from the corpse.

    ¡°Hold on, Mark.¡±  Fayt whispered.  ¡°We¡¯re going to make it.¡±

    ***

    Mark Collier

    Some days later¡­

    Pain coursed through my body as the hours ticked by.  I hallucinated strange events that felt out of this world.

    ¡°Get up.¡±  A gravelly voice demanded.  ¡°I said, get up or I¡¯ll continue the lesson regardless of you defending yourself.¡±

    ¡°Y¡­ yes, sir.¡±  I whimpered as I tried to stand and hold the shield again.

    Now I remember¡­

    My father was training me to be a tank.  I was fourteen and made the mistake of getting into one of his spirits bottles the night before.  He pounded the shield relentlessly.  His wooden training sword slapped, stabbed, and swiped any part of my body that wasn¡¯t covered by the shield.  Any time the shield dropped I would get hit in the ribs or an exposed limb.  Which also included my head.

    ¡°If you think you¡¯re a man.¡±  Father swung his sword so hard the hit knocked my shield aside and crashed into my shoulder, crushing it in the process.  ¡°Then block like a man.¡±  He stepped forward and slammed the pommel of the blade into my temple.  The thought was ridiculous.  My father was a Knight Tier Adventurer.  With his strength and speed, there was no way that I could defend my classless self.

    It¡­ rang¡­ my¡­ bell.  Instantly, I was falling with the world spinning around me.

    I heard a crashing noise as I lay there.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try that shit on me you old drunk.¡±  A deep baritone boomed.

    ¡°This is none of your fucking business, Tyler!¡±  Father snapped at the unfamiliar voice.

    ¡°You made it my business with that last shot.¡±  Tyler growled with a crashing noise that rang like a hammer on metal.  ¡°Nobody cares if the kid had one of your cheap drinks.¡±  A banging noise even louder this time.  ¡°But if I see you pull another stunt like that¡­¡±  This time there was a roar.  ¡°I¡¯ll fucking kill you.¡±  The next thing I knew there was a massive pair of minotaur hands picking me up.  ¡°You okay kid?¡±

    I nodded.  For some reason my mouth wasn¡¯t working and felt numb.

    Tyler grinned.  ¡°Good.¡±  He patted my shoulder.  ¡°Don¡¯t let him hit you like that again, okay?  Let me know if he does.  Got it?¡±

    I nodded again.  Touching my jaw, where the blow landed, due to being just fast enough to dodge by that much.  I realized why my mouth wasn¡¯t working.  It had been shattered and hanging limp.

    ¡°Come on.¡±  He wrapped a massive arm around my shoulder.  ¡°My mother has something that will fix that right up.¡±

    ***

    Fayt the half-elf/half-orc

    1 day before the end of the quest¡­

    ¡°Shit!¡±  Fayt cursed herself for getting caught up in a Grimlock Horde.  She was cutting it close to begin with and decided to sprint through the area.  Chancing that she could use hit and run tactics to get through the area.  She killed those that got in her way and ran from the rest.  The problem that she was having was that the escapees would run ahead of her and alert other groups of Grimlocks.

    Grimlocks were ugly little bastards.  Slimy six-foot-long caterpillars with a half-dozen insectoid legs.  Multiple beady eyes cover their head.  And a nasty black mucus that seemed to be a constant leakage from their mouths.  Their arms were too short to connect to each other.  Which is why she suspected that they threw rocks, rather than wielding weapons.

    Fayt watched as the timer ticked down.  She was just a few hours from town and knew that it would take some time for the potion to be made.  The trip was a six-hour sprint away.  The potion would probably take at least that much time.  And she was sitting with just over 14 hours remaining on the timer.

    Fayt glared at the massive army of Grimlocks and knew that it would take longer to go around the horde than to kill them.  If she hadn¡¯t decided to take a rest in celebration for collecting the final ingredient, she could have gone through here properly.  But, after so many days without sleep, she couldn¡¯t help but pass out as the tension that had been fueling her hunt had released.

    Now, she spat on the ground and gripped her massive weapon, readying for a charge.  She had already decided that her only option at this point was to cut down the low-level monsters.  They were more of a nuisance to her than anything else at this point.  With her new armor and boost to her stats, they couldn¡¯t really damage her like those apes in the mountain.

    It was more that they were just so clumped together that she couldn¡¯t pass without slaughtering them, or at least thinning the herd.  This was why you used stealth tactics in this area.  She shook her head.  Stealth was her weakest ability.  When she had been leveling in this area, she used an atypical pattern.  Mainly because her Berserker class did well with slaughtering small groups on mass.

    Fayt took one last deep breath and charged the incoming horde.

    Why were these things so stupid?  She thought as she swept her sword horizontally, cleaving a dozen of them instantly.  Can¡¯t they tell that I¡¯m much more powerful than they are?

    And so, the battle began.  Fayt, sliced, chopped, cleaved, and smashed the insignificant monsters in front of her.  No matter where she turned, there was a beast to be cut down as it tried to overwhelm her.  She wished that she could just charge through.  Or that she could use magic like Rica.  Her arsenal of area attacks constituted swinging her sword wider.  They were so much lower than her on the leveling scale that she barely received XP for killing them.  Maybe one or two total per swing.  If she were killing them one at a time, she suspected that she wouldn¡¯t even receive XP.  That was to be expected with her as close as she was to Tier 2.  All of which meant¡­ the fight was as boring as it sounded.  Nothing like it was at level 18 or 20 even.

    Hours passed as the combat continued and she was glad for the boost to her constitution.  Otherwise, Fayt would have been overwhelmed.  The beasts never stopped coming.  But she grinned as she had noticed that she was near the boundary of their territory.  She noted the thinning rows of enemies, Fayt chose to breakthrough and charge for the city.

    It wasn¡¯t an epic battle.  It was more of a slow grind through severely under-leveled opponents.  Like pushing a loaded wagon from a rut.  Annoying and difficult to do by yourself, but doable with high enough stats.  She would have chuckled at the stupid creatures and gloated, if she had the time.

    Instead, Fayt sprinted for town as she knew that her time was short¡­

    ***

    Mark Collier

    Suddenly, I woke.  The sensation of fluids spraying into my mouth to force me to swallow and nearly caused me to choke in the process.  But I was more distracted by the lips that were pressed to mine.  Without knowing who it was, Rica I assumed, I gripped the back of her head with my weakened arm and surprised her with a return kiss.  It wasn¡¯t until my thumb brushed across a very pointy ear, that I realized something was wrong.

    ¡°Fayt?¡±  I questioned, weakly.

    ¡°I was too late.¡±  Fayt was crying.  ¡°We thought we lost you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±  A reed thin voice escaped my lips.  As I took in my surroundings, I noted that there were two healers, one elven and one bunny kin.  They looked exhausted and ready to keel over.  But smiled, genuinely happy, when they noticed that I was responsive.

    ¡°There were only minutes left on the clock for the quest when I made it back.¡±  Fayt spoke softly.  She sounded embarrassed.  ¡°I tried to get here faster.  But the damn Grimlocks held me up.  Master Ivan said that we should try anyway.  He brewed the potion and suggested that I force you to take it.¡±

    Over her shoulder I saw Rica.  ¡°You ok with this?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±  Rica nodded as she pat Fayt on the back.  ¡°She worked hard and never gave up.  I don¡¯t begrudge her a kiss.¡±

    Wanting to shrug but feeling too weak to do so, I sighed.  ¡°You¡¯re going to break what little honor I have left.  My parents will be pissed.¡±

    Rica smiled sweetly.  ¡°They¡¯ll get over it.¡±

    Smiling at her joke, I checked my notifications and was stunned to see the result.

    Congratulations!  Hired guards has reached level 4.

    Hired guards: Level 4 ¨C (1/2 your stats to boost your personal guards.  1/2 slot available.  You may now hire two guards for your property to one personal guard.  Limit of 8 personal guards.  Guards that protect your property gain ? of your stats.)

    There were other notifications, but this one couldn¡¯t be minimized.

    Rica must have mistaken my reaction for something else.  ¡°They came as soon as they heard that you were ill.  Grandfather is hosting them in his camp as we speak.¡±

    Not trusting my voice to speak, I just nodded.  Maybe it was true.  I found that it was hard to give a shit at the moment.  Fayt began to stand, and I did the only thing I could to keep her close.  I gripped her arm as tight as I could.  Unfortunately, it was not strong enough for her to notice.  Slumber took me once more as she left me in Rica¡¯s care.

    ***

    ¡°Oh, Mark.¡±  Rica whispered.  ¡°What we¡¯ll we ever do with you?¡±  She whispered as she stroked my cheek.

    I stayed silent.  This was the first time I had noticed her speaking while I slept.  It was nice and I didn¡¯t want to embarrass her.  I felt warmth all around me as she held me in her arms.

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s mad at me?¡±  Fayt whispered.

    Too my shock!

    ¡°Does that smile look like its mad?¡±  Rica questioned.  ¡°Does his body look like it¡¯s reacting in a negative way?  No, Fayt, Mark is not mad.  He is simply stubborn.  That is why we let him sleep.¡±

    ¡°O-okay¡­¡±  The large, softer than her figure would suggest, elf girl whispered as she laid her head back down.  ¡°The temples healers are okay with us being in here, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±  Rica giggled.  ¡°With Mark no longer in danger of dying, they actually recommended that we return to our routine in hopes of fueling his recovery.¡±

    ¡°But to be naked like this in the temple?¡±  Fayt asked, unsure.

    I had the most intense urge to take a peek.  Instead, I behaved like a gentleman and refused to betray their trust.  I liked to think of myself as an honorable pervert.  So long as I didn¡¯t get caught, I was not a pervert.  With two sets of eyes on me, there was a good chance of being caught.

    Maybe this was the first time Fayt had done something like this.  It did seem like the type of thing Rica would con someone into doing.  Maybe she and Rica had a thing.  In that case, I could step aside.

    I always knew that I wasn¡¯t good enough.  A sadness settled into my core.  What can I say?  Their adventurers.  It was bound to happen sooner or later.  Perhaps we can stay¡­ friends.  That¡¯s not too much to ask, is it?

    ¡°Shh¡­¡±  Rica shushed me with a soothing tone and gently kissed my forehead.  ¡°It¡¯s okay, baby.  Everything is fine.  You¡¯re with me, love.¡±

    What?  You¡¯re with Fayt!  I wanted to shout but held back.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a nightmare.¡±  Rica pressed in close.  ¡°Come on, Fayt.  He¡¯s angry, help me.  I hate seeing that look on Mark¡¯s face.¡±

    ¡°What do I do?¡±  Fayt asked after a moment¡¯s hesitation.

    ¡°Just tell him that you love him.¡±  Rica whispered.  ¡°It usually works for me.  But¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ this feels different.¡±

    ¡°I-I love you, Mark.¡±  Fayt stuttered.  ¡°I don¡¯t know Rica; he doesn¡¯t look any different.¡±

    ¡°Shhh¡­¡±  Rica tried to get her to lower her voice.  ¡°Just tell Mark what you told me.¡±

    ¡°I-I c-can¡¯t.¡± Fayt sounded embarrassed.

    I felt my anger slip a bit.  She can¡¯t help it.  Anyone would fall in love with Rica.  I did.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, see.¡±  Rica assured her.  ¡°He¡¯s not as angry as you might think.¡±

    ¡°How can you tell?¡±  Fayt asked again.  ¡°I don¡¯t see the difference.¡±

    ¡°You see this crinkle right here.¡±  Rica stated.  ¡°And that crease next to his mouth.  Mark isn¡¯t hard to read, you just have to learn to pay attention to the small details.¡±

    What?  I¡¯m like an open book.  Who would think that I was hard to read?

    ¡°Ah, I see it now.¡±  Fayt remarked.  ¡°What does that crinkle mean?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no.¡±  Rica sounded worried.  ¡°That¡¯s confusion.  I think Mark has been eavesdropping.¡±

    ¡°Hardly eavesdropping when you are laying on top of me.¡±  I grumbled, keeping my eyes closed.  ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie to me.  I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±  Rica asked.

    ¡°Look, I get it.¡±  I stated.  ¡°You two are in love.  Don¡¯t let me come between you.  But, please, let me process it in peace.¡±

    ¡°Mark¡­¡±  Rica sighed.

    ¡°Go, please.¡±  I spoke firmly.  ¡°I would rather you didn¡¯t see me in this state.¡±

    I could feel the tears coming and willed them to stall their efforts.

    ¡°Baby.¡±  Rica sounded amused.

    ¡°Go, now!¡±  I demanded in probably one of the louder tones that I had ever used.

    I felt her recoil away as if I had struck her.  Fayt scurried off me.  There was a clatter of what I assumed to be armor.

    ¡°No.¡±  Rica spat back.  ¡°Fayt, stay where you are.  Mark, open your fucking eyes.  You are not a child, do not behave like one.¡±

    This was the most controlling/serious that Rica had sounded since the day that I ¡®came back.¡¯  I forgot that she could be like this.  Honestly, it was kind of hot.  I opened my eyes.

    ¡°Good.¡±  Rica smiled as she touched my chest.  ¡°Now, we¡¯re going to talk about this like the adults that we are.  Stop just assuming shit.  Fayt, would you like to start?¡±

    Fayt nodded as she approached, covering her exposed bits as best she could.  ¡°Mark, sir.¡±

    ¡°Cut the sir shit.¡±  Rica snapped.  ¡°You do not act as if there is a disparity of rank when in love.¡±

    Fayt nodded again as she steeled herself.  ¡°Mark, I love you.  At first, I thought that it must be what it felt like to have a friend.  You were so nice, buying me dinners and accepting me into your home.  I had also believed that this could just be a cushy guard job.  But, then¡­ as I guarded your back from attacks, I began to notice little things.  How you treated those around you, the respect you gave when earned, the way you refused to do business with people that were unscrupulous.¡±

    It sounded as if she were just listing off attributes.

    ¡°Fayt¡­¡±  Rica smiled.  ¡°We talked about this.  Just tell Mark what you told me, or he won¡¯t believe you.¡±

    Fayt looked at Rica nervously.  Minutes passed as she wracked herself with indecision, beads of sweat formed on her brow, and her normally tan long elven ears were nearly glowing red.  She must have forgotten her nudity as she covered her face and nodded slowly.

    ¡°The truth is¡­¡±  Fayt spoke in a muffled tone through her hands.  ¡°I don¡¯t know why.  I like you.  You¡¯re handsome, you¡¯re more serious than anyone I know, and I can¡¯t get you out of my head.  When you are not near me, I desperately need to find you.  When I see a threat, all I want to do is protect you.  When you sleep, I have to be nearby.  I don¡¯t get it myself.¡±

    As a person that has had his class fuck with him, I thought about it for a second.  ¡°Are you sure that this isn¡¯t because of your duty as my personal guard?¡±

    Fayt shook her head vehemently.  ¡°No, I¡¯ve done guard duty before.  It¡¯s nothing like that.¡±  She touched her chest.  ¡°This is something more.¡±

    I tilted my head at Rica, as if to ask.  ¡®Are you okay with this?¡¯

    Rica nodded.

    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know what to make of this.¡±  I stated.  ¡°But I won¡¯t turn you away.  If you are fine with things as they have been, who am I-¡±

    Rica cuffed me upside the head.  ¡°Don¡¯t let that stupid rule about one wife thing get in the way¡­  Besides, it doesn''t say anything about girlfriends.¡±

    I barely heard her through a ringing in my head.  That one little smack nearly gave me a concussion.

    ¡°Right.¡±  I nodded.  ¡°Like I said.¡±  I glared at Rica. ¡°I won¡¯t turn you away Fayt.  You¡¯re my favorite Bodyguard.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s your only guard.¡±  Rica stated with a bemused look.

    ¡°Not for long.¡±  I grinned as I laid back down, dizzily.  ¡°I can now hire another personal guard or two property guards.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±  They asked in unison.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  I mumbled as I began to drift off once more.  ¡°Whatever you did, you leveled it twice.¡±

    ¡°Mark¡­¡±  I heard my name as they began to speak, but nothing else.

    ***

    My dreams were vivid.  I sat on the back of the wagon as I heard Tyler and Rica fight with monsters.  A strange figure approached, he stood at a massive 7 foot some odd inches.  Bright golden wings were protruding from his back.  The wings were easily half again as tall as he was.

    I began to back away in fear as he approached.  My hands scrabbled for anything to hold onto.  A deafening thump began to pound in my head.  His smile grew wider as he approached.  Which caused a dampness to soak my pants for some reason.  I tried to cry out for help.  Pleaded in my head for my body to obey.

    ¡°My, my¡­¡±  The figure stated once he was within an arm¡¯s length.  ¡°You¡­  Are¡­  Just¡­  Perfect.¡±

    A shrill screech erupted from my throat as a strong pressure beat down on my soul.

    ¡°Finally, my son will live again.¡±  He bowed sincerely.  ¡°Thank you for your sacrifice.¡±

    As I tried to regain control of my body and flee as fast as I could¡­ he snatched me by the leg and flew away.  We soared through the chill of the night on the wings of the most terrifying figure I had ever met.  The figures of Rica and Tyler giving chase quickly disappeared from sight.  All I could hear was the cackling laughter of a fallen Angel carrying me through the night.

    A shift in the dream occurred and suddenly I was placed on an altar.  Several godlike figures surrounded me.  The massive fallen angel.  Obviously.  Fricking asshole.  Stood at the side as if presenting me as some sort of prize horse.

    A woman with wolf like features while still looking human, not wolf kin like at all, stood across from him.  As if she were making a challenge to his very being.  She had the tail, teeth, ears, and nose of a wolf.  But that is where the similarities ended.  Her skin was like that of a porcelain doll, creamy and flawless.  She stood tall and proud.  Despite her size I got the strong sensation she was about as moveable as a mountain.

    Off in an area all to themselves was a massive beast with the cold, hard eyes of something that wanted nothing more than to shred the world to pieces.  He had to be a Chimera.  I could see the features of all kinds of monsters blended together, but not in the horrific mage/alchemist sort of way.

    In the back stood a figure made of pure shadow.  I couldn¡¯t make out much of their details.

    Next to him was a woman covered in the most regal and expensive finery that I had ever witnessed.

    A giant demon king stood between the angel and the wolf woman.

    ¡°The summit has been called.¡±  The demon king announced.  ¡°And it has been answered.  For what reason have you done this, Michael first of the fallen?¡±

    ¡°I have found the vessel.¡±  The angel, Michael announced.

    To which there was a resounding gasp that echoed from each mouth excepting that of the demon king.

    ¡°Asmodeus, I demand the right of succession.¡±  Michael stated.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking dare!¡±  The wolf woman snapped taking a step forward.  ¡°That is my child, he has suffered enough.¡±

    ¡°Meloney.¡±  The shadowy figure chided.  ¡°When you took in with a human, you knew that this could happen.  The filthy creatures are full of betrayal.¡±

    ¡°I had to watch as those humans NEARLY KILLED HIM ON A DAILY BASIS.¡±  The room shook as Meloney¡¯s voice turned from a sneer to a shout.  ¡°I will not stand aside as you try to finish the job.¡±  She finished much calmer.

    Fear ran through my body as the beings spoke.  Powers greater than me, than the world, were meddling in my fate.  It sounded as if I were about to die.

    ¡°Meloney, dear.¡±  The female in the finery approached with a laugh that reminded me of a weasel.  ¡°His class has been chosen and as the goddess that presides over said class, I could only see this as a boon for him.¡±

    ¡°You are talking about erasing his soul and replacing it with another.¡±  Meloney growled.  ¡°What happens to my son then?!  What happens when there is nothing left of Mark?!  We¡¯re not talking about reviving the soul of a dead demigod.  What you are trying to do is wipe him from existence!¡±

    ¡°Who cares?¡±  Asked the shadowy figure.  ¡°You just admitted that he is useless.  Barely surviving childhood?  What could your Mark possibly achieve?  I vote that we proceed.¡±

    Meloney growled in anger at the shadowy figure.  ¡°You will rue this very day Calan.  You better keep your fucking shadow worshipers off my mountains.¡±  She spat.  ¡°As for you Fickle Fina, you don¡¯t have a clue what you are bargaining for.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but I do Meloney dear.¡±  The weaselly woman, Fina giggled.  ¡°I¡¯m ridding myself of a filthy mountain spawn and gaining a descendent of the All-Father.¡±

    Before Meloney could lunge at Fickle Fina, the Chimera stepped between them.  His back was to Meloney as he spoke to Fina.  ¡°I¡¯m with the Mother of the Mountain.  You gain too many followers from the deaths of my creations, Fickle Fina.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s 2 ¨C 3.¡±  Michael stated as he looked toward Asmodeus.  ¡°What say you?¡±

    Asmodeus looked around the room and I got the sense that he was older and more powerful than the rest of them combined.  He looked amused.  ¡°You want my decision?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±  Michael said smugly, as if he knew how it would go down.

    Asmodeus snorted and frowned.  ¡°Fine.  You get your son¡­ until the adventures show up to rescue him.¡±  Before Meloney could interject, Asmodeus turned on her.  ¡°After that is done, one of my subordinates will resurrect the body.  Then they will share the vessel.¡±  He turned his gaze on the rest of the room.  ¡°No more interference.  From anyone.  Or I will come back with an army and crush the lot of you.  This is not a matter that you should be calling on a General from any army for.  You are lucky that it was me that answered your summons¡­ and not my brother in the Angelic army, nor my son in the Neutral legion.¡±  He let that sink in for a moment before speaking again.  ¡°They would have obliterated you for interfering with the mortals.¡±

    Then¡­ then he was gone.

    I panicked, I fought and struggled with the straps that bound me.  I begged and pleaded for someone, anyone to save me.  I looked to the wolf woman that seemed somewhat subdued by Asmodeus.  Manacles appeared to have bound her in place.  I bore witness to the glowing orb that popped into existence in the hand of the approaching Angel.  The shadowy figure¡¯s expression was hard to make out, but it seemed to be joking with Fina.  Fina continued to giggle.  And the Chimera was the only one that looked remorseful.

    Pain.

    Not a physical pain nor was it mental.  The pain seeped deep into my core as the orb was pressed to my flesh.  It felt as if the orb were trying to cannibalize me from the inside out.  I raged against the storm.  I fought it with every ounce of strength that I had.  The orb ripped away at my senses, it tore my soul from my limbs, my gut, and my heart.  I did the only thing that I could think of doing.  Gathering what little bit of me that remained and I tucked the rest of it away in a dark place in the back of my mind.

    As the dream progressed, I got the sense that I had hidden myself within the shadows of my mind for a very long time.  From time to time, I would struggle to be free.  It would only last until I felt pieces of me burn away again.  Which caused me to retreat.

    The Fallen Angel, Michael, had spent copious amounts of time instructing the being that shared my soul.  He was educated on the histories of why adventures were evil.  How to eliminate them.  The best methods to get them to kill one another.  And so on and so forth.

    The worrisome part for me was that he was also teaching him how to suppress my soul.  How to keep it locked away.  And how to bide his time and regain control.  I paid very close attention to these lessons.  Even as he had instructed his son to use deceptions and convince the Adventurers to prove just how vile they could be.  His father had convinced him to have a disintegration spell placed upon him.  I wasn¡¯t so sure that there weren¡¯t any spells used in the suggestion.

    Eventually, I was alarmed by a presence I had not seen or heard from in a very long time.

    The parasitic soul that had taken over had doubts and planned to rebel against his father¡¯s instructions.  He planned to kill the humans and keep my body for himself.  He held no love for any of them.  He was going to lead a monster army and lay waste to civilization.  I heard his thoughts and bid my time for this very moment.

    In life, I believe that there¡¯s a moment in everyone¡¯s life.  To some it may occur more than once.  But it happens.  To all of us.  Whether it¡¯s a missed item on the receipt at the general trade store.  Or a loved one that needs an organ transplant.  A moment that defines who you are.  One that we can choose how to respond to it.  And nobody, no one at all, can decide that moment for us.

    Because we are the only ones that would know the true answer or reason behind it.  The choice may be big; it might be small.  But when it comes, you know it.  Its where you must draw a line in the sand and say, ¡®this is me; this is who I am.¡¯

    Nobody is perfect all the time.  But when these moments come you can be perfect.  A thieving scoundrel that chooses to save the life of a child at the cost of their freedom.  A hero that chooses a cowardly act to save their own reputation.  A villain that sacrifices themselves for the greater good in a time of dire need.

    I may not be a hero.  I might never be able to save the world.  But I could damn well save my friends.

    There was a struggle as I took control.  The Angel had noticed the switch, and had it not been for the intervention of Rica and Tyler.  I suspect that he would have struck me down himself.

    As I expressed my feelings for her and conveyed the love that I held in my heart as she was beaten back.  My limbs were shredded a centimeter at a time as I spoke each word.  I explained to her how much I enjoyed watching her smile.  Even if I wasn¡¯t the one that put it there.  Blocking out the pain that threatened to make me pass out.  I spoke of the times when we were children and the crush I had had since I was six and she was seven.  When I had caught the flu and she stayed by my side until I recovered.

    How she was the only bright spark I had to look forward to in this entirely too shitty of a life.  I told her to find her true love because I knew that they were out there.  I said that I would always be with her in my memories and hoped that she would find some fondness in the short amount of time that we had spent together.

    Tyler lay in a crumpled heap near her and an urgency to save them took over.  I caught a glimpse of Becky from the corner of my eye and smiled before giving a final screw you to the boss.

    ¡°Fuck you!¡±  I pointed at the Angel.  ¡°Fuck your fucking son!  And fuck this fucking shithole!  I am so fucking done.  I hope you burn in hell.¡±

    My dream fades as my flesh is torn from my body with naught but bones left.

    ***

    ¡°That¡¯s probably the best night¡¯s sleep I¡¯ve ever had.¡±  I said as I got up.  Can¡¯t let the ladies know that I¡¯m having freaking nightmares.  I could feel the cold sweat that covered my body.  A few unchecked notifications blinked in my vision as I realized that I hadn¡¯t checked them all after waking in the dead of night.  I couldn¡¯t really blame myself either.  What with Fayt¡¯s declaration and Rica knocking some sense into me.

    Congratulations!  Achievement gained!  Martyr.

    Congratulations!  Achievement gained!  Dual soul.

    Congratulations!  Achievement gained!  Damsel.

    Martyr ¨C You have sacrificed yourself to save a number of individuals.  +5 Charisma, +2 skill points, +1 ability point.

    Dual soul ¨C You are in a constant internal struggle with a soul trapped inside your body.  Down forget to beat it down if you don¡¯t want to lose yourself.  +5 Wisdom, skill gained: Will + 2.

    Damsel ¨C Wow, just wow.  You have needed to be rescued so many times that you actually got an achievement for it.  You, my dear, need some help.  +10 to all stats, +5 to all skills.  You get nothing for maxed out skills.

    Quest updated!  You have earned 1200 XP, 20 silver, and Trader¡¯s shoes.

    Find out what is driving up the price of pets!  As you have begun to search for your missing history a new, terrifying development has occurred.  You have been reborn after a duel for your body.  How and why were you reborn?  What exactly happened in the 60 years that you don¡¯t remember?  How much of your dream was a lie and what did the other being do to your body?  Time to figure it out.

    Fayt smiled shyly as Rica sighed.  ¡°Not to ruin this beautiful moment.¡±  Rica stated as she refused to lift her head from my shoulder.  ¡°But Tyler and I have a good recommendation for your second personal guard.¡±

    ¡°Someone I know?¡±  Fayt asked.  She was still technically part of the Adventurers Guild.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe.¡±  Rica said.  ¡°Slender wolf kin girl.  Goes by the name Mouse.¡±

    ¡°Eh, sort of.¡±  Fayt rubbed at my pecs that seemed to have grown some overnight.  ¡°Her family was killed by a pack of Dire Panthers or something.  Said the only reason she survived was because she was the runt and hid from the danger.  Now, she mostly works solo though.  Are you sure that Mouse would be willing to work for Mark?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±  Rica said, yawning.  ¡°We saved her out in the woods.  She said that she was starting to tire of hunting enemies that didn¡¯t understand her need for vengeance.  Something about finally realizing that it was just in their nature.  When I spoke to her a few days ago, Mouse, told me to contact her when a position became available, and she would think about it.¡±

    ¡°If your plan is to build me a harem, please don¡¯t.¡±  I sighed.  ¡°It¡¯s hard enough gaining levels as is.  I still don¡¯t have enough Intelligence and Wisdom for the whole kidnapping extortion thing.  I got lucky with Tommy because he was a Tier 1 thief that wasn¡¯t very smart.  What happens when I have to deal with someone moderately powerful?  What happens when I, me a low-level merchant, have to go through the Rite of Faith or the Test of Strength to gain the honor of anyone?  If I survive, there is a good chance that I am either a target with my women stolen, or that my women are stolen, and no one knows who I am.  I can¡¯t fight an orc or cast unbeatable magic to gain Fayt.  With you I at least have a chance at the Demon¡¯s Luck portion.  But I will die when I have to walk through a hall filled with demon fire.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±  Rica lightly slapped my cheek.  ¡°Unholy fuck!  Is that what has been holding you back?  Mark, it¡¯s not as bad as you might think.  Non-combatants do not have the same trials that Adventurers have.  As a merchant trader, you must present an item of worth.  One that values both the relationship and the estimation of your desired companion¡¯s worth.  There are a few key factors though.  First, it must not be just the most expensive item out there.  You must put actual thought into getting it.  Second, one of the demon kings or higher will judge your estimation and decide if and how much of a blessing/curse to bestow upon you.  As for that Demon¡¯s Luck bs, that¡¯s more like entertainment.  There is a fair amount of gambling based upon the Demon King chosen, the type of gift chosen, among many other estimations.  Depending upon your blessing, we will receive a portion of the proceeds.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s similar for my people as well.¡±  Fayt mumbled, refusing to get up.  ¡°The elves will probably base it off the type of magical enchantment and item selected.  Suitability, as well as a few other things.  Mom¡¯s people on the other hand do have a contest of strength.  But you will not be facing off with warriors.  You will need to procure a suitable slave and have them battle in pit fights.  This slave is then expected to survive as long as possible.  If they manage to win, a number of things could happen.  But that doesn¡¯t matter so much.  Your slave must survive at least 6 rounds in order for you to gain the approval of my mother¡¯s people.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±  I said, I wasn¡¯t sure whether I should be happy or disappointed.

    I had heard many things over the years.  Especially, pertaining to the rituals involving the gaining of a wife.  Each race had their own ritual.  Because I only really knew adventurers, most of the details were along the more grueling combat-oriented stakes.  Like how the dwarves who followed the Mountain Mother, started off with a combat tournament.  Which was followed by enduring temperatures, while locked in a cave or cage depending on what was available, that most normal people would die from.  To finish it off, the champion of the tournament, which may not have been the original suitor, would have to get the prize to submit sexually in front of a crowd of onlookers.  If they managed to win and have enough energy to continue, any willing participants from the crowd may step up to try their hand.

    You could potentially enter the ritual with the intent of having a single bride and leave with a fully-fledged harem.  The only guaranteed person in the group was the prize.  Typically, the champion was wiped out after the first bout with the prize.

    ¡°That¡¯s not so bad.¡±  I agreed.

    ¡°What¡¯s not so bad?¡±  A familiar voice asked as the door opened.

    ¡°Nothing.¡±  I muttered.

    An older than I could remember version of Becky stood next to my bed shaking her head.  She held a slight smile on her face.  ¡°It¡¯s good to see you brother.¡±

    ¡°You too, Becky.¡±  I couldn¡¯t hold back my own smile.

    She squinted as she looked at me.  ¡°Are you certain that you are my brother?¡±

    I rolled my eyes.  ¡°Who else would think it was a mistake for you to stop styling your hair with pigtails?  They were adorable.¡±

    ¡°You little shit.¡±  Becky rebuked me and I could tell that she was happy.  Despite the tone of her voice.  ¡°My wives are here, and I won¡¯t have you repeating that to them.¡±

    ¡°Are they cute?¡±  I asked, back to a serious face.  ¡°As I recall, any suitors of yours needed to meet my approval first.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, a lot has changed.¡±  Becky said, flippantly.  ¡°They are way hotter than your women though.¡±

    ¡°Fuck off.¡±  Rica teased her with a one-finger salute.  ¡°How about we play catch up later?  I¡¯m trying to get this stubborn mule to break his vow of chastity.¡±

    ¡°Good luck with that.¡±  Becky barked with harsh laughter.  ¡°Come on.  Time to get up.  The healers said that if Mark survived the night, he would be free to go.  There¡¯s a trial at hand and I don¡¯t want to miss it.¡±

    ¡°Trial?¡±  I questioned.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  Becky snorted.  ¡°Baal¡¯s got Shealla imprisoned out there.  And he¡¯s been chomping at the bit to speak with you.¡±

    ¡°Coming from the Captain of Mark¡¯s Revenge, really?¡±  Rica snorted.  ¡°Bit on the nose with that one.¡±

    ¡°Captain?¡±  My gaze bounced back and forth between the women.  ¡°Captain of what?¡±

    ¡°I lead an honorable band of free spirits across the most dangerous waters in the world.¡±  Becky explained.  ¡°Discovering new lands and helping those in need.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re a pirate?¡±  I teased.

    ¡°No.¡±  Becky looked offended.  ¡°I¡¯m a-¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a pirate.¡±  Rica agreed.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±  Becky looked abashed.  ¡°So, what if we raid governors and slavers for their goods.  It¡¯s not like they are doing anyone any favors.¡±  She mumbled.

    I grinned.  ¡°The Shieldmaiden pirate.  Whatever would your mother think?¡±

    Becky grinned back.  ¡°She¡¯s your mother too.  Besides, Livia was pissed.¡±

    ¡°Livia?¡±  Becky had never called our mother that.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  Becky made a hurry up gesture as we climbed from the bed.  She gave Fayt the once over.  ¡°I take it back¡­ you little lady, are welcome to join my crew any day.¡±

    ¡°Hands off.¡±  Rica scolded.  ¡°She¡¯s just confessed her feelings for Mark.  Right after saving his life.¡±

    Becky¡¯s hands went up and she backed away in defeat.  ¡°Hey, I get it.¡±  She winked at Fayt.  ¡°But if you¡¯re ever looking to move on, the offer is there.¡±

    ¡°Oh, fuck off, Becky.¡±  I laughed.  ¡°Always trying to take what¡¯s mine.  First it was Mr. Cuddles¡­¡±

    ¡°Now, it¡¯s Mrs. Cuddles.  Come on be a team player here, Mark.¡±  Becky¡¯s laughter rang through the halls as we got dressed and continued to joke.  Much like when we were kids, my nudity did not offend her in the least.  I knew then as a do now, Becky liked the ladies.  She blatantly made lewd suggestions toward Fayt, while Rica openly pouted about being interrupted in the midst of her ¡®master plan.¡¯  It felt like we were kids again.