《Gifted》 Prologue - Grand Plans A man covered by a dark cloak was silently stalking down a dimly lit corridor. Even stepping atop the marble floor, his steps were soundless. Further ahead he could already make out a locked vault door. How lucky the guards didn¡¯t believe anyone would make it this far. The mantled man continued creeping quietly down the dark hallway, the small amount of torchlight seemingly warping around his cowled body. Upon finally reaching his destination he began carefully picking the lock, working as quickly as he could without risking a mistake. Alas, after today I will finally have a leisurely life! He heard that satisfying *click*, signifying his ultimate success. The door slowly creaked open, revealing the vault¡¯s splendor. It was truly a magnificent- ¡°Wake up you lazy bum!¡± ¡­sight. After having been so rudely awakened, he groggily opened his eyes. He wasn¡¯t much of a morning person to begin with but getting woken shortly before the climax of one¡¯s dream is especially irritating. The horizon was showered in the first rays of sunlight, tinting the sky above it a dark shade of red. Truly a dreadful sight. ¡°The sun isn¡¯t even out yet! I could¡¯ve slept for at least another twenty minutes¡±, he groaned. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be a baby Jeffrey! You¡¯ll need to be in top shape for our *ahem* mission¡±, the fully armored man replied from atop his horse.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Jeffrey was quite certain that anyone with at least half a brain would have overheard his Partner¡¯s fake cough. Thankfully the only person around was the wagon driver and he was as dimwitted as people get. Speaking of which¡­ ¡°The wagon¡¯s still moving!¡±, he said accusingly. ¡°And?¡±, answered his partner nonchalantly. ¡°That means we''re still on the road!¡±, he observed. ¡°Which means we aren¡¯t even at our destination yet! You definitely woke me up too early.¡± ¡°Well we can¡¯t have you being sleepy on the job. I¡¯m sure our clients wouldn¡¯t appreciate that. The earlier you get up, the more time you have to become fully conscious.¡± ¡°That¡¯s precisely why you should have let me sleep longer!¡±, he spat. ¡°I¡¯m the backbone of your little plan. There¡¯s no way you could pull it off without me. I believe someone of such importance should be allowed to sleep as long as they like.¡± ¡°Hold your horses lad! My organization not only paid for all your traveling expenses, but even gave you all the necessary tools for the operation. That cloak you¡¯re wearing wasn¡¯t cheap you know?¡± he remarked. ¡°Not to mention that you will be compensated quite handsomely for your time.¡± That remark made him quiet down. It¡¯s true. No matter how skilled he was, he couldn¡¯t have gotten this opportunity without a little help. That didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t wish for a better partner. Maybe a pretty brunette, instead of a tall, brutish man. Oh well, once this is over it will have all been worth it. He looked out the front of the wagon. The road was sandwiched between giant fields on both sides. He could see a small city in the distance, its tallest buildings barely three stories high. What a dump, I miss Khiziel already. It won¡¯t matter though; I don¡¯t care how little money we¡¯ll get out of here; my pay is more than enough to keep me interested. Having spent the next hour eating breakfast and ironing out the details of their plan, it was finally time to commence their operation. This will be easier than taking candy from a baby. Chapter 1 - Taking Candy from a Baby Dawn had come and the first of the sun¡¯s light began pouring over the low walls of Flousshire. Calling Flousshire a city was quite an overstatement when considering its sparse number of residents. But while there was a lacking quantity of citizens, they made up for it through their work ethic. Even at this hour the town was bustling with activity. Farmers harvesting their fields, alchemists producing their various concoctions, artisans crafting high class furniture or Shopkeepers putting their products up for sale. Somewhere within a moderately sized room of a rather quaint building, one such worker was soundly sleeping on his soft bed, covered in silken sheets. While the average inhabitant of Flousshire was not very well off, one could clearly tell this man was the exception to the rule based on the fabrics he wore. *RRRRRIIIIINGG* *click* Time to get to work. His success by no means made him lazy. If anything, he was one of the hardest working people in the whole town. He stepped out of bed, into his soft, fuzzy slippers and walked to the bathroom to brush his teeth. His bright blonde hair was cut short and he sported a neatly trimmed goatee. He spent 10 minutes every morning making sure he looked as well-groomed as possible. After all, keeping up a good image is half the battle when it comes to owning a prosperous business. Alright, step one complete. He made his way downstairs to the kitchen and ate his usual breakfast comprised of multiple slices of wheat bread with some ham and cheese, and two pickled eggs. After finishing his breakfast, he cleaned up the dishes and walked out the front door. It was another wonderful day. Comfortably warm and not a cloud in sight. Truly a splendid Summer day. His neighbors were already busy at work or on the way to their jobs. Even though they weren¡¯t all as fortunate in their professions, he wasn¡¯t the subject of anyone¡¯s ire. If anything he was a shining symbol that even the Gemeen were able to achieve greatness, and was treated well because of it. ¡°Mornin¡¯ Goldie¡± ¡°Good morning Bob, truly beautiful weather we¡¯re having today" ¡°Heh, when is it not?¡±, Bob replied. ¡°You got me there, Flousshire is truly a wonderful place¡±, he mused. ¡°Too true¡±, Bob agreed. ¡°Have a great day at your shop!¡± His way to work was full of such short conversations, Goldie was well known within the district. Even people he was barely aquainted with gave him a formal greeting. He nervously checked the time on his pocket watch as he reached his destination. He was, however, well accustomed to the many interruptions on his way to work and arrived at precisely 7 o''clock. He took out his keys and unlocked the front door, flipping the entrance sign to ''open'' on his way in. He had a wide range of valuable products. From spices and minerals originating from across the desert, to fine furniture locally crafted. Only the best for his customers. Any less would be shameful for the proud owner of ¡°Goldie¡¯s Cornerstore¡± and future CEO of the ¡°Pyrite merchant''s association¡±. That¡¯s right, he was finally moving up in the world after all those years he had finally saved enough to pay for the state-required ¡°merchant¡¯s permit¡±. This has been his dream ever since he was little. After his father¡¯s death he vowed to expand his family¡¯s small business, and after over 30 years of hard work it was finally within reach. He had enough capital and had forged enough friendships across borders to start expanding as soon as he received the needed allowance from the minister of commerce. The minister had to award it personally and only visited Flousshire every three months, however it was only another week before his arrival. Goldie could barely contain his excitement.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Good morning Goldie.¡± ¡°Ah, good morning mister Bloom, the usual order?¡±, he asked as he took out a pen and paper. ¡°You know me far too well¡±, the customer chuckled. Frederik Bloom was one of his regulars, as Goldie¡¯s shop was the only place he could buy medicine for his bad back. ¡°You really ought to have a doctor take a look at that¡±, Goldie mentioned as he scribbled down a receipt. ¡°Of course, right as soon as I can afford to leave my fields unattended and travel to Siellous¡±, Frederik snorted. ¡°I¡¯ll survive. If it were something bad then I wouldn¡¯t still be around.¡± He¡¯s been saying that for the past few years. Not that it isn¡¯t true of course. Can¡¯t leave your clients unsatisfied. This just goes to show I have to work even harder. The hours flew by just like any other workday. Some faces very familiar, others less so. However all customers were welcome. If anything unfamiliar customers were Goldie¡¯s favorite, since they were often merchant¡¯s from other cities and quite interested in the rare items he had for sale. However the most prized customers were the Sah¨ªl. Most of them were quite wealthy, but the chances of meeting one were astronomically low. It just so happened, however, that today was Goldie¡¯s lucky day. ¡°Excuse me mister, uh, Goldie?¡±, the blessed foreigner asked. ¡°Ah no, Goldie is merely my nickname. My actual name is Gordon Pyrite¡±, he explained. Although Goldie¡¯s hair was blonde, it was far too bright to be comparable with gold. In actuality the nickname stemmed from the golden streak flowing through the otherwise brown iris of his left eye. ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± the man started. ¡°So what have you got for sale?¡± ¡°Of course, right this way Sir¡±, he eagerly replied. Goldie spent the next half hour showing off his most prized wears and intently listening to everything the man said. Everything about the stranger demanded attention. A full set of shiny steel armor covered his muscular body and he was nearly 7 feet tall. He had long wavy hair and a scar across his left cheek. He wasn¡¯t necessarily very attractive, but he was practically oozing Charisma. ¡°So have you seen anything you like my good sir?¡± ¡°As I can see you have quite a lot of valuable goods¡±, he started. ¡°Do you mind telling me where you got them from?¡± ¡°No no, of course not¡±, Goldie interjected. ¡°I would be happy to tell you. The fact of the matter is, that while Flousshire isn¡¯t a very large city, and doesn¡¯t export a lot of raw material, they are the closest city to the southern border. I merely took advantage of this opportunity and established trade with the foreign merchants. So, to answer your question: The rare goods you see before you come from across the desert.¡± ¡°I see, you must have made quite the killing with such an exclusive deal.¡± ¡°You are quite right¡±, he boasted. ¡°In fact, I will soon be getting my merchant¡¯s permit from the minister of commerce. After that, my exclusive wares will hopefully be available all over the empire.¡± ¡°How very interesting¡­¡±, the traveler muttered. ¡°I believe I have heard enough. I¡¯ve decided on what I¡¯d like to buy. Firstly I¡¯d like two grade C amithyan crystals, and five grade D crystals. Next I¡¯ll take thirty grams of the dried seribic spice. Lastly, I¡¯ll buy the tarkinium dagger.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯d be happy to get that thing off my hands¡±, Goldie sighed. ¡°I impulsively bought that dagger years ago, and hadn¡¯t considered how little the town''s residents need such a pricey weapon. Considering this fact, I¡¯ll give you a slight discount. The weapon combined with the aforementioned items come to a grand total of 300 gold.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡±, the warrior frowned. ¡°Sadly I only have a platinum coin on me at the moment, I hadn¡¯t expected such a bargain.¡± ¡°A pl-platinun coin!?¡±, Goldie stammered. ¡°Oh that¡¯s not a problem, I¡¯ll just go get some change from the back.¡± A few minutes later he returned with a small chest full of gold coins, of which he took out 700 and handed them to his customer, accepting the platinum coin in exchange. ¡°Thank you very much Mister Pyrite. Could I bother you to store it in my bag while I hold it open?¡± ¡°Of course not a problem¡±, he instantly replied. Wait, is that what I think it is? ¡°It¡¯s a bag of Holding!¡±, Goldie gasped. ¡°It is, but not a very good one. I need your help filling it since the portal isn¡¯t very stable.¡± ¡°Please excuse my rudeness, I was just astounded since I¡¯ve never seen one before.¡± After having safely stored his recent purchase, the attention grabbing man walked out the door, his aura of astoundment disappearing with him. Wow that was intense. I can¡¯t believe I made so much money. If he haggled hard enough I might¡¯ve just gifted him the dagger. He wrote down the transaction and stored away the rest of his money, a dumb smile spread across Goldie¡¯s lips. As soon as he closed the chest, however, he noticed something was amiss. Where did the platinum coin go? Chapter 2 - Seeds of Doubt This is definitely bad. How could it have disappeared? Did I lose it? I''m certain I put it on the table. Unless maybe... He opened the lockbox back up and went over its contents. The sheen of the platinum coin was nowhere to be seen within the pile. What was even more surprising, is that the box seemed a lot emptier than it was earlier in the day. Well I did exchange the platinum for 700 gold, so the box would be lighter no matter what. Nevertheless, it seems like twice that amount is missing from it. Am I forgetting something? While losing such a hefty sum was quite a setback, it wouldn''t do him any good to worry about it at the moment. Goldie had a job to do. He rationalized that he must have misremembered the amount of cash he had stowed away. It wouldn''t make any sense for money to just disappear after all. He vowed to sort through all his recent transactions at the end of the day just to be sure. Even though it was very unlikely for more money to have gone missing, it couldn''t hurt to check. For now, there were customers to be tended to.
Over the course of the afternoon, his grievance about the vanishing cash faded to the back of his mind. The disaster of the evaporated platinum coin all but disappearing from his thoughts. In the end it was still a beautiful day in Flousshire, and no amount of bad luck was going to change that fact. Things were still running smoothly and his dream was still within his grasp. It was only a few more days until the arrival of the minister of commerce. As evening started setting in, Goldie went through his usual end-of-day motions. His wares were returned to their respective containers, the entrance sign was flipped back to closed, and he carried the day''s winnings into his study. Flousshire was too small and far away from any major metropoles for anything resembling a bank, so Goldie''s savings were all stored in a vault at the back of his business. He was actually more careful than most. Very few shopkeepers even owned a safe, because nobody in Flousshire ever stole anything. None of the inhabitants felt it was necessary and doing so out of greed alone would never cross their minds. A glance at his clock showed it was quarter to eight, the perfect time to end the day. Whatever would I do without you. He smiled to himself. As he walked over to the vault with his earnings he got a vague feeling of unease. It was a nagging at the back of his mind, screaming for his attention. He just couldn''t put a finger on what was causing it. He reached for the vault so he could input the required combination, when suddenly his arm froze. A wave of panic overcame him. Something was dreadfully wrong, but the tide of emotion didn''t seem like it was caused by an outside influence. In fact it almost felt like it was pushing some kind of influence away. After standing there paralyzed for over a minute, realization hit him. "Of course!", he exclaimed. "I forgot to count the money!" Just like that his arm relaxed and the strange force that clouded his mind dissipated. He went over to his desk and started his research. For precisely such occasions, Goldie wrote down how much cash he started each day with, and kept receipts for every done deal. He began the day with 2143 gold in the chest. Realistically he never needed that much cash on hand, but it paid to be prepared. In fact, today was a shining example of this considering the wealthy adventurer that came by his shop that day... Wait a second; something feels off. The nagging feeling he perceived before was returning. I can''t let myself get distracted again! I need to double check my earnings! Now where was I... He returned his full attention to recalling the details of today''s transactions. He started the day with 2143 gold and gained 10 more when Fred Bloom came over for his medicine. Afterwards Luther, the baker, came by and bought 28 gold worth of quality flower [...]. After a while spent reviewing his sales, he calculated the total sum of his earnings to be 388 gold. Of course he couldn''t forget about the killing he made through the traveler, which meant he actually earned 688 gold.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. His nose scrunched up as his ears started itching. He picked up the receipt and right there it stood: 2 C-grade amithyan crystals 5 D-grade crystals 30g dried seribic spice x1 tarkinium dagger 300G profit. No, that''s not right. I''m definitely forgetting something else. His memory about the interaction seemed fuzzy; like being covered in a barely transparent veil. He felt similar whenever he tried remembering the day of his father''s death. His mother rationalized that his mind had suppressed the traumatic experience, but why would the same be happening now? He tried picking out the exact circumstances. He remembered the man well: He was covered from neck to toe in plate armor, had long, brown, slightly curly hair and a scar on his face. He remembered the fine carvings on the man¡¯s right gauntlet and blade, and he even remembered the exact feeling of reverence that the warrior radiated. The itch on his ears wavered, getting replaced with something more akin to a burning sensation. It was like his ears had fallen asleep and the feeling was spreading outward from them. Goldie tried piecing the interaction together in chronological order. It had been 3:36, he remembered showing off his wares for some amount of time and explaining where he got such rare goods from. The warrior seemed very excited. A while later, the warrior had decided on a few items required for the production of several elixirs and he even wanted the tarkinium dagger nobody in town was interested in. After having been told the price, the man''s face fell, and he held up a single coin. A single coin? Goldie furrowed his brows and concentrated even harder. That can''t be right. The items were worth 300 gold, there''s no way- Without warning his head exploded into pain. It felt like thousands of tiny hot needles were being driven into his head''s every pore. However, even through this pain his mind was clear. The veil clouding his thoughts was lifted and rage unlike any he had ever felt before erupted from the depths of his conscience. "I LOST 700 GOLD!!!", Goldie yelled. How could I have forgotten something like that!? That''s impossible! He steadied his breathing, the all-consuming anger fading almost as quickly as it arose. How I forgot about it isn''t important. I need to calmly analyze the situation. The reason I wanted to count my cash wasn''t because I idiotically lost the platinum coin. It was because I had a feeling there was even more money missing from my lockbox. So he dutifully reverted to his initial task and commenced counting the money in the chest sitting on his desk. Subtracting the 700 gold loss from the 388 gold gain, the final count should lie at 1731 gold. Yet, the total he arrived at after spending the past hour counting was only 1257 gold. Not only that, but it was like someone purposefully picked out only the most valuable coins. Neither of his two 100 gold coins were still there. Actually, there wasn''t even a single coin worth more than a few gold remaining at all! How did this happen? Did someone rob me? Nonono, that can''t happen. I''ve never even heard of a robbery in Flousshire. That''s absolutely preposterous. His usually smiling lips contorted into a frown. Then again; It is just as preposterous to assume I somehow lost the money. I can buy having somehow misplaced the single platinum coin, but over fifty of the most valuable coins somehow tumbling out of a box seems absolutely absurd. The third possibility is that it just disappeared into thin air, which literally cannot happen, as far as I know. Therefore, I really just have a single plausible scenario: Somehow someone stole the money. When could this have been possible? Goldie was in his shop the whole time, always keeping his customers in sight. Even when multiple people arrived they just stood in line and waited their turn. Nobody could have gotten in through the back, since the windows don''t open and as far as he could tell they weren''t shattered. The only way in or out would have been through the roof, which would likely have been seen from the street. Even if by some means a burglar crawled in through the top, they would have still needed to come down the stairs, remain unnoticed while sorting through the money, taken out only the most valuable coins and gotten back outside. All while I was standing inside the store. The whole situation just seems totally unfeasible. I don''t think anybody has it out for me and even if they do, I cannot fathom how skillfully they broke in. It''s like the person responsible came from another world. In the end he decided there was nothing he could do. After another two hours spent frantically searching for the missing platinum coin, he decided to give it a rest. He''ll just store more money inside his vault and keep far less cash outside in his lockbox. He walked up to the vault and once again moved his hand to the number lock. Right before commencing to turn the dial another uneasy feeling washed over him. It wasn''t like last time though. This time the hair on his neck stood on end. His gaze wandered over to the window. He could have sworn he saw someone out of the corner of his eye. Looking again nothing out of the ordinary could be seen outside. That was weird, but better safe than sorry. He wandered over and pulled curtains over the windows. Afterwards he finally input the required code and safely stowed away the rest of his money. At 10:42, he finally left his shop and walked home. He ate a quick meal and went to sleep at precisely eleven. Now that I think about it... today really wasn''t that great a day after all. Chapter 3 - Cultivation of Change *RIIING* *SLAM* Ugh... I''m really not up for this today. Goldie didn''t rest well last night. He just couldn''t stop thinking about the missing money. Even ignoring his mental concerns, the splitting headache from yesterday still hadn''t stopped. I''ll just stay in bed a little longer. I can always make up for my tardiness by walking more quickly. After spending another 30 minutes underneath his blanket, he finally crawled out of bed. As he shambled to the bathroom, he got the vague sense that everything in his room was slightly further away than it should be. Or maybe it was just that his body was responding far slower than normal. Nevertheless, he reached the bathroom sink. While brushing his teeth he pondered whether it was worthwhile to groom his beard today. I''d rather skip it once, than come late. He unsteadily walked down the stairs, the headache dulling his senses. Instead of his usual breakfast, he decided on only eating a slice of bread with some butter. He didn''t have enough of an appetite for any more than that. Maybe I should just stay at home today? Ah no, once I start expanding to other cities I won''t be able to afford slacking off. His headache''s thrumming was already starting to lessen. Perhaps today was going to be a wonderful day, he couldn''t risk missing out on it by staying home. As Goldie walked out the front door and breathed in the fresh morning air, he determined that his problems were really just a minor setback. He was still well on his way to achieving his goals, and Flousshire was still a superb place to work. As he continued thinking happy thoughts the pain in his head faded away. ¡°Mornin¡¯ Goldie¡±, he heard a familiar voice say. "Oh, good morning bob", Goldie hastily responded. "Truly wonderful weather today, ain''t it?" "Ah, well", his ears itched, "it''s a little too warm for my liking." "Oh?", Bob inquired. "Not a fan of the heat?" "Nevermind, it isn''t important. I''d love to stay and chat, but I''m running slightly late." "Oh really? The famous Gordon Pyrite overslept?", Bob laughed. "Well then you better be on your way. Have a great day at your shop!" Each of the morning''s conversations went similarly. Everyone he came across was surprised by his tardiness. Had he really never been late before? Thanks to keeping the exchanges short, he managed to arrive at 7:05. Only five minutes late; good. The first customers usually only show up around 8 o''clock anyway. I have more than enough time to prepare. He spent the next hour arranging his products and noting down whichever items'' supply was getting low. A sigh of relief escaped him as he finished. Home, sweet home. His store really was more like his home than his house. He spent nearly every waking minute tending to it, only ever at his house early in the morning or late at night. The first of the day''s customers arrived after another few minutes. ¡°Good morning Goldie.¡± ¡°Good morning Fred, the usual order?¡± ¡°Wouldn''t have it any other way¡±, Frederik chuckled. While packing the medicine Goldie felt a tinge of guilt. Mr. Bloom had to visit him every morning as he never had enough cash on hand to buy in bulk. He''s had his back problems for over four years now. He seemed perfectly chipper, but even then, it didn''t feel right. He was definitely standing more hunched over than a year ago. "I could-" Goldie bit his tongue. His ears were stinging and he felt pressure underneath his eyes. He wanted to help, but he knew mister Bloom would never leave Flousshire to visit a doctor, even if Goldie offered to pay his expenses. Even gifting him some extra medicine would only stall the problem. However, Goldie formulated a plan that just might work. "Once my company expands to the larger cities, I''ll be sure to send a doctor over to Flousshire. I''ll even pay him to fix your back. It''s the least I could do for a longtime customer."Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "Oh but I can''t accept this gift", Fred interposed. "I wouldn''t want to drain your resources." "It''s absolutely no problem", Goldie assured. "I''ll have more than enough money anyway. Friends should help each other out no?" Frederik hesitated. A few seconds later a huge smile spread across his face. "I can''t thank you enough. I swear I''ll do my best to repay your kindness." Fred left the store practically glowing with joy. It warmed Goldie''s heart. This kind of happiness was unlike what he normally felt. It felt like it came from deep within his soul. After coming down from the high of such deep-seeded joy, the usual joviality he paled in comparison.
Goldie spent the next few days in a haze. After more than 30 years spent in his shop, it seemed the monotony of work was finally getting to him. The spark of passion he felt for his everyday conversations had completely gone out. The more he reflected on his conversations, the more he realized how uninteresting they were. Nearly all of them boiled down to shallow discussions about how great Flousshire was. Did Goldie even have any friends? He''d rank a lot of people as friendly acquaintances, but he didn''t have strong ties to any of them. Have I ever even gone out? I only ever took off during the weekend and that was mostly spent planning the coming week... As soon as I get my permit, I swear I''ll be more social! I can''t stay cooped up like this forever! He checked the time: 8:03. It was less than 24 hours before the minister of commerce would arrive. Goldie was anxiously sitting in his study, overlooking the contents of his vault. He had laid out all the required documents, and his vault was filled to the brim with over 40000 gold. Most of his income came from bulk purchases at the start of each month, meaning even after spending the 25000 gold needed for the permit, he had enough money remaining to start building up his commercial empire. Just as he wanted to store away all his cash and close the vault, he heard a loud knock on the door. Who could that be at this hour? Maybe it''s an emergency, I better check it out. He dashed to the door and unlocked it. As it swung open, the familiar visage of a man a full head taller than Goldie came into view. "I hope I''m not intruding?", the man said warmly. "No, of course not", Goldie replied, a familiar itching sensation creeping across his head. "Actually now that you''re here... I made a huge blunder after our last transaction", Goldie started. "Shortly after you left the store, the platinum coin you handed to me seemingly vanished." The prickling sensation spread from his ears to the back of his neck. "By the roots of G¨¢t''mach¨¢, that''s horrible!", the warrior exclaimed. "I''ll help in any way I can." In an instant, the feeling of doubt creeping out the back of Goldie''s head left him. Replaced by the elating feeling of gratitude. "That is most gracious of you, mister...?" "Ford, Garen Ford", the Sah¨ªl said as he shook Goldie''s hand. "Well then mister Ford, how are you planning to help, and why are you so trusting of me? I could just be making this all up." "Someone as successful as you needs the trust of his clients, so I can''t imagine you''d ever try to swindle somebody", mister Ford explained. "I''d be happy to pay for your help. You needn''t give out your service for free", Goldie argued. "I just need to get some money from my study in the back." The man cut him off: "That won''t be necessary. You have my absolute trust. Catching a thief is to the general public''s benefit. Accepting private payment for such an act would be immoral." A wave of relief washed over Goldie and he earnestly accepted the man''s offer. "I''ll say what''s on my mind first", he started in a serious tone. "Whoever stole the coin must have either been extremely skilled, or extremely lucky. Neither of us noticed him enter or leave the shop." "Is there another way in?", Garen probed. "A backdoor of sorts?" "There aren''t any other entrances, but it is possible for him to have climbed in through the window on the second floor." "What''s on the second floor?" "More of the products that you already see down here. I stash most of my merchandise in a warehouse in the outskirts of town, but keep some goods upstairs in case they run low." Garen paused for a few moments. "Alright. I think I''ve got a plan", the warrior announced. "One of my group is a runic mage. She can set up a few wards around your open window, while we lock the front door. If we set up the appropriate bait, the burglar will surely strike again. The trick is to make him believe you''re an easy target. Therefore I suggest leaving the store unattended, while my partner and I lie in wait for the thieving bastard to show up." The confidence with which Garen delivered his plan swept Goldie along. It didn''t just sound like a good plan it felt like one. It may in fact have been the greatest plan ever conceived. It was a wise choice to ask for Garen''s help. "I don''t know a lot about magic, but setting up some wards certainly sounds plausible. I would, however, like to meet your friend beforehand." "We can go visit her right now. If my assumption is correct, then catching that crook can net us both a huge lump of reward money." That really did sound quite good. Maybe Goldie could end up benefiting out of this whole fiasco. He checked his watch one final time: 8:08 It''s still early enough. Together the two men walked out of the building, Goldie locking the front door behind them. They strolled for quite some time and eventually reached the edge of the inner district. "Why would your friend be all the way out here?", Goldie asked. "We merely prefer staying low key. I imagine having some fully geared adventurers watching you work can be rather intimidating. Plus, it''s nice and quiet out here." The tone in which the man spoke reassured Goldie. After a few more minutes of walking his ears started to itch. He was about to open his mouth but was interrupted by the sight of a beautiful young lady dressed in a fine robe. He was momentarily stunned but quickly got ahold of himself. He walked up to introduce himself, only to be overwhelmed by extreme drowsiness. He toppled over onto the ground. "I still think we should just kill him", the woman pestered. "The Gemeen don''t respawn Maggy! We''re thieves, not murderers." "It would have been-" Those were the last words Goldie heard before gliding into blissful unawareness. Chapter 4 - Harvest of Revelation He dreamt of swimming down a river of golden light, nature surrounding him an all sides. Energy coursing through every ounce of plant life. The tree''s leaves tinged blue and radiating a calming aura. As Goldie floated along the shimmering stream, its warming energy streaming through him, he felt at peace. The world and him living in absolute harmony. After spending what seemed like an eternity in this state he began feeling wary. The energy that coursed through him for so long no longer resonating with his inner being. His body shuddered as his soul seemed to rebel against the force''s soothing light. His inner self opposed the force with ever-increasing vigor, trying to remove it from every inch of his body. The feeling was comparable to being drowned in a vat of boiling water, except instead of the heat invading his pores, it permeated outwards from his core. Goldie wanted to scream. He wanted to thrash around. He wanted to scratch at every inch of his body. He wanted to drown himself in a mountain of snow. He just wanted to move. Wanted to cry. To die. But he couldn''t. His body was completely paralyzed, and his mind refused to shut off. There was no escaping the torment. Eons passed with him in this state. He started believing he might have died and been cast into the deepest hell of N¨¦rjaka. The eternal torment reserved for only the gravest of sinners. While evaluating his life, sorting through every memory he could recall, he remembered what brought him to this place. That backstabbing bastard! No doubt he robbed Goldie blind after killing him. But was he truly dead? He thought back to the last sentence he heard before having been consumed by darkness. "We''re thieves, not murderers." That was what Garen said, if that was even his real name. But if he hadn''t perished, then where was he? What is this place? As he pondered his newfound questions, the pain eased. The calming tides once again flooding his senses. Of course this wasn''t punishment. This was bliss. The comforting waves dulled his senses, the pain reduced to nothing more than a slight itch. An inkling of thought spread through Goldie''s mind. Wasn''t this itch similar to when he remembered misfortunate events? Not only that; he felt it every time he doubted something. Was it intuition? No, it was more like his critical thought had been tied to a chair and the itching came whenever it tried to loosen its binding. But then why did he not feel it around Garen? In retrospect he was obviously the prime suspect concerning the stolen money. But his reassuring voice squashed all of Goldie''s doubts whenever he spoke. It was like his critical thought wasn''t just tied to a chair around him, but stuffed into a soundproof box. Dread spread across his mind, as a familiar burning sensation returned to his skin. It felt so uplifting to be around Garen. Goldie remembered the charisma tugging him along whenever the warrior spoke. Was it mind control? No it was more vague. Emotional control? Realization dawned upon him. This place... This energy around me; connecting me to the world; making me feel at ease and happy. It was a lie. Was Flousshire really that great? He had never even thought about it. It was a matter of fact to him. His hometown was obviously a great place, every inhabitant agreed. But why? All he ever did was work. Work from the morning until the evening. The only breaks he took were for food and rest. It wasn''t only him who had no deep personal relationships, nobody did. They were all focused on doing their jobs as well as possible. Everyone loved their jobs and lived to work. In cases like Frederik even slowly working themselves to death. But why would anybody do such a thing? He''d been brainwashed into conformity his whole life. Everybody was. No more This influence would bind him no longer. No more! His skin was burning. His veins were pumping liquid magma through his body. His head felt like a volcano was erupting inside it and threatening to break his skull. This place is trying to control me. The surrounding forest was slowly changing. The trees become more gnarled and threatening, their leaves dyed a crimson red and the tone of their bark changing to an ashen gray. The nourishing earth dried out, earth-splitting cracks forming throughout. The golden stream he laid in, turned into a muddy brown. I won''t let it! I will be in charge of my own emotions! Goldie pushed against the influence with all his will. The fire spreading throughout his body, clearing the dampening fog from his mind. He slowly rose out of the water, making the reality around him ripple as he did so. Suddenly his leg was caught by the water. It turned into a black tar-like substance and atached itself to his legs. It reached up along his body, pulling him into the depths. The forest around him grew into a densely woven dome that blocked out the sun. While the barrier shrunk down from above, the air within got heavier. He struggled against the sticky liquid slithering up to his head. As soon as it arrived at the top it invaded every crevasse of his body at once. Goldie struggled to breathe. Is that the best you''ve got? I will not yield! I will not be controlled! I will be free! He pressed against the flood with all his might. His entire being focused on this one task. The black sludge was slowly being pushed out of his body. Light erupted out of him, pushing everything outward and away. The darkness retreated as reality cracked. Goldie opened his eyes. He was lying on a hard cobblestone street. The heat of the blazing midday sun scorching his skin. The weather was dreadful, reflecting his dreadful mood. How could anyone work under these conditions? The keychain, which usually hung around his neck, was gone. "FUCK!" What did it matter if he was free from the manipulation? It changed nothing about the awful situation he found himself in. No doubt his store has been ransacked and his savings stolen. "Fucking Shit!" He angrily slammed his fist against the stone wall, breaking his index finger in the process. "Coristam dammit!" Goldie cradled his injured hand. How long had he been out? He reached into his pocket and... "They stole my fucking watch too!" This was absolutely outrageous! His father gifted it to him when he was younger. It only held sentimental value, so stealing it was nothing more than an act of unnecessary cruelty. That was my memento! Those bastards will fucking pay for this. The gods as my witness I swear it! He had no idea how long he''d slept. Judging by the sun it was slightly before midday, which meant his usual customers must have noticed something was going on. Perhaps they even stopped those dammed thieves. Goldie didn''t get his hopes up. The Sah¨ªl were the pinnacle of humanity. Their god-given gifts made them many times stronger than any Gemeen could ever hope to be. Standing up to one of them would be a death sentence. Even if they were killed, they merely returned to life in a designated temple. No, his best hope was to assess the damage, and report his findings to the city guard. While they were usually busy eliminating monster threats spawning in the surrounding area, the city guard was also tasked with solving crimes within the city and border control. After making his choice, Goldie commenced walking back to his shop. Viewing the city without the distorting lens of emotional manipulation, it really wasn''t a great place, especially in the outer districts. Some buildings were in dire needs of repair, the walls crumbling onto the street. The southern climate''s summer heat smoldering the soles of his feet as he walked down the uneven road. As he got closer to his store he was greeted by multiple people.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. "Good morning Goldie", or "Good day mister Pyrite", was heard plenty of times. All of these greetings were shut down by a combination of hateful glares, annoyed grunts and nasty curses. He was in no mood to hold a conversation. As he finally reached his Cornerstore, he saw the door stood slightly open. Maybe they''re still in there. Probably not, who''d bother to lock the door after stealing all the merchandise? His hunch proved correct as soon as he entered. The shelves and displays were robbed of anything remotely valuable. Cheaper herbs and spices lied recklessly strewn about the floor, with their empty containers thrown onto a pile in the corner of the room. "Fuck! I hope Tarvit enslaves their souls and uses them as concubines! Screw them all the way to the depths of Ukwat¨²!", Goldie yelled at nobody in particular. "My dear mister pyrite", a smooth, but strict voice sounded. Goldie quickly reared his head towards the sound and had his breath knocked out of him as soon as he saw the voice''s owner. It was none other than the minister of commerce himself: Sir Sebastian Ceb¨ªle. "To think someone would utter such foul language in the presence of a noble", the minister gasped, his face laced in false shock. "M-my sincerest apologies Sir", Goldie stammered. "I had not realized someone of your standing was present." "Yes... that was quite obvious", Sir Ceb¨ªle stated with disdain, eyeing him from head to toe. Everything about the noble standing in front of Goldie demanded respect. His entire outfit, from his knee-length cloak to his shoes, was crafted from high quality monster parts and magical ingredients. Each article within the set was perfectly in tune with the others and tailor-made to befit the minister''s tall, slender body. His copper-colored hair was tied into a ponytail reaching to his shoulders. His youthful visage made him look no older than 25, but his eyes revealed a vast wisdom, disproportionate with such a young age. Goldie''s dirtied clothing was shabby in comparison. His hair was oily, unkempt and dusty from sleeping on the street. His beard greasy from the sweat streaming down his face. His broken finger was swollen and blue. His torn knuckles were covered with dried blood. He looked more like a ruffian off the street, than a successful businessman. "I am likely in no position to make demands", Goldie began, "but-" "No mister Pyrite, you are not", Sir Ceb¨ªle interrupted. "You not only left your shop unattended with your vault open for the world to see, but even did so for over twelve hours. There was a large group of distrought people wondering where you had gone." "Well you see Sir, it was because I-" "Mister Pyrite I understand full well. You were swindled by a group of thieves and they robbed you. But I hardly see why this should convince me to help you in any way. You let yourself get swindled. You should have seen this coming with your years of experience. But alas, you did nothing to avoid your fate. You played right into their hands, didn''t you?" He was right. Goldie really had played straight into their hands, hadn''t he? He should have seen it coming sooner. He never should have... Something wasn''t right. It was that feeling again; that itch in his ears. The minister was trying to manipulate him! This Fucker. Goldie raised his voice: "Now listen here you piece of-" "SILENCE!", the minister shouted. Goldie''s words got caught in his throat. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t squeak out a single sound. "Now listen closely mister Pyrite! Your company is now under my jurisdiction as you are clearly unfit to lead it. It will still bear the name of "Pyrite Merchant''s Association" and will make full use of the contacts you have made during the years. You will not have any power, but I am willing to donate a monthly salary for recompense. It will be enough for you to live a comfortable life, if not one of extreme luxury. Perhaps it would do you some good. A hobby might help you with your psychological problems." Goldie grit his teeth as he replied: "Fuck your deal. I won''t just give you my company! And I don''t have any psychological problems!" "Of course not. How careless of me", he answered sarcastically. "But please tell me mister Pyrite: How are you enjoying your life in Flousshire? It''s a beautiful place is it not?" "I''m not a part of your machinations you slimy-" "Shush now, there''s no need to be so rude", the minister cut him off. "I must admit you''re much more resilient than I expected. But even you must realize that you have a problem. Everybody loves living and working in Flousshire. It is all too simple to recognise you as the odd one out. All you need to do now is admit to your mental issues! Sir Ceb¨ªle was right. Goldie was no longer mentally sound. Whatever happened while he was unconscious broke him. "You''re right, I have a problem and am unfit to lead the company", Goldie stated. "Very good; The first step to getting rid of a problem is admitting to it. Now if you would please sign this document", Sebastian demanded as he handed Goldie the required form. "What about the monthly payment?", Goldie insisted. "You do not have to worry about that. I have the required form right here", the minister assured. "If you want the money, then please sign the second document as well. The payment will be delivered to your residence at the start of each month." "I don''t need your charity!", Goldie responded. "Well then that concludes our dealings. Everything said since the start of negotiations has been recorded on an audio cube for later reviewal and transcription. I will escort you from the building as we have lots of work to do. You are free to leave now." So that''s what Goldie did. After a few minutes of aimlessly walking around town, he grasped what had just transpired. "Itoyas ayal! I''m a bloody idiot. How the hells did I just let that happen!?" Why can everybody control my emotions? No... this time it truly was more akin to mind control. Damm them all! He had one more place he could go. His warehouse would have likely not been robbed and even if it was, they could never have taken everything from within it. Therefore it was possible for him to scavenge as many valuables as possible and sell them for a bit of cash. Afterwards he could make his way to the neighbouring city of Siellous and start anew. Not all hope was lost! He would find a sliver of hope and stick to it with all his might! His hope once again came crashing down as he arrived. The warehouse was bustling with activity, the minister''s cronies already getting their slimy little fingers all over it. I''m doomed. Goldie surveyed the location, hoping to find a stealthy way in. He was very inexperienced when it came to robbing places, so his plan never came to fruition. As he was about to give up he noticed something: There was a hooded man with a shadowy cloak climbing out of a window without any guards noticing. The man didn''t even spare him a look as re rushed past. Goldie, however, was able to confirm his suspicions. That man is carrying my tarkinium dagger! He must be working with Garen! As he had no other options, he chose to follow the shrouded man. As soon as they were a ways away from the warehouse, the shrouded man became far more relaxed and walked normally along the narrow streets of the outer districts. Another twenty minutes later they arrived at a secluded building that seemed to have once served as an inn. The man knocked on the door, Goldie peeking around a corner down the street. "So Jeffery, how''d it look?", he heard Garen''s familiar voice ask. "The minister''s goonies are already swarming the place. There was nothing I could do. I barely made it out undetected", the cowled man explained. "Well that''s too bad. What will you do now? The mission''s over with, we made quite a killing even without ransacking the warehouse", Garen boasted. "About that... I deserve a larger share", Jeffery blankly stated. "Pah! I''m sorry Jeffery, but a deal''s a deal. You signed the contract so you get the agreed amount. If you wanted a slice of the pie you should have said so sooner", Garen snickered. "This mission was far more dangerous than what you told me! Working against the minister of commerce is a terrible idea!", Jeffery spat. "Are you gonna make trouble little man? Because it won''t end well for you." "We''ll see about that", he muttered while placing his hand on the dagger at his side. He unsheathed the blade faster than Goldie''s eyes could follow, but Garen raised his arm in time to block the coming swing. It flicked against the warrior''s plated armor, denting it slightly, but doing no significant damage. "I DID ALL THE WORK YOU POMPOUS FUCK!", Jeffery yelled as he stabbed at the man''s neck. The silvery armor started glowing a dim red and the dagger was deflected without even scratching the surface. "HA! You''ll need way more strength to harm me", Garen boasted as he slammed his left fist into the smaller man''s stomach. The thief flew backwards and crashed against the opposite wall. He unsteadily got to his feet as he coughed up blood. The shadows of the alley molded into him, obscuring his form. A few moments passed before he shot out of the darkness. His arm blurred as he once again swung his blade at the glowing man. Garen''s right hand burst towards the shadowy shape. The runes inscribed in his gauntlet shined a bright orange as the force of the blow exploded forwards. The shadows protecting Jeffery''s body dissipated and his fractured. His limp body sailed through the air and crashed to the ground in the distance. Goldie was sure that Jeffery had died, but he got up and infused his cloak with darkness. Then he vanished from sight. "He''s still alive?", a woman commented. "Just leave him be, he''s more trouble to hunt down than he''s worth. He won''t be back anyway, it''s in the weasel''s nature to avoid danger", Garen remarked. Garen''s strike was far more devestating than the warrior had believed. Jeffery barely managed to walk into a quiet alley before collapsing on the ground. His healing rate was quite high, especially in dark places. He would survive, but he needed to stay still to not cause any extra damage. However, Goldie saw where the thief reappeared. He''s almost dead... What should I do? This man is responsible for what happened to me. I''ll get my revenge no matter how petty it is! My life is ruined and this piece of shit is the cause! He should just fucking die! Goldie picked up a loose brick from the ground and steadily stepped towards the man. His arm was shaking as he raised his hand. Jeffery''s eyes widened in recognition. "It''s you!" "You ruined my fucking life you snake!", Goldie accused. "You deserve nothing but death!" Yes! Kill him, kill him, kill him! Goldie smashed the brick into Jeffery''s face. The man''s nose crumpled under the weight and his forehead started bleeding. Over and over the brick was brought down upon him, but the brick broke before Jeffery was dead. The burglar chocked on his blood while attempting to laugh. Goldie growled: "It won''t stay funny for long, asshole" He took the tarkinium dagger lying in next to the barely breathing man, and jabbed it straight through his eye socket into his brain. Finally, the slippery bastard''s life force ebbed away. Goldie sensed something, a strange flow of energy leaving the body. It had the distinct stench of ''thief'' attached to it. NO! "You won''t get away that easily you piece of crap!" Goldie pulled against the instangible shape with pure force of will. The feeling was akin to his escape from the city''s emotional manipulation, only this time instead of pushing the force away he tugged at it with all his might. Reality rippled once again as a grey, shadowy essence flowed out of seemingly nowhere. It shone darkness everywhere around it. It tried to flee, but now that it was tangible its resistance wavered. Goldie reached out with his hand and physically touched the soul. As he did so it flowed into his body, disappearing from sight as though it had never existed.
[Complex-Unique skill Aquired: Soul Capture (U)]
Unknown variable entered. Creating new profile... Profile creation failure, assessing situation... Profile merger possible... Commencing merger... Merger successful! Welcome, Xa@#!%on J*¡ì&#te.
"What?" Chapter 5 - Getting to know Oneself What was that? Am I going totally crazy now? That''s what I want to know! What the fuck did you do to me!? "What. The. Heck." Who was that? Am I hearing voices in my head? Seems like you are, and no, I am not just a figment of your imagination. Now tell me what you did! What''s going on? Who are you? Good G¨¢t''mach¨¢... You don''t even know what you did yourself. How unlucky can I be? I''m the poor sap who you just murdered in case that wasn''t clear. YOU! Why are you still here!? I thought I got rid of you. I don''t know why I''m still here! If things were up to me then I''d just leave and revive as usual. However, it seems that the normally automatic process was cancelled by whatever you did to me. I definitely don''t have a body anymore. It''s as though I was a consciousness drifting through an empty white void. That doesn''t sound very fun. No shit. But you very well deserve it for stealing everything from me! Hell no I don''t! I didn''t even steal everything from you, I only helped steal everything from you. If you want to blame someone then blame Garen! And I suggest that you help me find a way out of this mess! How in the world would I do that? I don''t even know what''s going on. Alright, first things first. Maybe checking your soul screen will clear some things up. My what? What''s a soul screen? It''s the screen that displays information about your body and soul. Do you Gemeen not have that? ... I saw the last bit of the message about profile creation, so you probably have the ability to look at it now. How do I do that? By all that is holy please just look at it. Just will it to show up! Goldie focused his will. SOUL SCREEN! FUCKIN'' HELL, man. You just burst my figurative eardrums. You don''t have to yell it in your head! You should naturally be able to sense the connection. It''s a sensation at the back of your head. I don''t know how to better describe it. I''ve had it my whole life. Goldie once again summoned his will and tried sensing the presence Jeffery told him about. There was definitely something there. Something he had never felt before. He concentrated on that strange sensation and arrived in a white plane with a dark green orb in place of the sun. Strangely the lighting inside this realm was unaffected by the green hue of the false sun. In the middle of the void he saw a constantly shifting dark cloud. As he tried getting closer to it, it recoiled and blinded him with bolts of darkness. GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME! I don''t want your strange glowing tendrils to touch my soul! That''s your soul? That''s obviously the only logical conclusion! You must have absorbed my soul vessel and gotten me stuck in an incorporeal form. Having a soul is what separates you Gemeen from the rest of us. Even after taking some of my power your soul is totally pathetic. Just look at yourself! Goldie did as the rude guest inside his head said, and tried looking at his own form in the strange space. He was nothing more than a small gold-glowing orb. Whenever he reached towards something in his soul space, small tendrils of light stretched out from the glowing ball. He focused his presence deeper inward, trying to sense the details and composition of this ''soul'' of his and was met with a torrent of swirling energies. While trying to get a larger picture of the mess, a thin stream of white energy flowed from the portal into the outer shell of his soul-self.
[Standard skill Acquired: Introspection]
Following along the trail of the information-stream, he recognized that some parts of his soul were directly connected to the floating green orb. It was less like an orb than a portal. A three-dimensional portal? Before continuing his train of thought, he tugged at the connection and was rewarded with what was likely the soul screen Jeffery mentioned.
General Information Attributes
Name Xa@#!%on J*¡ì&#te Physical Mental Special
Species Human STR 10 INT 4,8 CHR 5
Sex Male AGI 33,9 PER 2,8 INS 4
Age 66 years CON 9 MEM 6 WLL 7,9
Height 5"6 ft (1,72m) Stats
Weight 86 kilograms Health 77,6 +7,5/h
Level 28 (max. 43), 1 Error ''#%?! Energy 62,3 +22,5/h
Bonuses +1 Agility per 5 levels; +10% Agility; +10% Willpower Stamina 64,7 +13/min
Error: Body not correctly connected to soul, merger incomplete... Re-engaging merger process.
Suddenly a part of the energy within Jeffery''s shadowy form was siphoned into Goldie''s vessel. As he absorbed the energy, his physical body began morphing. It was an extremely painful process. His skin stretched. His muscles tore. His bones lengthened and hardened. The soul''s energy now coursed through each part of his body.
Stat efficiency not fully carried over... Within acceptable parameters. Adaptation complete.
Not fully carried over? Goldie summoned his status to look over the changes.
General Information Attributes
Name Xandon Jefferite Physical Mental Special
Species Human STR 7 INT 4,8 CHR 5
Sex Male AGI 17,9 PER 2,8 INS 4
Age 33 years CON 7 MEM 6 WLL 7,9 This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Height 5"7 ft (1,75m) Stats
Weight 82 kilograms Health 52,8 +5,7/h
Level 10 (max 28) Energy 46,8 +16,6/h
Bonuses +1 Agility per 5 levels; +10% Agility; +10% Willpower Stamina 45 +8,1/min
Great, you stole more of my stats. At least it quit before sucking me completely dry. Goldie ignored Jeffery''s rudeness as he surveyed his bodily changes. It feels like I''m twenty years younger. More than that even. I don''t think I''ve ever felt healthier. Well, according to your status screen you did just become 33 years younger than you were. But I''m assuming you weren''t 66 to begin, unless you were the most youthful looking Gemeen of all time. No no, I am 42 years old, I don''t know why the age is never correct. Wishing to test out his new body, he tried a few squats and jumping jacks. Yeah yeah, very impressive. Now if you don''t mind, please kill yourself so I can get out of here. What!? No, I''m not going to kill myself! Don''t worry, you''ll be back in a few hours, probably. And if I don''t revive? A sacrifice I am willing to make. Quite willing actually, since you''re the reason I am here to begin with. How do you even know it will free you? Maybe we''ll just revive together, or maybe we both die! Well I honestly don''t know what''ll happen. You probably have a point that killing yourself would put me at risk too. Maybe our souls even merge, and I become some kind of disgusting half-Gemeen. That comment made Goldie''s temper flare up. Alright you asshole, this Gemeen was more than capable of killing you. And I am done being pushed around by you people''s high and mighty attitude! Nothing personal, It''s simply a matter of fact that we''re better than you. What more proof than that we can come back from death do you need? Also, you didn''t kill me. I was already nearly dead! And who is stopping you, an almighty Sah¨ªl from reviving now, huh? ... That''s what I thought. While I spent my life making something of myself, you people are nothing more than petty thieves. Gemeen or not, I can happily state I am a better human than you! A BETTER HUMAN!? Don''t you dare start with that shit! You just murdered my ass and caged my soul! Okay fine, I should have better controlled my temper. But you people not only stole my money, you stole my goods and caused my company''s ruin! Yet even that was still not enough for you. You even robbed me of my personal effects, while I was unconscious on the floor! That watch was worthless. A MEMENTO! What the fiery hells are you talking about? What watch? The watch! My father''s watch! The old, slightly rusty pocket watch with a S¨¦penguta engraved on the cover! I have never seen any such thing! They were the ones who robbed you while unconscious. I was guarding the store! Alright alright, I''m willing to forgive you for what you''ve done since you were only a hired helper, if you''ll help me get my things back! What will I get out of this deal? I''ll damm well deserve payment for aiding my killer. I promise to find some way to free you and, depending on how much is left of the money you stole, I might be willing to part with some of it. This all relies on how much you actually help me of course. Fine. Even a tenth of your stash is already more than they paid me! Helping you out is also a possibility of getting revenge. To start things off, take a look at your stats. Haven''t I already done that? Take a closer look. Focus on your physical, mental and special attributes. He once again summoned the strange, slightly translucent screen and focused on what he was told.
Strength (Base 7): Increases how much force your body can muster. Natural multiplier: +0%. No other bonuses. Stat benefits: +1,5 max. Health per point (+0 HP/h), +0,3 max. Energy per point (+0,2 EP/h), +0,5 max. Stamina per point (+0,1 S/min)
Agility (Base 14): Increases body''s flexibility, fluidity, and speed. Natural multiplier: +10%. Added Multiplier: +10% Stat benefits: +0,5 max. Health per point (+0 HP/h), +0,4 max. Energy per point (+0,2 EP/h), +0,5 max. Stamina per point (+0,2 S/min)
Constitution (Base 7): Increases body weight and density. Natural multiplier: +0%. No other bonuses Stat benefits: +2,5 max. Health per point (+0,2 HP/h), +0,2 max. Energy per point (+0,1 EP/h), +1,5 max. Stamina per point (+0,3 S/min)
Success! Goldie was already busily min-maxing his point profit. It seemed constitution gave the largest amount, but with the other stats'' less tangible benefits it was difficult to determine the optimal path. Hmm, it seems like whatever our merger did gave you some of my bonuses. With your multipliers as they are, I suggest you invest most points into Agility. No idea why you have an added one if you''ve never invested in a path, but whatever. Before making the final choice, we should look at your skills too. You also mentioned something about a path? Don''t worry about it for now, we''ll get to it later. Just continue checking out your talents. Goldie decided on going left to right and focus on his mental attributes next.
Intelligence (Base 6): Increases thinking speed and general mental prowess. Natural multiplier: -20%. No other bonuses Stat benefits: +0 max. Health per point (+0 HP/h), +2 max. Energy per point (+0,5 EP/h), +0 max. Stamina per point (+0 S/min)
Perception (Base 4): Increases capability of your senses (physical and spiritual). Natural multiplier: -30%. No other bonuses Stat benefits: +0 max. Health per point (+0 HP/h), +0,5 max. Energy per point (+0,4 EP/h), +0 max. Stamina per point (+0 S/min)
Memory (Base 6): Increases memorizing speed and memory recollection. Natural multiplier: +0%. No other bonuses Stat benefits: +0 max. Health per point (+0 HP/h), +1 max. Energy per point (+0,2 EP/h), +0 max. Stamina per point (+0 S/min)
HAH! Your natural multipliers are in the negatives! That''s absolutely hilarious. Although really, it''s quite incredible how much of a penalty they have. You definitely haven''t gotten any boost from me that''s for sure. It''s all natural Gemeen for ya. Fuck off Jeffery, or are you forgetting I stabbed you in the skull? You''re connected to me now, so we''re stuck together. You better stop being so bloody rude if we want to make this work. Jeez dude calm down. We don''t know if this is permanent. ByYan¡¯gekal I hope it isn''t. And it''s just a matter of fact that your multipliers are low. Don''t be offended so easily. Although he wouldn''t dare admit it to Jeffery, he was disappointed in how low his stats were. Was he really that unperceptive? He could only prey his final three attributes would show something to be proud of.
Charisma (Base 5): Increases capability of emotional projection. Natural multiplier: +0%. No other bonuses Stat benefits: +0 max. Health per point (+0 HP/h), +0 max. Energy per point (+0 EP/h), +0 max. Stamina per point (+0 S/min)
Insight (Base 5): Increases processing speed of sensorial information. Natural multiplier: -20%. No other bonuses Stat benefits: +0 max. Health per point (+0 HP/h), +0,2 max. Energy per point (+0 EP/h), +0 max. Stamina per point (+0 S/min)
Willpower (Base 6): Increases force of will and reduces impact of mental trickery. Natural multiplier: +20%. Added Multiplier: +10% Stat benefits: +0 max. Health per point (+0,1 HP/h), +0,5 max. Energy per point (+0,2 EP/h), +0,3 max. Stamina per point (+0,05 S/min)
Now we''re getting somewhere, that Willpower multiplier is pretty sweet. Sadly, with such a low level of perception and intelligence, I doubt that you''ll ever become a great mage. I need those for magic? What happens if you focus on physical stats? How were you able to mold shadows to your body? You misunderstand, you just won''t become a ''mage'', because the term mage refers to ranged magical users and those kinds of magics mostly require high mental stats. How do you think Garen does it? It''s definitely not with the help of his brain I''ll tell you that. Now before you ask me to teach you something, don''t bother. All my shadow magic is self-taught, needed years of practice, and also needs higher Perception than you can reasonably reach in the near future. Self-taught? Wow. In any case I don''t care about learning magic. I just need to get my money back! Slow down mister! Firstly: I''m getting some of that money! I even helped you ascend to the ranks of the Sah¨ªl. Secondly: You''re way weaker than Garen. If you want to win against him, you need to be way stronger than you currently are and also come up with a foolproof plan. So, what should I do now? You mentioned something about paths earlier? Don''t worry about those yet. We still need to see what skills you have first. Just bring up your skill list. Goldie wasn''t quite sure exactly what Jeff''s incorporeal voice meant, but he tried infusing his will upon the connection he had felt before and brought up the new screen.
Standard Skills Acrobatics Lvl N/A, Dagger Mastery Lvl N/A, Introspection lvl 1, Pickpocket Lvl N/A, Sneak Lvl N/A;
Complex Skills Essence Concealment Lvl N/A,Indomitable Will Lvl 8, Soul Capture (U)Lvl 1;
This looks bleak. That can''t be right. What about my accounting and salesmanship? All my years of experience must be worth something. Only physical skills and magic count as skills to the interface. Your years of experience are worthless when it comes to powering up. Well that''s just dandy. I guess I should go over all of these, find out why so many of them are "N/A". Good luck with that, I''ll just be loafing around... Chapter 6 - Knowledge is Power Goldie began inspecting his skills more closely, reading them in the same order they appeared in the list. Acrobatics Lvl N/A: Reflects body''s speed and maneuverability. Skill dependent on Lvl and Agility. Dagger Mastery Lvl N/A: Reflects proficiency at using daggers. Skill dependent on Lvl, Agility and Strength. Introspection Lvl 1: Passively increases the effectiveness of your Perception while inside your soul space. Allows you to more easily sense your connection to the realm of power. Effectiveness increases with Lvl. Pickpocket Lvl N/A: Reflects ability to steal someone''s personal belongings while evading their notice. Skill dependent on Lvl and Agility. Sneak Lvl N/A: Reflects ability to silently move around. Skill dependent on Lvl and Agility. Essence Concealment Lvl N/A: Activate to obscure your presence. Onlookers will naturally ignore you while the skill is active.Costs 5 Energy per second. Skill dependent on Lvl and Charisma. Indomitable Will Lvl 8: Increases general effectiveness of Willpower. Also increases Willpower multiplier by 10%. Skill dependent on Lvl and Willpower. Soul Capture (U) Lvl 1: Capture someone''s vessel as it leaves their body. Potency increased on personally slain targets. Skill dependent on Lvl and Willpower. Error, some skills not found within memory. Must use utilize skills to determine Lvl. Well that didn''t explain very much. At least now Goldie knew what skills depended on what attributes. What does being dependent on Lvl mean? Does it mean the level displayed on my soul screen, or skill level? Do skill levels make me more proficient? It''s the other way around. The number just represents your proficiency. When a skill levels up, the interface is basically just patting you on the back and saying "congratulations you''ve gotten better". It''s just like when you write an exam and get a good grade. The grade doesn''t suddenly make you more knowledgeable, it merely shows how knowledgeable you are. I mean how dumb would it be if just by practicing cooking and gaining a level, I suddenly figure out how to make more complicated dishes? Totally ridiculous. I guess you have a point... But then what the heck do I get out of leveling? Is it really just telling me how good I am? And if what you said was true how can some skills have an active effect or give a multiplier? GAH! When you asked me to help you get your revenge I didn''t think you''d need information on basic shit like this? Are you retarded? Actually scratch that, according to your stats that question is already answered. No offense. Some offense taken. Keep in mind what you might find ''basic knowledge'' I haven''t even heard of for my whole life! Okay then, I assume I can expect a bonus to my payment for everything I teach you? I''ll consider it. Thanks buddy. Now, I guess I should start at the very bottom. Keep in mind, that all I know is what I was taught growing up. Basically, the interface is just a visualization of your soul vessel and its connection to the realm of power. So, when it tells you "this skill gives X", it really just means that in the process of learning said skill your soul had changed in some way to give you that benefit. Active skills just mean you need to think about using them. Returning to our earlier example: When cooking a meal, you aren''t "activating" a skill. You know how to cook all the time. Skills like Essence Concealment are called spells and need to be "activated". The difference is ''spells'' don''t rely on your body, but your soul. Because of this, spells tend to require expending Energy. As you practice using a certain spell, the cost goes down and its effectiveness goes up. And before you ask me another stupid question: This efficiency increase is not caused by the interface itself, but just by you learning to more effectively use your resources. Cost becomes quite meaningless later on anyway, as you can choose how much Energy to channel into any given spell. Now we get to the fun part. A grand benefit of leveling your skills, other than becoming good at a given skill, is investing into paths. Before I go any further, open your path screen. Goldie projected his will towards the portal he now came to know as "the interface". After doing so a new window popped up.
Open Paths (10p) Newbie 0/5, Ascendant 0/20, Unshackled 0/??, Soul-thief 0/???;
Current Paths --
Completed Paths Shadow Walker, Apprentice (Agility);
Gained Benefits +1 Agility per 5 levels, +10% Agility
Okay you somehow have two of my paths "completed". That better not be permanently stolen away or else I''ll whoop your ass when I''m outta here. What if I never let you out? Don''t make that joke! If I don''t get out of here then I''ll make you life a living hell. N¨¦rjaka will seem like bliss in comparison. Alright don''t worry. It isn''t like I want to keep a disembodied voice inside my head forever either. Good. Now back to the nitty gritty. Apart from the stolen paths, everything seems to be in order. As to what paths do: They generally award some attribute points and sometimes give multipliers. They can also award attributes every few levels, like my Shadow Walker path. Basically your skills can reshape your soul, and investing in paths adapts the energy to better utilize these changes. Before you get to investing I need to make something clear: Do not overinvest in paths, or you might risk getting too many attributes. What happens if I overinvest? Some real bad shit can happen.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Like what? My head explodes? Your soul could tear apart, causing all the energy within it to forcefully evacuate your body. The effects of this range from harmlessly getting rid of all your stats and bonuses, turning you back into a Gemeen, to, as you jokingly mentioned, making your body spectacularly explode. Which of course would be hilarious, apart from the fact that my soul vessel is right next to yours. Oh wow... As I said, some bad shit can happen. A good rule of thumb for calculating one''s maximum attribute points is multiplying your current level by five and adding another 45 on top of that. In your case that means currently you could have 95 invested attribute points. Without multipliers though, they just represent how efficiently your soul utilizes certain attributes. Answering my questions before I ask them. It''s like you''re reading my mind. ... You aren''t actually reading my mind, are you? Of course not, I''m just good at guessing what questions a dumb person would ask next. Goldie sneered, but refrained from giving in to Jeffery''s taunting. In any case I reckon the time has come to finally invest into some paths and stop simply squatting next to my lifeless corpse. I recommend the Newbie path to start, since it gives great benefits for the amount of points invested. Other than that, I have no idea. I''ve never even heard of all your other paths. Isn''t that good? It must mean they''re super special. Or that they aren''t worth being mentioned anywhere. When you enroll in an academy they just look at your natural talents and tailor your curriculum to them. After so many years of study, they already know the best paths to take and how to unlock them. I can''t really tell you many details since I dropped out of the academy a few years ago. Oh... I''m sorry to hear that. Don''t worry. They were all a bunch of uptight pricks anyway. Now stop stalling and get to investing dammit! Goldie did as he was told an invested five points into the Newbie path. A flurry of messages sprang into view. Every epic journey has a first step. You have just begun yours. You have earned 1 Physical attribute point. You have earned 1 Mental attribute point. You have earned 1 Special attribute point. You have earned 1 Universal attribute point. Congratulations, you have completed the Newbie path! +1 to all attributes. Foundation for future learning has been set. Gaining skill levels has been facilitated. You have concluded the first part of your journey, but there are many more paths to tread. Make sure you choose wisely! Goldie felt the changes wash over him. He could think more clearly and his eyes picked up much more than they had before. Not only his eyes, each of his senses were sharper than before. His bodily changes were a lot less pronounced than last time, but he definitely felt slightly sturdier and stronger than before.
General Information Attributes (+)
Name Xandon Jefferite Physical Mental Special
Species Human STR 8 INT 5,6 CHR 6
Sex Male AGI 18,2 PER 3,5 INS 4,8
Age 33 years CON 8 MEM 7 WLL 9,24
Height 5"7 ft (1,75m) Stats
Weight 82 kilograms Health 59,6 +6,5/h
Level 10 (max 28) Energy 53,4 +19/h
Bonuses +1 Agility per 5 levels; +10% Agility; +10% Willpower Stamina 50,8 +9/min
As he looked over his status screen, he pondered which attributes to further increase. Yo Jeff, you got any ideas what I should invest into? I''m thinking +1 Agility, +1 Intelligence and +2 Willpower. Seems fine. I''d tell you to invest in perception to more easily learn shadow magic, but it''s clear you aren''t cut out for it with your terrible perception multiplier. Also, it''s about time you stopped calling me Jeffery. My name is actually Xander Jefferson, I just didn''t give Garen my real name. I doubt his name is really Garen either to be honest. As Goldie input his attribute choices he realized something thanks to Xander''s revelation. That explains why our combined name is so weird! The system seems to have just taken the starting and ending of both our names and mashed them together. My name is Gor- I already know your name. No need to introduce yourself. I was only being polite. I think we''re way past politeness at this point. Fine, how about I ask you another question instead. What determines someone''s maximum level? And how do I even gain levels? Itoyas Ayal! Can''t these questions wait until we left this literally bloody alley? You''re incredibly lucky no one has found you yet! Also make sure to take my cloak and dagger before you leave. You don''t need to worry about the body. It should dissolve within the next hour anyway. Your bodies dissolve? It''s because when our soul leaves, they get deprived of most of the energy coursing through them. Now stop fucking ''talking'' and get a move on! Goldie hastily ripped the cloak of the corpse and pulled the dagger out of it''s eyehole. It already barely resembled a human, having partially turned to ash. He even managed to tear off an arm while recklessly tugging the cloak. The arm still within the sleeve harmlessly crumbled to dust while Goldie quietly crept out of the alleyway.
[Standard skill Aquired: Sneak]
Goldie snorted. Chapter 7 - Packing your Bags After having spent and indeterminate amount of time quietly getting as far away from the crime scene, and in conjunction Garen, as possible, Sneak had gained another two skill levels. This doesn''t make any sense. You told me the interface doesn''t help me gain skills, it just tells me how good I am. Then why has my sneaking gone up so quickly? It has nothing to do with the interface. Your new connection to the soul of power, combined with the newbie path''s skill learning bonus have enabled your soul vessel to adapt more easily. Not to mention the fact that your soul is synchronized to mine and I''m a very sneaky person. Of course, how else would you have robbed me so easily. *Ahem* In any case, what''s our next course of action? I saw the minister of commerce''s goons had already seized your warehouse. Considering the rumors I''ve heard about him, some shady shit went down didn''t it? Well, he''s the reason I didn''t head straight to the authorities. I''m not sure what he did, but for some reason I made some incredibly stupid decisions in our dealings. I allowed the son of a bitch to straight up steal my company from me and even turned down any compensation. The only fathomable way I would let him do that, is if I was manipulated somehow. He must have used mind control or something, if that even exists. It felt very similar to the time Garen spoke to me in that reassuring voice of his. The minister even recorded the entire conversation to "prove" he didn''t use any underhanded methods! I have no doubt in my mind he used some sort of magic on me. I''m inclined to agree. Garen had a lot of Charisma, but once you get to higher levels of Willpower it doesn''t influence you as much. I''ve heard many rumors that the minister was corrupt, but no solid proof. He began making recordings to clear his name, and nobody he dealt with seemed distraught about their terrible choices. They always said something along the lines of "he was extremely convincing" or "he made valid arguments". He probably doesn''t use underhanded methods all the time though. Yeah... I don''t know. I definitely don''t feel like he made any convincing arguments, but it''s his word against mine and the city guard will most definitely side with a noble. Hearing about your experience, I am certain the minister is a skilled mind magician. I don''t know why you realized it though. Must be because he didn''t care enough about some random Gemeen merchant to alter your memory. What about the recordings? How do they prove anything? To my knowledge, mind magic requires voiced commands. He must have gained some unheard of perk to use it without uttering them aloud. None of this matters. Unless I can somehow prove the truth of my words, nobody will believe me. There''s no realistic chance I''ll ever get my company back. But I''ll settle with getting back at Garen and that mage friend of his. My savings are enough for me to get back on my feet. It''s not that I don''t agree with your revenge plan and all, but there''s just absolutely no way for you to beat him. Your max level is 28 for crying out loud! You will have to max out your stats and skills to even put a dent in his armor. That''s ignoring his body augmentation. Goldie didn''t doubt what Xander told him. However, he hadn''t planned on piercing through Garen''s armor in the first place. I don''t care if I won''t scratch his armor! I''ll get my watch back no matter what! I''ll do whatever it takes! Even stabbing him in his sleep and devouring his fucking soul! Holy shit dude calm down, it''s only a watch. I will not! It isn''t just about the watch. He took everything from me! My company, my life savings and my most prized possession! Not only that, because of you guys I''ll never be able to happily live here again! If he was honest with himself, hedidn''t feel at home in Flousshire anymore. He''d been brainwashed into doing nothing but work his entire life. He had no living family and he had no friends to speak of. There was no place for him here. Where do you think Garen will go next? Siellous would be my guess. It''s the only somewhat major city nearby. Siellous it is then.
Having finallyarrived at what he no longer saw as hishome, he grabbed the biggest bag he could find, and began packing. He needed money, and he needed clothes. Of course food and water as well, couldn''t forget about that. And silverware, he wasn''t a barbarian after all. Maybe take a pillow and blanket, who knew when he would find another place to sleep. Maybe a notebook? Oh and of course some pens to go with it. He paused to look at the wall, 3:21. His eyebrows furrowed in consideration. He walked up and grabbed the wall mounted clock. What the fuck are you doing? Why would you take a gods dammed cock? Why would you take half of this shit? Because I need it? You don''t need any of this crap! Take an extra set of clothes, a bit of food, some money and be done with it! If I take food, I should take cutlery! And I need the notebook for complex calculations. The bedding... Well I guess I can sacrifice a bit of comfort. But the clock is the most important of all things! How am I supposed to keep a schedule if I can''t keep time? What do you need a fucking schedule for!? You are jobless. Just do whatever you want, whenever you want! How will I get anything done like that? I need a schedule to plan out my daily activities. And to uphold the schedule I''ll need a clock. Simple as that. FINE! Do what you want. Clearly, you don''t need my advice. He decided that taking the bedwear was going slightly overboard, but quickly added his fuzzy slippers, a toothbrush and toothpaste to the duffel bag. Money was the only thing left to pack. Only, there was nothing more than a measly 132 Gold pieces in his home stash.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Is this enough money to hitch a ride? I''m sure I could try selling some valuables if it isn''t. I have no clue how much travelling to another city costs. To the surprise of no one. While 100 Gold or so might be enough to travel to another city under normal circumstances, you''re a Gemeen, with no legal documents allowing for inter-city transit. Fret not, however, I, Xander Jefferson, shall uplift your downtrodden spirit. How do you plan on doing that? Well here''s the best part bud: Remember that cloak you pried from my cold, dead arms? Yeah? Well inside of that is the platinum coin I got paid for helping to rob you. Goldie quickly fingered through the cloak''s pockets and surely enough, he found a platinum coin. The platinum coin in fact. He felt his anger boil up for a moment, but squelched it back down before doingsomething rash, like punching another wall and breaking his finger again. A finger which he just noticed had healed in the meantime. At that moment he realized that he had never bothered to check his appearance after his body changed. He went over to the bathroom mirror and gaped in shock. Some changes he''d naturally known about. He was now a little bit taller and slightly more muscular. I haven''t been this thin in years! Thin? You''re average at best I''d say. Not quite as flabby as before, but definitely not thin. The changes hishair and eyes were stranger still. His previously purely blonde hair now had black streaks going through it, his right eye was now green and the golden streak through his left eye''s iris now arced outward in a web like pattern. He barely resembled his short and chubby, but dignified self from a few days ago. I look like some crazed alchemist''s test subject! Well it''s only fitting you look like a maniac. You are hearing voices in your head after all. There was no world in which Goldie could allow himself to look like some murder-hobo, no matter how apt the description now was. After washinghimself, trimming his now partly black beard and combing his hair, he looked himself over in the mirror again. Far better than before, if still a little strange. In fact, having lost some of his flab in conjunction with the pitch-black cloak made him appear quite mysterious. Once you''ve finished gawking at your reflection like a narcissist, we best get going. Hearing Xander''s comment, Goldie quickly stuffed the comb he held into his pack. Sparing another glance at the comically oversized ''pocket watch'', he quit stalling and finally stepped out the front door and onto his new path. Speaking of paths... Goldie took another look at his path screen, he hadn''t spent all his points the first time around and had even gained another five from "discovering" and leveling his sneak skill.
Open Paths (10p) Intermediate0/20, Ascendant 0/20, Unshackled 0/??, Soul-thief 0/???;
Current Paths --
Completed Paths Shadow Walker, Apprentice (Agility), Newbie;
Gained Benefits +1Agilityper 5 levels, +10%Agility
He didn''t have enough points to finish any path immediately. Xander mentioned that Intermediate was quite good, butbut only after thehalfway point, at which you got to choose a certain stat you wanted to focus on raising. The firsthalfonly gave someattribute points at level 3, 6 and 9. He would have invested the points anyway to at least get started, but the Ascendant path caught his eye. It needed just as many points, and even though Xander supposed it was probably worthless, Goldie figured such an extraordinary namemeant it must give some extraordinary benefit. He therefore ended up investing all his available points into the path... ... and got absolutely nothing for it. "You must be KIDDING ME!", he yelled in the middle of the street, gathering disturbed glances from the bystanding people. You should have just gone for the tried and true. "Oh shut up! It''ll probably give me something at 20." His uproar started gaining more attention, and not the good kind. Maybe you should quiet down a little. You can always yell at me inside your head. "You could always just keep your comments to your gods dammed self too!", he purposefully spoke aloud. As it turned out, taunting Xander wasn''t a great idea. A guardsman was eyeing Goldie and was about to stop him from causing civil unrest. This was especially bad since the few guards that were stationed close to city limits were all Sah¨ªl. Oh great, now look what you did! Xander was furious. This bloody idiot was going to get them caught without any legal documents. There was no way they could leave at that point. Goldie didn''t even resemble himself anymore. Xander had to think of something fast, but there was nothing he could do in this state. Or was there? He frantically channeled energy anddirectly transmitted his will to Goldie''s mind, commanding him to activateEssence Concealment. After establishing the mental link, something was drained out of him. It wasn''t quite energy but something else. Whatever it was it worked. The guardsman instantly lost sight of them and confusedly stared into the crowd.
[Complexskill Acquired:Essence ConcealmentLvl 8]
[Complexskill Acquired: Telepathy]
[Mythical-Unique skill Acquired:Memory Sap (U)]
What just happened? You somehow instantly taught me how to use a skill! Did you also gain some new skills? I did. I also earnedTelepathy, though not the other one. I merely "yelled" at you to activate the skill as a last-ditch effort. You by no means should have been able to do it. It should have taken months of practice before you unlocked the skill, but now it''s already at level 8! It must be that Mythical skill you got. Maybe I can teach you other skills like that too. I don''t think I should repeat that too often. Ididn''t just get the memory of how to use the spell. I got every memory connected to it as well, like your celebration after the first time using it, or the time you snuck into the girls''... *Ahem* Goldie''s cheeks flushed. I probably shouldn''t abuse this. I''m sure with practice you''ll be able to narrow down the memories you get to only those that you need. If you can train it to a high level, it would be an insanely powerful ability. Goldie decided to wait on training that skill. It likely required an incredible amount of willpower not to lose oneself in the stream of memories. Xander just made it easy for him by thinking of the skill while using telepathy. Isn''t what we''ve been doing already telepathy? No, telepathy instantly tells you a message without the need to think in complete sentences. That''s also the reason I can''t constantly hear your thoughts, you don''t always think using words. Xander demonstrated by mentally guiding Goldie to an especially bribable driver, who would turn a blind eye to his circumstances. Wow. This way you can explain stuff so much faster! He tried using the skill to instantly transmit a sales pitch. Xander was not amused and instantly transmitted this sentiment. Telepathy has risen to Lvl 2! That''s so weird, but I guess it''s easy enough to practice. While walking towards the not-so-reputable wagon driver, they continued sending each other telepathic messages and Goldie gained another Lvl. His discussion with the driver went surprisingly smoothly. Goldie assumed the 200 gold he offered overrode any caution the driver had. He was merely told to lay low in the back while they passed through the border. The guards seemed more interested in what arrived in Flousshire than what left it. The sun was already setting by the time the city left his view. His fidgety excitement was replaced with drowsiness and sleep took him shortly after. It had been a hell of a day. Chapter 8 - Facilitated Growth He felt the sun''s warm light shining down on his face. It was so bright he could barely stand to open his eyes. He was standing in front of his Store, only it wasn''t as it used to be. No, it was precisely how it used to be when he had just reopened it after his father''s passing. He felt extremely nostalgic as he read the "Richard & Son''s Cornerstore" sign above the entrance. Inside stood a young man with blonde hair, inspecting his wares. Goldie had entered the store on autopilot and was caught by surprise as the youngling spoke to him. "Who are you? Do you have any business with me? I''m sorry, but the store in not open yet." Goldie reflexively tensed up. Seeing himself from 25 years ago was an uncomfortable experience to say the least. I''m dreaming. That must have been the case. Either that, or he had in fact traveled back in time. But what should he tell himself, if anything at all? With nothing better to do, he decided to tell his past self about everything terrible that had happened. The only response he got was that "nothing like that ever happens in Flousshire". Of course, the younger version of himself wouldn''t believe him. He was after all still under the city''s emotional control. He didn''t even recognize the grown version of himself. Of course that would be the case after all the physical changes he went through, but it was still strange, considering this was a dream. He looked at his reflection in the store''s window and noticed a shadow creeping out of his body. After fully oozing out, the shadowy pool morphed into a cloaked humanoid shape. "Hey man, the sun''s already up. Can''t be wasting any time if my paycheck depends on it can we?" After his short message, Xander''s avatar disappeared in a puff of smoke. Goldie opened his eyes. This time he was staring at the roof of the wagon he had slept in. Originally Xander prodded him to look for any valuables that may have ''slipped'' out of their containers during travel. However, even had he no moral qualms with theft, all the goods in their wagon were cheap foodstuffs like grain or dried fruit. There was nothing that merited incriminating himself. He shot a short telepathic message to Xander explaining which skills he wanted to level. There wasn''t a lot he could practice in a wagon, so he opted to continue bettering their telepathic communication, and Essence Concealment. He had also gained enough Path-Points to finish the Ascendant Path and did so. Congratulations, you have completed the Ascendant path! +1 to all attributes. Some people are born special. They have a natural gift of potential and can rise to incredible heights. In contrast, some people work hard their whole life and push forward even with the odds stacked against them. Anima gain increased by 10%. You were born without power and yet managed to ascend beyond the limits imposed upon you... Maximum level increased to 35. ...and your soul has become far more adaptable because of it. Gaining skill levels has been further facilitated. You have risen higher than anyone would believe possible, but you are now standing among titans. Tread lightly! Huzzah! Never underestimate my planning prowess. Yeah yeah, you lucked out. Though no joke, those are some insane benefits. As far as I know only the Newbie Path should make skill leveling easier. But I guess nobody knows about your path since it probably requires you to have been a Gemeen beforehand. The benefits were truly a sight to behold. Having an even easier time acquiring and leveling his abilities would be a huge boon in the long run. He decided that holding telepathic conversations instead of their normal talks would be a practical way to train the skill while getting to know each other. However, holding a complex conversation turned out to be a lot more difficult than anticipated. For example Goldie tried to ask, ''how was your life growing up?'', but Xander understood ''how does being young make you feel'' to which he answered with a telepathic ''why ask me something so strange?'' followed by a spoken ''a lot better than being 42 probably feels''. It was easy for them to telepathically command each other or describe menial tasks. Anything else would need a great deal of practice, much more than they currently had. Trying to formulate their thoughts was like being stuck in an animal¡¯s body, with nothing but hand gestures to get their message across. Nevertheless they kept at it, mostly utilizing telepathy to explain what topic they wanted to talk about, but then sticking to normal thoughts throughout their discussion. Xander was strongly against talking about his childhood, but more than happy to tell Goldie of his romantic experiences. Why would you ever try that? That''s just disgusting. It''s not that bad, don''t denounce it before you''ve tried. I''ll just take your word for it. By the way, when I learned your skill and memories flooded my mind, there was a certain one that stuck out to me. I cannot believe you''d sneak into a changing room. Where are your manners?" Oh, that? Well it''s a funny story. One of my friends, Dean I think, had actually given me the idea. Why would you listen to that suggestion? It wasn''t like he told me to do it. In fact, he was originally the one who wanted to learn the skill, even though he was a healing major. At one point I asked him: "Why would the healer need an ability like that? You''ll be getting protected the whole time." Ah, he must have had quite some trouble explaining himself. That''s the thing, he didn''t even hide it! He simply stated: "I don''t need it for combat. It''s to peek at girls!", as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do. That was also the day I learned my studious friend Dean was a huge pervert. He didn''t want to become a healer out of altruism. It was because he hoped to ogle girls in torn up armor! None of this changes the fact that you did the very thing you''re criticizing him for. You got me, I surrender. But in my defense, while I''d heard of the skill from him, I originally wanted to learn it because it aligned well with my planned build. Just... once I actually got the skill, I couldn''t resist the temptation. I mean, some of the girls at the academy were really hot. I''m sure you''d understand as a fellow man, right buddy? You sir, are total scum. Oh screw you! Would you have me believe you''ve never had dirty thoughts? Sinful temptations? Goldie suddenly felt like the wagon had become a few degrees hotter. Well... I... I''ve never even attempted to court a woman. So what, you prefer guys? Nono, nothing like that. At least when thinking about it now, I am quite certain I prefer women. It''s just the thought had never crossed my mind.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Good G¨¢t''mach¨¢ I guess the saying rings true. A Gemeen''s only true love is their work. I''ll have you know I was in fact brainwashed my whole life! I''ve worked from age 11 onwards without question. All because of that dammed emotional control. Waaaait a second. You mean to tell me the reason you all work so hard is because of mind control? No wonder everyone''s always so creepily happy in that town. That''s extremely fucked up! Indeed it is. I guess I should thank you in some sense, for pissing me off to the point of breaking free from the constant ''soothing¡¯. Yeah, no kidding. No wonder you wanted to know about my childhood, you totally missed out on yours! I should help you get laid once we''re in town. I''m sure there''s a bunch of people who''d dig your whole ''spliced'' schtick. It didn''t take Goldie a lot of effort to understand what Xander meant by ''get laid''. Causing him to almost shout "you can''t just say these things" at the top of his lungs. He resisted that urge by instead refusing to continue the conversation for the next few minutes, before switching topics to what sorts of classes Xander had attended back in school and comparing them to his own education. After spending the next few hours on such discussions, Goldie gained two Lvls each in Telepathy and Essence Concealment. The spell leveled quite quickly considering he had only used it for around 45 total seconds. However, the skill was simply far too costly. He only regained 23Energyper hour and the skill needed an insane amount of it to be kept active. He could barely use it for five seconds per hour. He opened his skill window and read through both of the skills'' entries. Essence Concealment Lvl 10: Activate to obscure your presence. Onlookers will naturally ignore you while the skill is active.Costs 4,55 Energy per second. Skill dependent on Lvl and Charisma. Telepathy Lvl 4: Mentally transmit your thoughts to other beings. Skill dependent on Lvl, Charisma and Willpower. He needed to find a quicker way to regenerate his lost Energy. What really happened to his inner Energy when he used it? He decided on checking the effect with the aid of his Introspection skill. He once again, looked at his soul vessel. It had grown quite a bit, but the golden glow it used to emit had been tainted by a darker energy. It was likely some of Xander''s that had been absorbed in some fashion. Ignoring the soul''s changes he delved deeper underneath its shell. Once again, he couldn''t make out any details within the mass of swirling power. It didn''t make any sense. Had he not fully emptied his Energy reserves? Shouldn''t the amount inside his soul have been far less? Logically the energy within his soul was partially used to enhance his body, meaning there must always be some amount of energy flowing within it. Then what exactly was Energy? He once again activated Essence Concealment, but this time he closely inspected his soul as he did. The streams of power continued swirling in the same rhythm as before. Then again perhaps the change was so minute, Goldie just couldn''t discern the difference. He left his soul and noticed a popup informing him he had gained two Lvls in Introspection. What exactly is Energy? Why don''t I notice its absence within my soul? The Energy you see displayed on your status screen is the amount freely available inside your physical body, not the amount within your soul. Most of the energy within your soul gets used for the non-stat-benefits your attributes give you. The Energy and Stamina stat are really just two different pools of power that are readily available in your body. Stamina is a ''watered down'' version of Energy and very restrictive. It can only be used to fuel physical processes like running or swinging a weapon. Energy on the other hand is the unrefined and pure version of Stamina, which means it can be shaped to do incredible things like summoning a fireball or flying. This pure variety is comparatively difficult to transport from your soul to your body, which is why it regenerates so slowly. So it seemed every living creature had power within it in the form of Stamina, including any Gemeen. However, only the Sah¨ªl possessed this ''raw'' Energy. He returned his focus inwards, this time not viewing his soul, but his physical frame. It was far more difficult to notice anything, as he didn''t really ''see'' as much as feel. He spent nearly twenty minutes trying to sense the power within him until he noticed it. It was everywhere, he just couldn''t tell since his reserves had been so low. It felt strangely foreign, like it didn''t belong to him. Goldie realized this was likely because he had spent the first 40 years of his life without it. In fact, having been born without this energy made it incredibly simple to distinguish. But having been born without it wasn''t quite the truth was it? He always had some amount of power within him, it was just in the form of Stamina and his general bodily functions. This meant whenever he ate, he really just absorbed a different lifeforms power to nourish himself with. Did this mean with enough regeneration he never had to eat? He definitely felt a lot less hungry lately, so perhaps this was the case. He resumed concentrating on his body. He felt every single fiber of his being, from his skin into his bones. In a moment of clarity he made a huge breakthrough. He recognized that everything within him was made up of densely woven energy, arranged in a complex pattern based on what must be an extremely detailed blueprint. He could tell the different energies apart with ease, each of them responsible for their own tasks, but truly understanding their structure''s every interlocking part was far beyond him. By concentrating on specific areas he was able to increase their efficiency, however losing some Energy in the process. He wasn''t certain what effect it had on those spots, but it definitely did something. Spreading his awareness, he imposed his will to evenly open each of the small connections between his body and soul. He could feel the Stamina and Energy rapidly entering his body. The feeling was exhilarating. He spent at least another five minutes in this closed off state, before returning to his senses. A tide of messages blocked his sight.
[Standard skill: Introspection has changed to Complexskill: Anima Sense]
[Complexskill Acquired: Empower]
[Complexskill Acquired: Rapid Replenishment]
Breakthrough! Anima Sense has risen to Lvl 25! Empower has risen to Lvl 2! Empower has risen to Lvl 3! Rapid Replenishment has risen to Lvl 2! Rapid Replenishment has risen to Lvl 3! Rapid Replenishment has risen to Lvl 4! Who knew that discovering new skills was so simple? It typically shouldn''t be... If you learn so easily, why not try and come up with some way to combat that terrible Perception of yours? I''ve already thought of that. Goldie proudly stated, flipping open his notebook. See, ''find a way to cover your weaknesses''. Just above ''find method to utilize your high Willpower''. When did you even write that down? Can''t explain, I just had an idea. He sat down with his legs crossed and relaxed his body. He remembered a southern merchant explaining his meditational techniques and copied them as good as he could. He steadied his breathing and calmed his thoughts, his high willpower making this a relatively simple task. He felt the light breeze on his face as he redoubled his efforts at sensing the wilderness.
[Standard skill Acquired: Meditation]
Even after sitting still for what seemed like ages, he still couldn''t feel a thing. So was your idea to doze off? Can''t talk, busy trying something. He was doing his best to use his newly learned Anima Sense outside his body. But it seemed like his awareness simply cut off right outside his body. Instead of waiting for information to stream in, he opted to force his perception outwards. He gave one final push and heard clattering noises all around him.
[Complexskill Acquired: Telekinetic Push]
He looked around and noticed that the boxes, that had originally been lying around him, had been pushed against the wagon''s wall. "Well that''s just dandy", he mumbled. I guess this means we can check off ''find method to utilize your high Willpower'' at least. Even if it wasn''t what he had been aiming for, the outcome still pleased him. I guess my Perception attribute is too low for something akin to an aura of awareness. That fucking path really wasn''t kidding when it said you''d learn skills even more quickly. Chapter 9 - Short and Easy Thankfully he was sitting in the far back of the wagon and the driver hadn''t heard the ruckus. After restoring the inside of the wagon to its previous state, Goldie gazed at the detailed descriptions of his newly gotten skills. Meditation Lvl 1:Reflects ability to control your focus and engage in contemplative thought. Skill dependent on Lvl and Insight. Anima Sense Lvl 25:Increases your Perception multiplier by 10%. Reflects ability to sense and distinguish different forms of anima. Passively increases effect of Perception when sensing anima within yourself. Skill dependent on Lvl, Perception and Insight. Empower Lvl 3: Activate to enhance portions of your body. Enhanced body parts'' physical attributes are multiplicatively improved. Power of enhancement dependent on amount of Energy invested. Skill efficiency dependent on Lvl. Warning: High level of Constitution required to contain high levels of Energy without self harm. Rapid Replenishment Lvl 4: By concentrating on the connection between body and soul, you multiply the regeneration of all stats by 312%. Skill dependent on Lvl and Willpower. Telekinetic Push Lvl 1: Activate to transform your Willpower into a blast of physical force. Costs 20 Energy per activation. Skill dependent on Lvl, Strength and Willpower. He was baffled. All these skills, except Meditation, seemed incredibly valuable. He shot a telepathic message to Xander, asking him if he''d heard of any of them before. Yeah, Empower is the bread and butter of augmentation magic, basically any kind of magic that directly infuses energy into an object, or your own body, to enhance it in some way. It''s what I would have taught you about once we got to the city, but I guess that doesn''t matter now. There are a bunch of branching skills, but you''ll need to be a lot more proficient, so you don''t risk any backlash. Telekinesis on the other hand I know barely anything about. You either intrinsically know how to use it, or you don''t. Dandy. Is there anything you can teach me right now? Well, no. Anything I could teach, like Shadow Bolt, Veil of Shadow and Blind, you won''t be able to learn. At least not yet. Goldie quickly paged through his booklet and wrote down a reminder to ask Xander about teaching him the named skills at a later date. Gods this isn''t what I signed up for... Goldie smirked. What did you sign up for then? Uhh revenge or something? I mean, technically, I didn''t sign a thing. I did ask you to help me, and teaching me things counts as help. Fine, you have a point. I guess I should be happy about being upgraded from ''living encyclopedia'' to ''teacher''. Goldie couldn''t suppress the urge to laugh at that comment. I think your knowledge is far too spotty to measure up to an actual encyclopedia. Why do you keep using me as one then? You''re all that''s readily available to me. Maybe our first visit should be a library then. But that''s not very interesting. So? It''s convenient. Yeah but it isn''t fun. Nothing compares to firsthand experience, and I think we need to be more efficient with our time than reading books for hours at end. Not to mention any specialized books will probably gloss over all things classified as ''common knowledge'', a type of knowledge I sorely lack. Okay boss, you''re still in control of your body so it isn''t like I can force you or anything. But keep in mind that whenever you ask me something I don''t know, I''ll remind you that libraries are a thing that exists. Maybe I should publish a book. ''An outsider''s view on the Interface and all its wonders'', maybe a way to make my lost money back... I''m getting off topic, is there anything I need to know about my remaining abilities? *Sigh* The other skills are also fairly well known. Anima Sense can further your understanding of the world, but other than that has no real practical benefits. I wouldn''t really say it''s worth investing a lot of time in, especially since as far as I''ve heard it takes ages to level. Rapid Replenishment on the other hand... Well, I have heard of, and possess, an ability called ''Replenishment''. It does the same thing, only a lot less... intensely. Definitely worth investing time into, especially since it isn''t like you have much else to do when your Energy gets low. That was certainly interesting. It seemed like his affinity to sense the powers he never had in his earlier life had improved them somehow aside from the ascendant path increasing his learning speed. Thanks for the insight. Through all these skills he now had a whopping 39 points to spend.
Open Paths (39p) Intermediate0/20, Unshackled 0/??, Soul-thief 0/???;
Current Paths --
Completed Paths Apprentice (Agility), Ascendant, Newbie, Shadow Walker;
Gained Benefits +1Agilityper 5 levels, +10% Anima gain, +10%Agility;
Finishing the Ascendant Path had regrettably not unlocked another one for him to invest in. The intermediate path seemed like a safe choice and considering he had more than enough points to finish it would likely benefit him greatly in the short term. The other two sounded quite ominous and Goldie still couldn''t see how many points were required to complete them. Therefore, he decided to start with investing 20 points into Intermediate. You have earned 1 Physical attribute point. You have earned 1 Mental attribute point. You have earned 1 Special attribute point. There comes a time when everyone must choose not only what path to tread, but also what method of travel they prefer. Decide what stat you would like to focus on! Without a second thought, Goldie chose Willpower. Some people say a strong body is needed to advance. Others believe one''s mental capabilities are the most important. You have concluded the only true way forward is through sheer force of will, never allowing yourself to be pushed astray. +1 Willpower. +1 Willpower. +1 Willpower. Congratulations, you have completed the Intermediate path! +2 Willpower. You have now recognized your favored form of advancement. Concentrate on honing this method and you will succeed! Goldie had determined that the question marks represented how many digits of points the path required, and therefore decided to spend his remaining points on the Unshackled path. You have spent nearly your entire life beneath someone else''s heel. He received no other benefits after that gloomy message. The amount of points he needed to complete the path were revealed to be 75. Oh well, it might still give me something amazing when I complete it. He went over his status screen and invested the three distributable points he had received before. Instead of going for Agility, he opted to increase his Constitution to more safely use Empower. The other two points went into Intelligence and Willpower. After completing those changes he marveled at his upgrades. His Willpower now even exceeded his Agility.
General Information Attributes
Name Xandon Jefferite Physical Mental Special
Species Human STR 9 INT 8 CHR 7
Sex Male AGI 20,6 PER 4,6 INS 5,6
Age 33 years CON 10 MEM 8 WLL 21,1 If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Height 5"7 ft (1,75m) Stats
Weight 85 kilograms Health 73,4 +9,3/h
Level 10 (max 35) Energy 71,5 +25,9/h
Bonuses +1 Agility per 5 levels; +10% Agility; +10% Willpower, +10% Perception; Stamina 66,2 +11,3/min
Goldie noticed his attributes were becoming quite bloated for his current level. In courtesy of his heightened Intelligence, he calculated that he was only capable of safely raising them by another five points. He needed to level up as soon as he could, and speaking of which how would he go about it? So uh, you never really explained how I increase my level, as in the level. Seems like it might be an important piece of information. Ah, of course. Well it isn''t that important. Not like our entire plan hinges upon it or anything. *ahem* Usually you gain a little bit of anima over time. You know, from the environment and the food you eat. But that''s a very slow process, if we want to power you up quickly, you''re gonna have to go hunting. What do you mean ''hunting''? Does fresher food yield better results? You could say that... But, well, it''s less about the eating part, and more about the killing. A lot of anima vacates a creature''s body as it dies, and if you''re close enough to it, your body naturally absorbs some. Also the more powerful creatures give greater earnings. So when I say ''hunt'' I mean you should go and kill monsters if you want to level up quickly. That idea made Goldie very nervous. He had never killed anything before... except Xander. He didn''t count that since he was not in a very rational state of mind. More importantly than that, never in his life had he been in a single fight. I don''t know the first thing about battle! And now you''re telling me I need to go out and hunt monsters of all things!? Yeah? I mean there is always another option... Anything would be better than risking life and limb fighting ferocious beasts. Uhh, don''t be too sure. I mean I had no qualms about it but... Goldie''s eyes narrowed at that. What exactly are you implying here? You know how I said I''m a very sneaky person? There are many things one can do with such a talent, some more reputable than others. So like espionage? I don''t see how that will be very helpful. That too, but uh.. I was talking more along the lines of assassination? "WHAT!?" SHH! Now I know it sounds bad, but it''s actually less frowned upon than theft you know? As long as I don''t rob my victims after killing them of course. How can that be less frowned upon!? Isn''t it obvious? I guess it''s just your lack of common sense, but theft means a permanent loss of items. Murder isn''t permanent at all. Sure you might lose a few levels, and some skills might decay a bit, but all in all it''s not too terrible. What do you mean ''not too terrible''!? It''s murder for Ayal''s sake! If murder is treated so casually, then what kind of crimes are unforgiveable? Anything with lasting damage, especially psychological. Torture and rape are the worst of the bunch. Of course physical harm still isn''t something socially acceptable, but it mostly gets tolerated since everybody heals so quickly. But murder, even if not permanent, can absolutely cause lasting psychological damage! What are you talking about? I revived for the first time in preschool! What the fiery hells!? Why would you have died when you were little!? Everybody dies a few times when they''re younger! It''s a normal part of growing up, the ideal time to get used to it, especially because you don''t lose any levels if you''re already at the lowest! But it''s death! I mean, how could you make a child go through such a thing? It''s still extremely painful isn''t it? You kidding me? They''d obviously not choose a painful way to kill us! They just flooded our classroom with gas and we slowly fell asleep! That is so... Goldie could hardly find the words. So unbelievably fucking messed up! Picturing an entire classroom of children slowly perishing drove a shudder down Goldie''s spine. He anxiously paced around the wagon unsure of what to say. A deep-seated sense of wrongness overcame him, never before had he felt so profoundly uncomfortable. The intensity reminded him of anger, only instead of wanting to punch the wall, he felt like throwing up. And you''re telling me people are okay with this!? Of course they are! It''s not like it has any negative long-term effects. Even when I assassinate someone it''s only a lesser crime. I mean as long as I don''t mess it up, they die almost instantly! Do you mean to tell me that murder is legal then? No... you still cause people some harm. I mean, nobody wants to lose their levels and reviving fully naked is pretty embarrassing. So you''re still a criminal! Yeah, but you already knew that. I''ll have you know I don''t do crimes out of personal gain. Well, that''s not quite true since I get paid, however, what you should really be angry about is the amount of people willing to pay someone to assassinate or rob people! I don''t care if people pay you! You are still committing a crime! No matter how little a crime it is and no matter what reason you have, unlawful acts remain unlawful. I will not be convinced to break the law just because it''s easier to kill a person than to kill a monster. I don''t care if you think it''s a ''lesser crime''. To me it is morally unjustifiable. Look, I told you you''d probably have your issues with such a method. You want to gain levels? Anima doesn''t just fall from trees. Either you take it from people, or you take it from other animals. It was you who told me that anything would be better than fighting monsters. Okay you made your point, monsters it is. That still leaves the question of how the hells I''m supposed to learn to fight! You have that memory stealing ability of yours, don''t you? With that enchantable dagger, you may as well learn to use it. He still wasn''t sure about flooding his mind with another person''s memories, but conventionally learning how to wield a weapon would take far too long and probably cost loads of money. Okay but try to cut down on the unnecessary memories this time. No repeats of ''climbing through the changing room window''. I kinda just offer them up and you suck them away, so no guarantees they''re all useful. Goldie frowned, but proceeded anyway. He channeled his focus to try and remember the feeling of when he first activated Memory Sap. The first time was mostly instinctual, and so he was unable to replicate it straight away. Goldie commanded Xander to telepathically yell at him to use the dagger. He thought perhaps recreating the earlier circumstances would make activating the ability easier. As the message came in, he noted that establishing a telepathic link seemed to be a requirement to utilizing the ability, for shortly after the memories came flooding in. Most of them involved murder, lots and lots of murder. The sheer number of times that Xander had stabbed a fellow human being was astounding. Goldie''s mind could hardly cope with the influx of information. These moments and memories now felt like his own, a part of his personal past, and even though a portion of him knew he never really partook in any of the heinous acts, it still felt like he had. Goldie''s heart rate rose and he felt pain in his chest. He felt dizzy, like he was about to pass out. He could barely breathe and it seemed like he was completely losing control of his trembling body. His skin was burning and his knees were weak as he walked to the back of the wagon. After he emptied is stomach''s contents over the road, he returned to his earlier spot. His body seemed further and further away. Every part of himself felt numb and he was gripped by terror. "Get a grip Goldie!", he muttered aloud. He knew none of these memories were his, he merely needed to learn to use a dagger. He sifted through all the new information, picking out the tidbits he actually needed and suppressing everything else. Over time he started calming down and felt much more like himself again. He took hold of his body, switching between flexing and relaxing his muscles. After having completely straightened out his thoughts he fell asleep.
He was back in his old home and lying in his bed. Not quite in it, but instead floating above his own body. He couldn''t move it or anything else in the room. As he looked down on himself, he noticed his hair color and body shape were changing from his old self to his current self. The unmoving figure became taller and some strands of his hair became black. Yet, even after the transformation progressed past how far it had gone in the real world, it did not stop. His extremities lengthened to an inhuman degree and his face narrowed. Just as his hair color turned pitch black, the monster''s eyes and mouth opened to reveal an empty black void that sucked Goldie''s consciousness into it.
He awoke with his clothes drenched in sweat. He suppressed the memory of his nightmare and opened his eyes to finally check his status messages.
[Standard skill Acquired: Dagger Mastery Lvl 21]
[Standard skill Acquired: Assassination Lvl 15]
Memory Sap (U) has risen from Lvl 1 to Lvl 5! Indomitable Will has risen from Lvl 8 to Lvl 12! Assassination? It made sense to have gained that skill, considering that''s what Xander had mostly used his daggers for. He didn''t mind the extra path points. However, suddenly knowing how to most effectively murder a person was very unnerving. Well, that was very effective I''d say. You haven''t quite reached my level, but I guess having purely theoretical practice isn''t good enough. We should repeat this for other skills as well, that way you could become the ultimate jack of all trades! I will definitely not repeat this. It was horrifying. If I ever decide to instantly learn something this way again, please warn me about how many terrible things you did with it. You have to use it to train it man. I''d say if you want to quickly power up this is the best method. I''ll wait for a higher Willpower stat. And to increase it I will need to level a bunch. I''m getting dangerously close to oversaturating my Attributes. I forgot to mention this earlier, but if you want to go hunt monsters, you should probably try to join the adventurer''s guild. That way you''ll earn money for any kills you get. I''m all for efficiency my friend, what do I need to do for that? I''ll guide you through the process after we arrive, which should be sometime this evening if my memory serves me right. Goldie''s clock already displayed 6:17 and there was no city on the horizon. He figured ''sometime this evening'' must have meant ''sometime before midnight''. Not wishing to waste time, Goldie spent the rest of the trip alternating between Empower and Rapid Replenishment, grinding both of them up to Lvl 8 and 10 respectively. It wasn''t until around 10 that one could see the tall buildings of Siellous on the horizon. After so much talk of leveling and hunting, all he really wanted to do was eat a nice hot meal and sleep in a comfortable bed. Adventuring would have to wait until tomorrow. Chapter 10 - Underground Dealings Another hour later the wagon drove through the City''s gate. They had finally arrived in Siellous. Goldie could barely contain his excitement. Its buildings were up to three times taller than any in Flousshire and there were people everywhere. Those people weren''t just silently walking through the streets or exchanging brief words of smalltalk either, they were constantly chattering. It was incredibly loud when compared to the nearly silent streets of Flousshire and Goldie couldn''t be happier. He''d known how little social contact he had, but this sight made him realize just how large that void was. "This is incredible" Incredibly loud if anything. People in rural areas are so annoyingly talkative. Rural? This place is huge! How about you take out your notebook and remind yourself to think back on this conversation when you get to Khiziel. No matter how much larger Khiziel is, I will not take back my words. We will see about that one my friend. Grumbling about Xander''s lack of excitement, Goldie added another reminder to the ever-growing list in his notebook. Were he not as tired, he''d have been tempted to go out and meet some new people. Finding a comfortable place to sleep, however, proved to be a more immediate concern. Ah shit. What is it? I totally forgot you have no ID. I''m sorry to say you won''t be able to go to sleep quite yet. Can''t this wait? You need it for the adventuring license. *Sigh* So how do I get ID? Remember when you said you didn''t want to be a crook? Regrettably, you''ll need to illegally acquire it. Can''t I legally get some? You''d need to do some serious explaining then. Identification is another one of those things we Sah¨ªl get at a very young age. You need to go somewhere where nobody will ask any questions. Well then, at least it''s a victimless crime. Where do I need to go?
Following Xander''s directions, he absentmindedly autopiloted to a rather shady part on the far side of town. It was almost midnight by the time they arrived at the desired location. Now remember: The codeword is "bird man". The guy you''re looking for is called Nox. Goldie still felt a bit uneasy about this plan, less because of the legality and more because of the less than reputable nature of their supplier. Unfortunately he did not have much of a choice. To be allowed into a guild, or any non-public places really, it was necessary to have personal identification. Forging a fake required a skilled forger, and the ones that had managed to avoid the law were in high demand. On a positive note, he at least didn''t need to get a fake name, which greatly cuts down on the cost, according to Xander Here we are, Oluda''s Inn. To Goldie the entire building smelled of trouble. Most of the clientele was made up of small time crooks that gathered there to spend their recently ''earned'' money. There was a mix of loud and aggressive, but also calm and calculative persons. This so-called "Nox" was one of the latter kind and according to Xander spent most of his time in the backroom, which was guarded by a rather fearsome looking bouncer. He was tall and wore a mix of dark leather armor with metal bracers and shoulder pauldrons. His eyes glumly scanned the room and the poor lighting added to his oppressive aura. That aura was definitely natural and not just a byproduct of high Charisma. Xander telepathically nudged Goldie along towards said imposing character. "Uhh, excuse me...", he managed to mumble. "Hmm?", the bouncer unamusedly said. His eyes seemed like they could drill two holes straight through Goldie''s head. He gulped down before giving his best smile: "A nice evening is it not?" "S''cuse me?", the bouncer dumbfoundedly responded. "What the fuck you on about?" Goldie''s smile faltered a bit at that. "I''m here for, uh, mister Nox. To talk about the recent sighting of a bird man." "A client ey? He''s busy and doesn''t have time for lowborn muck down on their luck". The bouncer chuckled at his own rhyme. After some telepathic ''encouragement'' from Xander, he handed over a couple gold coins.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "Perhaps this will smooth things over?", Goldie inquired, internally wincing at the waste of cash. The bouncer hesitated for a moment, but eventually took the money. "I''m sure he''ll be free at some point tonight. Make yourself comfortable until then mister moneybags." After hearing the bouncer''s words, Goldie breathed out a sigh of relief and wandered over to a table at the far end of the room. He didn''t feel comfortable enough to sit around without anything to do, so he ordered a drink.
After what felt like an hour had passed, Goldie was too nervous to take out his clock, the door behind the bouncer swung open and some shady looking fellows came out. As Goldie got out of his seat, the bouncer motioned him to wait and went through the door. It was another twenty minutes before Goldie was finally let in. It was surprisingly difficult for him to walk straight. Whatever drink he got had a huge amount of alcohol. Nonetheless he made it in and was greeted by a smiling man sitting at a small desk. He wore a dark blue suit and had brown hair. His face was nothing special, except he was perhaps the first person in this place that didn''t have any visible scars. "Good evening to you kind sir, what crimes have we been committing today? Any specific reason you require a false identification? I can already tell that with your curious eyes it would be quite difficult to disguise yourself; even with a professionally created forgery. I hope whatever crime you committed wasn''t too terrible, or we might need to fully alter your appearance." Goldie''s inebriated mind went into overdrive to be able to parse together what he just heard and what this person wanted to hear from him. Years of experience running his shop were not of perfect use in his current state. Nonetheless, Goldie figured it was safe to assume that nobody would rather deal with a criminal than with a law-abiding citizen. "Uhh, I haven''t actually committed any crimes, I just need-", he was interrupted via Xander''s telepathic link and then continued: "you don''t have to worry about any crimes I''ve committed since I''m not from around here, I just need a new identity so I don''t raise any flags". What the fuck! I didn''t say that, what are you doing Xander!? Saving your ass! You don''t want anyone to find out about your Gemeen past! You''ll probably get caught and tortured or worse! "Well then mister, does this mean you require a false name? Or would a change of code suffice?", Nox asked, stealing a glance at Goldie''s overly stuffed duffel bag. "A change of code suffices", Xander said through Goldie''s body, making him severely uncomfortable. "Very well, that is far easier to handle. I only need a sample and payment of 350 gold if you were so kind". Xander wanted to accept, but Goldie took back control and stopped him: "Make it 200 gold. 100 now, and the rest when the forgery is completed." "300, with 200 paid in advance", the man retorted. "250, final offer. I''ll give you 150 in advance and the rest after completion. You aren''t the only forger capable of creating new code." Goldie obviously didn''t know whether there were other forgers around, but it was safe to assume so. Haggling in the underground huh. You''re a real risk taker, aren''t you? It''s not a very large risk honestly. Even if they aren''t legal, these dealings are just a different kind of business. Your mercantile skills are truly incredible. Too bad you suck at everything else. Goldie pretended not to hear the sarcastic undertone Xander praised him with. "Alright I yield", Nox quipped. "It shall be done by tomorrow morning. I''ll need that sample now." Xander told Goldie to stretch out his hand and he hesitantly did so. Nox stabbed a needle into his arm with practiced ease and filled a small vile with blood. After having finished, Nox held out a hand, which Goldie absentmindedly stared at. After Xander ''tugged'' his arm, Goldie placed the 150 gold in the forger''s palm. "Thank you, sir. Be here tomorrow at eight. Feel free to come early, but don''t expect to be let in" the man explained. "If you come over twenty minutes late our contract will be void and the forgery will be destroyed. We wouldn''t want to leave any evidence lying around for the guard to find. I''m sure you understand." "Of course", Goldie curtly responded. The men bode each other farewell and Goldie finally left the shady building. It was already nighttime and Goldie decided he''d just sleep at the first place he found. It wasn''t very comfortable, but at least it beat sleeping in the far end of a cargo wagon.
He dreamt of the man called Nox. His face was just like he remembered, except it seemed to be peeling off his head ever so slightly. The man was limp and unmoving, and Goldie was even able to pull off the entirety of his face. As soon as he did so, Nox''s body turned into a lifeless wooden doll. The face had turned into a glowing mask.
Goldie opened his eyes. "What in the world was that?" It seemed as time went on his dreams became more and more bizarre. He reached into his pocket and remembered that his watch had been stolen. Instead he got dressed and checked his replacement clock. It was 7:39. "Oh shit!" At least he had the foresight of paying in advance the day before and rushed out the door. The inn was rather close to Oluda''s, so he managed to arrive on time by jogging the whole way. He tried to look as dignified as possible, but the bouncer from yesterday still raised an eyebrow upon seeing him out of breath and sweaty. "You ain''t bringin'' any trouble with you are ya?", the bouncer asked, narrowing his eyes. "No, of course not. I merely woke up a little late is all." The door behind the bouncer swung open as a slim bespectacled woman looked out. "Ah, you''re here. Come on inside", the woman spoke, while waving Goldie towards her. She''s cute. Why don''t you ask her out? Very funny Xander. Maybe if she weren''t working for a criminal. It''s your loss if you mind it. There wasn''t much going on at this hour. The only people around were sleeping at the tables, likely having spent the night drunkenly unconscious. Nox sat at the same spot behind his desk as yesterday. It seemed all the people he met were greeted this way. "Please, sit", Nox said gesturing towards the seat across him. After Goldie sat down, the forger pulled out an injector and reached for Goldie''s arm. "I was quite surprised to see absolutely no traces of your old identification in your blood" he began. "I know a bunch of people who would pay your weight in Soleilum to get a full cleanse. But it also makes me wonder if you truly didn''t do something terrible. Why go through all that effort?". Once again Xander seized control of Goldie''s words: "I''d rather not talk about my exact background. Just know that I''m from far away and definitely won''t be recognized here without my old identification. People here don''t even know who I am." "Indeed..." Nox supposed. "I guess it makes sense with that last name and large bag you were carrying. Have fun with your new identity mister Jefferite." "Of course. My most gracious thanks." Nox jabbed the injector into Goldie''s arm and the slightly luminescent liquid entered his bloodstream. Nox then pressed a turquoise sheet of paper against Goldie''s skin, upon which a list of his most basic information was displayed.
Name Xandon Jefferite
Age 33 years
Level 10
After the effect had been displayed, Goldie delivered the rest of the promised payment. Now that he had an official identity, it would finally be time to inscribe himself as a professional adventurer. Chapter 11 - Adventure in Bureaucracy The adventurer''s guild astonished Goldie. It was not very beautiful, quite the opposite. The guild was almost world-shatteringly bland. Most of the buildings in Siellous, especially in the inner districts, were pieces of art: elegant and beautifully painted. The guild, however, was nothing more than a great big cube of steel-reinforced concrete. It''s like someone just took a big metallic dump in the middle of this beautiful city. Function over form. That thing can withstand ten times as much force as any other building within the city walls. Although you won''t find any extremist factions around here anyway. Extremists? That discussion would have to wait. He walked through the front door and was greeted by a splitting pathway. A sign on the wall stated, "Newcomers to the left". It seemed the inscription was held in a different part of the building. He got his bearings and pondered about how he wanted to word his application. It was finally time to embark upon his new path of adventuring! Or so he thought. As it turned out, there were quite a lot of people, who wanted to inscribe. The promise of riches and power allured many spirited young men and women. Goldie was likely the oldest person there, and also one of the last to show up. It would be a while before he got to the front. "Gods dammit...", he muttered under his breath. By the time he arrived at the desk he had already rehearsed what he wanted to say at least fifty times. He opened his mouth and was immediately interrupted. "You here to apply as well? Fill out these forms and wait in the next room until your number''s called", came the secretary''s monotonous voice. From as close as he was Goldie could clearly see the bags under the man''s eyes. That bastard interrupted me! I guess I can''t really blame him, listening to the soon-to-be adventurers'' hopes and aspirations all day must take its toll. It''s really just the tryouts anger once they don''t make the cut. He looked over the pages as he walked towards the waiting room. Before being allowed in, a guard told him to hand over his cloak and dagger, so they could be stored somewhere else. The form had around ten pages to fill out. It required him to hand over most of his personal information. Xander needed to remind him not to write his actual birth date, since it wouldn''t correspond with his status'' age. Interestingly he also had to state any living relatives, family illnesses, past homes, known languages and even when and what school he graduated from. For any questions concerning his relatives he could truthfully say they were all dead. For everything he couldn''t or wouldn''t answer truthfully Xander just filled in what he should write. Finally they ended up with a mishmash of both their personal backgrounds, not much unlike their actual current situation. Applying also needed a payment of 30G, which displeased Goldie until Xander reminded him they''ll easily make more money off the license than it cost to get. Having nothing better left to do he looked around the room for the first time. It was utterly bland and filled with foldable chairs, upon each sat a tryout clutching their registration forms. A small group of eight or so people were sitting together and took turns boasting about their feats. Goldie decided they were too childish to get involved with - nothing to do with his lack of boastworthy achievements - and continued observing the room. The only pieces of decoration were a clock, a picture of a golden-armored adventurer fighting a dragon, and golden letters engraved in the wall next to said picture reading: "With enough hard work you too can become legendary! Push the hellish spawn back to N¨¦rjaka! Your Empire thanks you for your honorable service!" The fuck is that? Does anyone do this job because of a sense of duty? I just thought it''d be a cool way to become stronger and get paid... Ohh boy, you''re gonna be up for a rude awakening. Fighting monsters all day isn''t what most people would call fun. Not to mention when you''re especially unlucky they could assimilate your soul, killing you permanently. WHAT!? Did I not mention that? Ah well you''ll be fine. Those cases are quite rare, and it isn''t like you want to die to begin with. You aren''t used to respawning anyway, we don''t even know if it really works for you. Don''t worry too much though, you''ve gone 40 years without dying after all. After hearing those ''reassuring'' words Goldie couldn''t help but worry. Was this really the brightest idea? He didn''t have much of a choice anyway, he was too far along his plan to turn back without trying. "Number 26, please enter room 4." He got out of his chair and briskly walked into his assigned room. Inside he saw a white-haired, wrinkly old man in a labcoat, likely the oldest person Goldie had ever met. The room itself seemed quite similar to the waiting room, except for the doctor''s various apparatuses and sterile smell. "Please hand over the filled-out form and undress for the physical examination." Goldie held his tongue, but that didn''t stop him from venting his outrage at Xander. What in the world do I need to undress for? How else should they check you? Just get on with it man. Goldie reluctantly did as the doctor instructed. The old man''s hands began glowing and he meticulously rubbed them all over Goldie''s body. It made him extremely uncomfortable but he beared with it. At least until it came to his private parts, it took Xander''s forceful intervention to keep him from freaking out as the man went over his crotch. He walked out of the room with a horrified expression. To think the first non-related person to touch his family jewels would be a pervy old doctor.
He spent the rest of the morning walking from one room to the next. They examined his heartrate, eyesight, hearing, strength and flexibility. What truly grated Goldie''s nerves weren''t examinations themselves, except for his sexual trauma, but rather the tedious amount of waiting. He only narrowly avoided exploding out of frustration by the time it was over with. Few things rattled Goldie more than wasting precious time. "Alright everybody", the chief doctor said. "Congratulations for not being physically impaired. You will now all proceed upstairs for a psychological evaluation." Her statement was met by collective grumblings of discontent. "Yes we know you all have far better things to do", she sarcastically claimed. "But no matter how tedious you may find it; standard procedure cannot just be glossed over. We have valid reasons not to have you fight eachother before having been physically and mentally inspected." Goldie was still somewhat unhappy, but her points were valid. You wouldn''t want to allow some crazed psychopath to go on a murder spree inside the building - and then reap everyone''s souls -. They were all shepherded into a dimly lit room with twenty desks. He telepathically asked Xander what to expect and was answered with the mental equivalent of a shrug. Splendid, nothing more you can tell me? Half of it is factual knowledge and the other half is a psych-evaluation. What more do you need to know? I guess that''s better than nothing, have you never done it before? Of course I have! You think that right after getting kicked out of school I went straight into crime? But that doesn''t matter since they change it each time. Why did you pursue crime then? I failed to get an adventuring license. I needed to become stronger, but training needed money I didn''t have. Basically I needed experience to get more experience. Sounds rough. But not all jobs need physical prowess right? And what about your parents? Just drop it, will you? I really don''t want to talk about this. Crime was my most attrative choice and by the time.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Could you not have gotten certified later? What part about ''drop it'' did you not understand? And anyway as we''ve already talked about: Assassination pays more and is less dangerous. Before Goldie could dig any deeper, a man entered the room with a huge stack of paper. The sheets were then divided up among the applicants and they were told to get as far as they could within two hours. The first half was composed of questions regarding one''s personal skills and basic subjects like math, geography and history. It turned out, however, that without having gotten any higher education even basic questions could give him a lot of trouble. Thankfully he had an extra person to aid him, even if he was annoying. Itoyas Ayal how do you not know this stuff? And if you''re gonna ask me for help, then don''t just disagree with the answer I give you! Don''t judge me for not knowing about geography if I''ve never even left my hometown, and for crying out loud the answer for x is clearly not 42! I didn''t even ask your opinion on that question. I swear on my mother''s grave that 42 is the answer! No it clearly isn''t! The calculation clearly requires multiplying six by nine at the end, which is 54! As long as you don''t blame me for getting it wrong... Apart from the occasional disagreement Xander ended up being very helpful, so Goldie decided not to try and lecture him any further. Goldie reached the test''s second half after about forty minutes. As Xander predicted, it focused on mental health. He faced mostly harmless inquiries like ''would you help out a friend in need?'' or ''what are your reasons for becoming an adventurer?'', while a select few like ''have you pondered suicide'' and ''have you ever killed a creature before? If yes, how did it make you feel?'', were rather worrisome. How could they tell if someone was mentally unfit? It''s not like a crazy person would just admit it they enjoy killing people, would they? Well if you were crazy, then would you really know it? Not everybody with mental issues realizes they have them. Those words gave Goldie pause. Was he crazy after all? Considering how much has happened to confirm that what he had gained was all real, he was probably fine. Even if it turned out everything was one gigantic hallucination what did it matter?
Near the end of the exam, Goldie was quite agitated. He had finished more than forty minutes early but was not allowed to leave the room. Not to mention his growing headache and itching skin. Having felt such symptoms before, he realized these feelings were unnatural and a part of the test. In fact he was fairing far better than the majority, a few applicants had even fainted and needed to be carried outside the room. Why didn''t you warn me about this? I figured yourIndomitable Will had it covered. The headache is bearable, but that''s not what I meant. Why didn''t you warn me about how gods dammed long this takes! I get that we''re in a rush, but this will definitely pay off in the long run. I don''t mean the adventuring license, I understand they can''t just be handed out willy-nilly. I mean why did you fail to mention I had to stay inside this room after giving them my test? I could have double-, triple-, even quadruple-checked everything with all this time. Instead I''m utterly wasting it on sitting around doing nothing. You really ought to learn to take it slow my man. Some things in life can''t be rushed. A bit of downtime every once in a while never hurt anyone. Goldie raised an eyebrow as he observed his fellow examinees. Never hurt anyone huh? This is different, and you know it! On a more important note, how do you manage to raise a single eyebrow? I don''t know? I simply can. Hmm, maybe if I took control of your face a moment after you raised it, I could learn to as well? I do not consider that a worthy reason to hand over control. Oh you lamer, it''s not like we''re doing anything important right now. That''s exactly my point! Walked right into that one huh? Do you know any other tricks aside from raising a brow? Goldie then proceeded to sneer and roll his tongue. Shortly followed by Xander attempting to teach him to cross his eyes, pointedly ignoring the hateful glares thrown his way.
By the end of the exam only he and nine others remained. Three of the ten failed candidates had passed out from the mental strain, while the rest were too strongly affected to simultaniously complete the exam. "Alright everybody, we will be analyzing your statements and you will each be invited to a personal interview where we will discuss your results", the overseer stated. "Meanwhile we suggest you rest in the waiting room." As soon as they arrived in the room, the remaining group sat in silence. Three of the eight people that had seemingly arrived together were still around, but they too, remained silent. Truthfully, Goldie would have liked to start a conversation - having only Xander to speak to had begun taking its toll - but the oppressive mood held him back. The sullen atmosphere lasted until number 11 was called and left the room. One of the remaining applicants opened his mouth: "Well that was sure something else, right guys?" If looks could kill, that guy would be dead eight times over. "Sorry for trying to reduce the awkwardness a little", the applicant frowned. Goldie got up and walked over to him. "Don''t worry about them. My name is-", he started before pausing awkwardly, "Xandon. What''s yours?" "I''m Alvon, most people just call me Al though", he cheerfully responded. "Boy am I glad I trained up Will. You have high will too? You definitely seem less affected than the others." "I''m certainly above average", Goldie answered, hearing a snort inside his head. "Hah! You better watch your phrasing!", Al replied. Seems like someone shares a sense of humor. Goldie suppressed a sigh: "That''s not what I meant. I actually - " He wanted to mention his Indomitable Will, but Xander stopped him. "I just meant I have a good multiplier is all." You should really quit controlling my speech. Then you should quit saying stupid shit. You don''t want to tell untrustworthy people your skills! You might end up fighting him in the battle exam. Battle exam, and you failed to mention this because...? So you wouldn''t throw another hissyfit. I know you don''t want to fight others. Nonetheless it is absolutely necessary if you want to gain strength. Fine I get it. I need to know how to defend myself. I also understand that they need to test our fighting strength and that having applicants fight eachother is less dangerous than bringing live monsters. "Hello?", Alvon questioned while waving his hand across Goldie''s face. "I''m sorry can you repeat that?", Goldie answered. "What part? I''ve been talking for a while." "Everything since I stopped talking? I''m truly very sorry, my attention has the nasty habit of drifting off when it''s not supposed to." "Hah! Reminds me of my nephew. I swear that kid will ask me to explain something and then ask me to repeat myself right afterwards." "As mentioned, I am terribly sorry." "Oh no worries. I know you weren''t purposefully disrespectful or anything. I''m just glad to have someone to talk to instead of silently moping around." "Hey fuck you!", a random guy commented. "Perhaps we should keep it down a little?", Goldie suggested. "We shall indeed.", Alvon agreed.
The two spent the next fifteen minutes talking about their hobbies, mostly Al''s, and what they thought of the adventurer''s exam. It turned out the doctor that Goldie paid a visit to was quite infamous in Siellous. The only doctor that touches every young man''s private parts so... vigorously. Their talk was interrupted when Alvon got called by the Overseer and Goldie returned to sitting alone. It took another twenty minutes before it was his turn. "Thank the gods that took ages!", he exclaimed loudly. "If you have a problem mister Jefferite, then we''d be happy to set aside some time for your complaints." the overseer spoke. He was about to seriously suggest some improvements before he saw the overseer''s eyes. She sounded and looked happy, but her gaze radiated murderous intent. "Nevermind. I think I''ll just go", he grumbled. "No actually, I think we should just call someone else. You haven''t quite calmed down from your last test it seems", she spoke in a sincere tone. "Number six instead please!" This bitch deserves some serious punishment! What would happen if I just stab her here? Woah calm down mister murder-hobo. You already done fucked up by being confrontational. Do you really want to be banned from the adventurer''s guild? I guess not... In the end Goldie just swallowed his pride and waited for another hour until he was the only person remaining. "Alright number 26, have our nerves calmed down yet?", she spoke condescendingly. "Of course ma''am, thank you for your consideration", he said with as much kindness he could muster. Surprisingly he noticed a hint of regret on the Overseers face. That might have just been his imagination. He finally shuffled to the psychologist. "Ah, so I finally get to see you mister Jefferite", said the surprisingly young man. "I can''t believe someone with your mental fortitude would need extra time to calm down. Presumably Dorothea had something to do with your delay?" "Is that the Overseer? I can''t really blame her since I was acting somewhat rudely" "Oh we both know that isn''t really true. Your annoyance was not unfounded, since my colleague was absent today", the psychologist explained. "But let''s let bygones be bygones. I believe it is time to discuss your results. You have no psychological problems and are averagely intelligent. Your Willpower is extremely potent, however. Have you perchance unlocked any telekinetic abilities? Perhaps that''s why you''ve decided to become an adventurer?" Goldie responded after Xander gave him a telepathic okay: "I already know a tiny bit of telekinetic magic. Also a bit of augmentation. I''ve mostly gotten by with my dagger so far." "I see, well in any case I''d say you passed this exam with flying colors. I am looking forward to hearing of your battle results tomorrow." "Tomorrow?", Goldie inquired. "Yes, tomorrow. The battle tournament takes place tomorrow morning. You may sleep here or go back home if you wish. The canteen offers some free food to any applicants who wish to spend the night." It disappointed Goldie to hear that it would be another day before the test was completely over. At least he was not forced to sit around doing nothing and got a free meal out of the whole ordeal. "Are the prepared accommodations free of charge?" "What made you think that?", the doctor started. "I''m afraid they cost another 50G." Goldie''s eyes widened. 50 Gold for a single night!? "I''m just joking mister Jefferite. You need not worry." "Ah, of course." Goldie mustered his best smile, hoping that his internal rage had not bubbled to the surface, and left the room. Chapter 12 - Let the games Begin Having not gotten the chance to this morning, the first thing Goldie did after arriving in his room was take a long shower. Exactly what he needed to calm his nerves. Feeling refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the day, he meandered over to his bed to grab fresh clothes from his bag. The gods'' cruelty on full display, somebody chose that moment to twist the doorknob to his room. It felt like his heart had stopped, as Goldie instinctively suppressed his presence. The door swung open to reveal a short-haired young woman. She shot a quick glance at his baggage, before shifting her piercing, blue gaze straight to his eyes. "My apologies," she spoke. "I did not know this room was taken." She preformed a light bow before turning around and leaving the room. Goldie opened his mouth but quickly shut it as firmly he could. Xander, what are you doing? C''mon man it would have been hilarious! I told you I don''t like it when you take over my speech. Hearing you say ''hilarious'' also can''t mean anything good Oh no need to be such a lamer! I would have only asked her if she liked what she saw. I''m sure if our roles were swapped you wouldn''t find it nearly as funny. Maybe not funny, but I''d still ask her. Heh, maybe even invite her inside as well. Goldie grimaced. If only Xander weren''t so shameless, perhaps they could get along. Alas, it was not meant to be. I most certainly do not regret stopping you from speaking now. Now fully dressed, he grabbed the clock from his bag and placed it on the nightstand. 4:22 He was told dinner would be served at six, which gave him one and a half hours of time to kill. He looked over his notes and was reminded to check out the local marketplace he had heard a few people talk about. As a merchant himself, he was quite interested in seeing what was offered. His lips contorted into a frown. He locked the room with his provided key and ventured downstairs. After telling the receptionist he would be back soon and dropping off his key, he walked out the front door. You know where the market is right? Yeah man, no problem.
After spending an indeterminate amount of time following Xander''s directions, Goldie determined they were utterly lost. No problem huh? Maybe we should just ask somebody. I swear we''re almost there, have a little more patience. The surroundings look all wrong! Nobody would set up a market here. I was expecting a sprawling city center. Waitaminute... Oh, for fuck''s sake, you meant the normal market, didn''t you? What else could I mean? The black market obviously. Why would you have asked me instead of asking the receptionist in that case!? I forgot to ask her before leaving the building and figured you''d be a practical guide. Why would you assume I meant the black market if I didn''t call it that!? I figured you just didn''t know the correct term for it. I''m a merchant you doofus! I know what a black market is. You think nobody ever gave me any shady deals? Okay I admit I messed up. It''s not a big deal though, right? I mean, you were only looking for something to pass the time and the black market is an interesting place to check out. That would have been true, but having a look around was not the only reason Goldie wanted to visit the market. As much as it pained him to get a replacement, he truly needed a new watch. Lugging around the oversized clock in a bag while hunting monsters would be quite impractical. Goldie audibly sighed. Do you think I could buy a watch from the black market? It turns out he could but finding something so innocuous among the illicit goods proved to be quite the challenge. On a positive note he managed to get the seller to reduce his price by a fair margin with the argument he may as well buy a non-stolen wrist watch from any other vendor in town. THIRTY GOLD! Hmm? You upset? No, I''m elated. That guy had no idea how valuable that stolen watch was! How valuable was it? Heh, that thing could have easily sold for 300 Gold and he offered it to me for 80. And then I even managed to make him lower his price! Think about how the original owner must feel. Great, now I feel guilty. In different circumstances Goldie would have sold the watch and bought himself a cheaper one. However, a cursory look at its face showed he had very little time left to get back for his free supper.
The meal consisted of a bowl of stew with some bread, nothing worth getting excited over but filling enough. The only other applicants in the mess hall were two people that already knew eachother and the woman that barged into Goldie''s room before. He was not especially enthusiastic about talking to either of them, so Goldie sat alone. His meal finished, Xander prodded him to get at least some training in before tomorrow''s test. The guild had some training facilities at the ready, but Xander explained it''d be best that nobody saw Goldie''s skillset. Goldie happily agreed, not because he was paranoid, but because he did not want to risk making a fool of himself in front of the other fighters. Therefore, after spending half an hour fighting an imaginary foe, Goldie got his first notification.
[Standard skill Acquired: Combat]
You are sooo screwed. What, why!? Because you didn''t have a combat skill! I thought you got that from me!? When should I have gotten it? When you sapped my memory away obviously! Coristam dammit, I''ll need to explain this to you, won''t I? According to Xander Combat skills were the most important ability of any fighter. They determined how capable a person was at utilizing all their abilities in conjunction with one another. Even if someone had an astronomically high level of Sword Mastery, without proper footwork and tactics they would be utterly useless. Weapon Masteries reflect how well one can generally handle a weapon, how well one can execute a given move. However, it does not help one understand at what times one should use said moves. It is the difference between theoretical and practical skill, with Goldie''s being fully theoretical. This revelation shot Goldie''s stress levels to the max. How would he ever train himself to a passable level until tomorrow? Xander offered to transfer some of his knowledge, but Goldie declined. He definitely didn''t want to use Memory Sap again. Not to mention that Xander''s fighting style was not necessarily a fit for Goldie, making the skill inherently useless. Now that Goldie thought of it, perhaps that is why he had not gained the Combat skill in the first place. In the end there was nothing Goldie could do but train as much as possible today and hope for the best during the test. He opened his skill list to determine what sort of approach he wanted to use when facing his opponents.
Standard Skills Assassination Lvl 15, Combat Lvl 1, Dagger Mastery Lvl 21, Meditation Lvl 1, Sneak Lvl 3;
Complex Skills Anima Sense Lvl 25, Empower Lvl 9, Essence Concealment Lvl 10, Indomitable Will Lvl 12, Rapid Replenishment Lvl 12, Soul Capture (U) Lvl 1, Telekinetic Push Lvl 1, Telepathy Lvl 5; This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Mythical Skills Memory Sap (U) Lvl 5;
Most of his active skills weren''t very useful in the middle of a fight. His only legitimate option was using his dagger in combination with Empower. He might be able to squeeze in a Telekinetic Push but considering its level and cost he wasn''t sure how worthwhile that was going to be. After having pondered his possible actions, he decided his best bet would be to train as much as he could before going to bed, and then turning up early to the training grounds tomorrow to squeeze in some extra training time before everybody else showed up. Combat has risen to Lvl 2! It was already 9:23 by the time he received that notification. As he went to bed, Goldie set his new watch''s inbuilt alarm to 5:30. "Heh, thirty Gold", he snickered to himself before falling into a deep sleep.
*BEEP BEEP BEEP* *click* Goldie stepped out of bed, did a few stretches, ate the last remaining bit of bread and cheese inside his pack and moved up to the training grounds. In contrast to yesterday he was the first applicant to arrive. His plan of getting up early to stay away from prying eyes was a success. The grounds were not in fact a room, as he had envisioned, but a courtyard at the top of the building. The roof''s edges were surrounded by an 8-foot wall creating a square cage. The inner edges had a multitude of plants in front of them and there a stone statue stood in every corner, each one depicting a different warrior. The ground was mostly tiled except for a large circle of earth in the middle. That circle, likely the arena, was surrounded by Benches and chairs and there were strange markings on the ground at the edge of the circle. He walked into it and started practicing his Combat Skill. It was rather difficult to imagine fighting, as he had never done it personally. He mostly tried mimicking what little he could remember from Xander''s fight against Garen. Sadly, he wasn''t racking in as many skill levels as he had hoped for. I guess there''s only so much to be gained without pushing yourself. The only reason you''ve had it easy so far is because of your extra learning speed. It should normally take ages to grind a skill to level 12, and yet you managed it in a few days. Still, eventually even you will face a wall. Goldie kept those words in his mind as he continued practicing his strikes, and dashed around the battlefield trying to roll, lunge and dodge imaginary attacks.
[Standard skill Acquired: Acrobatics]
He trained his movement until his Stamina was close to depletion, gaining two Lvls in Acrobatics and one in Combat. He would have pressed, but Xander informed him it would be bad for his body to press any harder before his first fight. Therefore, instead of using his Stamina, he opted to practice his Telekinetic Push a bit while recharging. It would make a good trump card if the others did not know of it. He tried focusing his will similarly to how he did the last time he''d used the skill, only this time pushing out in front of him as opposed to spherically reaching out. At the peak of his concentration he quickly jabbed his palm forward, high-fiving the air. Nothing happened. He did not even gain any Lvls. Figuring he must be missing something, he reminded himself of his thoughts when he activated the skill for the first time. It was less like physically shooting a tangible object out of himself, and more like exuding a dense wave of mental pressure. He didn''t have to make any fancy motions, he just had to wish for something to happen so strongly that it warped reality. He tried again, but this time remembering the way he had felt the first time he used it. He desperately focused on the ground, he infused this desperate wish with as much mental power as he could... and was flung a few feet backwards through the air. Telekinetic Push has risen to Lvl 2! Alright so it seems like pushing against an immovable object just flings me in the opposite direction. So does that mean if I were to continuously pull at the ceiling I could float? Yes, there are telekinetic users with the ability to fly. Though usually that would usually be done by pushing against the ground in an extremely controlled way. Some might even be able to just lift themselves into the air, but that would likely take an immense amount of energy the likes of which you don''t have. Goldie decided to leave learning different uses of telekinesis for another day, and activated Telekinetic Push another two times, gaining an additional level in the skill. He repeated the cycle a few more times, gaining a few extra skill levels in the process, before getting interrupted by a stranger walking up the stairs. "It seems an eager applicant already awaits me. Would you care to see which opponents you will be facing?", a deep voiced man in a white robe said. "Oh, hey *ahem* hello", Goldie sputtered. "I mean, yes I would gladly like to know who I am facing." The man laughed and placed an orb on the ground. It began to glow and then projected a large blue screen into the air.
Donald Tynes Gale Yettin
Xandon Jefferite Alvon Skydin
Rhona Ramus Samuel Hayes
Lucas Savar Zoe Sklend¨¦
It seemed like the battle exam would be determined through a tournament between candidates with him facing off against Al in the very first round. It being a tournament must have meant only a single person could succeed. Would the exam really end this way? Goldie decided to ask the overseer: "Pardon me sir, but does this not mean only a single person passes? Also, aren''t two candidates missing from this list?" "No it does not. There will be a winners'' and a losers'' bracket. Whether you truly fail or not is determined by how well you fight. If the judges deem you worthy, you can pass the exam even without winning a single time. But winning definitely gives you more chances to show off your abilities. Not to mention it paints a good picture of your power level. The two people who are missing will have a separate duel as they are both high level mages from the academy. It wouldn''t be fair for the others to fight against them at their current level." Goldie wasn''t sure if he should be happy or sad about this news. It basically meant he didn''t need to beat everyone, but at the same time it meant even if he found some underhanded method to win, he might still be failed. "Thank you for the information sir. Do you perchance know what rules we must obey during these fights?" "Of course I do I''m the overseer of this tournament after all" he chuckled. "I would rather wait until everyone has assembled before going over them, however."
And wait they did. The overseer had arrived around 8:15 and it took until nine o''clock for everyone else to show up. There were several more cloaked figures among the arrivals, and two fully armed and armored guards had carried a large chest to the roof as well. "Now that you''re all here I, sir Nubondi, will disclose the rules of this Tournament", the overseer explained. "You will each be taking part in a number of duels following a tournament format. You may lose a maximum of two rounds before being disqualified from further participation. This does not mean you have failed to become an adventurer. There will be a group of judges evaluating every round and deciding whether you are fit for combat or not. Now, to the rules. You will be surrounded by a magical shield that allows the spectators to view the battle without coming to harm. Inside the forcefield anything goes as long as it doesn''t amount to torturing your opponent or trying to circumvent the magical shield. The round ends as soon as one of two things occurs. Either one of you is no longer able to fight or someone forfeits the round. We have top notch healers on standby, so try holding off on forfeiting as long as you can since you still have the opportunity to show off your skills. If one of you kills the other, you will still be evaluated, however you will be disqualified from further dueling and must pay your victim a fee of 200 gold." He paused expectantly. "Have I made myself clear?" "Yes sir!", came the collective reply. "Then please welcome mister Tynes and mister Yettin to the arena." The two men walked into the center and the two guards handed them their items out of the chest. While they put on their armor the other applicants sat down on the surrounding benches. Two of the robed mages walked to opposite ends of the circle and started infusing large amounts of Energy into the ground, which Goldie recognized with the help of his Anima Sense. "Sad rhi tztesreb¨¹ uzow!", they both uttered. Upon completion of that phrase a mostly transparent bubble formed around the center, encasing both fighters. "Alright let''s go Gale!", one of the applicants shouted towards the ring. The man on the left wore a chainmail shirt with iron shoulder- and elbow pads, metal grieves, sturdy looking leather pants with a metal kneepad plus codpiece and leather gloves with a rough texture for extra grip on his two-handed sword. The other wore tight-fitting leather armor on most of his body, with what seemed like large pieces of insect chitin around his weak points. He held two short swords in each hand and was also slightly shorter than his opponent. The two men''s fighting styles would definitely differ greatly, with one having focused on swiftness and keeping his armor light, while the other seemingly more sturdy and strong. "Let the duel commence!", shouted Nubondi while clapping his hands together, producing an echoing boom. The two men instantly raised their swords, the alertness evident in their eyes. The armored one, Goldie didn''t actually know who was who, made the first move. He shot towards the other at an incredible speed, kicking up a dust cloud on his way. He swung his sword straight at the other man''s body, giving the lightly armored man no chance to react. Goldie figured this fight might end right then, but in the last second the dual wielder jumped over the other, flipping through the air and landing behind him. "Crush that showoff Gale!", shouted the same applicant as last time, before being shushed by the woman sitting next to her. After his flawless landing, Tynes instantly lunged at Gale''s back, swinging his left hand forward but keeping his right hand back. This turned out to be a wise decision. Gale spun around, cleaving his sword sideways at Tynes'' neck. Tynes deflected the swing with his right hand, knocking the sword upward, and ducked underneath it before stabbing Gale in the stomach with his left hand. In response Gale kicked towards Tynes legs, but his attack was once again dodged and Gale earned another cut along his thigh. The fight continued similarly with Gale earning more and more wounds. At this point Goldie was certain of the battle''s outcome. Yet, his expectations were subverted. All it took was a single swing. Gale had activated a burst of augmentation magic at precisely the right moment, catching Tynes'' by surprise and nearly slicing the poor man apart. The medics rushed in and managed to fully restore both fighter''s health. "The Victor of this round was mister Gale Yettin!", overseer Nubondi cheered. "There will now be a short break to restore the arena to its earlier state, and then the next duel between mister Jefferite and mister Skydin shall commence." Goldie was terrified. He had never been wounded that badly in his whole life. It looked extremely painful. Was it too late to back out? "Hey Xandon?", came Al''s voice. "So, I''m a tank, which means I''ll be toughing out a lot of hits from various enemies in the future. I want you to really give it your all okay? I don''t really care about winning or anything, I just want to show off my defensive prowess. Don''t hold back just because we were friendly to one another!" Goldie was about to cry. Alvon might not have realized but that was the best news Goldie had heard all day. I won''t be cleaved in two! Praise the gods! Chapter 13 - Keep your friends Close "The ground has been restored", Nubondi exclaimed. "The next two contenders please enter the ring!" Goldie hesitantly stepped towards the ring, while Alvon confidently strode to his own spot. Once Goldie had taken his position, he looked at Al''s face. The man had a beaming smile and lightly waved his hand at Goldie. Goldie wanted to return the gesture but was interrupted by one of the guards bringing him his belongings. Ah, there are my trusty cloak and dagger. You mean mine. I''ll be taking those back at some point. That cloak is really valuable. According to Xander his cloak was made from some magical creature''s fur and could warp light around it. It supposedly cost very little Energy to keep active, but Goldie had never bothered trying it out. He had no reason to use the effect, until today at least. He finished putting on his cloak and strapped the tarkinium dagger to his waist. Glancing over at Alvon''s position he could see the man donning a set of full plate, including helmet. "Good G¨¢t''mach¨¢." How will he even move? As it turned out, with no problems whatsoever. Even with all that weight, he moved just as comfortably as before. His right hand held a steel warhammer, and he had a large tower shield made of bright silver metal strapped to his left arm. "Are both candidates ready?", one of the mages responsible for the forcefield asked. The two fighters nodded towards the woman, and the chanting commenced once more. The dome looked slightly dimmer from the inside, and it was difficult to parse together overseer Nubondi''s words. However, his clap was nonetheless easily discernable. Goldie''s body tensed. His heartrate skyrocketed. I have no idea what to do. Attack him perhaps? Goldie stood rooted to the ground. Never before had he injured another being - in a calm state of mind -. He was afraid, not only for himself but also for the pain he may cause Alvon. Meanwhile Alvon casually walked to the center of the ring and shouted over at Goldie: "Come at me! I doubt you can hurt me anyway, so for real just give it all you got!" Slash this motherfucker! That bastard''s trying to taunt me? "Think I''m too weak to hurt you, huh? That I''m not suited for this!?" "What? No, I didn''t mean it like that, I just meant that you shouldn''t take it easy on me just because we''re friends!", Alvon pleaded. Goldie opened his mouth and gave Al a confused look, before closing it and giving a resigned shake of his head, that Al promptly misunderstood. "I know most adventurers would rather fight monsters than fight people, but bringing beasts into the city would be a huge risk. This is our only shot, so don''t waste it!", Alvon further encouraged. The overseer was already motioning them to get on with it, hardening Goldie''s resolve. Through force of will he steadied his heart and donned his hood, activating the cloaks light-warping ability. Noting Al''s confused expression, he raced towards the armored behemoth in front of him. He instinctively remembered the details of Xander''s Assassinations and went for the gaps in Al''s armor. Of course, Xander''s targets usually didn''t realize he was there. Nonetheless Goldie hoped his strike would connect without Alvon being able to react on time. Unfortunately, the man efficiently sidestepped and deflected the blow with his shield. The sudden change in direction nearly made Goldie drop his dagger as he fell to the ground, softening his landing with a roll. Acrobatics has risen to Lvl 5! Al had not even moved further than a foot, which was only to redistribute his weight. Goldie watched in awe as the scratch he had just made in the silvery shield faded. "By Bi¨¦sos, that shield is made of aururum!?", Goldie gasped. "I''m impressed you noticed." Some of Goldie''s most valuable wares were made from the metal. It wasn''t the sturdiest material, but what truly made it valuable was that its pieces would naturally mold together, giving it the ability to ''regenerate'' damage. "But now for real, that attack was way too honest. Try to throw me off a bit if you''re going for precise attacks!", Alvon instructed. "Fight me like you''re trying to kill me!" Since going for an accurate attack didn''t work, Goldie opted for a full force swing against the armored man. He hoped that with the help of Empower his attack would at least knock him off balance. He infused his legs and right arm with Energy and launched off the ground towards Al''s imposing form. Goldie couldn''t see Alvon''s face, but he was surely smirking beneath that helmet. *CLANG* Goldie''s blade ricocheted off the aururum shield and flew backwards, yanking out of his hand and landing on the ground. Goldie fell over from the recoil, gracefully landing on his ass. Alvon had not budged an inch, it was like striking a massive metal tree. Even the dent Goldie made in his shield was already fading. "So, you know augmentation? Not bad, I know a little myself. However, without having focused on strength, you won''t ever be able to overpower me at your skill level", Alvon stated. Why does he keep telling me how to beat him? It''s getting on my nerves! It''s actually quite clever if you think about it. Showing off that he has no weaknesses and can defend against any tactic used against him will net him a great score. Of course, the score. Goldie didn''t just have to win, he had to show off his skill. Clearly his display until this point had been sorely lacking. He needed to really push himself if he wanted to succeed. He had used about a fourth of his Energy in that move, and as he went over to pick up his dagger, he realized the throbbing pain in his wrist was more than just a light sprain. He must have broken it when crushing his hand against the metal shield. He gritted his teeth and did his best to fight through the pain. I don''t know if I should be angry or depressed at how little a threat I pose. Why not both? "Coristam dammit!", he quietly swore. He wasn''t going to lose like this! Goldie needed to find a way around his injury. His regeneration, even with Rapid Replenishment active, was going to take far too long. He could try to fight with his left hand, but that had next to no chance of success. A thought struck him. It might be possible to focus on healing a single part of his body. He activated both Anima Sense and Rapid Replenishment and sensed the energy within himself. A part of it was directly integrating itself into his body to aid healing. He activated Empower on his hand, focusing on only that type of anima.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
[Complex skill Acquired: Targeted Invigoration]
[Complex skill set Acquired: Augmentation]
Targeted Invigoration has risen to Lvl 2! With this new spell, Goldie''s hand was healed in two minutes. He hoped it would net him a few bonus points with the jury but, considering Alvon allowed him to regenerate, that was unlikely. "Come on man, if you''re gonna keep thinking neither of us will get a good score!", Al groaned. Hearing those words ticked Goldie off. He knew he had no right to be angry at his opponent, especially considering anyone else would have already ground him into a pulp, but Alvon''s nonchalant attitude really got his temper boiling. Therefore, Goldie once again dashed into the fray. Instead of going for a singular powerful blow, he continuously struck, stabbed, swung and jabbed at his opponent. He didn''t try for an instant K.O., he would instead wear down his opponent and beat him once he was tired. He even put his new telekinetic spell to use a few times, but it seemed to do about as much damage as a gust of wind would do to a mountain. Every few minutes he would pause and rejuvenate himself with his increased regeneration and then return to close quarters. Eventually he started mixing up his tactics. He feinted, swung at different angles, differentiated in speed and strength, anything to get his opponent to make a mistake. After having gained five Lvls in Combat, a new message floated into view.
[Standard skill: Combat has evolved to Standard skill: Adaptive Combat]
Goldie didn''t bother interrupting his fight to check the message. He persistently dished out attack after attack. He gained another two levels in his new skill and could clearly tell Alvon was starting to have a hard time. It seemed that even he couldn''t sustain fighting forever, especially against an opponent with nigh-limitless regeneration. Moreover, Goldie was beginning to discern his enemy''s defensive patterns, allowing him to inch ever closer to a decisive strike. All these facts culminated in Goldie finally landing a hit, puncturing Alvon''s armor and drawing a small amount of blood. Alvon''s eyes widened in shock and he rammed his shield against Goldie''s body, causing him to fly back like a ragdoll. "Alright Xandon. No more fun and games. It''s time I get serious", Al bellowed. Decimate him! Goldie was so close to victory he could practically taste it. He charged in with reckless abandon, his overconfidence consuming him. NO, YOU IDIOT! Xander''s warning was too late. Goldie''s attack was once again efficiently countered, only this time Al swung his metal hammer straight at Goldie''s arm to retaliate. After getting his upper arm smashed, the fight only lasted another minute before Goldie was utterly crushed.
"I''m such a fool", Goldie muttered after getting brought back to full health. Though he said that, he wasn''t too sad. All in all, he faired far better than he had expected. Seeing Al''s rattled expression, he must have agreed. Alvon probably expected to simply defend until his opponent tired himself out too much to continue. Instead he was met with an infinitely tenacious opponent that got progressively stronger over time instead of weakening. Goldie sat back down on one of the seats, recounting the events of his last battle. Without the calming influence of Flousshire he was having serious trouble keeping his anger in check. While it helped Goldie overcome his trepidation, the lack of rational thought was also his downfall. Why aren''t I getting an earful about being cocky? Because you did far better than you had any right to. Oh, thank you. And you likely would have lost against Alvon no matter what you did. Honestly I surprised myself with how close I got. That Adaptive Combat helped me out a great deal. Adaptive whatnow? You got a combat upgrade? Another one I''ve never heard of, what a surprise. Goldie gave a self-satisfied smirk and turned his attention to the current fight. His eyes widened as he recognized the woman inside the ring. At least now I know her name is Rhona... Heh, I also usually learn their names after they''ve seen me naked. Goldie grimaced, but didn''t bother answering Xander''s antics. Instead he focused on the other combatant. It was an unassuming young man. Shorter than even Goldie''s old height and wearing a woolen cloak draped over his entire body. He had rings under his bespectacled eyes and sunken cheeks, the picture-perfect representation of what an adventurer should not look like. Goldie expected this to be a quick fight. However, it was over before it even began. The woman named Rhona had instantly surrendered as soon as the overseer clapped his hands. Her opponent looked towards her and muttered something inaudible, before the shielding dome collapsed. Goldie was not left with a lot of time to ponder the development, as the overseer already announced the next battle. "An interesting turn of events. Please welcome our next contestants: Zoe Sklend¨¦ and Lucas Zavar!" The girl wore a similar outfit to the duel wielder in the first round, though hers was dyed a mix of green and brown. Lucas wore a tightfitting scale suit and carried what looked like an oversized meat cleaver. Zoe''s weapon of choice was a bow, which hardly seemed fair to Goldie. Then again what did he know? None of the fights had gone as he expected to begin with. Lucas had a very unconventional fighting style, wherein he used his massive weapon''s weight to fling himself around, preforming otherwise impossible maneuvers. He closed the gap between himself and his opponent by striking the ground and catapulting himself with his cleaver. It was a spectacular sight and Goldie was especially eager to watch, so he could learn from it. If there was one thing these fights had taught him, it was that range played a big role, and to be able to use a dagger versus a sword, or possibly a creature with long arms and claws, he needed to find some method of approaching his enemies. Lucas'' weapon was geared towards larger, slower opponents. Any spot he hit was devasted, but the problem was not missing his intended target. Zoe was a capable ranger and constantly dodged backwards out of his attack radius, while concurrently firing a stream of arrows at him. Goldie paid special attention to Lucas'' dodging techniques and footwork. This fight made it glaringly obvious how efficient one needed to dodge, if one wanted to gain any ground. Even though Lucas could theoretically run from the shots, it made it impossible to close the gap between himself and Zoe. Therefore, he had to take risks and avoid the arrows by a hair''s breadth while rushing towards her. He got ever so close to striking the ranger, but she nimbly rushed out of the way each time. Eventually the warrior''s movements slowed down and he was hit in the shoulder by an arrow. It was all downhill from there and for once Goldie''s expectations had been met. Lucas ended up riddled with arrows while Zoe had not a scratch on her. Goldie pondered how a fight between Alvon and Lucas would have gone. It all depended on their attributes. If one person was naturally stronger than the other, they would always win in an honest fight. Having gotten Xander''s assassination expertise was a bigger boon than expected. It was probably the only chance Goldie stood against these behemoths. "This concludes the fourth preliminary round. The next series of battles will be set up as follows", the overseer started while placing the hologram projector on the ground. "Blue represents the winner''s bracket and Green is the loser''s bracket."
Gale Yettin Alvon Skydin
Samuel Hayes Zoe Sklend¨¦
Donald Tynes Xandon Jefferite
Rhona Ramus Lucas Zavar
"The battle between Gale Yettin and Alvon Skydin commences in twenty minutes. Be sure to rest and hydrate yourselves in the meantime!", the overseer boomed before walking back down the stairs with the judges. Goldie cautiously looked over at his next opponent, Donald. They both had similar fighting styles mostly relying on Agility, with Donald''s being far more refined than his own. Add to that Donald''s duel wielding and longer reach Goldie was due for another seemingly impossible fight. Hopefully his adaptive skill would help Goldie bridge the gap. Adaptive Combat Lvl 14:Reflects general fighting ability and speed at which you can adapt to an opponent''s fighting style. Increases rate of implementing newly acquired Skills in Combat. Skill dependent on learning speed, Lvl and every Attribute. Goldie''s extra Ascendant path reward must have been the reason he unlocked this special variation of the Combat skill. It was good to know he had a slight advantage against the other applicants considering his terribly low amount of combat experience. Nonetheless he needed to be extra careful in his next fight, because this time his opponent would not allow him to freely attack for an indefinite amount of time. Therefore, remaining conscious for long enough to be able to counter his opponents move set was an absolute must. This will be very tough. Chapter 14 - Stab opponents in the Eye If Goldie had to pick an adjective to describe Gale''s fighting style, it would be honest. He didn''t rely on any fancy attacks or tricks. He simply swung his sword at Alvon at varying angles over and over. As opposed to Goldie, who only had nine Strength, Gale''s attacks hit hard enough to slightly push the defending Avon back. Though they were fierce, the strikes never managed to pierce Alvon''s shield. Any damage done to the aururum was constantly regenerated. Gale was eventually worn out and his movements became sluggish. Knowing he no longer stood a chance of winning, Gale opted to surrender before getting pummeled by Alvon''s warhammer. "The first match of round two has concluded. The next candidates please enter the ring." It was once again Goldie''s turn. This time he''d be facing an opponent that would fight back from the start and Goldie had no defensive ability to speak of. I guess now''s as good a time to learn as any. Goldie''s mind was suddenly aussaulted by resounding laughter. What''s so funny? Ahem, nothing much. Just that any other moment would probably be a better time to learn than during an exam. You bring up a valid point, but it''s not as if I had much of a choice. That''s notreally true, but I shouldn''t be one to judge. I did the same thing multiple times back in school. At least I have a bit of an excuse. You, my good sir, were probably busy chasing after women instead of studying. No, I wasn''t chasing them. I was catching them. Goldie rolled his eyes as heavily as he possibly could, ignoring the fact that Xander wouldn''t be able to see it. "Think you''re hot shit, huh?", his opponent stated. "Pardon?" "Rolling your eyes at me like that. You think you''re better than me?", Tynes accused. "I saw you fight, utter trash. You''re lucky your opponent was such a showoff." Well that''s just rude. Now I feel like he deserves to get an eyeroll. Why did you give him the original one? It wasn''t meant for him. What else were you reacting to? ... HEY! Don''t roll your eyes at me! Goldie audibly groaned. "I''ll show you to take me seriously!", Tynes hissed. The magical shield once again enclosed the two applicants. Goldie gripped his dagger in anticipation and quickly sent a telepathic ''shush'' to Xander. He needed to pay attention. A lapse of concentration would be his downfall. The plan was simple: Dodge and parry until he adapted to his aggressor. Perhaps throw in a spell or two to throw his aggressor off-guard. Plans rarely survive first contact with the enemy. Throwing caution to the wind, either in the hopes of getting a better grade or because of rage, Donald instantly launched his offensive. The man''s stance seemed straightforward enough. However, Goldie knew better than to trust him after watching the first fight. If he were to try and block the swipe, a second sword would cut at his undefended half. Therefore, he instead rushed towards his opponent''s left side to preemptively deflect the shortsword in Donald''s left hand. He successfully knocked Donald''s left arm back but felt stabbing pain in his side, shortly followed by trickling blood. He clenched his jaw to suppress a scream and rushed backwards away from his opponent. What the heck was that? Did you think his right arm would just cease existing if you ignored it? Not helpful! Goldie tried to focus on healing that spot, but his foe gave him no time to catch his breath. He instantly appeared in front of Goldie and executed a flashy duel-wielding combo. Goldie''s body moved on its own and he surprisingly managed to get away nearly unscathed. Was that helpful enough for ya? Maybe you should leave this one to me, pal. That wouldn''t do. He couldn''t just hand over control of his body to Xander. Even if Goldie weren''t terrified by the prospect of having his body taken over, it was a scummy way to win the fight. No! I need to win this on my own, if I can''t manage this how will I ever hope to compete with Garen!? I... guess you''re right. Suit yourself. His moment of respite was short-lived, as Donald snapped out his stupor. "I have no idea what sort of zone you just entered, but it won''t be enough!" Contrary to his confident demeanor he was getting desperate, making the incoming attacks far more ferocious and less refined than before. Meanwhile, Xander stayed true to his word and Goldie was forced to fend for himself. By the time Donald relented, Goldie''s arms were full of shallow cuts and he had light stab wounds all over his torso. "Heh, that''s more like it." Tynes gibed. Goldie need to remain vigilant. He knew he was steadily growing more proficient, it was only a matter of time before he could strike back. The third flurry was far easier so avoid and by the fourth, Goldie was barely getting hit at all. This ever-increasing skill didn''t go unnoticed by Donald, and the man decided to end it before Goldie got a chance to retaliate. Goldie''s eyes widened in surprise as Donald flipped backwards into the air and the blade of his right sword shot straight out its hilt at Goldie''s head. The fight should have ended then and there, but Xander intervened, steering Goldie''s head slightly to the side. The blade still sliced through his left eye. "Shit!", both men exclaimed. The searing pain was unlike any he had ever experienced, and his other wounds were also starting to take their toll. His body ached all over, he was almost out of stamina, and he was continuously losing blood. It seemed that adrenaline-fueled willpower would only get him so far. Goldie needed to end this fight as soon as possible. He may have been running on fumes, but T?han be dammed he would continue nevertheless. He was sure he had a feel for Donald''s moves at this point. The time to strike was now! He dashed forwards and dished out a flurry of attacks. He used Xander''s copied skills to their full effect and even added in some moves from other applicants. Meanwhile the dual wielder had planned for his earlier surprise attack to finish Goldie off and was now severely hindered with only half the usual number of blades at his disposal. The adversary was finally getting some cuts of his own and then-Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Goldie ran out of steam. He nearly flopped forward but Donald kicked him backwards in desperation instead. Goldie lied there bleeding out. His consciousness nearly leaving him. He was out of Energy, Stamina and nearly out of Health as well. He got so far, only to be barred entry. If he didn''t get certified, he will have wasted two days! He wouldn''t lose like this. He couldn''t! He was so close. He refused! His body shook as he forced himself upward. He regenerated with all his might. He pulled power from seemingly nowhere as his body burned. "Don''t count me out just yet!" He activated Essence Concealment and pressed a Telekinetic Push against Donald''s astounded form. It would only take one strike to end it.
[Mythical skill Acquired: Inexhaustible Will]
Donald didn''t know what happened. To him it must have seemed like Goldie had disappeared, before then being hit by an invisible force that knocked his arms to the side and his head upwards. He ended up getting a dagger stuck in his throat as Goldie''s body crashed into him. The barrier was taken down and the medics rushed inside. "It seems like mister Jefferite has pulled off a surprising comeback", the overseer exclaimed as he walked over to the nearly dead man. "Congratulations son." Goldie would have laughed at being called son at his age but was too exhausted to expend the effort.
He laid on the stretcher, the healer taking extensive care of his wounds. "It''s a good thing the fight was ended so quickly. Both of you were almost dead", she dispassionately stated. "You have my gratitude for doing your job so well then, ma''am"; Goldie croaked. "But, did I really nearly kill my opponent?" The medic threw him a stupefied look. "You almost decapitated him. He''d have been done for in another few minutes." Seeing Goldie''s horrified expression, she added: "Don''t worry, you won''t be disqualified or need to reimburse him." Goldie exhaled and awkward laugh and retreated into his own thoughts. Sure, it was something he''d done once before, but this time it was not in a fit of rage. He just did it to win. Win in a stupid human on human tournament that decided whether he was fit to protect humanity against monsters. It made sense not to bring monsters into the city, and it wasn''t as if Sah¨ªl society wasn''t used to people dying and reviving daily. However... Where was his trepidation? He''d taken part in a duel to the death, something he found conceptually horrendous, and didn''t even bat an eye. Even now, Goldie didn''t feel sorrowful about nearly killing someone. In fact, he was frightened by his own lack of remorse. Xander, is this your doing? What is? Why don''t I feel worse? Why am I so... so fine with using lethal force against another!? I don''t know? Because it''s pretty normal to? But it isn''t normal! Not to me at least. What do you want me to say? I don''t know. That you''ve been suppressing my emotions so I don''t get a panic attack, or something in that direction. I''m sorry, but that''s not the case. You seem pretty shaken up to me though. But I''m not shaken up about the right thing! Well, maybe it''s just a side effect of your heightened will? It could also be from all my memories you sifted through. Isn''t it a good change? No! I don''t want to become some guiltless monster. I feel like I''ve lost part of myself. It''s alright buddy, I know how you feel. I may not be the best judge about the whole ''killing is bad'' thing, but I know what it''s like to have a sudden influx of mental stats. Suddenly becoming smarter? Suddenly picking up on signals you never noticed before? It can be scary. However, like with all things, you eventually get used to it. I think your worrying is a good sign you won''t lose who you are. You know, you can be really abrasive. Hey! Which means I can trust your opinions. So, thank you. It means a lot to hear that from you. "Hey, are you alright?" the healer inquired. "You should be perfectly healthy by now, but you look pale." "I''m fine, I just remembered something I''d rather forget is all." He quickly stood up from the stretcher, and made his way back to the audience. To take his mind off his troubled thoughts, he decided to look over his skills. His Telekinetic Push went up another level and his Adaptive Combat went up by a whopping three. His newly gained skill had also gotten to Lvl 3. Inexhaustible Will Lvl 3: You are able to drag anima directly out of your soul space through sheer force of will as soon as you reach 0 Stamina or Energy. Regeneration of Stamina and Energy stops until negative points have been fully restored. Skill dependent on Lvl and Willpower. Thankfully the negatives would not hinder him in his next fight, as the healing procedure fully restored all his pools. "Mister Hayes and Miss Sklend¨¦, please proceed to the arena." Hayes? That was the one who was instantly surrendered to, no? Goldie closely examined the young man as he changed into his combat gear, if the cloak could even be called that. He was barely more than a bag of bones and so pale it made you assume he''d never left his house. At this point, however, Goldie knew looks could be deceiving. The overseer clapped his hands and the match begun. Zoe quickly pulled an arrow from her quiver, but before she could nock it the fight was already over. "HOLY FUCK!", Gale shouted next to him. HAH! I knew it! Without warning, a red beam had erupted from Samuel''s fingers and split Zoe straight down the middle, even creating large cracks in the dome behind her. Don''t be crass! A person just died. Yeah, and I totally called it. I knew there was something off about that guy. It was doubtlessly the most gruesome scene Goldie had ever witnessed. The healers quickly rushed into the ring, but it was quite obviously far too late. Zoe''s charred remains were transported away and, Samuel was left standing in the middle of the ring with a troubled expression. "Sorry about that everyone", he said, while nervously adjusting his glasses. "I only recently got... here. I didn''t know what power-level to expect." Goldie could lightly sense the ranger''s departing soul and now saw the unassuming young man in a completely new light. Samuel Hayes was on a different level. "You fucking asshole! Don''t you have a single clue about holding back!?", Gale yelled in outrage. "Now now, no need to get unruly", overseer Nubondi stated and turned towards Hayes. "As per our ruling, you now owe Ms. Sklend¨¦ 200 gold and our disallowed from further participation in this tournament. We will receive her at the temple and you will hand over the payment", Nubondi pointed out and ordered the guards to escort Hayes outside. "The tournament will now continue with a battle between Lucas Savar and Rhona Ramus." Goldie was taken aback at how unfased everybody, except Gale, seemed about the occurence. These sorts of incidents must happen more often than he''d presumed. Deciding it was none of his business, he sat down on a bench and returned his gaze to the two current contestants. Paying close attention was especially important, as this fight''s winner will be his next opponent. He''d seen Lucas fight before, but Rhona''s style was a total mystery to him. Goldie was certain she somehow knew about Samuel''s strength beforehand, which explained why she instantly surrendered. This raised the question: How did she find out? Was it a special skill? Perhaps this fight would deliver some insight. Lucas walked into the ring, wearing the same outfit as before. It was then that Goldie realized the armor everybody wore was fixed after every battle and noted down that he should ask about it later. Rhona wore a strange kind of light brown robe and she had her arms and legs wrapped in bandages. The design was unlike any Goldie had seen before and befit the woman''s stern look. Her weapon of choice was a wooden staff. Before the fight began, she unwrapped her arms and revealed they were covered in tattoos the likes of which he''d only seen on items. Are those runes? Oh damm, she''s a prasmian monk. So, she''s part of some religious cult? To my knowledge their religion is less about gods, and more just a set of moral guidelines. One thing is universally true though: They''re a bunch of badasses. So, Rhona was part of an order of fighters. Great. *CLAP* And off they went. Once again Lucas was the one to approach his opponent. It didn''t pay to be cautious with a weapon such as his, so he dove straight in. Compared to his wild jumping and cleaving, Rhona''s movements were mesmerizing. Instead of a fighting style, it reminded Goldie of a dance. Goldie was certain this woman would have been able to get close to the arrow-firing Zoe without problems. "What the heck?", Gale said next to him. "Her eyes aren''t even open!" As he heard those word Goldie did a double take and focused on Rhona''s face. Her stern expression from earlier was gone, replaced by one of pure calm. Her eyes truly were closed, and it didn''t seem to hinder her in any way. Goldie''s chest became heavy as he watched his potential next opponent countering such an impressive fighter without even opening her eyes. All it took for the battle to end was a single misstep. She made none. After ''dancing'' for a few minutes she belatedly opened her eyes. Her rigid expression from before returned, and she speedily slammed her staff against Lucas'' kneecaps. Shortly after, she efficiently ended the fight with a swift whack to the back of his head, knocking him out. Goldie wasn''t sure what to think of the flawless display. He was blown away. He was terrified, but at the same time felt an eagerness he had never known before. He was itching to prove himself against such an overwhelming opponent. Chapter 15 - Knowing Jack "As mister Hayes killed his opponent: miss Sklend¨¦; Alvon Skydin and Gale Yettin both have no opponent to fight before the semi-final. Therefore, we will jump ahead to the next fight between mister Jefferite and miss Ramus." Goldie tensed up. The fight was starting a bit too soon for his comfort. He looked over at Rhona, who wore a thoughtful expression. Her dark brown hair was even shorter than his own, probably so it didn''t get in her way. I know she''s the first person to see you naked since your birth, but you shouldn''t stare so much. That''s not what I was looking at her for! She glanced at Goldie, causing his face to heat up, before turning to the overseer to speak. "I would like to rest a bit before entering another fight if that is allowed", she blankly stated. "Of course, you will be allowed a ten-minute respite" Nubondi declared. Rhona nodded and took out a blue vial. She quickly gulped down the liquid within it, her face tensing up slightly. Whatever was inside must not have tasted very pleasant. She once again gazed at Goldie and furrowed her brows. He quickly averted his eyes, feeling awkward for having been watching her. Do you think she''s angry at me? Why should she? She walked in on you. It wasn''t your fault. I just hope she takes it easy on me. Trust me, a warrior of her caliber would never do something as stupid as ''taking it easy'' on someone. At least not unless you''d have successfully invited her to your room. Please stop suggesting such perverted things. What makes you think I''d even want that? Oh nothing, except that you keep longingly staring at her face. Certainly not my type, but I won''t judge. That''s simply my being nervous about facing a seasoned fighter. It has absolutely nothing to do with her looks. Excuses excuses. To think I was starting to like you, thanks for reminding me why I don''t. Although Xander''s reason was most certainly incorrect, Goldie couldn''t stop worrying about Rhona. Perhaps he stood a chance of adapting to her style, if she did nothing but dodge the whole fight. So what? He''d get a single shot, before getting instantly smashed by her counter. He checked his watch: Only eight minutes until his doom. His heartrate quickened. He didn''t want to get his bones broken, the pain from before was already enough. To calm his nerves, he opted to try something he had not done since his trip to Siellous. He meditated, steadying his breathing and focusing on the world surrounding him. He spent around five minutes in this state and even managed to gain one Lvl in Meditation before getting interrupted. "What should I make of you?", said a stern female voice. Goldie looked up and jumped in surprise. "Everything about you is so strange", Rhona accused. "You masterfully handle your weapon, yet you fight as though you had never held it before. And your endurance has me especially perplexed. It would take years of training to achieve such a high amount of Ki regeneration. Not to mention...", she paused, "You may be the first person to throw off my senses to such a degree." Goldie managed a baffled "thank you?", before Rhona wandered back to her earlier position. Goldie was unsure what to make of her statement. She couldn''t read him? Was that why she knew not to fight Hayes? Why would Goldie be difficult to read? Was it his rapid improvement? Whatever the case may be, Rhona did not make the impression she would surrender straight away. "The ten minutes are over. Please make your way towards the arena. I am sure we would all like to get this exam over with." Goldie certainly agreed with the overseer on that. The tournament had already gone on for more than two hours. How can they handle doing this every day? They don''t do it every day. Every few weeks the guild opens up for new applicants. If you wanted to become an adventurer without waiting for the exam, you need a special recommendation or have received the needed diploma from a reputable academy. It seemed Goldie was quite lucky to have arrived when he did. He silently prayed that this luck would stay with him in the following fight. As the arena was once again enclosed by the force field, Goldie pondered how he could possibly win this duel. The first successful attack needed to instantly take Rhona out. Perhaps he should hold back on abusing any holes in her defense until he made absolutely sure to land the perfect strike. He steeled his resolve and looked at his opponent. A worried expression painted her face. "I''m sorry", Rhona stated. "I can''t let this fight drag on. You are too incalculable." "What do you me-" His question was cut off by the overseer''s signaling clap. The runic tattoos all over her body began glowing with power as she clasped her staff. Goldie instantly unsheathed his dagger and went into a defensive stance. The ground cracked as she kicked off and jumped straight over him. Goldie couldn''t even tell where she had gone before getting bashed on the head. Everything faded to blackness.
As his consciousness returned, he felt very strange, like his body lied at the bottom of a giant pool of water. He tried opening his eyes but was unable to. Panic rose up from the back of his mind, but his heartrate didn''t increase. He wanted to gasp for air but found he could not breathe. Not a single cell budged. The surrounding blackness crept ever closer. After unsuccessfully trying to tear his eyelids open with all his might, he tried yelling instead. When that wouldn''t work, he went for the next best thing. Xander what''s happening? Xander answer me! Xander? Xander!!! A couple seconds, which felt like minutes, passed and his vision suddenly returned. He croaked out a raspy breath and noticed that his eyelids were already open before his vision came back. The medic grabbed Goldie''s attention before he could further think about the strange occurrence. "Are you alright?", she asked. "I don''t know", Goldie began. "I felt like I was suffocating and couldn''t move my body. That doesn''t usually happen after getting knocked out, does it?" "No sir, it sounds like you just experienced sleep paralysis. It occurs when your mind wakes up before your body does. Some people even start hallucinating." Was that it? It sounded plausible enough. "How long was I out?" "Around twenty minutes, the semi-final is already underway." Goldie instantly sat up and ran to the battleground. It was Gale''s turn to face off against Rhona. Just like in her earlier fight, her eyes were closed as she danced out of the way of Gale''s swings. Goldie was slightly touched that she thought he was too much of a threat to show off with. After a few more minutes Gale got fed up with being unable to hit his opponent and conceded. Goldie was surprised the man had even bothered fighting as long as he did. Rhona declined the overseer''s offer of a short break and the next round got swiftly underway. It had been a long tournament, but the process was finally nearing the end. Between the two fighters, Goldie wasn''t sure who would win. Neither Alvon nor Rhona had truly gone all out in any of their duels. Both contestants faced each other and for the first time today, they even bowed. Goldie felt a pang of envy. Did they know one another or was Goldie simply not worth the courtesy? "Alright folks. This is the last round so make sure it''s a spectacle. Either that or at least be kind enough to not drag it out for too long. I''m sure the judges have seen more than enough of you both blocking and dodging attacks", the overseer shouted at the two applicants.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The force field was raised on last time and the final fight commenced. As in her fight against Goldie, Rhona''s runes flared to life. On the other side Alvon activated a spell for the first time this day. Similarly to what Garen did in his scuffle versus Xander, Alvon empowered not only his body, but channeled part of the energy into his shield. There was a new intensity in the air. These people were truly a cut above the rest. Goldie could not imagine how strong Hayes must be to make Rhona want to concede instead of facing him. His eyes could barely even keep up with what was happening. Rhona was so quick it almost looked like she was teleporting. One constantly heard loud clanging as her staff slammed against Alvon''s shield. She showed no mercy. Alvon couldn''t even counterattack as he was pushed up against the arena''s edge. His shield was warping under the constant onslaught and eventually even shattered apart. At that point Al could do little more than to swing his hammer forward as a last-ditch attempt to return the favor. Rhona had not expected the shield to break apart so suddenly and got bashed in the shoulder. Though his attack wasn''t very accurate, it had tremendous force behind it. Rhona was knocked to ground and her shoulder likely broken. Nevertheless, she got back on her feet and continued her assault on the now defenseless Alvon. Alvon declared his surrender a few moments later and avoided getting beaten senseless. "Well that was quite a show!", the overseer chimed. "We will now hold a lengthy break to discuss the results of this tournament." He looked over at Alvon and Rhona. "Although I am quite certain the two of you passed with flying colors." What are my chances? You think I passed? Heck if I know. It all depends how strict they are. I say if Gale passes then so do you. Also heads up, your crush is walking towards you. My crush? He jumped up in surprise as Rhona tapped his shoulder. "Uhh. How may I help you?", he asked. "I need to know something" she started. Oh boy, she''s gonna ask you out! "Are you really a person?" What the hells? What the fuck? "Yes? What sort of question is that?" Goldie demanded. "What do you remember happening in our fight?", Rhona inquired. "You pretty much instantly knocked me out is all I recall. What does this have to do with me being a person?" "So you don''t remember..." Goldie was starting to worry. "What is it I''m forgetting?" "I didn''t knock you out. After bashing you on the head you were still conscious for a few seconds before I hit you again." "Strange..." "It was as if you were being controlled by someone, or something, else", she explained. "I can read people aura. Yours changed right after you remember being knocked out." Rhona narrowed her eyes at him. Goldie wasn''t sure what he should tell her. It''s because of you, isn''t it? Hey man, I was just trying to help. It isn''t like I did it on purpose, I just got control of your body once you were unconscious, I swear. "Have you by chance come in contact with a demonic entity in the past?", Rhona suddenly questioned. "Were you part of a cult? What were the circumstances of your birth?" "No, no and not as far as I know", Goldie truthfully told. "So probably not demonic possession" she mumbled. "I honestly don''t know what to tell you. I feel fine and can''t remember what happened after you smacked me in the head" Rhona furrowed her brows. "I don''t like being lied to." And with that, she walked away. Maybe we should come clean. What? Why? Better yet, why are you the one suggesting this? I''m offended you''d be surprised. ... But yes, it is for a selfish reason. I was just wondering if maybe she knew a way to untangle our souls? No way do I ask her that! That''s far too risky and I''m too weak. We need to wait until I can defend myself from getting captured and used as a test subject! We might not get another chance! No! It''s simply too dangerous. Fine, have it your way. Goldie longingly stared in Rhona''s direction, but wandered over to Alvon. "What''d you think of her?" "The monk? She''s damm tough, those runes are no joke. I can''t imagine the amount of time it must have taken to learn to control her augmentation to such a degree." Al''s voice made it clear how much he admired the woman''s strength. "But for all her speed and perception she was still a bit overconfident. My swing should never have connected." He sighed. "And what was up with your fight? What she did to you was a serious dick move. I assume you''re not over level twenty?" Goldie shook his head. "Yeah, I figured. Though honestly, I can understand her reaction a little bit. You seriously surprised me when you got that hit in", he chuckled. "I must have gotten a bit too predictable. No hard feelings though." Goldie wasn''t sure how to continue the conversation. The weather? No... What do you talk to your friends about? "So, what makes you want to be an adventurer?" Goldie belatedly asked. "Nothing special. My elder sister is a high-level adventurer and I was hoping to join her party someday. The other reason is the typical dream of wealth, fame and power" he responded. "What about you?" "Well, I guess you could say it''s because I''m tired of being pushed around. Becoming an adventurer seemed like an efficient way of getting stronger while also earning a living", he honestly explained. "Other than that? I don''t really know what I''ll do once I''m stronger. Probably just go back to my old job." "What!? But that''d be such a waste!" Alvon blurted. "You have talent, man! Not even level 20 and you still managed to land a hit against me." "I don''t know if I''m really cut out for this line of work..." "Nonsense!" Alvon insisted. "Promise me that once you reach silver rank, you''ll join my party!" "I don''t even know if I''ve passed yet!" "Psh, of course you passed. Now promise!" Xander? A little help. Unless you have something seriously against the guy, joining up later might not be a bad idea. "Okay, I''ll consider it." "Take out that notebook I saw you scribble in earlier and write it down!" Goldie brought out his booklet and noted down the promise. He''s not using Charisma on me, is he? The personality trait? Yes. Not the attribute though. Looking through his notes he remembered to ask Alvon another question: "How does our gear get repaired after each fight?" "It gets enchanted before the tournament. It''s a delayed mending spell that''s powered by the dome that encases the center." Goldie gave him a confused look. "I can''t explain it much better. I''m no mage. Even if I were, that forcefield is really advanced. I doubt even the mages that were powering it could tell you its exact mechanics." Goldie was slightly disappointed with that explanation. At least he found out that being uneducated about these details wasn''t uncommon. "Oh, I have another question, if you don''t mind." Al raised an eyebrow. "Go on." "What can you tell me about Rhona''s aura-reading ability?" "Her what?" Garen asked. "She was somehow able to tell Hayes was dangerous. And she told me some...", Goldie paused to think. "weird things about my health. She mentioned something about being able to read people''s auras." "Oh yeah. She''s a monk. They can measure your soul power, which they call "Ki". It correlates to your total number of attribute points but doesn''t take skill levels or into account." That explanation didn''t help Goldie very much. "I''m not from around here", he stated. "What exactly does being a monk entail?" You could have just asked me about that if you wanted to know more! It can''t hurt to hear multiple perspectives. "Yeah, your name made that clear enough", Alvon laughed. "There are multiple orders of monks. Most of them have to do with one of two things: soul research or religion. They aren''t usually very combat oriented, however the Prasmian Order, among a few others, raises capable fighters. They believe that only through absolute control of both body and mind can one attain control of the soul. Being able to manipulate your soul would theoretically be the first step towards godhood." Goldie was flabbergasted. Was becoming a god even possible? "Of course most people, myself included, think the Prasmian beliefs are utterly absurd. I do respect their way of life though. Obviously, you wouldn''t ascend to godhood or change your soul. But you''d probably achieve a heck of a lot more by training than by sitting on your ass all day." Goldie couldn''t help but inwardly cringe at that statement. To a degree, sitting on his ass was all he did for the past thirty years or so. See, he definitely knew more about it than you did. Reminder: Libraries are a thing that exists. "Alright everybody!", loudly exclaimed an unfamiliar voice. A tall woman wearing a purple suit had appeared from seemingly nowhere. Next to her stood a guard who held a small chest to his chest. "I am the guildmaster of Siellous and will personally announce your results. The two finalists have both been deemed worthy of becoming silver-rank adventurers. Rhona Ramus is classified as a close quarters damage dealer. Alvon Skydin has gained the role of Tank." Goldie could hear his heart thumping. Both of these fighters had focused on gaining a specific class. Goldie on the other hand just did whatever he could. If getting a class was the goal, then being decent at many skills was not nearly as important as being great at one specific role. "The other two were very difficult to decide on", the guildmaster began. TWO!? Dear gods of the triumvirate I pray upon thee, please allow me this gif- Fuck man calm down! As if prayer is going to do you any good! "The first was Zoe Sklend¨¦. She was only able to fully participate in a single duel. However, her feats were impressive enough that she has been deemed a bronze-rank ranger." Coristam dammit! Of course, the other award will go to Samuel. "Some may think the final bronze-rank adventurer elected today is not worthy. However, I have been told he has achieved far more than would be expected of his level. He displayed usage of mind magic, augmentation and telekinesis while also proving himself to be very adaptive in a one on one fight even though he was geared towards assassination. Therefore mister Xandon Jefferite has been awarded with the ''Jack of all Trades'' class." "Are you fucking kidding me!?", yelled Donald. He instantly quieted down when the guildmaster glared at him. "I am completely sincere. Being a good fighter may play a large role in the selection process, but it is not the most important aspect. Especially when considering that you must be able to change your fighting style depending on who, or what, your opponent is. You must always give your all because the real world doesn''t allow you to just give up. Remember this piece of advice: Never take anything for granted. A human opponent may let you off easy or surrender when he realizes he cannot win. Monsters on the other hand are unpredictable and won''t hesitate for even a second if you show any weakness.", the guildmaster explained. He blankly stared at the woman. "I trust you will not be so disrespectful again mister Tynes." Wow she''s a scary lady. "Any further questions?" Goldie raised his hand. "Mister Jefferite, do you wish to protest?" "No ma''am. I''m merely wondering about Samuel Hayes'' evaluation. Did getting disqualified from the tournament mean he could not pass?" "Ah, his was... a special case. He was not immediately certified; however, he was awarded a scholarship to a prestigious magical academy with future prospects of becoming a gold-rank or higher upon graduation." "Holy shit!", Alvon and Gale both exclaimed. As it was clear nobody else had further inquiries, the guard pulled out two silver and two bronze signet rings and handed them to the guildmaster. The guildmaster herself pulled out four small syringes with clear liquid inside. "These are to modify your personal identification. I hope none of you are afraid of needles haha." She laughed without a trace of humor in her voice. Perhaps it was just Goldie''s Indomitable Will that stopped him from being affected by her Charisma. Maybe she just had too many cases of people actually being afraid of needles to find that joke funny anymore. They went up to her one after another to receive the shots and were then handed the rings. By channeling a slight amount of Energy into them, they holographically displayed one''s name, level, adventuring rank and class.
Name Xandon Jefferite
Level 10
Class Jack of all Trades
Rank Bronze
Finally, we get to the fun stuff! Goldie couldn''t agree more. It was finally time to start questing! Chapter 16 - On the Hunt So, what do I do now? Go to the lobby? I''m not sure how the whole ''accepting quests'' thing goes. As you know my jobs were usually of the less reputable sort. That wasn''t very helpful. Let me remind you: Libraries- Hold it! I''m not going to the library for that. I''ll just ask somebody else. "Hey Alvon, where do I need to go to..." Goldie twisted his head around and saw him talking to Rhona. Goldie gritted teeth and joined the two. It shouldn''t have been making him as angry as it did, but Alvon was the first person who Goldie would call a friend. "Pardon my intrusion", Goldie started. "but I have a rather important question to ask." Rhona shut him down: "If you want to join, I''m afraid any requests we take are far above your paygrade." "Don''t just instantly turn him down! We haven''t even heard what he wanted to say", Al complained. "And Xandon, there''s no need for you to speak so formally to me, we''re friends after all." "I just wanted to know where I should go to start. I assumed you guys know your way around." Alvon gave Rhona a meaningful look. "Ah, my apologies for making assumptions. Sadly, I''m not the best person to ask about the locale", she explained. Al shrugged. "I think the newbie dungeon is always an option for beginners. We could go check out the quest board together. I was planning on starting with an easy one before turning in for the night." The two men were about to walk down the stairs when they got interrupted. "Wait, you both!" Rhona interrupted and turned to Goldie. "I''ve been to your room, which means you probably still need to collect your personal items. Unless you want the guild to keep them, that is." "Of course, how could I forget." "I''ll join you if you want", Al offered. Goldie gave Al the go ahead and they wandered to his room.
"She''s been in here with you ey? Anything interesting happen between you two?", Al teased. "Not you too!" "Too? Who else said something?" "Argh, nevermind. One of my friend''s is a huge pervert, that''s all." "I was just teasing, don''t worry. I don''t suspect either of you are like that." Alvon assured. "But, why was she here?" "She simply mistook it as being empty." "That''s lame, I was hoping there''d be more to it than that." Goldie coughed. "Y-yeah, nothing interesting." Goldie quickly picked up his bag and stuffed the mounted clock inside, which Al shrugged off with a comment about everybody having their quirks. Afterwards they made their way back to the guild''s entrance. This time, instead of walking to the left, they would finally enter the building''s right wing. The corridor led to a spacious room bustling with activity. There were a few tables with groups of adventurers huddled around them, fiddling with glowing orbs. More of these Orbs were stacked in shelves on the side of the room. On closer inspection they were actually locked in glass display cases. On the far end of the room sat three receptionists with lines of adventurers in front of them. Surveying his fellow adventurers, he took note of their gear. Most of the adventurers wore mixes of cheap-looking leather and chain armor. Of course, any set of armor was expensive, but it was quite clear these people were newcomers. One of the lines, however, likely reserved for the higher tiered fighters, had more exotic outfits. They were dressed in full plate, scale, chitin, and even bone. "Alright to pick a quest you should go over to one of these research globes", Alvon mentioned, as he motioned Goldie over to one of the display cases. "Your adventurer''s signet should allow you to unlock the case." Goldie walked over and pressed the ring against one of the glass panes. The case popped open and Goldie took out the fist-sized sphere. "Alrighty, power the orb and let''s have a look!", Alvon chimed. The crystalline orb began glowing and warping. It seemed like the space inside the sphere was expanding and folding outward.
Welcome, Xandon Jefferite. You have [0] personal quests. There are [9] quests you are eligible for.
"Among those nine, there should be an unlimited monster hunting quest. It usually entails patrolling around the L?ngva forest to exterminate mutated creatures. Most of them aren''t very dangerous, but from time to time an elite monster appears. Those are quite deadly, especially for lower levels, but they also fetch quite the hefty reward.", Alvon explained. Goldie looked over the list during Alvon''s explanation. There were a few quests wherein one had to gather specific materials from the forest or deliver monster materials to various outposts at the edge of town. Goldie figured it would synergize well with the hunting quest Alvon mentioned. He also noticed two boring sounding delivery requests and finally there was another permanent quest to ''dungeon delve''. "What dungeon does this refer to?" Goldie asked. "Most people call it the newbie dungeon. It''s a decent place to level for lower ranks, but it barely gives any money since the corpses dissolve back into energy. You''ll make the most money by delivering materials, and you''d gain the most levels by grinding monsters", Alvon explained. "I suggest you wait until tomorrow before entering. It takes a while to get anything done in there since as far as I know it is quite overpopulated." Goldie wasn''t completely oblivious to the nature of dungeons, though anything he knew was hearsay from his life as a merchant. There were a few instances in which some of the materials or items he sold originated from a far-off. Which raised the question... "Haven''t some people gotten treasure from dungeon delves before?" "It depends on the dungeon''s nature. Sometimes people discover long forgotten ruins within them. Some dungeons supposedly even summon items for the people who clear a certain condition. Every dungeon is unique. " Some people are convinced the gods created dungeons to reward brave heroes who dare enter. Like a ''hero recruitment program'' or something. What do you believe? I think that''s a bunch of nonsense! I think the gods are simply taking credit for a natural occurrence! It''s not like those old bastards have ever done anything for anyone. How did one explain the loot generation then? Goldie sensed he''d struck a nerve and decided to refrain from mentioning that to Xander. What quest do you suggest I start off with? I was never the adventuring type. Seems like hunting until evening and going to the dungeon tomorrow would be smartest. "Alright, I guess I''ll go patrol the forest for now.", he said as he tapped against the permanent quest. After reading the other descriptions he decided to add the gleamgrass and dire puma fang gathering quests. They seemed easy to do in conjunction with patrolling and upped his money-making efficiency.
Quest selection has been noted. Please proceed to receptionist [2] to receive the required authentication.
"You seem to have things figured out. I''ll leave you to it then" Alvon said. "Actually before I go, do you have a place to sleep?" "Uhh, I was planning pay for a room at the guild for the time being." "I see. Tell you what, if you want something nicer, then come over to my house in the evening", Al offered. He then scribbled his address on a small sheet of paper and handed it to Goldie, before walking towards the newly arrived Rhona. He must have realized that Goldie didn''t feel very comfortable around her. It was a tad strange of him to be so welcoming, but it warmed Goldie''s heart to have met such a kind person. At the front of the line, the receptionist took the orb off Goldie''s hands and placed it on a circular depression on her desk. There was a slight humming while a part of the desk lit up. "Please place your signet ring on the glowing pad", the receptionist requested. After having done so, the ring dimly shone for a few moments and was then returned to him. "Your quests have been logged, have you any need for additional services?" "None today, thank you." He couldn''t afford to burn daylight. As soon as he left he telepathically asked Xander for directions and strode off to the forest.
It took a while to arrive at the city''s boundary, especially because Xander''s telepathic direction-giving skills left to be desired. Once they finally arrived a guardsman asked for confirmation of his status as an adventurer. After inspecting Goldie''s ring, he bode them safe passage and let them enter the forest. Of course, the city wasn''t right next to the forest. It took a quarter of an hour to reach the woodland''s edge. According to his quest descriptions, which could be displayed with his ring, gleamgrass grew deeper into the forest, where the clustering of the trees no longer let as much light enter. Naturally that was also where the most creatures appeared which meant it was the perfect place for him to go. He glanced at his watch and took out his booklet. It was already 1:25, which meant he had around five hours to complete his tasks, if he wanted to eat dinner at an adequate time. Especially because he planned on accepting Alvon''s offer and didn''t want to be a bother by arriving at his doorstep late at night. One would think so, however, after scouting around for more than an hour Goldie still hadn''t found a single enemy. He did uncover a few patches of gleamgrass, but it only amounted to around a fifth of what he needed. "Where is everything?" Of course, as irony would have it, a snake chose that moment to leap off a tree branch and bite Goldie in the shoulder. "Coristam dammit!" He quickly grabbed the snake and pulled it off his body. After it landed it raised its head and waited. This passive behavior confused Goldie somewhat, but he decided to attack nevertheless.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. He then realized what it had been waiting for. The venom inside his body made him sluggish. He almost fell on his face before the snake jumped at his again, going for his neck. Goldie activated a Telekinetic Push and knocked the snake off course. It landed on its back and he jumped atop it, stabbing it in the head with his dagger. It spasmed lightly before going completely still. Goldie could feel a bit of its life force enter his body. Something with such a miniscule amount of strength nearly managed to cut his first adventure short. He needed to be far more cautious in the future. Yet at simultaneously he needed to speed up his patrol or else he''d never finish his objectives in time. I''m in a real pinch here, Xander. Did that tiny snake sap your will to continue? You handled yourself just fine, there''s no use in moping around on the forest floor. That''s actually a side-effect of the paralyzing venom inside my bloodstream. Oh... whoops. At this point the muscles inside his body had ceased responding to any input. Goldie had activated Targeted Invigoration to try counteracting its effects, but even then it took a few minutes for the effect to wear off.
[Standard skill Acquired: Poison Resistance]
He thanked Yan¡¯gekal that nothing attacked him while he was lying motionless on the ground, and continued his search for gleamgrass. Thanks to sticking to the shaded areas of the woods, he was able to find nearly enough to complete his quest. I''d have originally expected adventuring to be more interesting than this. Even standing inside a store all day without a single customer beats walking through a forest to gather herbs. You''re gonna have to pull through the tedious parts of adventuring before getting to the interesting bits. But aren''t there supposed to be monsters here as well? Of course, he had been attacked by a few more snakes on his journey, but they weren''t much of a challenge once he figured out he could use telekinesis to shoot them off course. At least the encounters gained him another Lvl in the skill, even if the snakes were practically worthless anima-wise. Eventually, Goldie came across something that interrupted the tedium. FINALLY! Hang on, that''s just a large field of gleamgrass what''s so special about that? Oh, there''s a boar standing on it, and not just any boar, it was a mutant. Instead of the usual two tusks, it sported four. It had red fur and two crystalline horns on its head. Its eyes were emitting a dim yellow glow and it was a massive six feet tall. The best part, however, was that it had not yet noticed Goldie''s presence.