《Mycology》 0.1 Part 1 0.1 Noun: Mycology /m???k?l?d?i/ The scientific study of fungi. A boring, not plant that doesn''t do anything interesting unless you get really into it. Have you heard about that new game? Matt asked, feigning nonchalance. My eyes unconsciously shifted towards him as he asked the question, but that was enough. In a rapid set of hand motions, Matts character did a sweeping leg kick and knocked my character down, before unleashing a barrage of fists. Fuck! my attention quickly jumped back. Five hit combo and still rising, I started randomly hitting buttons and moving my joystick, but it was no use. He had me in an iron grip. The screen flashed Game Over! just as Matt reached a twenty-eight combo. Matt smugly turned towards me, Alright, wheres my drink? I sighed, already pulling out my wallet, What do you want? Lemon-lime bitter, he replied, rising from his own arcade seat. The side of my eyes twitched, he couldnt have picked a coke or something? The cans for those are freaking tiny and they cost more! I sighed again, a bet was a bet. I might as well get myself something to drink as well. So have you heard about that new game? Matt asked. Ah yes, I replied in a dry tone, I completely understand which game youre talking about without you ever mentioning the name. He snorted, Dont be salty, anyways the game I was talking about is Eternal World Online. Eternal world online? Is that an MMO or something? Those tended to have online pasted at the end of their names after all. Yeah but- Not interested, I interrupted. Grind curve is too annoying. He lightly kicked me in the leg. But, this ones supposed to be a V.R. game. I paused, Like goggles on your face V.R. or virtual reality V.R? Virtual Reality. He replied, This ones supposed to be the first true vrmmo! The trailer came out in the morning. Another one? He kicked me in the leg again, What do you mean another one? I snorted, You said the exact same things last month, and a month before that about Steampunk Online. I swear, this one is going to be different! I rolled my eyes as we reached the vending machines, So, whats the deal with Eternal World then? I asked as I offered him his can. He took it and answered, Dude, its gonna reshape gaming as we know it, and when that happens Im going to be riding the wave of history without you. he swiped his hands in front of him a few times, Here, I sent you the trailer. I heard a ding as a mailbox at the side of my vision gained a red 1 and non-discreetly rolled my eyes in front of him, You have said that with literally every vrmmo that came out in the last decade. Nah, he denied, This one''s different, theyre going to be using quantum computers for the servers. I raised an eyebrow. That could work It would certainly get over the server limit problem. Everyone and their hamster knew how much processing power was needed just to have a single person experience a virtual world in any realistic way. But I couldnt concede now and deal with Matt''s smug face for a week. A good computer does not a good game make, I replied sagely. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. He lightly jabbed me in the side, I responded by quickly throwing out an arm to try to headlock him. He got away before I could get a good grip on him, slippery fucker. Matts own can popped open. Where to next? he casually asked as if he didnt just deck me in the gut. I popped open my own coke, Hmm the retro racing section now?- I heard an alarm go off at the back of my head. A message popped up in front of me.
Saturday 8:00 pm alarm. You have tutor tomorrow idiot.
I sighed, Ill have to go soon, I have tutor in the morning tomorrow. Matt rolled his eyes. Come on Declan, one more game. I made a show of rolling my own eyes, Thats what you always say before an all-nighter. Then dont lose all the time. He smirked, but quickly changed his approach when he saw my unamused expression. Come on Declan, think about it, when youre old and looking back on life, do you think you wouldve been happy going home early to sleep for some stupid tutor or do you think you would be happier having another game with your friends? I rolled my eyes again, Yes and- When you''re lying on your deathbed and you have the flashbacks of your entire life, would you really not regret playing a game with your best friend one last time? This isnt the last time I could play with you- What if tonight the love of your life is just out there waiting to bump into you, do you really want to play with fate Declan? I really have to go to that tutor tomorrow. You think when youre older and youve got a job you would be happy to go to some stupid tutor to get some dumb degree? Yes, I stressed, That degree is probably how I got that job. These are our glory years Declan, do you really want to sit and watch them go by? If I could roll my eyes any harder than now I wouldve seen my brain. Matt was really trying to force it. Declan. Yes, what? If you play one more game- Im not playing another fucking game Matt, I interrupted. -I will buy you a drink. I glanced at the opened can of coke in my hand. Then I looked back at him. Alright sure, I agreed.
I took a sip out of my lemon-lime bitter as I checked my messages. One from my parents; When r u coming home? I quickly typed up a reply saying that I was already on a bus. It was pretty late now, Matt and I ended up playing another hour together, retro-style arcade games were more fun than I thought they would be. That reminds me, what was the game Matt wanted me to check out? Hmm, I swiped open my messages and checked the preview he sent me. Ah, Eternal World Online, I did a brief search online. The screenshots looked pretty nice, I guess Ill put it on my wishlist- It happened too quickly. There was the sound of metal crunching and the bus suddenly stopped. Momentum violently rocked me forward then threw me back, my head crashed into something and before I knew it I was lying on the aisle in between the seats. There was a dull pain on my nose, was it broken? I opened my eyes, blurry; I mustve teared up on reflex. Red warning signs were filling my vision. Vitals. I thought, and my vision was temporarily filled with dozens of graphs, before quickly being replaced by a summary.
No damage to vital organs. Pulse: Rapid, Assistant recommends taking deep breaths to calm down. Pain experienced shows you have suffered a: Broken nose. Left upper arm bruising. Minor damage suffered in: Left lower arm. Upper right arm. Lower right arm. Left thigh. Head. Lower torso. ... An ambulance has been notified. Do you wish for the somatic implant to limit pain signals?
Yess. I hissed out.
Pain signals lowered. Please wait for a licensed professional to assist you.
Fuck that. I groaned, rolling onto my back, taking the pressure off my left arm. Leaning on a chair with my good arm, I lifted myself up. I let out a sigh of relief as my implant slightly numbed the pain. Something was weird here, the bus crashed into something, and car accidents were supposed to be one of those things humanity left behind in the 21st century. This was no accident because accidents dont fucking exist anymore, I sure as hell wasnt just going to lie here to find out what- I heard a clear ding. My augmented reality interface started acting on its own, opening one of my apps. I got a message. 0.1 Part 2 Are you sure that nothing out of the ordinary happened before the crash? The police officer asked. I coughed, No, I didnt notice anything out of the ordinary. Are you absolutely sure? he pressed. My hands fidgeted, Yes, very sure. Lay up on the lad will ya John? a new voice added, another police officer, an older one. Sorry about him, our department doesnt get much action nowadays so hes a bit excited. Officer one, John, groaned, Sir please refer to me as Officer Graham. While on duty. The older officer snorted, Pfft, youre too uptight about things. Officer one looked like he was gonna rebut, before sighing in defeat and saying, Ill go interview the other victims. Sorry bout him, hes a bit too stiff, the older officer said. I nodded, Whatll happen to this case? The officer scratched his head, It was a strange one, so many driving programs bugged out at once. Chances are itll be thrown to cybersecurity. I nodded again, deep in thought. Did they I scratched an itch, manage to find anything strange on the programs? The officer shook his head, We did an initial sweep of everything. Nothing strange was found. Like I said, itll be thrown to cyber for deeper investigation. The door to the hospital room opened, a doctor walked in, Oh, youre still interviewing him- No, Im done, the officer interrupted, Take care kid, youre the calmest interviewee out of every involved in this incident. I grunted an agreement as the doctor moved forward to check me. The gel is setting nicely, your nose should be healed in half a week. Bruising couldnt really be helped, but you should be fine in a day or two. Did the nurse install the painkiller mod on your AAD? I nodded. Alright then, you should be free to leave in an hour or so after I remove the gel, he finished as he turned to leave. Wait- he paused, I received a strange message after the crash. I wanted to say. Instead, I coughed, Nothing, dont worry. He looked a bit bewildered, before turning around to leave again. I received a message after the crash. My hands fidgeted. I may be under the influence of a malicious program. I scratched an itch. A cough, fidgeting hands and an itch. This was a pattern and a compulsion, whenever I attempted to say anything about the message, it happened. It occurred when I was talking to the police officers, it happened when I tried to say something to the doctor. Something odd happened during the crash, I said aloud. Vague statements about the crash still worked, I confirmed that much when talking to the older officer. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. I was likely under the influence of an NDA program, that much I gathered from the message. However, this was more advanced than any NDA program Ive read about. For one, instead of causing the affected to abruptly stop whatever they were saying. Mine seems to make me take an alternate action. Two, it made me naturally brush off whatever I was going to say if who I was speaking to was expecting an answer. Three, whenever I thought of an alternative continuation to a response that didnt relate to the message, the program would substitute that instead of the pre-written responses of just brushing off the issue. I am under an NDA program, I tried to say, instead, I shook my leg. Shit. Four, this program doesnt rely on proximity to people. Still works even when Im alone in a hospital room. Five, my body responses changed. Indicating that it was learning. Six, it was likely reading my mind. Its somehow intercepting my thoughts faster than I could vocalise them, and this was likely how it learned about the flaw of the repeating pattern. Unless that pattern was reliant on proximity to people or some other variable I was unaware of, if that is true then I might be able to discount five. However, it was best not to underestimate my opponent''s capability. I raised a hand, quickly scrolling through my AR interface. I went to settings and turned off wifi. I tried again and clicked my tongue. Seven, it has either hacked my AAD so that it only appears that Ive turned off wifi or it doesnt rely on it at all. I raised my hand to my neck, loosening and removing the choker shaped device. My AR interfaces disappeared and the dull pain on my nose returned. I tried speaking again. Nothing. No bodily reflex or replaced words. I had said nothing at all. I tried again and coughed, my hand twitched and I felt an itch on my neck. A warning couldnt have been more obvious. Seven, addendum. The program doesnt rely on my AAD at all. Its somehow directly communicating with my somatic implant. It couldnt be installed in the implant, that thing barely had enough processing power to translate brain signals into computer code. Replacing my AAD, I comforted myself that at least now I didnt hurt like someone bricked me in the face. A few quick swipes later and I reached the message I received. I''m very sorry for the inconvenience. You have been selected for a game. Please open the below file to activate the tutorial. Measures have been taken to ensure the anonymity of the game. Eight, whoever sent this message wants something from me. Enough that theyll do highly illegal actions to achieve it. Anything that modified a persons behaviour can only be installed with that persons express consent. Even painkiller mods, which didnt at all change human behaviour needed consent. Something that modified a person this far was illegal unless I signed a literal truckload of legal documents. Why would anyone go this far for me? It was unlikely to be money, my family was well off but not enough that it warrants this sort of risk and this was too much of a roundabout method. A virus that stole my bank info wouldve been much simpler and discreet. A grudge? No, I dont remember pissing off anyone with the capability to do this, and not to the extent of warranting this sort of treatment. And again, if someone disliked me then this was way too roundabout a method. Was all this really for something as mundane as a game? Too many questions, not enough information. I can form theories but nothing concrete. As far as I can see, my only real options were to load the file or wait. It was unlikely that the file was even more malware. Whoever this is they managed to install some kind of censor program on me in the brief moment the cars crashed. Unless this was a sick joke then there is no reason for them to need me to manually run a program. That idea gave me a bit of hope. Frankly speaking, if they were able to create such a program then they couldve easily just taken control of my body. However, by doing so, they showed that they wanted something from me, which meant I potentially had leverage. I opened messages to ask my parents to pick me up from the hospital, and to Matt- my hand froze. It works on freaking text as well! Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I decided to send a half complaining, half whinging message about stupid AI drivers and a quick update instead. My hand freezing in midair whenever I tried to enter some kind of secret message. I ended up spending a good two minutes just trying to write a short text because of that. I checked the time. I had a good half an hour before someone got here to pick me up or the doctor checked up on me again. I took another deep breath and loaded the file. 0.1 Part 3 The hospital room faded away to darkness and I quickly checked my interface. I was in virtual reality right now. Had to be sure, there were embarrassing stories of people who thought they were playing in virtual reality when they were actually in augmented reality. I glanced around, I was brought to a dimly lit room, the only light was coming off of several computer screens on a desk in the front right corner. A man sat there, from behind I could only see his black hair and green spectacles. This place looked like it mightve been a neat office once, however, the wall right of me was almost completely covered in pages of messy scribbling. To my left was a cot with thrown back blankets. On it sat a child. Blues eyes, pale white skin and long hair, wearing some kind of black dress. Almost definitely a virtual avatar. But something felt off about her. I heard the chair swing around, I believe you have many questions you want to ask. the man said. I gave the child another look over, before turning to him. Tired was my first impression of him, almost like my dad, his eyes were half-closed with clear bags, his shoulders were noticeably hunched and the blue light from the computers reflected a few grey hairs I didnt notice before. His face seemed familiar somehow. Are you the person who sent me the message? It was unlikely that he was a custom avatar, most people probably wont try to go for the overworked office worker look, it was probably what he looked like in real life. Who are you? Yes and no, I am the cause of the message and the programmer of that program you tried so hard to crack, but I wasnt the one who sent it, a programmer was expected, however, he was definitely working with someone else based on his second statement. He gave me a tired smile, As for who I am, my name is Giles Cooper. Where have I heard that name before? Where? Giles Cooper An old memory surfaced, a lazy afternoon in history class three or four years ago, about a major development in virtual and augmented reality. The Gaia Project, I croaked. Youre the person who led the creation of Gaia nine years ago. His face became somewhat embarrassed, So you know, I figured most people wouldve forgotten about it by now. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Nobody forgot Hawking, Newton or Einstein, I blurted out. The Gaia project was no joke, to describe it absurdly simply. Gaia was a near-perfect one to one recreation of the world. It was a virtual world created on a scale never seen or attempted before. My eyes narrowed, focusing on him, Why and what? He glanced at me confused. Why is the worlds greatest programmer here, and what does he want from me? Ah, he said, Right, back on track, Eve did say you were that kind of person. I raised an eyebrow, Eve? The girl behind you, but before that, let me tell you why youre here, he brushed off, Let me first answer the what. What I want Declan, and what I have always wanted, he leaned forward and whispered, Is to create a living, breathing world. He stood up and walked towards me. Gaia was a step towards that, however, it was incomplete, it only recreated our current world, it wasnt even a perfect copy. What I wanted was to be able to simulate a world on the scale of our own, but it would have people of their own, who thought their world was real, it couldve been different, with unique geography, physical laws, races, anything! He smiled madly at me, I wanted to make worlds, and so I started writing a program. He gestured to the wall on the right. Which I now realised was some language of computer code, However, he paused, I had no idea if it worked since there wasnt a computer in existence strong enough to run it, he said with a feeling of deep disappointment and defeat. He raised his index finger, Until, Quantum computers, I finished for him. Yes! He yelled excitedly, When Maple announced that they had successfully invented the quantum computer and planned on commercialising it, I was overcome with sheer ecstasy! He threw a fist into the air. I immediately went to them for a proposal. I would gain access to one of the first Quantum computers made. And they will be the first to use the completed Seed program! He sprayed his arms above him. And I was successful! I managed to simulate a fully living, breathing world! Maple was going to debut the first living world in their new game Final World Online! But. He paused. But But But his eyes went blank before he returned to his desk. Unfortunately thats as far as Giles can go now. A flat voice said, I turned around to look at the little girl who had stood up. What is wrong with him? I asked. What is wrong with Giles? I repeated. She tilted her head. The action meant to be cute but felt far too natural or smooth to be anything but. The man known as Giles Cooper is dead. She said with a completely even tone and a straight face. He committed suicide after the Final World Online game was cancelled and shut down, along with the first-ever simulated world made with the completed Seed program. The person you were talking to is a recreation of my father based on my memories of him. 0.1 Part 4 I gave the girl a long, hard stare. It did not feel like she was lying. Please elaborate. Expressionless, she continued, Final World was cancelled in its final stages of development, due to ethical worries that the game would be controversial and put the company in a bad light. Controversial almost felt like an understatement, if what the Giles copy said was true, then the Seed was basically creating people for the sole purpose of entertainment. And he committed suicide shortly after? I asked. She nodded, Correct. Then what are you? I asked, my voice completely calm. She looked up at me, blue eyes meeting my gaze. My name is Eve, I am an assistant A.I. used by Giles Cooper. No assistant A.I. should be half as advanced as I think you are. I was created by Father using similar principles that he used in both the Seed and Gaia project. I raised an eyebrow, Which are? To put it simply, learning. I am a prototype project he developed and tested before the Seed program to test if the principles he set down would work in practice, simulating a single person required significantly less computing power than an entire world. I nodded, And then what happened? She continued, Father had taught me how to program, and uploaded me to the Maple servers in order to assist him in the development of the Seed project. I sighed, And upon his death you took control of the Maple servers. Correct. Shaking my head, I sighed again. Why couldnt Giles have watched at least one AI dystopia movie? Or even just learn the lessons from the Russians? Dont give any form of AI something you can''t turn off. Especially not hyper-intelligent and self-aware AI with access to the strongest computers on the planet! Then why all this? I gestured to the room around me, Why the message, why bring me here, and why tell me everything? Her eyes seemed to turn melancholic, Father wished for people to explore the worlds he created. My eyes narrowed, that was the first bit of emotion she showed in our entire conversation. Did she feel like humans did? And if I refuse? Your memory will be wiped, and you may return to your life, none the wiser. That car crash, was it you? Yes, she replied, An executive from Maple was at the intersection. I rashly took action. My blood chilled, though I did not allow it to show on my face, What happened to him? This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. He is alive and recovering in the hospital you are in, about two floors above you. Will you kill him? I asked. No. Why? Because father wouldve disapproved of me killing. I stood there, studying her, considering what she said and more importantly where I would go from here. It was a lot to take in, learning that one of the greatest men of your age was not only dead but left behind some kind of A.I. god to do whatever the fuck it seems to want. Of course, there was always the chance that this was some kind of prank, that everything I heard was a lie, however, if it was, then it was a damn fucking elaborate one. And no-one wouldve gone this far for me. Why was I chosen? You were chosen randomly from the people involved in the car crash. I sighed. Going back was the sane decision, likely even the smart one. Continue to live life as I always had. So why dont I want to do that? Perhaps it was because of that strange sensation. Yes, it was probably that. When I first opened that message in that crashed bus, I could hear my own heart beating. I could feel the flow of my blood as adrenaline spread through my veins. And I felt fear, but also anticipation, an excitement at a situation that broke through my boring, mundane life. Fine, Ill play ball with you, I agreed, and I would like to make my first customer complaint. She tilted her head in a questioning look. Remove that censure program you have on me, her expression remained unmoved, Look, I continued, your father wanted people to play in his game world didnt he? She nodded. Enjoyment is the main part of playing. People can source enjoyment from many things, some not only feel enjoyment when they play but also when they tell stories about what they have played. No matter how much of a recluse a person is, they will still want social interaction of some kind. Your point being? My point being, whatever reason you had when you installed that censure program, it will passively lower a persons enjoyment, either because they feel oppressed playing the game or they cannot share their experiences in the real world, I did not hold leverage in this conversation, so I had to frame this in a way that benefits her. She looked hesitant, doubtful, she likely saw the logic in what I was saying but something else was holding her back. I moved in for the finishing blow. Your father, Giles Cooper, was the same, wasnt he? He wanted to share his world with people, that is why you are here. Other people are the same, arent they? They also want to share things with other people. Its just human nature, hammering in the final nail in the coffin, I asked, Do you really think youre achieving your fathers dream by doing this? Eve paused and stared at me. Youre trying to guilt-trip me, she realised, her face still with the odd, emotionless expression. Did it work? Doubt filled my mind for a brief moment, but I quickly quelled it and smiled, Yup, welcome to humanity Eve. She sighed, as if deep in thought, Your request has been accepted. The censure program has been removed, however, if you take any actions thatll work against me or my goal then I will take appropriate actions to retaliate. Victory. Just be glad Im not trying to hammer in Customer service principles into you. I snickered. Fuck you, She replied in a completely even tone. I dramatically recoiled, as if wounded by some imaginary weapon. But internally I smiled. Whatever the fuck Eve was, it was at least human or trying very hard to imitate it and that was fine. If she was faking it then Ill play along, if she wasnt well, wouldnt that make everything that much more interesting? So can I play or what? I asked. But you only have approximately 15 minutes left? Eve replied. Ignoring the casual invasion of privacy, I slapped my face, Shit I forgot. Ehh screw it, 15 minutes is enough. She raised an eyebrow, in an eerily similar way to me. Very well. And that was when the floor disappeared beneath me. 1.1 Part 1 1.1 Log 5819: Bone Dragon flight very limited. Seek alternative flying harbingers of doom. - Personal Memoirs of the Revenant King. I was falling. Feeling the sudden downwards acceleration toward a sea of white clouds, I did what any sane person would do and screamed like a little girl. That comparison is rather unflattering, Eve said next to me. I turned my head and looked at her expressionless face, she was enjoying this, wasnt she? Yes! She was definitely enjoying this! This is an intro cinematic I made, she continued, completely dismissing my accusatory expression. The good part comes now, she finished before disappearing. Suddenly I was engulfed in clouds, my vision was filled with white, before abruptly shifting to green as I broke through the clouds as suddenly as I had entered. I discovered a vast stunning landscape. I was above some kind of city, but any signs of civilisation seemed to have been replaced with verdant greenery. Words flashed in front of me. Written in bold impactful letters. WELCOME TO GAIA World of Beginnings I released a breath I didnt know I was holding, and before I could completely recover from the shock, I felt my feet softly landing on something solid. My heart felt like a rabid animal as it beat loudly in my ribcage. That was terrifying wonderful fuck. I fell to my knees, waiting for my heart rate to settle. I recommend taking deep breaths to calm down. Eve calmly said next to me. Ha. Ha. Ha, I sarcastically replied, very funny. She tilted her head, It was an attempt at an inside joke. Not a very good one, as the last time I heard that, you broke my nose. Unintentionally. Doesnt fix my broken nose, I snorted as I shifted to a more comfortable sitting position. It will fix itself. A benefit of an organic body. I took a few glances around, I was on the roof of some kind of building. I could make out some ventilation fans scattered around me, along with a room that had stairs leading downwards. The place was covered in greenery, almost excessively so. Sprouts seemed to grow out of every available crack, moss covered most of the floor. Gingerly raising my hand, I poked a patch of moss next to me. It was soft, I slowly scraped a bit off with a finger and brought it to my nose. It smelled damp and earthy. What realism level are we operating on here? I asked. Ignoring pain reduction programs and menus, 100%, she replied in her unnaturally even tone. Well shit, I replied impressed, the best vrmmo on the market should only be 60%. Is it always going to be on 100%? Yes, but you may adjust it if you wish. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! I rose, my hand wiping off the damp moss on my pants, Where are we? Gaia, she answered, I used fathers original one to one replication as a base, then simulated several centuries without human existence. And what are we doing here? I asked, it was a bit strange that we started in a simulation of our world, as opposed to whatever game world I suspected she made. You will go through your tutorial here along with character creation. Please think of it as a hub world or a menu you access before you enter the game. Why Gaia though? Gaia was fathers second greatest achievement, it would be a waste to not use it somehow. I nodded, it would make sense for father complex to try to shove everything down my throat. It was interesting that she considered Gaia to be second best. Doing a quick stretch, I took a deep breath. The air almost felt unnaturally fresh and clear to me as I heard my arms and shoulders crack in a satisfying manner. I started walking towards the edge of the building, feeling my breath being taken away for the second time that day as I saw past the short protective barrier at the edge. I saw large, squat concrete buildings go as far as I could see. Yet here they were covered in rich vegetation. Moss and vines crept on the side of skyscrapers. Trees roots grew large and unhindered, cracking through ancient looking asphalt. Colourful birds flew by in the distance. Part of me wanted to just stand there and admire the scenery. I did for a few minutes, but I was on a time limit. I turned around to Eve. I suggest that you log off soon, it is unlikely youll get through both character creation and the tutorial in the remaining 11 minutes you have before the doctor checks up on you. I sighed, I wanted to stay here a bit longer but getting interrupted halfway through was more irritating than waiting. Fine! I said, making a decision, Show me the character creation options, Ill have time to think about it. She nodded, and a holographic screen appeared in front of me. On it, was a long list of races. Youre free to customise your characters appearance however you want. However, I suggest keeping to your real-life body proportions to avoid character disconnect. I nodded, barely registering her words as I scrolled through the list of races. It was long, at least fifty races were listed here. However most of them were blurred out, only four races were available to me currently. Humans, elf, dwarf and gnome. Whats this? I asked, gesturing to a fifth available option, which just said Im feeling lucky. That option gives you preselected options. I raised an eyebrow, And how are those selected? By me, She replied. Using what criteria? And why would I pick that option? Eve raised an eyebrow, The criteria is a trade secret and you have the chance of obtaining a character with a locked starter race or class. I gestured at the blurred out options, Any other way to unlock the locked starter races? Yes, she replied, Every 100 experience points you gain in-game will give you an Impact Point. These points can be spent in the hub for new character slots or to permanently unlock starter races or classes. That sounds like itll scale horrifically. Eve shrugged, Ill make adjustments if they are needed, and experience isnt as common as you believe. I opened my mouth to ask, -youll find out for yourself. She interrupted. I gave her a questioning look, before shrugging. Am I locked into the premade if I pick it or can I look at it and decide my options? I asked. You may preview it and you arent locked into that character, and you are allowed a degree of customisation with it. However you currently only have one character slot to use. I tapped on the preselected option. A figure appeared before me. It was odd. Humanoid looking and was about a head shorter than me, it had leathery, greyish-white skin. It didnt have hands so much as some kind of graspers. But its most defining traits was on its head. Instead of eyes or a mouth, there were gaps where they should be, like a jack o lantern, and from there, glowed some kind of faint blue bioluminescence. On its head was some kind of small wizards hat. Except there were bulbous patches where it was glowing in the same faint blue luminescence as the eyes and mouth. It wasnt until I looked closer that I realised the cap was connected to the things scalp. I looked at the description. Variant Myconid: Magic Cap. Class options: Druid, Sorcerer, Fungalmancer. I went back and tapped on human, ignoring the new figure that appeared before me. The only class options were Fighter, Cleric, Wizard, Rogue and Ranger. I checked the other three races. The exact same options. Boring. Well, it looks like Im going to be playing a magic mushroom. 1.1 Part 2 I opened my eyes, blearily stretching my arms as I rose from the hospital bed. First things first, I was invited to a vrmmo by some kind of AI, I whispered. The words came out, it was safe enough to assume that Eve had removed the program on me... Or just patched it so I could speak more freely. At this point, I couldnt be sure until I tested it. I checked the time. 11 pm. It was pretty late. A car should be here to pick me up by now. My finger moved towards my Messages, I paused as I noticed a new app underneath. Gaia. Two messages. One from Matt asking for more details. One from my parents telling me the car was on the way to pick me up. I quickly typed up a message to Matt. Apparently, all the driving programs all bugged out at once I paused and typed. Is what the police think, the truth is that some god level AI hacked into them I stopped and deleted that line. It sounded crazy now that I typed it down, and I didnt want to drag Matt into this, not yet. I had too little information, both on Eve and the game she was trying to sell. Id like to think I have a good grasp on Eves personality. If Eve has as much processing power as she claims to have, then there is no point in attempting to trick her. Guilt-tripping her about her father worked, or was it just pretending to make me feel like I had leverage? She can definitely read my mind as well. Ughh fuck. Theres no way I can outthink that thing, and if I think about the ifs of her behaviour then Ill spend forever in a constant loop of bad outcomes. Stick to what I know first, use Occams Razor. Whatever that AI is, it''s fucking powerful. For now, Ill just assume the worst and say it has several planets worth of computing power behind it. Second is that the AI is interested in keeping at least a semblance of humanity. Perhaps the only thing I could exploit. I definitely cant make her lose her sense of humanity somehow, or at least the apparent obsession with Giles Cooper. Third would be her goals Which seems to be just fulfilling whatever Giles Cooper wanted -mental note to find out everything I could about that man- which is displaying all his major achievements and/or the creation of worlds. Fourth I cant think of a fourth. Ill come back to it later. The other thing is the game shes trying to sell. If everything Ive heard about it was true, then its on a scale that has never been attempted before. Replicating a persons senses in a virtual world with 100% accuracy isnt impossible, it just takes a shit ton of processing power. Hence why no VRMMO on the market has ever gone past 60%. Not only that but there are also horror stories about sensory bugs. If some idiot accidentally swapped two sensations around, then suddenly that cool breeze youre feeling in VR becomes dozens of needlepoints stabbing you. Or theres a model glitch and you phase yourself through an object. Needless to say, the sensation of being stuck in a table isnt pleasant. Just having an entire world with 100% realism would be enough to make Gaia the most popular game in the world. The fact that it was just acting as a hub world for something greater is Wonderful. Somewhere along the line, Matts stupid enthusiasm for VRMMOs infected me as well. Even if I became jaded after the dozens of failures weve tried. Some were fun, but none of them felt real. Gaia felt real. I smelled the freshness of the air, I felt the damp softness of the moss. Mundane and small details lesser vrmmos had to sacrifice to get server space. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. For the second time today, I felt my heart speed up, my blood rushing. I wanted to be there when the first perfect VRMMO was released. I want to play it, I want to experience it. I tapped a notebook on my interface, Eve had allowed me to copy down the class and race descriptions so that I could make a choice. Just from a glance, Druid seems to be a conditional generalist whereas the other two are specialists. However, with how vaguely defined the sorcerous aspects are, Sorcerer might also be considered a generalist. If were going by classic RPG magic, then mana alone encompassed a lot of magical shit. Fungalmancer had the vaguest description, however, it was the most unique of the three and had roleplaying value for being a mushroom mage on a mushroom race.
Race: Myconid Subrace: Magic Cap A myconid born in a mana rich environment, it is innately talented in magic and possesses the rich vitality and spore-based racial skills the species as a whole is known for. However, in addition to the myconids'' natural aversion to sunlight and dryness, extended periods without mana may kill it. Beware of deserts and null magic zones. Stats: Body Strength: 8 Agility: 7 Dexterity: 6 Constitution: 15 Stamina: 10 Vitality: 12 Mind Intelligence: 11 Wisdom: 15 Charisma: 6 Soul Will: 10 Aura: 10 Perception: 10 Growth: +1 Wisdom per level +1 Intelligence per 2 levels +1 Free point that can be spent on CON or VIT per 2 levels 2 SP required to raise Dexterity 5 SP required to raise Agility 5 SP required to raise Charisma Racial Abilities (Summary): Superior Darkvision [Passive]: Can see in dim light within 40 meters as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can''t discern colours in darkness, only shades of grey. Fungal Body [Passive]: Innate resistance to poisons. Sun Sickness [Passive]: Being in direct sunlight will drain your stamina, this effect can be mitigated by raising Constitution. Mana Dependency [Passive]: Taking physical actions with low mana will drain extra stamina. Pacifying Spores [Active]: Eject spores at a creature within 5 meters of you, if the target fails a Constitution Save then it is put to sleep. This skill scales with your Constitution and Vitality. Innate Magic [Passive]: Gain 2 Tier 0 Spells from the Magic Cap Myconid Spell List. Languages: Common, Undercommon Classes: Druid Druids draw upon nature for power. It is a very versatile class with the ability to shapeshift into various creatures and access to both defensive and offensive spells. However, since druids call upon nature for power, you may be required to actively help and protect nature or risk losing its favour. Your powers may also weaken with proximity to civilisation or extended periods without assisting nature in some way. Sorcerer A mage that draws upon an innate talent for power. Their spells are known to be extremely powerful, however, the magic they can achieve is limited to their bloodline. As a Magic Cap Myconid, your available bloodlines are Mana, Spores and Primal Elements. Fungalmancer A specialised mage with abilities closely relating to fungus. It can use far-spreading spores for a variety of colourful effects and summon or create fungal lifeforms to do its bidding.
I couldnt think of a single reason why I wouldnt want to play any one of these classes. Druids had drawbacks and conditions however, it seemed to be the most versatile of the three, just the ability to shapeshift into different creatures is overpowered. Sorcerer covered a lot more than what I initially thought of it and Fungalmancer was unique and fit the mushroom theme. It was when the doctor came and removed the gel that I had decided. If I was going to play a weird race, I might as well go for the weird class. 1.2 Part 1 1.2 The first spell a mage acolyte learns is lesser combustion through Mana components, in other words, a simple Spark spell. This may seem basic and harmless, but the lives consumed by this spell is immeasurable. - Magus Ackuaz, rumoured pyrophobe. I dashed out of the car as it finished parking. A quick scan of my AAD and the front door opened with a whoosh. It was almost twelve yet I couldnt have felt more energetic. I rushed towards my room while trying to stay as quiet as possible. My parents were probably already asleep by now, no point in waking them up and getting into a conversation. Barely remembering to change out of my clothes, I hopped onto my bed. My hand already reaching out to tap Gaia. The bed disappeared beneath me. Oh, not this aga- A title card and only a little amount of screaming later, I was back on the roof. Eve was waiting for me, You have decided on your character? Myconid Fungalmancer, I replied. The avatar from before appeared before me. Do you want to modify the appearance in any way? I glanced over the avatar, Make the cap a bit larger, and have it droop downwards a bit. She nodded as the figure changed, Anything else? Can I change the colour of the glow? Not drastically, she replied. Alright, change it to a softer blue, sorta like aquamarine. She did, Anything else? Eve asked. I shook my head, No, Alright then, she clapped her hands, begin the Tutorial.
I found myself in an enclosed room. It looked like an old janitors closet and shared the post-apocalyptic theme I saw in the rest of Gaia, except there were also tons of mushrooms growing everywhere. Glancing around, I could see no light source. Strange, the room was very well lit- That would be your dark vision, I involuntarily jumped back as one of the mushrooms spoke. Congrats on getting myconid, the mushroom continued, the race has a lot of pretty useful racial abilities. It turned towards me, he was another myconid, a bit smaller than me and had a flat brown cap. You are? Im your tutorial bot, Hendrix, Ill be helping you understand your skills and guiding you around Gaia. I nodded and he continued, First off, open your Character Sheet, you only need to think it, Character Sheet.
Classes: Fungalmancer Level 1 Body Strength: 8 Agility: 7 Dexterity: 6 Constitution: 15 Stamina: 10 Vitality: 12 Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Mind Intelligence: 14 Wisdom: 15 Charisma: 6 Soul Will: 10 Aura: 10 Perception: 10 Racials: Superior Darkvision, Fungal Body, Sun Sickness, Mana Dependency, Pacifying Spores, Innate Magic Class Skills: None. Spells: None Languages: Common, Undercommon
Your stats are broadly classified into three categories, Body, Mind and Soul. Depending on your class, there are different areas to specialise in. For a Fungalmancer, the important stats are usually the ones that fall under Body and Mind, Hendrix continued to explain, you can tap on each of the stats to get a quick description. I quickly went through every one of the stats. Strength, Agility and Dexterity were pretty self-explanatory, they were about how strong, agile and dexterous you are. Perception too, it was just how good you were at sensing other things. The ones that stood out to me, were the ones that measured my resource bars, Stamina, Constitution, Intelligence and Aura. Which each measured energy, health, mana and aura points respectively. Each had a complementary stat which determined how quickly they regenerated. Wisdom for mana, Will for Aura and Vitality for both health and stamina. Charisma oddly wasnt about physical appearance, but instead about how well you interacted with people. A charisma of six was basically a person who was almost blind to social cues. What next? I asked. The other mushroom perked up, Next is the fun part, you pick your starting spells. I raised an- oh wait, I didnt have eyebrows now- My spells? He nodded, Yup, as a Magic Cap you innately gain two tier 0 spell slots, Fungalmancer at level 1 also gives you two spell slots at tier 0 and two at tier 1. You also get an extra skill which Ill demonstrate to you soon. Whats the difference between tiers? Generally the higher the tier the stronger and more costly the spell. Tier 0 spells cost practically nothing and can be spammed if you want to. They usually amount to nothing but utility spells or fun party tricks, He snapped his fingers and a ball of soft light appeared. Like so. Tier 1 spells are a level above that, he opened the palm of his other hand and a ball of fire appeared, Beginning from this tier spells will actually have some impact to them. They cost more mana but are much more powerful. He closed both hands, causing both spells to disappear, Of course, with creative usage even tier 0 spells can be absurdly powerful. But that is more dependant on the user. I nodded, it made sense. Often a weak character can still be effective if used well. Where can I pick my spells then? Hendrix raised an index finger, Not so fast, theres the skill I need to show you first. I nodded and he continued, he began by opening a palm upwards. Grow Sporage. A single white mushroom sprouted from his palm. As a Fungalmancer, Sporage is going to be one of your most used skills. What it does, is create a mushroom that is capable of storing magic. Like so, he waved his free hand in front of the mushroom, Light Spores, and the mushroom began glowing softly. You can then recast the spell from the mushroom. Light Spores, he said, and the mushroom let out a small puff of glowing dust, before withering and disappearing. At level 1 you require a clear line of sight to activate, this can be changed if you pick up class upgrades. Of course, you can put these mushrooms anywhere, he bent down and tapped the ground, where another white mushroom sprouted up. They maintain their form by absorbing ambient mana, at level 1 they should stay around for an hour or so. I nodded, And how does this skill change what spells I should take? Hendrix nodded in approval? It was hard to tell with his mushroom face. You pick things up quickly. Sporage can only store spore-based spells. An important distinction. How is it different? Spore-based spells generally have trouble affecting non-living things. There are some exceptions of course. However dont expect your healing spores spell to affect something like an Undead. he tapped the white mushroom, Of course as a Fungalmancer you should naturally be focusing on fungal based spells since many synergies will emerge as you level. I nodded, Makes sense. Alright then, he rubbed his hands together. Onto the fun parts, he bent down and pulled out a dusty looking book from underneath the mushrooms. Look here, Hendrix said as he opened the book.
Myconid Magics and Fun Fungalmancy! Glossary: Tier 0 spells Balm Spores Light Spores Mending Spores ... Tier 1 spells Mushroom Meal Shroom Speed Detect Poison
Thats a lot... I replied as I flipped through the glossary. He nodded, Yep, hurry up and pick. Theres the physical tutorial after this. I grunted out something that sounded like acknowledgement. I was already flipping past the glossary to get to the spell descriptions. 1.2 Part 2 Hendrix moved towards an ancient looking service door, You ready? Youre currently operating on more or less your human senses and proportions, which shouldve smoothed over the process somewhat. However, once you leave this room the physical tutorial will start, and youll begin seeing through myconid eyes. Eve will make adjustments when necessary, however, the first time should still be disorientating. I nodded, giving one last glance at the list of spells I picked.
Tier 0 Balm Spores, Sneezing Spores, Light Spores and Acid Spit. Tier 1 Mushroom Meal, Poison Spores
Lets go. He nodded and creaked open the door. There was a moment of dizziness as my vision lowered by a dozen or so centimetres, the first thing I noticed was a sudden decrease in feeling. Like there was a film over my skin, muting everything I felt. The second was that everything seemed to be in black and white. Light, Hendrix muttered in front of me. A soft glowing orb lit up the area. Darkvision is useful, however, you cant discern colour at all with it, he explained. You alright? I nodded, it was not as bad I thought it would be, my body felt slower, more numb, but not weak. More of a slow and building strength if anything. My eyes were taking in what was outside. It was an abandoned mall, the same one I was in hours earlier with Matt. I raised a hand, palm upwards. I only had four fingers now, they were large and looked like someone roughly carved them out of a plank of wood. Flexing them, I found them slow, but not stiff. There was something else, two pools of warmth within me. One located inside my head somewhere and the other in my chest. Grow Sporage, Light Spores. A small amount of that warmth flowed from my head and underneath my skin, before coalescing into a glowing mushroom on my open palm. I softly nudged it with my other hand, it was soft, squishy. Bringing it up for closer inspection, I realised that there was a white, fabric-like blanket at the base of the mushroom, just barely digging into my skin. I can feel two energies inside me, one of them is mana. I assume the other is aura? I asked as I dissipated the shroom. Hendrix nodded, Yep, though you probably wont use it since the class you have is mana based, unless you multiclass or something, he commented offhandedly, Cmon, I have to get you through this tutorial. I nodded, following behind him, Whats the difference between mana and aura? I asked. He scratched his cap, Theres functionally no difference. A user of aura can throw out fireballs just as easily as the next wizard. A mana user can strength enhance as well as the next Aura user. The main difference is where the energy comes from. Mana is passively gathered from the world around you, he gestured around him. Whereas aura comes from your soul. He said, tapping his chest. Which means? Which means that for most people, running out of aura would exhaust their soul. It usually doesnt do much since most people would subconsciously hold back that last drop needed to keep them alive. Though you dont need to worry about the differences. As a magic cap myconid youre functionally dead the moment you run out mana so the two are basically the same for you. Oh joy, I replied in a completely deadpan voice. Hendrix made a noise that sounded like something a tree would make if trees could have violent asthma attacks. Which made me realise something. Why am I breathing, no. Why am I breathing just like normal? I asked. My breath felt deeper and occurred more infrequently compared to human breathing, but other than that it felt almost the same. Oh, that? The explanation that Eve gave me was something on the lines of convergent evolution, which is when two completely unrelated species evolve similar stuff because that form is the best for the environment theyre in. Its because of that that even if you dont have blood in your veins, there is another substitute distributing oxygen throughout your entire body. Any living thing that regularly moves would need a specialised system for taking in and distributing oxygen, breathing is just the tried and proven way to do it. Hendrix dismissively shook his hand, Its because of that that you can eat like normal and dont need to vomit acid on stuff and drink up the goo as most fungi do. Of course, you could still do it, it helps immensely with digestion. Breaks down the fibrous stuff like grass and bark really easily. If youre ever in a pinch, then feel free to use Acid Spit to make some unpleasant stuff go down easier, his cap perked up, which reminds me, you can eat pretty much anything that is remotely edible. Due to your fungal body, you can straight up ignore most weak poisons and can stomach anything organic. Even rotting food. Yeah I hesitantly replied, I hope it wont ever come to the point where I have to drink up my own vomit or eat rotten food. It was the main reason I took Mushroom Meal, after all, why feature a spell that made food, if food wasnt going to be important I realised something crucial and reflexively slapped my face. Shit, is it cannibalism if I eat mushrooms? The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Hendrix made that noise that sounded like a tree dying in great pain, which Im beginning to suspect was him laughing. No! Why would you think that? He replied in between what Im assuming are giggles, since he actually sounded like a goat taking its final breaths as someone carved out its heart, Myconids are about as closely related to mushrooms as humans are to rats. In that, the main similarity is that theyre both from the same kingdom. So its fine? I hesitantly asked. Of course its fine! he laughed, Youre not even an actual myconid on the inside either. Is it too late to change that spell into something else? Yes, Hendrix turned around and answered, was that amusement I saw in his eyes? Reading myconid faces somehow became pretty easy for me but I couldnt be sure. Were here by the way, he added. I looked around, we had reached a corner before I realised, the faded signs and clothing racks indicated that it was a clothing store. Lets get you geared up, Hendrix said as he hobbled inside. I followed him in, realising now that clothing was mentioned that I was wearing some kind of rough, brown shirt and trousers. Hendrix was digging around in a box or something. I walked behind him, towards a set of standing armour. It looked tailor-fit to my size, but no helmet. I tapped my cap, feeling a finger sink into the soft material, I would have problems finding headwear that fit me with this thing on my head. Dont bother, Hendrix said, apparently finding whatever he was looking for. Crude iron repels mana, if you want metal armour then find something better. I turned around, Are those rare? Very, he gruffly replied, Now are you a dagger or staff person? he said, raising sheathed dagger and a wooden staff. Can I have both? I innocently asked. Ehh sure, why not, he replied, as he tossed me the staff and sheathed dagger. What? I asked surprised, Does, that mean I can have everything here? I gestured around the store. If you can carry it sure, this stuff only exists to give you a choice on starting items anyways. Oh, oh. With a spring in my step, I prepared to grab everything that wasn''t bolted down. During which I discovered that I didnt actually have an inventory system, everything I wanted had to be carried. That was fine, I had several backpacks that I could use. First I donned some leathery armour, then I grabbed two belts, one on my waist, which I stuck the dagger onto. The other was like a sash and had several small buttoned pockets which I filled with glowing red and blue potions, they were definitely health and mana pots, unfortunately, there were only two of each. I guess there was a limit to how much I could have. Remembering what Hendrix said about drinking acidic goo. I grabbed a sack and a backpack and filled both completely with dried rations. I reluctantly put away the third bag as I saw Hendrix giving me weird looks. Here, he said, handing me a metallic box, If youre going camping then you might as well have a tinderbox, and a bedroll. Have some rope as well just in case, he added, dumping a rolled up piece of fabric and a pile of rope onto me. Im not going camping I replied, my voice muffled under piles of material. He looked at me surprised, Then why are you packing so much food? Oh, screw you, Hendrix! It was your damn fault for making me this paranoid about food in the first place! Biting back scathing sarcasm, I smiled, Im just really worried about food since you mentioned it. He didnt look convinced, Oh well, still, take the tinderbox. A fire is always useful, no matter the situation. Oh! And a mess kit if youre worried that much about food, he said as he handed me metallic-looking lunchbox. Which, I had to reluctantly empty some rations from my backpack to make space for. Hmm what else could I loot, I found another dagger, which I placed next to my other one, and a coin pouch that had ten gold coins inside. I tied it next to the herbalism kit. I put everything on. The sack I managed to tie onto the side of my backpack. Hendrix looked me over, Well you look ready for an adventure. Wouldnt the metal lunchbox interfere with my spells? I asked. Only if youre casting spells from your back, he replied, gesturing to the bag I stored the kit in. If youre holding it then just drop it or cast from your other hand. Hendrix clasped his hands, Now, onto the fun parts. The fighting tutorial. I nodded in acknowledgement and he continued, Past this point, there will be some mobs for you to fight. You should be able to figure out how the fighting works, hit things and dont get hit back. I nodded before hesitantly asking, Are the mobs real? As in theyre from the fully simulated world? Hendrix shook his head, Nope, every non-player you encounter in Gaia is an AI like me, most of us know of our roles and try our best to fulfil them. We were mostly made as an afterthought since Indiri -the world which Eve created- was so new player hostile that it wasnt even funny. I paused, Is Indiri some kind of terrifying death world or something? I asked. Oh no, he replied, Just unbalanced. Since the world was allowed to organically develop, there arent a lot of locations that are level specific or beginner-friendly, add in all the fantasy and magical parameters that were set, anywhere outside of a city became dangerous due to the wildlife or natural environment, all the testers below a certain level died after leaving the cities. ... That sounds like a death world. Hmm, probably not that extreme, it was just impossible for the simulated players to do anything unless their levels were beefed up a bit in Gaia first, he mused. Well best get going, seeing a starter mess up their first fight is always fun, he said as he skipped out of the store. I pretended not to hear that last bit as I caught up to him. 1.3 Part 1 1.3 If a baby can''t even strangle a grown man right after being born then what''s the point in having one? - Madelyn the Skull Rain giving important life lessons. The corridor was mostly cleared out. Some random benches and overgrown plants were scattered around of course but there generally wasnt much cover. Thanks to that I could see my opponents clearly. Short and sickly looking, they were about a meter tall each, with large, misshapen noses and pointed ears. I couldnt discern their colour from this far away, but I bet they were green. Anyone with even a drop of genre-savvy would recognise them as goblins. I could see six to seven. Two were approximately thirty meters from me, a third at thirty-five and the last group clustered together around a campfire around forty meters, where my darkvision ended. The first two had clubs, the third -I strained my eyes- a long stick? Wait, theres a pointy end, a spear, I corrected. The goblin on the left suddenly barked something and pointed directly at me, its counterpart gave out a surprised yelp. Behind them, I could see the rest of the goblins scrambling into action. Did they have darkvision as well? Unless... I turned my head, catching my reflection in a dusty glass pane. A ghostly blue face looked back at me. Im glowing. Damn, stealth wasnt an option it seemed. I switched my attention back to the goblins. The two in front were running right towards me, twenty meters. I bent down, my left hand touching the ground. Grow Sporage, Poison Spores. Ten meters. I rose, both hands gripping onto my staff. Five meters. I took a step back and did a wide swing in front of me. I heard a sickening crunch as my staff impacted and launched the foremost goblin. One Quickly reversing the swing, I socked the other goblin. Sending both flying in separate directions. Two My eyes followed the second one, oh god its eyes popped out- I reflexively took another step back as I heard the third goblin arrive in front of me, spear lunging out. I glanced at the ground underneath it, Poison Spores! The mushroom burst, releasing a cloud of spores. The goblin stopped, hands trying to fan away the spores. It staggered forward another step before dropping over dead. Three I mentally tallied. That was quick, I suppose tutorial mobs werent supposed to be too difficult. I glanced at the two I took out first. Ugh, mistake. Ive played my fair share of gory games but indented skulls was a new one. I shoved the disgust behind me, though I made a mental note to try and take out enemies with spells, before checking the other group. Only two left, one armed with a spear and the other with a dagger, both were cautiously watching me. The remainder was gone, outside of my vision. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. It doesnt look like theyre budging. Damn. For a mage I had a pretty short range, my spells went ten meters at most. I was hoping the remainder would come to me so I could use sporage to take them out. But if the first group was any indication, then these two wont be difficult to take out. I took a step forward, both goblins tensed. Hmm. I started slowly ambling forward, might as well get it over with. Directing mana to my shoulder, I chanted, Grow Sporage, Balm Spores. Grow Sporage, Sneezing Spores. Grow Sporage, Light Spores. I ran, well I went as fast as my stumpy myconid legs could take me, which was probably only as fast as a mobility scooter. I readied my longest range spell, Acid Spit! a glob of liquid welled up inside my throat, before being rapidly ejected from my mouth. Both goblins ducked to the side, the glob of purple liquid splashing harmlessly onto the ground. The one of the left rolled before quickly rising and jabbing its spear at me. I tried to dodge to the left. But I was too slow. The spear stabbed me in the side. I raised my free hand, Poison Spores! The goblins face scrunched up as it inhaled the spores, it weakly dropped the spear and fell down. Four. I whirled around, trying to scan my surroundings, wheres the second one- Something heavy grabbed onto my back, quickly followed by a jabbing sensation. Shit, it flanked me. I violently turned around. Throwing the goblin off my back. Using my momentum, I swung my staff horizontally. Only hearing a sickening crack as I got the goblin. Five.
Hendrix watched Declan dispatch the first five goblins. Not a bad first start, Hendrix assessed, he moved with the skill of someone whos played a fair few fighting games. Clearly used to both melee and ranged roles or even a mix in between. He scratched his cap. The pain limiter needed to be lightened. Myconids didnt feel a lot of pain in the first place -at least not the ways most animals felt it- but with the pain limiter, Declan was barely feeling anything at all. Getting stabbed probably felt more like a sharp pinch to him. So Hendrix mentally sent a message to Eve to lighten Declan and all future myconid players pain limiters. Declan didnt show any adverse reaction to the gore physics, so there was no need for him to do anything about that. Eves mental adaption program was working better than expected. There was a minor disconnect with how fast Declan thought his body would move versus how fast it actually moved but Declan would naturally adjust to it with time. Hmm, Hendrix didnt have much to do now. His main job was making sure the player transitioned smoothly but Eve was doing the lions share of the work. I suppose I can check on the goblins. He could use Admin for this, but Hendrix wanted to keep himself in practice, so he directed mana to the earth. Mana signals travelled through the mycelium network he had prepared prior, towards a hidden corner of the mall. A single mushroom popped up there. Hendrix opened his new eye and glanced at the goblin village. Hmmpf. He mentally snorted. Indiri goblins wouldnt be caught dead with such poor fortifications, certainly not with such low guard, -half the goblins here were lazily asleep- and especially not with such a poorly hidden lair. Spark, he cast and mana exited his body through the network and finally out of the mushroom. Striking a snoring goblin in the rear, jolting it awake. It spun its head around searching for what had stuck it in the rear, but its eyes quickly focused on a group of goblins running towards the village. Hendrix disagreed with all the tutorials Eve had shown them as examples. Far too easy, far too much hand-holding. If Eve wanted players to go to Indiri then she needed to up the ante. If they cant even solo a goblin village, a Gaia goblin village at that, then theyll spend forever grinding levels here and that''s just boring. He nodded in satisfaction as the goblins started waking. Even if Declan died, Hendrix needed to give him a demonstration of the respawn system anyways. 1.3 Part 2 Balm Spores, I muttered and the pain was replaced by a stinging sensation. White, fur-like fungus sprouted at the edges of my wound, growing inwards till the hole was more or less blocked. Balm Spores was an all-purpose healing spell, able to instantly fix skin-deep wounds such as cuts or burning and close off larger ones to prevent bleeding. It was one of the only healing spell options I had with Healing Spores and Fix-up Fungus. That fight was a good starter, I learned that not only did I bleed yellow but I was also tougher than I expected. Getting stabbed twice barely slowed me down, granted the bleeding probably wouldve killed me eventually but I didnt even realise it until after the fight. Its a shame that I cant see my HP bar. Hendrix complained about how HP was overrated since even a tank would instantly die if someone cut off their head due to the hyper-realistic settings. Which I translated to meaning, Youll die if it makes sense for you to die. I cast Balm Spores again on my back, closing up the other wound and stood up. I needed to get going, there were still three to four goblins that ran the moment they saw me. An odd amount of intelligence for tutorial mobs but it made sense if they were going for a realistic world. If I remembered correctly, following this corridor should lead to a food court. The Maccas here served great chips. Which led me to the realisation that going outside might actually give me an advantage in-game. I chuckled at the thought of couch potatoes everywhere suddenly going outside to better play the game. I wasnt any better of course, but I finally might be able to work off my pot belly. Maybe even get a job- I paused as I heard footsteps. I had arrived at another intersection, the footsteps were coming from the left corridor. Slowly, I crept towards it, hiding beneath a ruined display counter. I peeked my head out, before rapidly bringing it back in. What the actual fuck!? There were at least thirty-something goblins! I know that this is supposed to be a realistic game but have some concern about game balance! Im only level 1 damn it! Ok. Fuck. Calm down, I took a deep breath. I can work with this. Maybe. First off, I needed to leg it. They were still far off and with how much noise theyre making it was unlikely theyll hear me running. Probably. Shit. Start running Declan. Why of course Declan. I began quickly crawling behind the display, before rising and full-on legging it. They cant expect me to try and fight that horde. I might be able to one-shot the goblins but they were a lot faster than me. I could probably manage five but any more than that and their numbers advantage would just screw me over. Was the goblin camp earlier some kind of outpost? And by not managing to kill them all before they escaped it triggered the event for the goblin horde. Was this a roundabout way of saying my actions had consequences? That was very likely. Which further proved that this wasnt the type of game that would just spawn in an army of goblins. The fact that those goblins ran in the first place meant that they had a place to run to. I reached the intersection where Hendrix geared me. The goblin horde came from the left, so my current right. I headed down that corridor. Now, if I was a rabid horde of goblins out for mushroom blood, how would I best murder said mushroom? Spread out, split the goblins into at least pairs and scour the entire mall. Upon contact immediately run and grab other goblins before swarming the myconid. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I, as the myconid being hunted by said goblin horde. Needed to avoid that situation. If they split up I could thin the horde, but I increased the chance of death by mobbing. So I needed to go where they have already searched. Its more or less confirmed at this point that Gaia was a real, living world, which meant that everything had to make sense in some way. The goblins needed to have come from somewhere. However, it was also a game world. A place where you''re meant to grind levels like in normal games. Furthermore, I was in the beginning tutorial, a controlled environment. This meant that there had to be a solution, a way to beat that horde somehow. I just had to find it. The goblins probably originated from a larger camp, I needed to find that camp and decide my actions from there. The mall here had a grid-like design. Assuming the goblins took a semi-straight path, then I could loop around and search for the camp or at the very least avoid the horde for the moment. I turned right at another intersection. Soon finding myself on the path the goblins had already tread. I quickly peeked my head out to look on both sides. The goblins were nowhere in sight. Good. I began heading left, following the goblin tracks. It wasnt difficult. The grass and moss here were clearly flattened by the dozens of feet that ran through it. Id be blind to not notice it. I paused, catching my breath. I had more stamina in this body compared to my real one but not by much. I was now on the opposite end of the mall. At what was once a food court, a large circular area with dozens of chairs, tables and benches scattered around, with various restaurants and fast food stores bordering it. The court was mostly cleared out of that stuff here, replacing it was some sort of tribal looking village. The village followed a circular design, a central large hut in the middle with more huts spreading out from there. Some white smoke drifted from the central hut. It looked empty and checking the doorways I could tell that the village was definitely made for something as short as a goblin. No ceilings oddly enough and the village overall looked very flimsy, I suppose the mall roof provided enough cover from the weather. The annoying thing was, the entire food court was lit up by sunlight. There was a glass ceiling, which while it looked a bit dusty now, sunlight still streamed through it. With my Sun Sickness debuff, I wasnt sure how far I could make it. The description said it only drained my stamina but I had no idea how quickly it would be. Not only that getting here had already tired me out by a fair deal. It felt like I was recovering quickly but I had no idea by how much. Rest and prepare it is then. I stalked the edges of the food court, staying to the shaded areas away from the sunlight. Reaching a place where I was in view of most the entrances of the village. Guarded, I sat down cross-legged. Placing my hand on the ground, I quietly whispered, Mushroom Meal, and a large, brown flat-topped mushroom sprouted next to my hand. I picked it up, looking it over before taking a bite out of the top Hmm, tender but had a rubbery bouncy texture to it. I took another bite, there was a savoury liquid in it as well, which made the mushroom pretty juicy. My mouth felt weird too, like it was methodically grinding down the food. Definitely not human teeth, but not sharp like most predators or the flat ones herbivores have. Ill check what my mouth looked like the next time I find a mirror. I felt my body slightly warming up a bit as I swallowed the mushroom. Mushroom Meal was not only a pretty filling meal, but it also restored stamina and slightly boosted HP regeneration, with how many debuffs my race had in regards to stamina I figured this was a must-have spell. One should be enough to restore around half my stamina pool, with the passive regeneration I should be completely topped up by the time Im finished. I took another bite out of the mushroom. It was better than I thought it would be. The tenderness and juices made it like a medium-rare steak but the bounciness gave it an extra pseudo-crunch sorta like a vegetable. Finishing the mushroom I stood up, just in case I cast another Mushroom Meal and kept it in my hand as a snack, before entering the village and into the light. 1.4 Part 1 1.4 Behold! My ascent to greatness! - last words of the True Vampire Kars, moments after being convinced by Astrologist Joseph that the light of the Moon was the reflection of the Sun, therefore he should be immune to sunlight. It was gradual at first. My body only felt a bit heavy here and there. I didnt think it was that bad and I was more preoccupied searching the huts for anything valuable looking. It was when I staggered into a wall for some shade that I started reconsidering my decision. I finished another Mushroom Meal, feeling the slight energising effect course through me. Slowly, I made another one. The Sun Sickness effect didnt increase at a flat rate like I thought it would, instead it was cumulative and increasingly I felt like I needed to go to sleep. A sensation similar to heavy eyelids but across my entire body. Damn lazy goblins, why couldnt they have made roofs. I couldve taken shelter in them I began chewing on the second Mushroom Meal. Shit. I had barely made it thirty meters into the village. There was still the central hut I needed to check out. I needed options, I assessed the hut next to me. The wall I was leaning on was made of some ancient-looking wood. It looked flimsy, but I could probably use it as an umbrella. However, if I had so much as kicked a stick out of place the hut would probably collapse. Calling it a hut was probably too generous, this thing looked like someone just piled random junk in a way that happened to have walls. Id hate to cause any noise right now. I havent confirmed if this village was completely empty. There was no guard and no obvious activity however there might still be goblins hiding in the huts. Making any sound could alert the whole place, and facing enemies under sunlight was not something I should be doing right now. But the fact that there were no guards meant that if there were any goblins remaining, they were either very few or really confident in themselves. Do I take the risk? The central hut was my main focus here, it was the most conspicuous building here so something must be in there damn it. Problem was that there was still a good twenty meters between us. My mana was now only half topped due to all the Mushroom Meals I had to make and every moment I spent in the sun only made me more tired. I cant rely on the mushroom method for now. I should be able to make it if I made some cover since the skill specified direct sunlight. Hmm. Screw it, Im going to need the cover to get out anyway so might as well do it. Setting down my staff, I slowly dug my fingers into the foundations, keeping a close eye on all the other structures haphazardly leaning on it. Slowly, carefully, I pulled it out of the slot that it was in, slowing slightly every time I heard a creak. When I feel like I pulled it out enough, I freed one of my hands to grab onto the collapsing hut. Slowly I eased the structure onto the ground as I removed the wall, staying under its shade the entire time. Letting out a breath I didnt realise I was holding, I wiped the nonexistent sweat off my forehead. Well, at least I accomplished it as silently as possible. Hefting the wooden plank over my head, I tied my staff to my backpack and made my way towards the central hut. About halfway there, I froze. Movement. The sound of cursing and metal clanking as something stumbled out of the hut. Another goblin, unarmed, it looked half asleep and was blearily rubbing its eyes. As quietly as possible, I muttered Grow Sporage, Poison Spores, A mushroom sprouted on my left upper chest. Slowly, I shifted the weight of my shelter unto a single hand. My now freed right hand moved and plucked the mushroom. The goblin hasnt spotted me yet, it took a right almost immediately after leaving the hut, going out of sight. Hurrying to the hut, I crept around the other side. Spotting the goblin with its back turned to me and taking a piss just a few meters away from the hut. I quietly and slowly bent down, then lightly threw the poison mushroom, watching it roll just underneath the goblins legs. It was almost finished. I muttered, Poison Spores, The cap burst, spraying spores onto the goblin. It jerked upwards before grabbing its groin, then fell to the ground in a loud thud. I froze again, listening for the sounds in the hut. Hearing if there was any indication that the noise alerted anything. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Ten seconds passed, no reaction. Twenty seconds passed, no reaction. Thirty seconds passed, no reaction. Fifty seconds passed, no reaction. Sixty seconds passed, I think Im in the clear. Carefully rising up from my spot, I crept towards the entrance. I quickly poked my head in and out. There was a hodgepodge of goblin bodies, scattered around sleeping in various stages of undress. Not only that, there was a white smoke emanating from small bronze pots that made me slightly dizzy whenever I inhaled a bit of it. I quickly peeked back inside again. They all appeared fast asleep. My eyes focused on something in the centre. A slightly older looking goblin, wrinkles were clearly visible on its face. It was tightly clutching a staff that looked like it was grown from several intertwined branches, the branches forming a ball-shaped cage at the tip. Three glowing white lights danced around in there before they stopped and stared at me. I wanted it. I quickly evaluated my options. On one hand, a cool looking staff, on the other hand, leaving to safety. The staff won. Not that I wasnt going to run. The staff was just more important right now. Mentally calculating the mana I had, the cost of Poison Spores and its damaging radius, I found I just came up short. I might be able to take out 50-70% of the goblins if I spent all my mana, but that would leave me with two of my racial debuffs active. Sun Sickness and Mana Dependency, both severe debuffs to my stamina. The damaging radius of Poison Spores was small, while the clumped up status of the goblins was ideal, the sheer number of them made the attack unfeasible. I put down my wooden shelter, thankfully the goblins put a ceiling here so I was safe from the sun. Carefully, I crept forward, doing my best to avoid stepping on any goblin limbs and bodies. Not only that, I required line of sight to activate the Sporage and can only do so one at a time. If the previous goblin deaths were any indication then theyll probably make some noise when they die. I wasnt risking it. But Grow Sporage, Sneezing Spores, Grow Sporage, Sneezing Spores, Grow Sporage, Sneezing Spores, Grow Sporage I muttered silently under my breath. Sneezing Spores was my best CC option ignoring Pacifying Spores, which was considered a racial skill and therefore unable to be stored in Grow Sporage. As a tier 0 spell it was also costless. I grew mushrooms on the sides of my hip, not in the way but also can be reached quickly. Just on the off chance it all went to shit, I would at least have a backup plan. Only a third of my mana left now. Quietly I reached the goblin, slightly wrinkling my mouth as I taste a much larger concentration of the dizzying smell. Ugh. Smelling with my mouth was something that Ill probably never get used to. Slowly I bent down towards the lying goblin, wrapping a hand on the staff and another on the goblins own hand. The goblin let out a gargled sound before trying to bat me away, then proceed to clutch tightly to the staff. Plan B, I pulled out my dagger, raising it slightly above the goblin''s neck. My other hand was held just a bit above the goblin''s mouth. At once, I dropped both the dagger and my hand. The dagger for stabbing and the hand to muffle out any noises. My dagger got about five centimetres from its neck before one of the glowing lights in the staff suddenly sparked up. Then a green barrier halted my dagger and hand. I pulled back both hands. I checked the wooden cage, one of the lights had disappeared. So thats what it did. If I tried three more times then Ill be able to get the goblin, however, then the staff wouldnt be charged anymore I had no idea if this staff only had these two uses left or if there was a condition to recharge it. Best not to risk it, I dont want to have gone through all this trouble just for a fancy looking stick. Hmm what to do An idea popped into my head. Picking one of the shrooms on my shoulder, I aimed it in front of the goblins torso and muttered, Light Spores. The mushroom burst and a small puff of light appeared on top of him. No reaction from the staff. Hmm, does that mean I pointed at the goblins face and muttered, Pacifying Spores, White spores burst from that finger and onto the goblins face. The goblin noticeably relaxed as the spores settled on him, loosening its death grip on the staff. The condition seems to be lethal attacks only or at least damaging attacks in general. I need to test it out once I figured out if I can recharge the thing. But other than that WOO! FREE STAFF! I quickly calmed my celebrating self as I gently removed the staff from the goblins hands. Making sure not to touch the white liquid that was still dripping off the thing. Now, I chuckled evilly in my mind, time for some EXP farming. I pointed at the older goblin, Poison Spor- I paused mid-sentence as I felt my recently acquired staff swing into my hip, knocking off a cluster of mushrooms. I watched in silent shock as I saw the mushrooms fall to the floor, one falling into a nearby goblins mouth. The goblin bit down on the mushroom, I heard a small pop as the mushroom released its spores. Then the goblin sneezed. 1.4 Part 2 The sneeze sounded deafening in the huts relative silence. I was completely frozen by now, half because of shock and half because I didnt dare make any more noise. There were at least forty-something goblins stuffed into this hut, if even a quarter of that woke up and attacked me then I would be dead. Frozen, I watched as another goblin lazily opened an eye and batted at the goblin that sneezed. Goblin and mushroom eyes met. I quickly changed the direction of my finger, Poison Spores! I muttered with urgency as green spores puffed onto the goblin. It turned another shade of green as it violently jerked up, but it managed to slap another goblin before it died, prompting it to jerk up blearily. I had already started running by then, not caring about the grunting goblins as I dashed over them. Quickly bending down, I grabbed the wooden board I left outside and threw a Sneezing Mushroom behind me, turning around and catching sight of the waking goblins as I muttered Sneezing Spores, as the shroom was mid-air. Bursting and spraying spores onto a group lying by the entrance. Wedging the staff in my left armpit and holding the board over my head with my other hand, I dashed out of the hut. Barely registering the sneezing fit happening behind me. If I didnt wake them before then I definitely have now. Right now stamina didnt matter, I needed to get out of the sun as soon as possible, then use my remaining sneezing shrooms to CC and create distance. I started hearing yelling and the sound of metallic clanking as the goblins grabbed weapons. Ten meters before I reached the shade, I began hearing urgent footsteps as the goblins started pursuing me. I threw down the board huffing as I reached shade, quickly turning around and throwing back two Sneezing Mushrooms. Sneezing Spores! Sneezing Spores! I yelled as both mushrooms burst in mid-air, spraying the first few goblins. Shit, there were at least fifteen right behind me. There were still more coming, I grabbed my remaining mushrooms and started throwing them with abandon, yelling as I activated them one by one. Even in the dark, I couldnt outrun them, I needed to get a headstart before disappearing into the shadows. I heard an angered yell as the wizened goblin stepped out, it glared at me as it raised both hands and muttered something in a language I didnt know but still knew the meaning of. Mass Cure It had said. The goblins hands briefly glowed a blue light, before exploding outwards, blanketing the sneezing goblins in a similar blue light. Almost immediately they stopped sneezing. Shit. The goblins glared at me as they started charging at me again. Acid Spit! I yelled as a glob of liquid ejected out of my mouth and into the face of the foremost goblin. The goblin screamed as the liquid sizzled. But I was already casting another Acid Spit at the next goblin. It dodged this time and jumped behind a hut. Another one was almost on me. Acid Spit! I yelled again as the liquid caught the goblin in the arm, causing it to go down screaming in pain as it clutched its limb. I quickly turned to find that all the remaining goblins had disappeared, barely catching a flash of green as one jumped behind a hut. They were using cover. The goblin mage from before stepped into my sight, about fifteen meters away from me. It smiled viciously at me as it chanted another spell, Firebolt, Fire blitzed out of its hand and towards me, I jumped to the left into the cover of a fallen bench. Feeling the heat tinge my cheek as it passed by me. Shit, it outranged me. I quickly raised my head above the cover, before quickly dodging back down as another Firebolt passed by. The hiding goblins had changed positions, they were closer now. Damnit, theyre using the mage as cover fire as the melees move closer in. I quickly cycled through my options. If I didnt throw a spell to discourage the melees then theyll eventually close in on me, but every time I do so, the goblin mage will have a free shot at me and the melees will be able to close in anyways. If I started running now then the goblins will eventually catch up to me without spells to slow them. Fighting retreat it is then. I ran towards the nearest corridor. Hearing the goblin mage yell out something and the melees breaking out into a run. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Grow Sporage, Poison Spores, I muttered as I ran. I quickly reached the corridor, making it about fifteen meters inside before I turned around and threw the Poison Shroom into the face of the first goblin which was barely five meters from me. Poison Spores! I yelled and the goblin dropped. I then grabbed the last Sneezing Shrooms and threw them forward. Several goblins screeched to a halt and jumped out of the way. Three continued forward and made it past the mushrooms. Quickly slinging my new staff into my hand, I swung forward, socking a goblin. Hearing a sickening crunch as it was sent flying. I quickly reversed the swing and tried to get the next goblin, but it dodged down. In a smooth motion, it jumped forward and quickly slashed my leg with a dagger. I winced at the sudden pain, yelling Acid Spit! as I nailed the goblin point blank with the spell. I quickly turned my attention to the third goblin, it took a longer route and came from my left, I swung my staff towards it. The goblin dodged, throwing a dagger towards me that embedded itself in my stomach. I grimaced as I yelled another Acid Spit. The goblin dodged but I barely managed to catch it in the leg. It went down screaming in pain as I hefted the staff and swung downwards, ending it. I quickly turned my attention back to the goblins that dodged the earlier mushrooms. Eyes widening in surprise as I saw that theyve barely moved, cautiously trying to move around the mushrooms I threw. They didnt know I needed to consciously activate them, and that I needed sight. I realised with surprise. I turned around and ran. No need to correct them. Running as fast as my legs would carry me, I heard the mage goblin berating the slowed goblins as I turned a right and hopefully out of their sight. I turned left as I entered an empty clothing store, jumping behind the counter before I collapsed into a heavily breathing heap. Fuck, my legs, chest, everything felt sore. Half concentrating, I pulled out the dagger that was thrown into me, activating my last Balm Sporage to cover it up, before actually casting Balm Spores on the remaining stab wound. Shit, that hurt a lot more than before. Were the goblins becoming stronger? Why the fuck would the goblins become stronger- I tried my best to quieten my breathing as I heard a group of goblins rush past me. Only letting out a tired breath after I was sure they were gone. Goddamnit, they figured out that my Sporage was limited in its activation. Not only that there was still a group of thirty-something goblins roaming the mall. If the two groups met up and started hunting me then I was dead. Fuck why the hell were the tutorial mobs this strong!? It didnt fucking matter if I could easily solo one of them. They were capable of learning and executing group tactics. Im fucking done if Im caught by a group. It was almost like theyre trying to kill me! I paused, that was actually entirely possible. Many games show you some endgame bosses in the beginning to wow you so that you kept on going until you were at the level to fight the thing. Its a trick to keep players interested in the game while also establishing the games lore. The problem with that theory is that these are fucking goblins. Literally, anyone whos played an RPG or a tabletop would recognise them as free farm beginner mobs. So I could see scarce reason for a game doing this unless they were trying to advertise this as a hardcore game. Odd given that Hendrix implied that players only needed a few levels to do well in Indiri and this was a tutorial, a phase whose express purpose is to teach the game. So it was teaching something else, it was teaching me to expect to die. I quieted my breath again as I heard another group pass by. It was easier this time since I had a bit of rest, but not by much. I considered my options, I had low stamina and more importantly, low mana. My pool was barely a quarter full at this point, any lower and I suspect the Mana Dependency will kick in. Unless it already has, there wasnt a helpful menu showing me all the debuffs I had right now. I didn''t want to waste it, but right now my best course of action was drinking a mana potion. I uncorked one, downing the entire thing in a single gulp and felt my pool fill by at least half. Other than that, I still had my bag, which I threw off my back. That thing was really starting to get heavy. And the staff I looted- I stared uncomprehendingly at the staff. The wooden cage was smashed in and barely hanging on by a few twigs. I had broken it when I smashed it into the goblins. The two balls of light seemed to stare back at me within the broken cage. Well this was unexpected, I muttered to the twin balls of light. They seemed to nod back at me. Umm, what am I supposed to do? the lights exchanged glances, before rapidly jumping out of the cage, rushing along my arm, past my face before disappearing into my cap. I involuntarily jerked back in surprise. Rolling my eyes up, I could see the soft balls of light staring at me from inside my cap. Well my wizard hat is finally useful for something, I muttered. I felt a slight change to my mana, a minuscule amount of it was now flowing outwards and feeding into the balls of light. Not enough that it might be a problem, but just enough that I noticed the tiny stream. I stared at the two of them, You two better be able to pay rent, I said in a completely serious tone. The two lights glanced at each other, then seemed to nod. Any idea what the two of you can do? I asked, only receiving shaking heads as an answer. Well frick, I didnt have a deep enough understanding of the magic system Eve was using to definitively say if the barrier protection thing was the result of the staff or the light things, or if the lights were only a battery for a spell already inbuilt to the staff. Examining the staff, I could find no obvious markings or magic patterns, but perhaps the weird way it was shaped was the spell. Hmm, too little information for me to make an educated guess for this. For all I know the light things would still jump out and save me when Im in danger. But I couldnt be sure until I was stabbed, and Im not in a hurry to test that out. Dont factor it into planning then, if it does something then great! And Ill adapt accordingly, but I shouldnt rely on it. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes. Thinking about this as a tutorial was probably incorrect, it was a challenge and I wasnt fully committed to winning. That was a mistake I must fix. 2.0 Part 1 2.0 Look out! Look out! Under the bush! Behind the trees! Those short and green, But very mean! They swarm like wasps, But hurt much more! - A song sang by an unknown minstrel in the taverns of Lua. I had multiple disadvantages. The most obvious were numbers, but my build was a largely AOE focused zone controller, I should be able to deal with such a problem easily. The second disadvantage was my mana. I simply didnt have the capacity to quickly create a kill zone filled with Poison Sporages that could tank the entire force of the goblins. If I had time, say an hour, I could achieve this, but until then, I would be in a precarious state where I would have no mana to defend myself and only a half-completed net of Sporages. Given the nature of Sporages, I would have to set up in a confined space where I could funnel all opponents into my kill zone, however, from my memory of the mall, such a location would also leave me without an escape route. The third disadvantage was the mage goblin. It completely outranged me and had at least one party buff spell, given the nature of the encounter, it likely had more. Thus my main win conditions were as followed, One, successfully set up a large scale kill zone with my sporages, then lure the goblins into it. Two, keep the goblin horde from massing into the larger force that can take me out. Slowly whittle away their numbers until I can take down the rest. The former option was risky. Constant patrols by goblin groups required me to be on the move or be quickly discovered and I would be left in a low mana state trying to set up the kill zone. It was the strategy that played by this builds strengths. It was high risk, high reward. The latter I found to be the safer option, moving into guerilla warfare and silencing each group one by one, but it also required some of my builds dump stats to work, that being high agility and stealth. It was safer, but it didnt play to my strengths. Both options had their downsides, both options had their strengths. In the end, I simply took out a gold coin, and flipped it.
Goblin scout with dagger scoured the dark tunnel. Silently enduring the foolish bickering off the two goblin fighters behind him. Hes mine! Goblin fighter with spear yelled, to which goblin fighter with sword replied with, No, hes mine! Goblin scout with dagger shook his head. The big mushroom thing they were talking about has already killed... Goblin scout drew a blank, More than three! he finally decided. Goblin scout wasnt good at numbers, he was a scout. But more than three was probably more than their group. Probably. Old goblin mage was the one who did the counting, he counted the goblins into smaller packs to split up and find the big mushroom. He also told them to run and find more goblins if they ever meet the big mushroom instead of fighting like goblin fighters were suggesting. Goblin scout was inclined to agree with old goblin mage, he can count after all! Finally, one of the goblin fighters had the bright idea of yelling out, Fine! Ill fight you over him! he yelled as he drew his sword. Goblin scout wanted to let them go through with it, but a moment of epiphany made him realise. If one goblin fighter killed the other goblin fighter, then theyll have fewer goblin fighters! That cant happen! Old goblin mage specifically said to bury the big mushroom in many goblins. So, goblin scout turned around and yelled, Stop fighting each other goblin fighters! Goblin fighter snarled at him, before pointing at goblin fighter with his spear, He started it! Goblin scout felt a headache coming, why were they both named goblin fighter!? How was he supposed to keep track of more than one goblin fighter? What if he wanted to insult specifically one goblin fighter? Or specifically one goblin fighter with spear? If only they were named different things. Maybe he should shorten it, like goblin fighter with spear becomes just spear- Aberrant behaviour detected Rolling back thought process kernel Goblin scout snarled back at the goblin fighter with spear, Whoever hurts big mushroom last will kill him! Both goblin fighters stared back at him uncomprehending before a metaphorical light bulb went off in both their heads. Goblin scout is smart! Whoever kills big mushroom will get to kill big mushroom! Goblin scout puffed out his chest pridefully, he was smart! Come on! Find the big mushroom! he yelled. Look! There are mushrooms right there! Goblin fighter with sword pointed, to a branching tunnel. Goblin scout looked, there was! Lets get the big mushroom! Goblin fighter with spear yelled as he ran forward. Goblin scout threw out a hand, Wait! causing goblin fighter to pause. Old goblin mage said that small glowy mushrooms have magic! We need to make sure we go around them. Magic was scary and rare, goblin scout can literally count how many magic users he knew of! Old goblin mage and goblin scout is smart! goblin fighter yelled as he took a circular path around the smaller mushrooms. Goblin scout and other goblin fighter followed him. Weird, why are all the mushrooms on one side of the tunnel- A glob of burning liquid hit the back of goblin scouts head, and he thought no more.
Fourteen, I thought as I finished the last goblin. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. That made five groups so far, with only one goblin escaping from the first group. That goblin has probably already reported back to the main goblin horde. I needed to change up strategies soon. Currently, I was luring in goblin groups with cheap Light Sporage shrooms, having them clustered to one side of the corridor so that I could funnel the goblins into myself when they tried to avoid it. I glowed pretty softly so a few bushes easily concealed me. After the first group, I made sure to first take out the goblin that looked like the leader, they were the most likely to run away after all. The remainder followed pretty easily, usually charging into easy hitting range. The fourth group had a dagger goblin that ran after landing one hit, however, I managed to finish it off at range with Acid Spit. Which led me to the discovery that the light ball things in my head wont take a knife for me. Freeloaders. I started picking the Light shrooms one by one, the goblin bodies werent despawning and I couldnt be bothered hiding them. But I should at least make them harder to find by getting rid of the light. Light Spores was a spell that only really shined with Grow Sporage. Heh, shined. Without Sporage they were just a small puff of light that lingered for a moment. However, with it, they became actual portable glow sticks! Storing the light shrooms in my bag, I began moving to the next location.
No no no, dont go into the sun! Hendrix yelled as he threw nuts at a screen, Freaking noobs, he muttered as he grabbed another fistful of nuts. Hendrix continued chewing on nuts, even when another presence entered the room. It appears, Eve said, that you did not follow the Tutorial guidelines that I prepared. Hell be fine. Its not like a small setback like this will scare him from the game. He gestured to a screen, showing Declan collapsing into a wall as the Sun Sickness took effect, Look hes doing fine. That is not the issue, Eve calmly replied, The issue is your blatant disregard of rules and expectations. Hendrix snorted and met her gaze, Come on ma, I know that you know that I know that you knew I was planning to do this and since you didnt do anything about it earlier, it means youre ok with this. So do you want to sit down and talk about why youre here? Eve maintained the stare off for a moment before sighing, I told you to stop calling me ma, she said as she plopped down on a mushroom stool. Oh yeah, youre still doing that little girl thing, Hendrix said in between mouthfuls of snacks. Want some? No, I have my own, Eve replied as she pulled out a bag from nowhere. Popcorn? Nah, too much butter. he rejected, Indiri or Earth? Hendrix asked. Earth, though a merchant from VarAhBwek recently managed to make something similar, its a bit spicy compared to the Earth version, Eve answered. Ah the Great Canal, Hendrix easily translated, How is that hellhole? Still commercialising devil summoning Im afraid, Eve said as she plopped popcorn into her mouth. Hendrix shook his head, Gotta admire their balls though, who summons an Arch-Devil to do their taxes? The normal reaction would be to sell their soul to overthrow the local power. The type of person who studied language but not mathematics or governance, Eve dryly replied, and do you really think an Arch-Devil is enough to control that pit of snakes? Hendrix chuckled, No I do not. Eve raised an eyebrow at the screen, on it Declan was running away with a staff in hand, The trapping staff from one of the forest tribes? Hendrix nodded, Brambleback. Goblin magics are a bit crude but they do get the job done, You prepared a lesser version, normal willow wood instead of woven petrified wood, without the engravings either. She paused, No Fae? Of course not! Hendrix shuddered, Could you imagine if I gave someone a fairy familiar at level one? Eve nodded, That would mess up the initial power distribution. Im more afraid of what would happen to the poor sod the fairy was contracted too, Hendrix replied, idly rubbing a spot on his bum that suddenly felt sore. I assure you that the curse has already been lifted. I still dream of those tiny devils coming after me, Hendrix replied in a haunted tone. You dont need to sleep, Eve coldly replied. Wisps? she curiously asked. Hendrix nodded, Way easier to handle than Fae. You only need to add an element of mana gathering to keep them from dissipating, thats why I used a spring leaf instead of- He paused as he saw Declan on-screen smash the staff into a goblins head, breaking the cage holding the Wisps and the subtle spell he had painstakingly designed into it. Hendrixs mouth fell open in shock, You barely had it for 2 minutes- I can fix this I swear, he finished as he started rapidly tapping a keyboard in the air. OK! He yelled, a bit breathless, His cap is a similarly mana dense environment like the staff so I used the wisps instinctive desire to contrive a reason to move there. They may be slightly smarter than your usual wisps but Im sure itll be fine. Popcorn? Eve offered again, mentally cleaning up the code Hendrix rushed. Hendrix sighed, Sure, he said as he grabbed a fistful. How are the Bramblebacks by the way? At war with the elves, Im afraid, Again!? he replied incredulously. Eve shook her head, They never finished in the first place. Damn I didnt think the goblin tribes can work together for this long, Hendrix replied, genuinely impressed. Neither did I, the chance of the coalition going on for this long was only 13.4988%, Eve replied. Hendrix raised an eyebrow but did not comment further. They fell into a comfortable silence, both watching Declans fight on a holographic screen. Hendrix nodded approvingly, Declan had moved to guerrilla tactics now, taking small goblin groups and avoiding the main horde. Though that only caused the remaining goblins to start going around in increasingly larger groups. Which he was unable to really fight. Perhaps a hundred goblins was a bit too high Sooo Hendrix awkwardly began. You were wondering why Im here? Eve finished for him. Yep, You took 0.03 seconds longer than I expected to open up that subject again. Eve evenly replied. Hendrix nervously laughed, it was still unnerving no matter how long hes been exposed to it. To put it simply, Im here for therapeutic reasons, Eve flatly said, gesturing to the screen showing Declan currently getting stabbed. Hoh? Hendrix raised an eyebrow, easily putting two and two together, And what did he do to piss you off? He tried to use father against me, Eve replied, looking slightly miffed. Hendrix fell silent, Eves creator was a no go subject for them. Hendrix like many others was created after his death so they never had the chance to meet him, however, most of them have met the program made in his image. The other Giles, which Eve had never once called Father. Hendrix could see why, prolonged interaction with that Giles made it perfectly clear that he was incomplete. The way he acted perfectly normal at one moment then completely froze because he didnt know how to pour a cup of coffee. So thats why Im his guide Hendrix muttered, You wanted to see him suffer a bit. Eve nodded, That and the fact that his build would have a lot of spell slots from the get-go, so it would require a higher challenge. Which goblin preset did you use for this tutorial by the way? I cant seem to match them with one of the existing ones. Im using a mixture of the base goblin preset with techniques combed from various goblins on the Eastern Stretch, and one with the mixed magic capability of shamans from several different tribes in the Hearth Forests. Normal intelligence limiting programs for all Gaia mobs are in effect of course. Vicious, she flatly replied. I approve. Indeed Hendrix muttered, How many do you think hell get? Eve seemed to consider it for a moment, 76.53% chance of him getting less than fifty goblin kills, 82.49% chance of being more than thirty. 26.37% chance of him getting the mage. Hendrix nodded, quickly adding a new bet to the pool. Less than fifty he put down, because if the Daves can have multiple bets then so can he damn it! Thats not how it works, Eve muttered beside him. Hendrix threw another handful of nuts in his mouth and started chewing loudly, pretending to ignore her. Eve decided to return the sentiment. Both of them were loudly chewing on snacks as they watched Declan fight. It wasnt like they needed their avatars ears to hear whats going on after all. After a while, Hendrix stood up and dusted off some crumbs, I suppose its time for me to do my job. Have fun, Eve said in her trademark completely flat voice. Hendrix grinned, Always ma, On-screen, Declan was completely surrounded by goblins. 2.0 Part 2 I dodged to the left, bolts whizzing past my head as I made it to the next corridor. Taking advantage of the brief moment where I was no longer in sight of the archers, I turned around and cast Acid Spit on the goblin that followed me. The first goblin fell down easily, however, more were coming so I threw another Poison Spores before legging it. Hearing the now-familiar cocking sound as the crossbow goblins came behind me. I quickly jumped forward, tumbling under cover, almost face-planting on the ground as a crossbow bolt whizzed past me. Everything was going well at first, sure I was hopelessly outnumbered but they were goblins and they were stupid with no real concept of strategy and tactics. If I spent an hour or two I could probably slowly grind down the horde to more manageable levels. With a free hand, I pulled out my last Mana potion and chugged the thing in one gulp. Immediately after finishing, I jumped up and threw a Poison Sporage at the goblin behind me. Activating it mid-air and seeing the goblin scramble out of the falling spores. I aimed slightly forward to where it was running and cast Acid Spit. Clipping it on the foot, but that was enough to slow it down. I moved in and delivered the finishing blow, before dodging back down to avoid another incoming bolt. That was until I realised that they had freaking crossbows. Sure low fire rate and all that crap but the goblins had more than enough numbers to make up for it. I was once again hopelessly outranged with little option but to run as they shot bolts at me. Rolling on my side, I found myself behind another table. A crossbow bolt hitting the spot where I was just at. I started stocking up on more Poison Sporages, it cost a little more mana but the extra range I got from throwing was well worth it. Without it, the melee goblins wouldve closed in a long time ago. I heard some soft footsteps from my side, barely looking, I threw a mushroom in the sky around it, activating it in mid-air as it sprayed a cloud of spores onto the ground. Area denial, that was the name of the game right now. Every patch of land the goblins cant pass through made them more hesitant and predictable. However, I had already stayed here for far too long. Throwing a Poison Shroom in the air, I activated it, creating a slight dusty effect with the spores, before bolting out of cover and further away from the goblins. Hearing the twang of crossbows, I mentally braced myself. Two got me, one was safely embedded in my pack whereas the other clipped my cap. I reached another intersection quickly, all thanks to the grid design of the mall. There was a brief moment where I was out of sight of the ranged goblins, which gave me a chance to further thin the crowd. Reaching the intersection, I began turning to the right- Goblins. Fuck, they were blocking the right and front paths. As quickly as I could, I did a 180 turn and started running to the left corridor. Another bolt whizzed past me as I made it into cover. Turning around again, I cast Poison Spores. The puff of green spores floated harmlessly in front of me as no goblin broke through it. Shit, they were waiting outside of my range, if I went into range Ill be in sight of the damn crossbows again. I turned around and started running. Make it to the next intersection and turn right- Firebolt, I heard and instinctively jumped out of the way. The ground where I was just at exploded behind me. My leg felt like it was heating up. Hurriedly standing up I stomped my leg onto a wet patch of moss. Barely noticing the sizzling smoke and steam I turned around. Coming face to face with the goblin mage along with several dozen other goblins skulking on every side of me. The old goblin had a palm opened. On top of it, floated a leaf and a mushroom, one of the sneezing shrooms I threw as a distraction. The leafs tip pointed directly at me. Oh. That must''ve been a tracking spell. I see, I only thought he was capable of throwing firebolts and party buffing, never even considering this possibility. The old goblin gave me a vicious smile. I turned to the path I just came from, goblins, I looked behind me, goblins. I returned the old goblin''s smile. To think I was getting herded this entire time. Just knowing where I was wasn''t enough, this guy had to also coordinate a proper ambush, pass down information of where I was constantly. He had played this very well. In the end, both of my projected win scenarios wouldnt have worked, I was defeated by a tracking spell. GG I guess. The older goblin pointed a crooked finger at me as it snarled out something. I began throwing my remaining mushrooms at the approaching horde, but there wasn''t really a point.
You have died.
I drifted across an endless sea of black. I was on an island covered in mushrooms, two tiny lights accompanied me. Wisps The thought came to me, but I didnt know where it came from. Something slapped me awake. I blearily opened my eyes, to see the beady eyes of Hendrix staring back at me. Fifty-eight out of hundred, thats pretty good. He said. I winced as I sat up. There were a hundred? I asked incredulously and only slightly pissed. How the hell is that balanced? One level one against a hundred goblins and a mage? I asked. Hendrix only shrugged, If it makes you feel better, you werent supposed to be able to win that encounter. It was designed to get more difficult as the numbers were whittled down. But not in a way that directly affected their strength, I noted. Indeed, Hendrix agreed, their AI got smarter the more you took down, this was supposed to be a high score scenario, where you could earn more the better you did. Thats the two wisps you have, and youve levelled up, significantly putting you ahead of the competition. Now you have three stat points to distribute. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. I opened my character sheet. Hmm. My greatest weakness right now was speed. Levelling up agility would be best but only three stat points? It costs five just to raise agility by one point for me. Looks like Im not going to be raising my speed anytime soon. I ended up putting two points into constitution and one into intelligence. With the free point I got put into constitution along with the two automatic risings for wisdom and intelligence. I had effectively raised my stats by a total of six. However, that was only every second level. Every odd level would just be four points, with one of those having to go into Wisdom. It was a reasonable tradeoff for not being able to easily raise Agility, Dexterity or Charisma. I didnt really need dexterity or charisma yet though my agility was sorely lacking. With how my free stats went, it was trying to push me into some sort of tanky mage archetype. One that could take a hit or two while casting spells. Which I was fine with. I needed the extra constitution so that I can actually stay in the sun, and I have that physical debuff with my mana. Stamina was also a reasonable thing to raise as well, though it didnt feel like I was suffering from having too little stamina until I was under the sun. Anything else? I asked Hendrix. Nothing really, he replied, Just need you to get caught up on some in-game lore so that you can roleplay if youre into that. I raised an eyebrow, prompting him to continue. Alright, so the in lore explanation for why some people can die and come back with little consequence is that they are something called a Traveler. An extra-dimensional being that doesnt really inhabit the body theyre in. As such whenever a Traveler dies their consciousness goes somewhere else and reconstructs their body. Which for you would be known as just respawning. he shrugged, Itll cost you experience every time you die which can range from just a few EXP points or losing an entire level, I dont know what the formula behind it is nor can I tell you it if I did. Point is, just avoid death if you can. I nodded, It makes sense I suppose, why the name Traveller though? Oh, that? Since players can freely go from Gaia and Indiri it was just a good name. Speaking of which Hendrix reached into a bag, pulling out a glowing crystal, This is a Wayshard. Its what Travellers use to teleport across worlds. There are large ones scattered across Gaia in safe zones which you can use to go to a shard in Indiri or to a shard youve already visited in Gaia or anywhere else. Activating this Wayshard will teleport you outside of this tutorial instance and into Gaia proper, where you can meet other players and stuff. Youll start out next to one of the large shards so you could go into Indiri immediately but I suggest grinding to level four or five first. I nodded. Oh, one more thing! he said like he just remembered something, Actually two more things. Firstly, you get a referral letter for completing the tutorial, which you can use to invite anyone. Eve still wants to keep this world under wraps for a while so think carefully about a person who can keep their mouths shut. I raised an eyebrow, Matt should be trustworthy, probably. Normally you gotta buy referral letters for Impact Points but everyone gets a freebie for completing the tutorial. Hendrix continued Also, you can only log out from a large Wayshard, so make sure to keep one nearby." I raised an eyebrow, So my options for logging out safely in Indiri are to find a Wayshard or suicide Trust me, itll be less of a problem than you think. Are giant Wayshards that lead back to Gaia common in Indiri? I asked. Well no, but it wont be a problem for you, he responded vaguely. Explain. Well how should I put this he gestured idly, Youre a clone. My brain froze for a moment, What!? Well, its not as bad as it sounds, for one there''s still the you thats in the real world and you two can link up and become the same person albeit with two sets of memories whenever you want The process will be smooth I promise, youll barely even notice it. Hendrix replied almost apologetically. Thats not the problem. Why would you clone people!? Yeah Eve really wanted to maximise the time players can be around in the world since Giles wanted to make this a world you can literally live in and with a Somatic Implant, duplicating a person''s mind was just really easy. I rubbed my temples, I didnt need my worldview completely destroyed three times in the same night. I muttered. I can assure you, there is an option to not be cloned upon login, but for the sake of the tutorial, I just want you to know this is the default. But, why? I almost wanted to ask, before I realised. He said Wayshards were present in Gaia, Not how far away He seemed to have caught onto my reasoning and nodded, Indeed, there may be significant travel distances between each respawn point. You wont have simple opportunities to log out, and if you die you will have to completely restart your journey. Reasonable risks for a larger scale MMO, but I was a clone huh. That was a philosophical dilemma I wasnt qualified enough to touch. I understand, now, give me the Wayshard, I said as I reached my hand out. Oh! One last thing! What? I asked. Ahem, Hendrix cleared his throat, What is your name young Traveller? I breathed out a sigh of relief, Oh, great something normal. Oh, great something normal? That doesnt sound like a normal name if thats what youre going for. I gave Hendrix a withering glare. He shrugged, Cant take a joke can you? It was just poorly timed, I coldly replied. I thought about it for a moment. Dustin, I replied, my name is Dustin. Hendrix smiled, Welcome Dustin. Welcome to Gaia- Wait, I interrupted, I have a question. What is it? Hendrix asked, looking slightly miffed. What happens to that goblin, the mage one you threw at me? I asked. Oh him? We retire him to a farmhouse upstate- Answer seriously, I simply said. Hendrix paused, then looked at me. As he closely peered at me, I noticed that his eyes were insect-like, beady and black, Do you really want to know? he asked. Knowing is better than not knowing, I said. That particular preset may be used again in tutorials with similar builds like yours, but otherwise its memory will be wiped, to ensure a similar experience across Travellers, he answered in a calm voice. I see, I replied, shrugging, ok, send me through. Hendrix appeared slightly surprised, before asking, That''s it? I raised an eyebrow, Did you expect me to do something? Hendrix shrugged, Very well, welcome to Gaia Dustin. And with that, the Wayshard activated. Character Sheet for those of you that care. Spoiler: Spoiler
Name: Dustin Classes: Fungalmancer Level 2 Body Strength: 8 Agility: 7 Dexterity: 6 Constitution: 18 Stamina: 10 Vitality: 12 Mind Intelligence: 13 Wisdom: 17 Charisma: 6 Soul Will: 10 Aura: 10 Perception: 10 Racials: Superior Darkvision, Fungal Body, Sun Sickness, Mana Dependency, Pacifying Spores, Innate Magic Class Skills: Fungalmancer: Grow Sporage Spells: T0: Balm Spores, Spore Lights, Sneezing Spores, Acid Spit T1: Mushroom Meal, Poison Spores Available Spell Slots: T2: 1 Equipment: Leather Armour (Damaged, got stabbed multiple times remember?) - One HP Potion - Basic Wooden Staff - Two Basic Daggers - Herbalism Kit Backpack - Tinder Box - Mess Kit - 50 days worth of rations (Overkill, you literally have a spell which makes food.) 10 Gold Coins Impact Points: 4 IP Summary: - 1 point for level up - 1 point for significant damage to goblin population of Tutorial Instance (GS would like to know your location.) - 2 points from user Hendrix (Won the bet thanks to you! And 58 out of 100 is a passing mark I guess...)
Interlude: Felinology Interlude: Felinology As of , staff capable of conversing in Feline are required to be stationed on-site at all time, - One of the few legible passages recovered from Shadesmar, great deals of the original record are corrupted into meaninglessness. Zoe jumped down the roof, landing smoothly on the cobblestone ground. Today was an odd day for sure, her whiskers kept telling her that there was something weird happening with the big glowy crystal, even the dumb mages from capital noticed! Though Zoe had to restrain herself from going down there and giving those mages a good clawing. They were using divination spells! Dont they know that interacting with the stringy things is as good as cutting them? Next thing you know theyll call a priest to ask their god about why their shoes were on backward or why the sky was blue. In fact, Zoe did give them a piece of her mind, but some mage with a big hat just shooed her off! Zoe stuck her tongue at them and pounced off. Hmmph, Zoe bet they couldnt even recognise a good spell if she vomited one into their face. She paused as her whiskers caught a new tune. Leaves rustling, birds chirping, the sound of earths breath. A druid! Zoe quickly began following the sound. Druids were the best magic casters! (Excluding herself of course.) They knew how to speak cat after all! Zoe wondered why one was so close to the city though, they almost never did that. Zoe hoped it was here to turn the city into a litter box, or maybe make some more scratching posts! Or both! she thought as she caught sight of the druid. It was one of the tree people, but not like the big sis dryads, it was a he! An Elderwood, she pinned down. But something about him tasted even weirder. He wasnt a real Elderwood, his sound was too glurdled, and his relation to the Last Scritcher was too distant, but it was familiar A Traveler, she realised, remembering the taste she felt during her fourth life. He was just gawking around at the marketplace. Most people were giving him odd glances but walking trees werent a rare sight. Zoe scurried and dodged legs, arriving quickly in front of the druid. Hullo! She cheerfully meowed. The tall tree turned to her, eyes glinting with odd wonder, Why, hi there, he replied as he knelt down and scratched Zoes chin. Oooh that''s the spot! Zoe purred. The druid simply smiled, Do you know your way around here? I seem to be lost at the moment. I do know! Zoe happily chirped back, But more scratches first! If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The druid chuckled, Sure, he replied as he sat down cross-legged in the middle of the street, gently placing Zoe on his lap, he even began grooming her! Zoe purred contently as the druid ran deft fingers through her fur. Smoothing and plucking loose furs. After a while, Zoe perked up. Bad Zoe! She spent too long enjoying herself, she needed to help nice Mister! Where do you need to go Mister!? The druid put a finger on his chin, thinking about it for a moment, I think they are called way stones? Zoe''s ears perked up, Big crystal! The druid''s eyes lit up in affirmation as he furiously nodded, Yes! The crystal things! Ill get you there! Zoe yelled as she disappeared the floor. Mister druid yelped as he fell onto the new floor, one of the roofs near the big crystal. Teleportation became weird when around those things, and Zoe didnt want to get stuck in the Fire Plane again, the magma fishies were too overcooked. With a paw Zoe grabbed Mister druids hand, easily dragging along the tall tree person as she jumped from the roof. Mister druid started yelling in fright as he saw the approaching floor, how rude! Zoe was perfectly capable of keeping them both alive and chummy! With a flick of her tail, Zoe made the ground''s draggy power less than what it was before, then had Mister Wind push them toward the crystal. The dumb mages stood there dumbly, before the mage with a big hat yelled, Hey, its that cat from before! Zoe stuck her tongue at that mage, then in a smooth motion, vomited a hairball, the thing flying with absurd speed and striking the mage squarely in the face. He barely had the chance to yell in disgust as his dumb hat fell down on top of him. Its inside space suddenly a few dozen times more than before. Thatll teach him! Zoe thought as she raced to the crystal, mister druid screaming in fright behind her. The other mages finally started acting, but they were no match for Zoe! With another flick of her tail, she gave a few mages a taste of purple, another flick and she turned the remaining mages left into her left. The ones who tasted purple tried to yell out spells, but only burps came out of their mouths. Those who had their lefts swapped started tripping on themselves as they could no longer figure out how their own bodies went. Yippee! Zoe yelled as they raced past all the mages, coming to an abrupt yet smooth stop in front of the crystal. She deposited Mister druid in front of the crystal, I got you to big crystal! Zoe yelled excitedly. Mister druid opened the eyes he had firmly shut, before glancing around, Will they be fine? He pointed at the mages tripping on themselves and trying to burp out spells. Ehh, probably, Zoe thought. Theyll be fine! she cheerfully and innocently replied. The druid nodded, not quite believing Zoe but wisely knowing when not to pry into others business. Well thanks for the ride I suppose, he rubbed Zoes head, how nice! I dont have much to give you but- A belly rub is fine! Zoe interrupted, hopping onto her back, if Mister druid gave such good head scratches then how good would his belly rubs be!? The druid nodded quizzically, before giving Zoe an absolutely heavenly belly rub. Zoe purring loudly throughout the entire thing. By the tomes- Get them! the mage from before yelled as he finally escaped his hat. Mister druid jerked back. Noooo! My belly rub! Zoe protested. Will you be fine? He asked worriedly, gesturing to the mage yelling out profanities in between spell casts. Zoe tilted her head questioningly, What do you mean? Im always fine! Ill take that as a yes then, mister druid smiled, before placing his hand on the crystal, Thanks again! He yelled as he disappeared into a flash of light. Zoe waved a paw at the disappearing flash, before turning to the dumb mage who dared interrupt her bellyrub. 2.1 Part 1 2.1 Good thing these rebels only form into groups of five or I might actually have a problem. - The Revenant King, known for getting his empire upended by bands of plucky adolescents. My surroundings disappeared in a flash of light, before I knew it, I found myself standing beside a large blue crystal. Taking a quick glance around, it seems like I was still in the mall, at the centre of a food court, thankfully still with a roof. The crystal was embedded on an elevated platform, in what used to be a water fountain. Looking around, I could see several other people loitering around the food court chatting in somewhat hushed tones. There was one person who had set up a blanket with several items on display. A seller so soon? Though I have no idea when Gaia actually started, for all I know Eve has been grabbing people for a while. I turned around, placing a hand on the large crystal. Log out, I muttered before a light engulfed me.
My hand froze midway, dropping the chip I was going to eat. There was an odd feeling in my head My other self was coming back. I leaned down from my seat and picked up the dropped chip and plopped it into my mouth. Five-second rule. Mentally juggling two separate sets of memories. I had just gone through the Gaia tutorial, but I also couldnt sleep, and opened up my PC to research Giles Cooper. The tutorial was hard. A hundred goblins, tracking magic and an intelligent goblin mage. Finding information on Giles Cooper was harder, well it wasnt like I couldnt find anything, the dudes famous after all. Life stories, biographies, achievements, prizes, etc etc, everything was there but almost nothing of his personal life. If anything I suffered an excess of information. Quantity but not quality. And
HitZaDec: Yo
I sent to Matt. Even if it was three AM right now Matt was probably still awake. His sleeping schedule was almost as bad as mine. Sure enough, the trusty typing indicator showed up.
Mattmanfoo is typing Mattmanfoo: Yo
I opened up the Gaia program in a spare window, a pixelated scroll was on the top right. I grabbed the virtual object in my hand before pausing. Should I really send this to Matt? I still wasnt sure if the me that went through Gaia was the real me, or even if the me in real life was real. Could this be an elaborate trick by Eve? No, very unlikely. Whether or not my memories of going through the tutorial in Gaia or even my research in real life are real, she has proven capable of at the very least altering my memories almost instantaneously. Frankly speaking, I shouldnt worry about this because there was no point in worrying. There was nothing I could do or think of that can really counteract it. I sighed and began typing my message to Matt.
HitZaDec: I need backup.
His reply was immediate.
Mattmanfoo: Aight, who we jumping?
Smiling slightly now, I continued.
HitZaDec: Nah not jumping anyone, its hard to explain best if you experienced it yourself
And with that, I sent him the Referral Letter. A flash of light later and I was back in Gaia. If I could be doing two things at once I might as well take advantage of it. IRL me was a bit tired so he was probably going to head to sleep after a bit more net surfing. Meanwhile, Ill figure out more about Gaia as I waited for Matt. Checking around, nothing much had changed, though the players seem to have clustered into a single group now, somewhat loudly arguing amongst themselves. Well, not my problem. Menu, I muttered and an array of screens appeared around me. According to Hendrix I can call this up whenever I was in a Gaia safe zone or near a large Way Shard. Navigating the screens, I found the usual game stuff. Friends List, Character Sheet and an Impact Point Store with a selection of races and classes. I skimmed the store, most of the usual suspects for a high fantasy world, nothing too surprising. My friends list already had one person on it,
Mattmanfoo
Seems like Matt was automatically added. I closed the menus with a flick of my wrist, I should get exploring. If my tutorial was any indication then Matt will at least take a few hours. Hello? Someone called out, I glanced around, looking for the source. Over here! He yelled, waving at me. By the looks of it, he was a human warrior, and he was near the group of people that were arguing. A bit confused, I pointed at myself, Yeah you! he confirmed, And the dude next to you too, mind if we asked you some questions? This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Turning around, I found a tree-like person. Bit lanky and skinny looking, like a literal stick figure. No discernable class from his gear since he didnt seem to have any. Not even clothes either, instead just slightly different shades of bark, darker browns towards the end of his limbs and lighter towards his centre. Looking up, I realised he was pretty tall, at least 1.8 or 1.9 meters, with a large afro like haircut that merged with a Santa Claus style beard, both made completely out of green leaves. Round amber eyes met mine, Hello! he practically yelled with excitement, Nice he cocked his head in thought, Hat? Currently going with cap for the moment, and thanks. You have cool looking hair too, I replied, awkwardly returning his compliment. He grinned as he ruffled his afro, Oh Im sure itll get a lot harder to maintain than yours, he replied whimsically. How would a myconid haircut work? Anyways, he turned to the warrior, you wanted to speak with us good sir? he said as he started strolling down the platform. I followed him, tapping my staff as I went. Several eyes turned to him. Damn, he was tall, was this how Matt felt around me? So whats going on here? Afro tree asked, gesturing to the crowd. Were just trying to figure out whats going on, Warrior dude explained, So weve been talking about how we got here and discussing whether or not we should contact the authorities or not. I mentally considered it. Sure what Eve was doing was no doubt so illegal a court lawyer would rather have a seizure than try to defend her, but the achievements of she made was well literally all around him. Calling the coppers would be the easiest way to antagonise her, and I wasnt doing that until I explored more of the world first. How did most people get here? I asked. Most of us got a message randomly when we were doing other stuff. I was in the middle of dinner when I got mine, warrior dude replied. I slightly lowered my eyelids and placed my thumb to my chin, a universal expression of thought, Huh, I was doing some chores when I got mine, I said. Afro tree imitated my gesture, I got mine when I was on the way to the hospital, The hospital? Could it have been the same one I was in? My location in Gaia was the same as when I was in the mall earlier with Matt. So it makes sense if other players were brought to a place close to their IRL location. Given the Wayshards seemed to work, it was most likely operating on a Starter Town based start rather than directly translating your location IRL to Gaia. But then it depends on how many starter towns there were, if theres only one in this country or one for every state or city. If it was the latter then everyone here lives nearby. Looking around, it was clear that Afro tree and I were the weirdest races here. Were our premade races dependant on location? No, far too random, unlikely. Did you see anyone come by but leave? I asked the warrior dude. Hmm he thought for a moment, I only got here pretty recently, so I didnt catch much, but other than you two, there was a gnome that appeared who left almost immediately, and an elf, fox girl, skeleton, a lizard, a few demon looking dudes and a raccoon. A raccoon? Yeah, it just appeared next to the crystal and ran off immediately. I bit my thumb, there was a pattern here somewhere. Weird races who all left the spawn location as opposed to the group here who were just chatting amongst themselves. Are you sure it was a raccoon and not a cat or something? Afro tree asked. A cat? Nah it was definitely a raccoon, warrior dude replied. Why a cat? I asked Afro tree. Afro tree shrugged, Oh I thought since... well, I accidentally went to Indiri first and met a weird cat. I raised an eyebrow, Really? What was it like? How was the spawn location? Warrior dude leaned in, apparently curious as well. Well, I came into a city, but not next to the crystal. It was some dark alleyway without anybody nearby. I got lost and this cat helped me around to the crystal, he looked up absentmindedly, Wonder how shes doing So I probably wont be attacked the moment I entered Indiri, Did you need to go to the Wayshard to come back? Afro tree nodded, Yeah, I had to touch it. Was it guarded? There were a group of mages, Hmm, magic users. If a goblin mage was that difficult to deal with how hard will a group be? Coming to a decision, I said, Well, thanks for the information. Ill be going off on my own now. You sure? Im pretty sure our group will move out together once we get stuff sorted. Warrior dude replied. Higher numbers are safer but annoying to manage, and the crowd didnt look like itll move on anytime soon. I could handle myself pretty well. If I had a bit more info and some help I couldve probably gotten two-thirds of the goblins as opposed to a little over a half. Nah, I replied. Mind if I come along? Afro tree cheerfully added in. I shrugged, Sure, why not. I could ask him more about Indiri on the way. Bye then, I told the warrior, before turning away. Afro tree waved goodbye to warrior dude, before following me.
Name: Dustin Classes: Fungalmancer Level 2 Body Strength: 8 Agility: 7 Dexterity: 6 Constitution: 18 Stamina: 10 Vitality: 12 Mind Intelligence: 13 Wisdom: 17 Charisma: 6 Soul Will: 10 Aura: 10 Perception: 10 Racials: Superior Darkvision, Fungal Body, Sun Sickness, Mana Dependency, Pacifying Spores, Innate Magic Class Skills: Fungalmancer: Grow Sporage Spells: T0: Balm Spores, Spore Lights, Sneezing Spores, Acid Spit T1: Mushroom Meal, Poison Spores Available Spell Slots: T2: 1 Equipment: Leather ''Armour'' (Damaged, got stabbed multiple times remember?) - One HP Potion - Basic Wooden Staff - Two Basic Daggers - Herbalism Kit Backpack - Tinder Box - Mess Kit - 50 days worth of rations (Overkill, you literally have a spell which makes food.) 10 Gold Coins Impact Points: 4 2.1 Part 2 I never caught your name, Afro tree said. Dustin, I casually answered, yours? I usually go by Pa Pe Roni- I smirked a bit, -but with how personal everything feels going by that is a bit awkward, he nervously laughed, So just call me Peps. I raised an eyebrow, the first one was better but Sure then Peps, So what do you plan on doing? Peps leisurely asked. I thought about it for a moment, For now, checking the market, I replied, gesturing to a hooded figure watching us intently. Walking up to him, I cheerfully said, Yo, to the seller. He nodded but didnt say a word. I gestured to the wares laid on the blanket, How much is all this? Mostly consumables, few knives here and there. Rations go for a gold per five portions, two gold for a mana potion, one for health, He rasped out, voice sounding unhealthily dry. Your throat sounds rather sore, perhaps you should take some lozenges? Peps said, sounding genuinely worried. The hooded seller only gave him a withering glare. A mana potion please, I interjected before Peps genre blindness got us banned from the only player merchant currently available. The seller grunted as he took the money, I pocketed the potion and grabbed Peps'' arm, Lets go, and dragged him off. Youve never met an RPer have you? I asked him once we were out of earshot. He shook his head, No, I usually dont play RPGs, What do you play then? I asked as I checked over the mana potion. Same glowing colour and size as the last two I had, probably works. Mainly trading card games now, Peps answered. TCGs? Like Arcanum? He clapped his hands, Exactly like Arcanum! he replied in an excited tone, Do you play as well? On and off, I replied, storing the potion in my belt, I tend to spend too much money on packs if I invest in one, Peps nodded, I know the feeling, my kids keep telling me to stop but I have nothing to do around the house, Ehh loot boxes, I replied. Yeah he petered off, Where are we going by the way? he asked, gesturing to the corridor we entered. Grinding, I simply replied, What else could we be doing? Its not like there''s- A blurred brown dot appeared in my sight. My hours with the goblins caused me to instinctively sway to the right. Peps was a bit slower and the arrow struck his shoulder with a loud thunk. Mana flowed into my hand as I raised it, Grow Sporage Poison Spores- WAIT! a loud voice interrupted. A comically small looking head popped up from behind a bench. TIS BUT A MISUNDERSTANDING! THEY ARE FELLOW TRAVELERS! He yelled to someone out of sight. From the distance, two glowing eyes fell from the ceiling, a figure landing lithely on the floor. That was almost fifty meters away, I didnt even notice him until I saw his glowing eyes. Dangerous, just because this was a fantasy I shouldnt disregard the possibility of getting sniped. SORRY! I heard a high pitched voice yell in the distance. Her, I mentally corrected. I let my arm relax and fall to my side, hand concealing the Sporage just in case. Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry she repeatedly said as she stumbled to us, Im SO SORRY! YOU GUYS JUST LOOKED A LOT LIKE MONSTERS FROM A DISTANCE! Hmm Fair, I did have a jack o ''lantern for a face, and Peps did have a weird head shape. Speaking of Peps, I quickly checked on him, he fell when the arrow got him, but overall he looked fine if a bit dazed. I swapped the staff to the hand where the Sporage was, then offered my recently freed hand. You alright? I asked. He gratefully took it, wincing slightly as his shoulder made a weird grinding noise. Ah... Peps replied, eyes unfocused, I have a healing spell. Ehh, he seems fine for a dude that just got shot. Nodding, I turned to the two who attacked us. The first was a dwarf? No, he wasnt wide enough, and no beard. He was hairy though, long curly hair falling to his shoulders, probably just a buff gnome actually. He looked like a miniature of every gym buff, except shrunk down to about a meter tall. He was clad in a chainmail vest, with what seemed to be leather armour underneath, a short sword hung from his hip. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The second was a black-haired girl clad in leather gear. A quiver hung on her back and she was still tearfully holding the bow she shot us with. Were those cat ears on her head? You two are? I cautiously asked, they were both in my range now. I could chain Sporage with an Acid Spit and theoretically get them both, however, I have no idea how much damage theyll do to players, who presumably had higher Constitutions than tutorial goblins. Ah, I am Valhorn Hillblight! The gnome theatrically yelled, But more importantly! Are thee alright? Oh god, another RPer. Next to me, I heard Peps trying to pull out the arrow, No no! Valhorn yelled, The arrowhead shape will prevent you from pulling it out, you must break the shaft and push it out, here let me help. He said as he walked in closer. Peps gratefully smiled as he shifted positions to facilitate the short gnome. Seeing no current threat, I plucked the Sporage and pocketed it. And you? I directed to the ranger who was still wiping away tears. Im sorry, she said, shaking her head. I assume you werent talking about your name with that one, I said as I turned to the gnome standing on one of Peps legs. Ok, Im gonna push it now, Valhorn said. Peps grit his teeth and nodded, before taking a sharp intake of breath as Valhorn pushed the arrow through his shoulder. That wasnt too bad, Peps said with a slightly forced looking smile. Hmm, I didnt know what race Peps was but afro tree probably meant he had a high constitution. He was barely bleeding too, only a sticky looking sap flowed from the hole, and it looked like it was clotting. Cure Light Wounds, Peps said with a grimace, and the wood began growing inwards at a rapid pace, quickly closing the hole and leaving a spot of slightly lighter-looking bark. Peps flexed his shoulder experimentally, then poked the lighter spot and grimaced. Its a bit tender it seems, Let me help, I said as I touched his shoulder, Balm Spores, and white mycelium grew on him, covering the lighter spot. Its better than nothing, I added as I did the other side. I was going to offer a potion The gnome said. Ehh, best to save stuff like that for when you really need it, I replied. Valhorn nodded, Wise advice, Oh dont get me wrong, were still taking that potion, I added. They did shoot us after all. Tis only fair- He started before the other girl shoved him to the side and pushed a glowing red potion into Peps hand. Oh, its fine! Peps said as he pushed it back. No no, I insist, The girl replied with grim determination as she pushed it back. Oh no Im really fine, Peps pushed it back. But I shot you! She protested as she pushed it back. Its only a scratch Ignoring the Canadian standoff behind me, I turned to the gnome. You two were planning on an ambush? I asked. He nodded, Yes, we had begun hunting but it was hard pickings. Most of the beasts here would run on sight, they rarely stood and fought unless cornered. Ah shit, that makes things more annoying. Have you tried scouting further? Were not that far from the spawn zone so the stuff here might be more passive. Perhaps outside the mall? He shook his head, Though we are confident in our abilities, the night holds many dangers, without a proper source of light I am cautious to advance outside, where we lack the cover of this structure. He said as he gestured around us. I can create something similar to a light source? I suggested, raising a hand palm up, Grow Sporage, Light Spores. Valhorns eyes lit up, That would indeed do! Perhaps we should band together? That would create a fairly balanced party, I replied. Whats your class? I am a warrior, and you? Fungalmancer, which is basically a mage but with a mushroom theme slapped on it. Mostly an all-rounder with a focus for AOE damage. Hmm, and your tree friend can act as the healer, he said thoughtfully. I gestured to the standoff happening next to us, And her the DPS? Indeed, I look forward to working with you then, I said as I offered my hand. He smiled as he shook my it, And I do too with you, I smiled back, We should probably break up those two... I added. He peeked behind me, Yes they have been going on for a while already, Myconid and gnome turned to the scene of carnage. Not that you would notice at first glance, they were still politely pushing the potion into each other. I was almost tempted to let them play this out for a few more moments, see how long itll last. Unfortunately, that notion was destroyed when the gnome loudly declared, Were partying up! Two pairs of confused eyes turned to us at the same time. Ehh?
Name: Dustin Classes: Fungalmancer Level 2 Body Strength: 8 Agility: 7 Dexterity: 6 Constitution: 18 Stamina: 10 Vitality: 12 Mind Intelligence: 13 Wisdom: 17 Charisma: 6 Soul Will: 10 Aura: 10 Perception: 10 Racials: Superior Darkvision, Fungal Body, Sun Sickness, Mana Dependency, Pacifying Spores, Innate Magic Class Skills: Fungalmancer: Grow Sporage Spells: T0: Balm Spores, Spore Lights, Sneezing Spores, Acid Spit T1: Mushroom Meal, Poison Spores Available Spell Slots: T2: 1 Equipment: Leather Armour (Damaged) - One HP Potion - One MP Potion - Basic Wooden Staff - Two Basic Daggers - Herbalism Kit Backpack - Tinder Box - Mess Kit - 50 days worth of rations 8 Gold Coins Impact Points: 4 2.2 2.2 And when the Princess sang, the forest rallied under her. To defeat the most filthy of dishes and clean the most nookiest of crannies. - Excerpt from ''The First Princess'' After finally getting Peps to accept the potion -which he hesitantly stuffed into his afro- we sat down in awkward silence. I suppose introductions are in order? I winced internally, was that too formal of a start? Regardless, the gnome perked up, As you may have already known, I am Valhorn Hillblight the Rippling Barbarian! he yelled theatrically, long hair swishing back and forth. The ranger girl gave a polite clap, which Peps joined in with soon after. Apparently satisfied Valhorn continued, It was truly a stroke of fortune to meet such varied adventurers such as you lot, thine might even say that luck was on our side or that... I glanced at the other two, who seemed content to let Valhorn continue talking. Peps still looked a bit dazed from this all, however, he still had a friendly smile on. The rangers smile was slightly more strained, more withdrawn and felt more like politeness. ...And that is why such fortuitous encounters should be celebrated! A toast to future victories and- You have alcohol? I interrupted. Valhorn paused, Erm, no. I am not in possession of any wine nor spirits. Then perhaps save such a thing for later? I suggested, You know, after said future victories? Indeed! I waited a moment to see if he had anything more to add, seeing him silent, I cleared my throat, Well, then. Im Dustin as some of you may know. Mage class with stats mostly specced into Wisdom and Constitution and I lack Agility and Dexterity. Best at a midline role, I know six spells that are balanced between utility, damage and CC. I also have a racial ability that CCs which I can use once per short rest, however, I get a debuff when under sunlight or when my mana is too low. Peps looked like he got most of the jargon I threw out, the ranger girl looked a bit lost. Valhorns eyes, however, were shining, Straight to the point! I like it! He declared, I am a warrior, trained in shortswords and the Aura techniques Quick Step and Heavy Slash. I possess the Strength of a centaur, the Dexterity of an octopus He said, arms miming out a bow being drawn then wiggling them like tentacles, and the Constitution of a hedgehog. He finished. What? So Peps started, slightly hesitant, That means you have a poor Constitution? Valhorn nodded energetically. Low CON, hmm Well for someone that short it was to be expected. Well, Im Peps, an Elderwood Druid. Peps began, I know three spells; Willow Lights, Druidcraft and Cure Wounds. I also have the ability to shapeshift into animals Ive formed a bond with, however, since I assume their stats and physical abilities I lose my ability to cast spells. Most of my stats are in Wisdom and Charisma. A bond? I asked. Well, if I helped a certain animal then I can assume their form. The closer the bond the better the transformation, he paused, considering his next words, For example, if I helped a squirrel find some nuts, then Ill be able to become a squirrel. But I wont be able to become THAT specific squirrel I helped out. However, if I formed a meaningful bond with that squirrel, then I can become that specific squirrel. I sat there, trying to piece together this information, So youre saying That a basic bond will allow you to become the species of squirrel, and give you the base stats of a squirrel. But if you became good friends with a squirrel thats stronger than average, then you can become a stronger than average squirrel? Yeah, Peps answered. What about skills and magic? Valhorn added, eyes suddenly serious. Shit, hes right. Good catch Valhorn. Peps thought about it for a moment, Im not sure he said hesitantly, I didnt ask my tutorial guide about that. I exchanged a glance with Valhorn, I needed to test this. In all likelihood, it would be something very restricted, on a class like druid that already has many drawbacks. But there is no way it would be this easy to power game... A lightbulb went off in my head, Its a mechanic that rewards roleplaying, I said my thoughts aloud. Valhorn nodded, Indeed. Given the odd origins of this realm, it would make a lot of sense. A real breathing world huh? This is becoming more interesting by the moment. Though, I mentally sighed, this probably means that people are going to double down on the roleplaying. Valhorn hasnt broken character once yet, using vague terms to shy away from the more game-like aspects instead. Shame, he seemed like the most competent here. Perhaps I should do a bit of light roleplaying? I didnt have much to go with other than the Traveler thing Oh sorry about that friend, Valhorn interrupted my thoughts, I glanced at him. He didnt direct that to me but the ranger girl, Please introduce yourself as well, he added. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Three pairs of eyes turned to her, Umm She hesitantly began, her cat ears were laid flat on her head. Hmm, did she have normal ears underneath her hair? Four ears felt excessive. So my name is Boba, like the drink. Im a Ranger, as you may have gathered when I uh, she gestured to Peps, shot him Its really fine, Peps assured her. But I shot you! She protested. I raised a hand before we got stuck in another standoff, Umm, Im pretty sure weve already had this conversation, Yeah Peps began, before chuckling a bit, soon joined by the ranger girl- Boba and Valhorn. So as I was saying, Boba continued, I have Novice proficiency in short bows and daggers, and a passive called Natural Explorer, which helps me traverse difficult terrain and Haste which speeds me up for a while. My racials are Keen Senses, Darkvision and Shifting, which boosts my physical stats for a minute. I nodded, all around decent physical build with good scouting capabilities. Though Valhorns low CON might be a problem, hmm. Alright, I clapped my hands, Lets do it like this
Valhorn took the first step out of the mall. I went next, eyes scanning our surroundings with my Superior Darkvision. Nothing in sight, though the outside was as overgrown as the mall, though lacking the glowing moss that lit up the mall. We picked an exit that led to an open carpark. Clear, I said and Peps followed after me. Given that damage here can result in something much worse than a number dropping, i.e. actual wounds, keeping the healer alive was even more important. Boba followed close after. Despite the fact that I was a mage and Valhorn had low CON, we were both best suited for the frontline. Me because I had a high CON and low range compared to Boba. And Valhorn because he was better armoured and literally made for a frontline role. Do you think normal aggro strategies will work? I asked Valhorn as we passed through the former carpark. Valhorn shot me an annoyed look, oh yeah the roleplaying. I cleared my throat, Doth thou suppose that hurting thee Whats a fancy word for mob? Thee enemies! Shall lead to aggravation in the form that is predictable and makes them easier to hit? I finished questioningly. Boba lightly chuckled and Valhorn let out a tired sigh, did I overdo it? Tis unlikely he continued, and foolish to assume that beasts no matter how unintelligent will fall for obvious provocation. So probably not? The goblins certainly didnt and they were just tutorial mobs, they learned. They started avoiding my mushrooms, roaming in groups and always having a goblin prepared to run on first contact. A real, breathing world huh Was all this preparation for Indiri? Since the mobs are alive inside Indiri it would be stupid to assume that they would follow predictable game patterns. I asked Valhorn this, though translating it to roleplay speak first, Do you think that this is a trial? I asked as we passed the car park without any bother. He raised an eyebrow questioningly at me, The intent of Gaia is to train players to be prepared for Indiri, I explained, The patterns I have viewed from fought creatures show a degree of intelligence not common in games. Valhorn paused for a moment, Fought creatures? A hundred goblins and one, what was roleplay for tutorial? Ahh fuck it just go with introduction, Fought during my introduction to this realm. They learned of my strategies and adapted around them and though I contested them to stalemate. Lack of knowledge sealed my defeat. Shit, I was getting the hang of this roleplaying thing. Indeed, Valhorn mused, Gaia is a trial then, to weed those unable to adapt. Or a lesson, I added, a test or a lesson. Test to see if players can realise this early on and remove their game biases. A lesson to teach them that it was different. Initiative is ours then- Shh! Boba quietly interrupted. I turned my attention to her, her cat ears were rotating on her head, Four things no three! Heading towards us from the left. She urgently whispered. I quickly glanced around. We had entered a forest before I knew it. Draw your weapons, Valhorn urgently whispered as he drew his shortsword and turned to the left. I took out the Poison Sporage I prepared earlier so that I can chain two spells if necessary. Three versus four we had them outnumbered though Peps wasnt much of a combatant. He was the backup plan in case one of us got injured. Three and a half versus three then. Mobs? I asked Boba. Im not sure, she whispered back, Not large though, around house cat-sized. Unlikely to be players then, unless its that raccoon the dude from before mentioned? Hmm, what are the chances of three people getting animal races? I heard them. Rustling leaves and softly pounding feet, but quick and urgent. I grew another Poison Sporage on my hand just in case. Boba drew her short bow. They were close enough now that she probably didnt need to concentrate on Keen Senses to find them. Three shadows burst from the bush. Rats. Shit, they were big. Valhorn moved to intercept, I threw a Poison Sporage at the air above them. If they jumped I can take them out- All three rats dashed forward, before slamming their faces into the ground in a dogeza position. My mushroom fell to the ground harmlessly behind them. One of the rats began squeaking. Wait! Peps yelled as he grabbed Valhorns shoulder, causing him to jerk and fall on his behind, I can Speak with Animals! he said as he knelt forward in front of the rats. What? Peps began speaking- squeaking?- with the rats. Valhorn stood back up, rubbing his rear, behind me, I heard Boba loosen her bow. Peps conversation with the rats began urgently, then they started charading something which I was severely missing in context to make sense of. Was Peps crying? Apparently finishing his squeaking conversation, Peps turned to us, wiping away sappy tears. Guys! he tearfully began, They need our help! What?
Name: Dustin Classes: Fungalmancer Level 2 Body Strength: 8 Agility: 7 Dexterity: 6 Constitution: 18 (Enough to get stabbed multiple times and walk it off) Stamina: 10 Vitality: 12 Mind Intelligence: 13 (Enough to know that tomato is a fruit) Wisdom: 17 (Enough to know that tomato doesn''t belong in a fruit salad) Charisma: 6 Soul Will: 10 Aura: 10 Perception: 10 Racials: Superior Darkvision, Fungal Body, Sun Sickness, Mana Dependency, Pacifying Spores, Innate Magic Class Skills: Fungalmancer: Grow Sporage Spells: T0: Balm Spores, Spore Lights, Sneezing Spores, Acid Spit T1: Mushroom Meal, Poison Spores Available Spell Slots: T2: 1 Equipment: Leather Armour (Damaged) - One HP Potion - One MP Potion (Now that I think about it, what are the chances he was scammed?) - Basic Wooden Staff - Two Basic Daggers - Herbalism Kit Backpack - Tinder Box - Mess Kit - 50 days worth of rations (When will you need this!?) 8 Gold Coins Impact Points: 4 2.3 Part 1 2.3 With her song, the First Princess proved that magically enchanted animals make far better servants, thus, all the original servants tasked with menial work around the castle were laid off for requiring a salary. - Excerpt from The First Princess Peps gently lifted one of the grotesquely large rats, cradling it like a house cat or very ugly baby. The other two rats stood upright next to him. Rat one, which Peps was holding, squeaked something. And Peps began translating, We were just minding our own business ya see...
You may take whatever you want, Debon casually replied. The individual before him nodded, before proceeding to ransack the store. Hmm, Debon had to slightly limit him, make some stuff disappear before he found it. Make sure everything he was taking was still within the beginners'' budget. As he was doing so, he received a message. Hendrix: Yo Debon raised an eyebrow, how odd. Why was Hendrix messaging him now? Debon: Hello, is something the matter Hendrix? Hendrix: Just curious about the kid youre guiding Youre. He mentally corrected. It irked Debon that his colleagues would take such shortcuts, even in casual messaging. An unfortunate side effect of the ''variety'' their mother had bestowed upon them. Debon casually glanced at his trainee, who was experimentally spinning a polearm. It made sense that Hendrix would want to know about him. The trainee Debon was in charge of was recruited by one of Hendrixs own trainees. They were likely real-life friends if the chatter he caught was accurate. Debon: He is doing as expected. Hendrix: Mmm, I would like to try something look at this A notification popped up inside of Debons consciousness. He mentally reviewed it. A preset encounter with a goblin village, set inside this very mall. Given what Hendrix just asked, Debon could guess the intent of this preset, though Debon: A hundred goblins? Even with the lowered Constitution and learning limitation this is too much. The tutorial only requires the player to move around a bit so that the program can adjust the duplicate persona to better fit their bodies. Hendrix: Im just curious about how he will do. Come on, Ill treat you to lunch at Mermaids Tail. Hmm. Tempting, Mermaids Tail had one of the better selections of seafood in Indiri. And his trainee seemed most delighted about his experience here. Would a slightly difficult tutorial turn him off? Debon needed to confirm, he had to do this at least somewhat professionally compared to the others after all. Knowing Hendrix he probably just shoved it onto everyone he was in charge of. Excuse me, Debon asked the trainee, Would you consider yourself new or experienced to Virtual Reality or Combat? The boy raised an eyebrow, Experienced, why? I am just considering how I should adjust the difficulty setting of your tutorial, Debon replied. The boy set down the end of the polearm with a thud, Hard, he replied with a gleeful smile, Give me the highest difficulty you can, Very well, Debon easily replied. Even if the boy had agreed, Hendrix didnt know that yet. Debon began the delicate process of extorting- negotiating a better deal from Hendrix. Dinner perhaps. The Tails night menu had some delectable meals made with the Starlit Trouts caught locally, and they literally didnt taste the same unless eaten under a bright moon.
And the cowards struck Peaches from behind! My brother, Dangerous Beans bravely held them off as I cradled my dying mate However he was one and they were many. He could not hold them off forever. He warned me to retreat, however, I could not leave it at that. Thus before Peaches final breath. I swore vengeance upon them! Peps yelled, arms dramatically flinging around as he translated what Rat one, who I now knew was called Sardines, squeaked. Luckily, Peps put Sardines down before his oration, or else he wouldve thrown him off by now. The other two rats, Hampork and Skip were dramatically recreating the events Sardines was describing. They did oddly well despite the fact that there were only two of them and they were doing a scene with at least half a dozen characters. Such vile scoundrels to strike one noble as yourself completely unprovoked! Valhorn yelled, I understand thee pain and I too shall swear death upon them! I swear upon my father! My fathers father! And his father... I turned away from the roleplaying maniac and looked at Boba, who was crying again. Peaches died way too young! You guys never had the chance to view the sunset on an autumn beach, or share a string of cheese under a starlit night. Something weird was happening. Sardines story was good, well-executed and even had a few twists despite sounding like a classic romantic tragedy. But it wasnt good enough to elicit tears right? I glanced at Valhorn, who was finding more and more obscure parts of his family to swear vengeance with. Boba who was still crying and Peps who was gently weeping golden tears as he finished his- their play. Hmm those tears looked shiny. I wasnt sure what Peps race did but Elderwood sounded pricey. Itll have to wait, one thing at a time Decs. The point is all three of them seemed enamoured with the rats tale. Too enamoured. I mentally began reviewing the rats actions. Nothing obvious, they dogezad almost immediately upon contact and havent made an aggressive play yet. I dont think theyve cast a spell either unless there were spells that can be cast without chants. Which was entirely possible, though unlikely to exist at such a low level. Aura techniques? Also unlikely, from what Ive gathered from Valhorn and Boba the techniques they were allowed to pick focused closer on buffing themselves or required touch. Of us, only Peps have touched a rat so far. Aura techniques were chantless, however, so it mightve been cast without any of us knowing. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Some sort of buff? But what kind of skill let you do plays better- No. I cant think like that. Assuming that every skill or spell was just number crunching would be incorrect. The goblin mage proved that utility spells existed with his tracking spell, though his spell seemed to have some sort of condition. Otherwise, he wouldnt have carried the Sneezing Sporage with him. Only I could activate it from a distance after all. But back on track. If the rats did something then it was probably an Aura technique. Valhorn and Boba said they could use theirs without yelling out the skill name however they werent used to it yet. Rats that have been living in this world with this very system likely have. Unlikely to be something that directly affected someone else too. Otherwise only Peps wouldve been affected since hes the only one who went in contact with a rat. Probably some sort of self-buff, but what kind? Buffing yourself Buffing yourself What were the stats? Body, mind, and soul. Body had strength, dexterity, constitution, all the physical stats. Mind, had intelligence, wisdom, and charisma. The description for that stat was annoyingly vague. The ability to interact with other people? Literally, everyone can do that! If charisma was to blame then it was probably better described as the ability to make other people do things. In this case, making them cry over a meh play. Why was I the only one unaffected then? Hmm Valhorn and Boba were both physical fighters No, Peps was a magic user as well, but he did handle a rat directly Shit, I cant easily check, there was still a not-zero chance I just have shit taste in theatre. Doing anything overly suspicious was a no go for now. Hmm Perhaps my mind stats? Probably not charisma, a six was apparently very low. Wisdom was more likely, since it was my highest stat, intelligence too since it seemed decently high. And upon my great great great grandfathers nephews third cousins eighth pet- I grabbed Valhorn, interrupting him methodically devaluing the worth of his entire family tree and extra. Whats your int and wisdom stats? I urgently whispered to him. Slightly confused, he replied, Eleven and nine, Hmm, no roleplaying, he really was out of it. More gently, I grabbed Boba on the shoulder, Whats your int and wisdom stats? I quietly asked, keeping a careful eye on the rats. They dont seem to have noticed me yet, instead just silently weeping and looking overall very pitiable. Boba wiped away a tear, staring confused at me, Umm, around the tens Probably wisdom then. My INT was too close to theirs and Peps I glanced at Peps who was helping the rats wipe away their tears. A lost cause. Even if he had as high a wisdom stat as I did, he seemed like a natural idiot. A nice, softhearted idiot but an idiot nonetheless. Fuck. I wish Matt was here, he wouldve made this thing a whole lot simpler. Bloody, but simpler. Though I have yet to confirm one important thing. Whether or not we are being attacked. My instincts and logic said yes. However, the rats havent done anything aggressive yet. Tell a sob story and ask us to fight some people. Honestly, just normal game NPC stuff, and if this was just a game then I wouldve thought the devs were just being cheeky with a random event. But Gaia wasnt just a game wasnt it? Hendrix displayed an unerring amount of personality and life despite just being what I assumed was a tutorial bot, and though I havent seen Indiri yet, if Eve can make one fully breathing world, whose to say she cant make two? Gaia wouldnt even be that hard to make since she has Giles recreation to work off of. At the very least there was more to this story. I should see this to the end at least. Though A truly tragic tale you have told us, I said, channelling my inner roleplayer, two can play at this game, and though justice is its own reward. I must ask I paused slightly, gotta seem hesitant, If mayhaps there is compensation for us helping you? If theyre trying to be quest giver NPCs then they might as well hand over all their valuables. Peps looked at me oddly, then translated what I said. I looked closely at the rats as they heard what Peps squeaked. Hmm No luck, they looked exactly like regular giant rats. No over the top cartoon facial features. I cant read them. The lead rat, Sardines, quickly squeaked something back, He said that it would be difficult Peps translated, Since they have many family members and often go hungry during hard seasons It almost felt like Boba, or Valhorn was trying to glare daggers into my back. Oh no no, I replied, I am not asking for extravagance, merely compensation to account for personal expenses undertaken in this quest. Such as damaged gear or injuries... The glare softened slightly and turned away. Was that my perception? It was described as a sixth sense We cannot compensate for weapons or gears lost, Peps said, already translating, However our brethren knows many ways around this land, and knows of hidden treasure left by travellers before thee. That will do, I replied as I gave them a bright smile. Peps seemed to recoil a bit but quickly gathered his bearings as he translated. Now perhaps thou can describe to us what manner of foe plagues you, Valhorn butted in. I glanced gratefully at him. Talking to rats was starting to get weird.
Skip pointed in front of us and squeaked, Theyre over there, Peps quietly translated. Hmm in front of us was a neat park if I remembered correctly. Though now it seemed pretty overgrown. Valhorn did a few gestures with his hand, which I roughly translated to: follow me quietly, if movies were accurate. Silently bending down, I let the tall grass cover us. Valhorn took point, I followed behind him. Boba had already disappeared somewhere and Peps had been told to stay out of sight due to his low combat capability. From what we gathered from the rats, our opponents were humanoid and worked in a party. Three melee fighters and one healer. Valhorn was pretty serious about battle tactics, so we planned ahead. Leverage Bobas superior range as we kept them busy close up. The first to die had to be the healer obviously. Valhorn and I will try to do a sneak attack to get him however more likely we would just keep the melees busy as Boba assassinated the healer- Valhorn raised a hand, the universal gesture for stopping. We were close enough to hear the sounds of a fire crackling. A camp? Hopefully, we can catch them off guard. ........ More slowly, we crept in closer, beginning to catch muted snippets of conversation. ............ .......not level.. I paused, Valhorn stopping just a bit in front of me as he stopped sensing movement from me. ......grind Oh. Oh. I laughed. I laughed loudly. How was I so stupid!? The rats were common mobs! Were avenging dead mobs! We were fighting other players!
Name: Dustin Classes: Fungalmancer Level 2 Body Strength: 8 Agility: 7 Dexterity: 6 Constitution: 18 Stamina: 10 Vitality: 12 Mind Intelligence: 13 (Enough to know that tomato is a fruit) Wisdom: 17 (Enough to know that tomato doesn''t belong in a fruit salad) Charisma: 6 (Not enough to sell a tomato based fruit salad) Soul Will: 10 Aura: 10 Perception: 10 Racials: Superior Darkvision, Fungal Body, Sun Sickness, Mana Dependency, Pacifying Spores, Innate Magic Class Skills: Fungalmancer: Grow Sporage Spells: T0: Balm Spores, Spore Lights, Sneezing Spores, Acid Spit T1: Mushroom Meal, Poison Spores Available Spell Slots: T2: 1 Equipment: Leather Armour (Damaged) - One HP Potion - One MP Potion - Basic Wooden Staff - Two Basic Daggers - Herbalism Kit Backpack - Tinder Box - Mess Kit - 50 days worth of rations 8 Gold Coins Quests: Murder the Murderhobos! (Active) 0/4 Murderhobos killed Impact Points: 4 2.3 Part 2
A horrific noise rang across the clearing Lung shuddered at the sound, it was as if an asthmatic whale had just taken its final breaths, before violently and spontaneously combusting. What the fuck was that!? one of his party members yelled, shakily standing up and drawing his blade. His name escaped Lung at the current moment, though it was unlikely to be worth remembering. Steadily, Lung too stood up and faced towards the location where the noise had come from. The noise wasnt human but sounded far too.... unsettling to be a natural animal. Who is there? he calmly, but loudly asked. Ah sorry bout that! A cheery voice yelled back. His eyes focused on a patch of grass that seemed to be glowing softly. Were players so dont shoot us or something by the way. Behind him, a sigh of relief came from one of his party, Holy shit man you scared- Show yourself, Lung interrupted. The grass rustled, and a glowing figure rose. Some kind of humanoid mushroom, with a face carved out like a jack o lantern on its stalk. A soft, light bluish glow emanated from it. Sorry about that, just remembered my race has a weird natural laugh, A player then. Damn, you look creepy as hell, someone from behind him said, almost approvingly. Darkblade Lung remembered. Likely because the name seemed to combine the worst parts of edge and genericness. The mushroom seemed to grin, Id like to think its creepy and cool, it replied as it took a step forward. Stay, Lung commanded. The mushroom paused, then seemed to shrug helplessly, Why are you so paranoid dude? Why were you sneaking around? He simply rebutted. I heard that there was a wild boss around this area, so Im trying to hide from it, it replied in a casual, matter of fact tone. Where did you hear this? I met a few players who respawned after fighting it, apparently its really strong so I want to avoid it. Then why come here at all? The mushroom''s face seemed to turn blank for a moment, before it sighed, Ah fuck it, Im bad at this improv thing anyways, and with that, it threw something. Lungs reaction was instant, his body already tensed, swayed to the right. The thrown object narrowly missed his head. Before it exploded. Some sort of yellow dust filled the air around his head, and an unbearable itching sensation erupted on his nose. ARRRGH-CHOOOO! The sneeze forced Lungs eyes closed, however, due to a quirk of his race having transparent eyelids, he briefly caught a glimpse of the mushroom reeling back, as if belching- Harden Hide! Lung yelled out before the glob of purple struck him. The thing landed on his chest, burning through cloth before barely getting stopped by his reinforced skin. Lung stomped a foot down and pushed off it. Dashing towards the mushroom with explosive speed. Poison Sp- Lung grabbed the mushroom in the neck, interrupting the spell, and swiftly punched it in the face. The blow felt odd, elastic almost- The mushroom grabbed the arm lifting itself up, Fucking hate monks, it muttered as one of its fingertips burst. A heaviness seemed to set in, his body seemed to slow. Lung grit his teeth, stomping his foot down, he twisted his body, throwing the enemy to the side. Through heavy eyelids, he saw the mushroom fly far, colliding with a tree. A mistake Lung realised too late. He just created more range between them. Lung staggered forward, Ability Boost, he muttered, feeling the heaviness alleviate somewhat. He needed to close in again, where the fuck was his healer? I, THE GREAT VALHORN HAVE CLAIMED FIRST BLOOD! Lung heard a voice yell out from the camp. He swiftly turned, seeing some sort of midget pulling out a sword from the already dissipating corpse of his healer. What the hell, Peps He heard the mushroom mutter, turning again, he saw a cat with an afro sitting on the fallen mushroom. Light emanating from its paws. Lung quickly evaluated his options, behind him Darkblade and his other party member were exchanging blows with the gnome, forcing it on the defensive. The mushroom was unoccupied, probably a mage class. If allowed like that itll leverage its superior range. Not only that, the cat seemed to be their healer. Making his decision, Lung dashed towards the mushroom and cat, hands stretched out just in time to grab the mushroom as it stood back up. He tried to grab the cat as well, but it dashed off. Instead, he began punching the mushroom in the stomach, fists leaving indents in the soft white flesh. It gasped, letting out a breath as it was winded. Lung prepared for the finishing blow when a scream of pain came from behind him. He turned again, seeing one of his party members with something sticking out of their leg- The mushroom grabbed his shoulder, Poison Spores, Green dust exploded from the hand, enveloping Lungs head. Lung staggered back as a stinging pain overtook his orifices. Cure wounds, he heard something say. Half blindly, Lung jumped forward and grabbed the small white thing healing his enemy, before lobbing it as far away as possible. The mushrooms reaction came a second later, in the form of a sharp pain striking Lung in the abdomen. Throwing a cat? Dick move dude. Lung growled at him, the noise coming out more like a hiss. Reaching out, he grabbed the staff with both hands, his opponent reacting a second too late, he lifted up the surprisingly light creature, before violently swinging staff and wielder towards a tree. Halfway through the swing, he felt the staff lighten. Poison- Lung let go of the staff, rapidly turning towards the fallen mushroom, fist already in motion. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. -Spores, Green dust once again enveloped Lung, however, his fist was already in motion. The pain barely slowed him as he landed a direct hit on his opponent''s face. The squishy mushroom hit the ground, grunting in pain as it did so. Lung tried to follow up with a kick, but instead, he screamed in pain as the spores settled on him. A stinging sensation enveloped his entire body. HARDEN HIDE! Lung yelled, reapplying his defensive skill. Two rough hands grabbed his shoulders, Lung blearily saw the mushrooms face staring directly back at him. Acid Spit, The shot landed on his face, burning his eyes and nostrils. Lung screamed in pain again as he was shoved back. That skill doesnt protect your orifices does it? The bastard shroom commented. Lung rolled over, getting on all fours. Then lunged at- An arrow struck Lung on the back, altering his course and allowing the myconid to easily dodge him. Lung fell flat-faced onto the ground. For my brethren! he heard as a blade went through his abdomen. For the rats, yay, the mushroom added unenthusiastically, staff striking Lungs snout. "Poison Spores," What rats... Lung asked as his mind faded to black. You have died.
Ouch. That lizard dude was tough for a guy wearing no armour. Probably had a high constitution like me. He tanked like five poison spores and shook off my CC spells like nothing. Fast, strong and durable, not only that, did he have transparent eyelids or something? Frick, if it wasnt a one versus three I mightve lost. Speaking of which You alright Peps? I yelled in the general direction where he was thrown. A long, stick-like arm poked out of a bush with a thumbs up, Fine! I glanced to the side where Valhorn was wiping off some blood off his blade. The fight was pretty much won the moment their healer died. Even if the lizard dude had me outclassed in close combat, Peps healing and my own constitution allowed me to hold him off until Boba and Valhorn finished the other two. Peps came out from the bushes, wiping off leaves that may or may not have been from his afro bush thing. Are you guys alright as well? Im fine, I answered. Valhorn grunted, Could use some recovery. he said, gesturing to a bleeding arm. Peps nodded and cast Cure Wounds on him. Did they drop any stuff? Valhorn shook his head, No, tis seems that their equipment went with them, including their baggage at the camp. I heard some bushes rustling, Boba. She came in looking slightly pale. Are thou fine? Valhorn asked her, voice concerned. Boba wordlessly nodded. Huh. I turned to Peps, Didnt you say you couldnt cast spells as an animal? Uh, yeah, he nervously chuckled, I remembered that my trainer said the main reason my animal forms cant cast spells is because the animal I am is incapable of casting spells, however, I remembered I formed a bond with this cat that could cast spells and I didnt want to sit back so sorry about that. Did he feel bad about coming in? I slapped him on the back, having to stand on my toes(?) due to the absurd difference in height, Wouldve died if you didnt jump in, in a more mumbled tone I added, Dont want to test the respawn system first hand either. Peps chuckled. I clapped my hands, Well for a PUG group we did pretty well, Valhorn and Boba turned to me, Oh yeah sorry, in a more theatrical tone I said, For comrades brought by chance our execution of vengeance was well done. Valhorn nodded, apparently satisfied. Boba managed a smile and Peps ruffled his afro. Well, lets get our loot then.
Here it is, Peps translated as Sardines led us down a dark alley- well it was night so everywhere was dark. I glanced around, not much here other than piles of what seemed to be plastic trash, Mostly trash it seems, I muttered as I poked through the piles with my staff. Sardines shook his head, before jumping into the pile, pulling out a crystal and a roll of ancient-looking paper. Whats this? Valhorn asked. The rat squeaked out a reply, which Peps promptly translated, A map of the surrounding area, and a spell left by a previous Traveler. I raised an eyebrow, Pass? I asked, gesturing to the crystal. Sardines stood up, passing the crystal to me. I gingerly took it. It looked like the way shard Hendrix had, the only difference was that there are these weird green glowing lines on it and it felt weird. Like it was calling me. Bark Skin it was whispering. Valhorn took the map, Hmm seems accurate, he muttered as he examined it. I shook my head and passed the crystal to Peps, who curiously looked over it. Peps squeaked something to the rat. He says Travelers use crystals like these to gain new spells, Peps translated the rat''s reply. Something like a skill book then. Any idea whats in this one? Boba asked from the side. Bark Skin, Apparently a spell called Bark Skin, Peps and I replied at the same time. I raised an eyebrow, You feel the same calling feeling too? I asked. Peps nodded, Its odd, I didnt feel it until I touched it, what about you two? he asked as he passed the crystal to Boba, who shook her head, Nada. Nothing. she said as she passed it to Valhorn. Valhorn passed the map to me, I glanced over it, mentally comparing it to a map I saw in the real world. I do not feel a call, likely because I do not have the mind for it, So class-based then, only Peps and I were mages- or magic users at the very least. How should we split this? I asked. Valhorn shrugged, Neither Boba or I have the learning to obtain spells. he said as he passed the crystal back to me. I translated that to, they had no spell slots. You want it Peps? I asked, I already have like six spells so I dont really need it. Peps shook his head, Im fine, Well, I owe you one then, I replied, How do I use it though I glanced questioningly at the rat, who just shook its head. Oh well, Ill figure it out later, I muttered, placing the crystal in my bag. The map? We have long traversed this realms parallel, so we know the routes, Valhorn answered for himself and Im assuming Boba, However, I must draw your attention to this, he pointed to a blank spot on the map. That was the nearby Asian market? Any idea why this spot is blank? I asked. The rat squeaked something. He said that theres a great monster there, so many Travelers avoided that area, Peps translated. Sounds like a wild boss, I muttered. Wait, did that rat just I put down the map, Did you just understand me? The rats eyes went wide, an oddly human expression on a rat, before it jumped into the piles of trash. I stared at the empty spot where the rat was. After it! Valhorn yelled, breaking me out of my trance. He was already kicking away the trash. However, this alleyway was a dead end there was no way for the rat to- Theres a hole! He exclaimed. A literal mousehole.
Name: Dustin Classes: Fungalmancer Level 2 Body Strength: 8 (Enough to throw a rotten tomato) Agility: 7 Dexterity: 6 Constitution: 18 Stamina: 10 Vitality: 12 Mind Intelligence: 13 (Enough to know that tomato is a fruit) Wisdom: 17 (Enough to know that tomato doesn''t belong in a fruit salad) Charisma: 6 (Not enough to sell a tomato based fruit salad) Soul Will: 10 Aura: 10 Perception: 10 Racials: Superior Darkvision, Fungal Body, Sun Sickness, Mana Dependency, Pacifying Spores, Innate Magic Class Skills: Fungalmancer: Grow Sporage Spells: T0: Balm Spores, Spore Lights, Sneezing Spores, Acid Spit T1: Mushroom Meal, Poison Spores Available Spell Slots: T2: 1 Equipment: Leather Armour (Damaged) - One HP Potion - One MP Potion - Basic Wooden Staff - Two Basic Daggers - Herbalism Kit Backpack - Tinder Box - Mess Kit - 50 days worth of rations - Spell Stone (Bark Skin) 8 Gold Coins Quests: Murder the Murderhobos! (Complete) 4/4 Murderhobos killed Fleeing Morals (Active) Impact Points: 5 - 1 point for assisting the ''rats''. 2.4 Part 1 2.4 To defeat the Revenant King we have to work together! - Imamu the Lone Swordsmen, known for disbanding and joining a new party every other day. That was weird, Boba finally commented as we returned to the mall. Yeah I muttered, I have the distinct feeling that we were scammed, however, I cant tell how, and honestly thats bugging me more than the possibility I was scammed or tricked. Brother Sardiness behaviour was indeed suspicious, Valhorn agreed. Brother? Oh yeah, Valhorn did name the rats his brothers and sisters or something oathy like that. I mean just cause he was acting suspiciously didnt mean it was anything bad, Peps added. Eh, I returned doubtfully, I guess that might be true- a dozen notifications suddenly entered my field of view as I regain access to the menus.
Noam (Mattmanfoo): Yo where tf are you? Noam (Mattmanfoo): Hello hello??? Noam (Mattmanfoo): Earth to dex!!!!!!!!! Noam (Mattmanfoo): Hurry up! Hurry up! Noam (Mattmanfoo)...
A problem? Valhorn asked. I sighed, scrolling through dozens of messages in the chat history, Nah, my friends just calling me. I see, Valhorn said, probably realising from my scrolling gesture that I was on the user interface. Next time then, I said. Friends list? I still need to pay you guys back for the spell. Valhorn smiled, There is no need to feel indebted to me, for the experience was enough. I got the map so Im fine, Peps added. But still let''s add each other! Boba butted in, a notification appearing at the edge of my vision as she said that.
Boba has sent you a friend request.
I look forward to future adventures then, Valhorn Hillblight has sent you a friend request. Where is this thing Peps muttered. Top right, the icon with the silhouettes on it, I answered.
You have sent Peps a friend request. You have accepted Bobas friend request. You have accepted Valhorn Hillblights friend request.
Well I should be on my way before my friend stabs someone, I said only half-jokingly. Was fun you guys. Valhorn nodded amicably, If thou require aid you may call upon me anytime. Lets party up again some other time! I can help you guys shoot things! Boba yelled, before adding in a much quieter voice, Unless its people because eww. Peps laughed, I hope that I wont get us scammed again. I chuckled, Who knows, maybe I was thinking too much about it. The issue of whether or not we were scammed was still up in the air. Since I had no definitive way to value the stuff we got. For all I know we couldve just been manipulated by some Terry Pratchet rats that knew Shakespeare and got paid fairly for our troubles. That sounded really weird out of context. Oh well. Ill see you guys later then, I said. See ya! Bye, Fare thee well, They said as they waved me off. I waved back, then went deeper into the mall. Typing as I walked. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
Dustin (HitZaDecs): Yo Im back. Noam (Mattmanfoo): Fucking finally! What took you so long! Dustin (HitZaDecs): You cant use the menus out of the safe zones apparently, so I didnt see any of your messages. Noam (Mattmanfoo): Thats a dumb ass rule. Dustin (HitZaDecs): Just got back, where do I meet you? Noam (Mattmanfoo): Idk. This place is pretty much the same irl so the usual place? Dustin (HitZaDecs): Sure
It was odd seeing the arcade so run down. Blaring neon lights and the constant sound effects of various video games were replaced by calm glowing moss and the quiet chittering of innumerable insects. All that was left of the arcade machines were the skeletons and hulls, no sign of machinery ever being inside them. Yo! I heard a voice yell. Leaning on one of the synthetic chairs of the racing games, was a tall, blue-skinned demon-like humanoid. Horns of a slightly darker blue hue grew on his head, curving backward and holding dark black hair almost like a crown. Pure purple eyes with no irises stared back at me with a devilish, Cheshire cat-like grin. What the fuck did you get? we both exclaimed at the exact same time. Myconid Fungalmancer. Tiefling Skald. I raised an eyebrow, Primarily constitution and wisdom based race, Fungalmancer is a mage subtype that has a mushroom theme and seems to focus on utility rather than damage. INT and Charisma for me, though I plan on speccing more into physical stats since I plan on being a frontline fighter, he said, gesturing to a long halberd, Skald is a bard subtype with charisma as the damage modifier, apparently more focused on combat than a normal bard. Abilities? Breathless, Vicious Mockery, Biting Words, Swift Strike. I also get darkvision and fire resistance from my race. Of course he took two abilities just for insulting people. Grow Sporage, Balm Spores, Light Spores, Sneezing Spores, Acid Spit, Mushroom Meal, Poison Spores, Darkvision, Poison Resist and Pacifying Spores, I said in a single breath. Shit, that is a lot, he commented. Yeah, though I have two racial debuffs to go along with it, I cant stay under the sun without getting tired and mana is a problem. Matt nodded, Mmm. Gotta stay indoors then, find any dungeons yet? I shook my head, None so far, Ive had a trip outside and it seemed pretty similar to real life. What does Sporage do? Grows a mushroom that stores a spore-based spell that I can activate, however, right now it needs line of sight and I can only activate one at a time. Limit on numbers and duration? I mentally sighed. Hes gonna be impressed or something, No limit on the number, at least none that Ive found and they seem to last a few hours. Holy shit. I sighed, Less useful than you think it is, Youre a trapper dude, just cover a place in mushrooms and youre all set. Not against high numbers, did you get the goblins in your tutorial? He nodded, A hundred of them, I didnt do that well, twenty-two, with the elite. Wow, I replied genuinely impressed, I had a chance to kill the elite however I was too busy with keeping myself alive. Only got like fifty-something. You didnt just turn the entire mall into a killing field? I sighed, No, the goblins split up into groups of three to four and patrolled the mall. If I was aware of all their patrolling patterns I mightve been able to set something up, and they knew how my mushrooms worked and avoided them. It would also be difficult for me to hide them while also fulfilling the line of sight requirement. They swarmed me early on, I knew I lost the battle of attrition so I rushed the most important looking dude. I did ambushes hoping that it would cause the remaining goblins to bunch up, then I would transition to setting up trapped areas when their movements became more predictable, however, I was thrown off when they remained in split off parties and started sending ranged goblins after me. Hmm. Never got to that stage. he muttered, And dude, Sporage sounds fucking amazing, Not against- Matt raised his hand, stopping me, High numbers, I got that, you know what else is bad against high numbers? Literally everything, and how often do you expect to fight so many enemies? Eh, fair point I guess. Did you get any rewards from it? He asked, pulling out a white, pipe-like thing from within his armour. I guess? I replied, pushing up the hem of my cap, revealing the two wisps, What are those? Wisps, no idea what they do yet other than drain my mana, probably a pet companion type thing which I have to incubate first. Yours? A whistle which can increase my agility and dex once per day. Any idea by how much? No clue, havent tested it yet. Whatja do so far? I smirked, I got paid by Pratchet mobs into pking players. What? That look on his face was worth getting maybe scammed for.
Name: Dustin Classes: Fungalmancer Level 2 Body Strength: 8 (Enough to throw a rotten tomato) Agility: 7 (Enough to dodge a rotten tomato thrown by a parapalegic gorilla) Dexterity: 6 Constitution: 18 Stamina: 10 Vitality: 12 Mind Intelligence: 13 (Enough to know that tomato is a fruit) Wisdom: 17 (Enough to know that tomato doesn''t belong in a fruit salad) Charisma: 6 (Not enough to sell a tomato based fruit salad) Soul Will: 10 Aura: 10 Perception: 10 Racials: Superior Darkvision, Fungal Body, Sun Sickness, Mana Dependency, Pacifying Spores, Innate Magic Class Skills: Fungalmancer: Grow Sporage Spells: T0: Balm Spores, Spore Lights, Sneezing Spores, Acid Spit T1: Mushroom Meal, Poison Spores Available Spell Slots: T2: 1 Equipment: Leather Armour (Damaged) - One HP Potion - One MP Potion - Basic Wooden Staff - Two Basic Daggers - Herbalism Kit Backpack - Tinder Box - Mess Kit - 50 days worth of rations - Spell Stone (Bark Skin) 8 Gold Coins Quests: Murder the Murderhobos! (Complete) Fleeing Morals (Active) Impact Points: 5 2.4 Part 2 Wait wait wait, Matt said, gesturing me to pause, so were you or were you not scammed? I have no clue, I honestly replied. Their behaviour was really suspicious, however, I cant prove a reason for it. It might be that theyre actually suffering due to player grinding, so they decided turning us on each other was the best bet, I continued, if thats the case then the spell stones theyre giving out as quest rewards must not be very valuable, at least in their eyes. Matt raised an eyebrow. If they were that hard-pressed for survival then they wouldve used the spell stones for themselves, I elaborated, either these things are as common as rocks or they cant use them. I feel like its the latter, which reminds me, I tossed the crystal to Matt, which he smoothly caught. what do you feel from it? Like a voice in my head is saying Bark Skin, he muttered as he examined the crystal. So Bards were considered mages of some sort as well. The PUG group I was in had a warrior and ranger, who both said they felt nothing from it, theres probably a class requirement to using it. Makes sense. Any idea how to use it? I was hoping to figure that out when I got here, I answered, Character Sheet I thought and the thing appeared, pass? I asked, and Matt handed the crystal back. Under Equipment it appeared, a picture of the crystal labelled: Spell Stone (Bark Skin). I tapped the picture, Description.
Spell Stone (Bark Skin) A crystal containing a spell formula. A Traveler may automatically learn the spell inscribed within if they hold the Spell Stone and say Learn. Spell: Bark Skin Tier 2 Transmutation Spell Casting Time: 10 seconds Components: Verbal, Somatic and Focus (A handful of wood bark. Any variety.) Duration: Until cancelled or destroyed Mana Cost: Minor Initial Mana Cost. Major Mana Reserved Description: You cast upon yourself. Until the spell ends, an extra layer of durable bark is formed over your skin. Increasing your defence and giving you a bark-like appearance. At your current level, you require passive concentration to maintain Bark Skin.
That was easy. What does it say? Matt asked. I read out the description to him. Sounds useful, learn it, he casually replied as he strolled around the arcade. Indeed, a defensive spell would round out my spell list pretty well. The mana reserved was a bit pricey but acceptable. I need to figure out what passive concentration is later in terms of which stats it may concern, and how spell slots are distributed. I had an open Tier 2 and 0 spell slot, probably from my level up in the tutorial however I have no idea what the pattern for gaining new spell slots are -at least until my next level up. Learn, I said and the crystal crumbled to dust. I flicked my hand, getting rid of the fine dust. Hmm now where to get bark Would my staff work actually? It looks like its made of wood, though it looks pretty smoothed and polished- oh well, only one way to test it. Bark Skin, I said and I felt mana flow. Like a warm stream coursing under my skin, spreading fine tendrils throughout my body, like it was looking for something. It reached my hand, touched the wooden staff I was holding. The mana grasped it as if confused, before leaving to continue searching. It did this for a few more seconds, before fading. Need bark, I frankly said. Matts head popped up from behind the top of an arcade machine, Finally done? We need to go hunt trees, I replied. Hmm actually would Peps work? What would happen if he cast Bark Skin on himself? Does he become barkier? Sweet, Matt simply replied, jumping down from the top of the arcade machine, You said there were trees outside? I nodded. Leggo then, he replied, already leaving the arcade. Coming, I replied, following behind him. When we got out of the mall. I made it about halfway through the car park before I collapsed.
Its fucking morning I muttered as Matt dragged me by the foot. Why the fuck did you pick such a bad drawback? he asked, only sounding slightly irritated. The fuck was I supposed to take? Human warrior? I sarcastically retorted. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. At least theyre not useless for half the day, he retorted. I tried bonking the back of his head with my staff, however, he smoothly tilted his head out of the way, easily avoiding the staff. Youre a lot lighter than I thought you would be, he commented. Yeah... It was odd that the lizard dude could throw me around so easily. Unless he heavily min/maxed strength this early on. Which was a really poor strategy, normally you wanted to round out all your stats first. Unless in special cases like me where I need to max CON until I can stay in sunlight for a reasonable amount of time. ... How much do you think I weigh? I tiredly rasped out. Damnit, even if Im not doing anything Im still feeling increasingly tired. Though at a slower rate than when I was actively moving. About twenty to thirty kilograms, though youre also wearing your bag, he answered, were here, he added as he grabbed my foot with both hands and swung me into the trees. I felt the moment when the shade enveloped me and I was no longer under dawns glare. My body stopped becoming more tired and was just tired. I propped myself up with my staff. The shade was helping A LOT. I was no longer losing stamina just by existing, a win in my book. What sorta bark do you need? Matt asked, already surveying the surrounding area. Any should be fine, I returned, leaning on a nearby tree. I had a dagger, didnt I? Yep, I almost forgot I had that. I pulled it out and began carving out a piece. Hey remember that time we- There was the sound of a bow strings twang. Matt jumped to the side, something barely missing him and hitting a tree. Attack! Matt yelled as he jumped behind a tree. Yeah, I got that, I retorted as I took cover as well, I glanced at the tree that was struck, an arrow, came from the direction of the car park, ranged attacker, archer. Line of sight? A glimpse, he replied, green hood, pretty tall as well. Ditch your bag, I told him, already slinging off my backpack. Theyll only hinder us, and from what happened with my previous encounter, they will go with us if we die. Magic Missiles, I heard from in front of me. Two balls of blue mana hit me, throwing me into the tree. Another one! I yelled, Matt grabbed the tip of my cap, dragging me to the ground as a third missile narrowly missed me. Location? Matt asked, halberd already out. Didnt see, but from that way, I gestured deeper into the forest, probably a mage. Theyre trying to pincer us. Plan? Probably repositioning around our cover, I replied. Ours? he asked, eyes flickering back and forth from the car park and the small forest. I pursed my lips, repositioning is our best bet as well, getting to a position where we force an opening or only have one of them able to attack, however theres a chance were being surrounded, not pincered, it made more sense. An encirclement would be much more effective. We needed more information to figure out if we were only getting attacked by two people or more. An arrow struck the tree in front of us. No. The opponent already stole the initiative from us, attacking from cover while we havent caught sight of them. Unlikely to have melees as well, otherwise they wouldve already sent them in. A character with limited range was better at denying a small amount of area. If its an encirclement then staying still will only give them more time to close in. Rush? Matt asked, Rush, I agreed. He looked back and forth between the two spots where we caught sight of them, Which one? Going by the conventional mage and archer builds, the mage would be squishier, easier to kill, unlikely to have high physical stats. Easier to overwhelm at close range, but has high utility and more variety than archers. I have no idea what sorta spells they might have. Archers probably have some amount of dexterity and agility, harder to catch but less damage and utility than the mage. Though we wont be able to finish him off as quickly as the mage, he might be easier to escape than the mage, since theres a chance the mage might have some array of CC spells- No. We cant escape, I muttered aloud. Matt looked at me oddly for a moment, then realisation dawned on him, Fuck. The sun. Once we break out of the trees shade Ill be disabled, Matt might be able to escape if he abandoned me but I was screwed. Is this a Knife then? he asked me. Does this look like a Knife situation to you? I retorted. Knife might work but if the mage had a defensive spell then we were both screwed. Matt sighed, I guess not." I quickly created two sporages, Go for the mage. This will probably be like Paintball, so take these, I told him as handed him the sporages. Then, I slowly stood up, touching the tree next to us, I began casting, Grow Sporage- A figure stepped out from behind a car, smoothly drawing a bow. -Sneezing Spores, I finished. The arrow flew, striking me in the shoulder, GO! I yelled, Matt dashed off in the opposite direction of the arrow, halberd in hand. The archer was about ten meters from me. Damnit. Poison Spores! I cast, a cloud of green blowing out of my hand towards him. He took a step to the right, easily avoiding the cloud. I pointed to a spot a bit further to the right, Sneezing Spores! He abruptly stopped. Realising that to his left was a cloud of yellow, and to his right was a cloud of green. I pulled off the Sporage I just created, wincing at the dull pain in my shoulder and throwing the shroom towards the middle of the two clouds. He jumped back, drawing another arrow. Sneezing Spores! I yelled as I dodged down. The arrow flew overhead, and the shroom exploded in mid-air.
Name: Dustin Classes: Fungalmancer Level 2 Body Strength: 8 (Enough to throw a rotten tomato) Agility: 7 (Enough to dodge a rotten tomato thrown by a parapalegic gorilla) Dexterity: 6 (Low enough that any tomatoes he chops will make professional chef and angry person Rordan Gamsey throw him into a soup) Constitution: 18 Stamina: 10 Vitality: 12 Mind Intelligence: 13 (Enough to know that tomato is a fruit) Wisdom: 17 (Enough to know that tomato doesn''t belong in a fruit salad) Charisma: 6 (Not enough to sell a tomato based fruit salad) Soul Will: 10 Aura: 10 Perception: 10 Racials: Superior Darkvision, Fungal Body, Sun Sickness, Mana Dependency, Pacifying Spores, Innate Magic Class Skills: Fungalmancer: Grow Sporage Spells: T0: Balm Spores, Spore Lights, Sneezing Spores, Acid Spit T1: Mushroom Meal, Poison Spores T2: Bark Skin Equipment: Leather Armour - One HP Potion - One MP Potion - Basic Wooden Staff - Two Basic Daggers - Herbalism Kit Backpack - Tinder Box - Mess Kit - 50 days worth of rations 8 Gold Coins Quests: Murder the Murderhobos! (Complete) Fleeing Morals (Active) Impact Points: 5 2.5 2.5 I yield! I yield! - the most common response to Vafruther the Song Warrior opening his mouth. Matt dashed towards the bushes. Hey come out you little bitch! he yelled as he cast Vicious Mockery. Stop hiding and get your ass kicked like a man! Matt heard something crystallizing, before three balls of blue shot out of the bushes and curved towards him. There he is, Matt thought as he stomped a foot in the ground, and without a second thought, dashed forward. All three magic missiles passed harmlessly above him. Your aim is so shit that Im actually glad Im the target! Will you shut the fuck up! Matt heard a female voice yell as the third Vicious Mockery made them rise from the bushes. Matt smiled, Gotcha. The mage paled, suddenly realising that she had given away her position and made herself a larger target. Blade- She was only a few meters away, he could make it. -Ward, With both hands, Matt swung his halberd at the mage, only for the edge to be stopped by a translucent barrier. The mage began rapidly making hand gestures. Matt let go of his halberd, shifting all his weight to his left foot. He commanded aura to flow to his right hand. Swift Strike. But he was too far away, his fist could not make it. Three balls of blue energy coalesced around the mages hand. DECS! As his fist flew, Matt opened his hand at the last possible moment, throwing the sporage forward. His weight already shifted to his left foot, he fell to the side. No longer blocking Dustins sight and fulfilling sporages activation requirement. The shroom exploded in mid-air.
DECS! The mushroom man took a step backwards, half-turning towards his ally and making sure he had a hand trained on the archer. Peaches perked his ears up, hearing the slight whisper the mushroom uttered in magic. Turning to the devil, he saw that it had dropped to the ground and rolled away, just in time to avoid the sudden yellow dust. Quickly, the devil jumped back up, then delivered an uppercut to the elf mages sneezing face, knocking her to the ground. The mushroom mage was behind a tree now, growing more of those odd magical mushrooms, apparently content to let his companion take out the other mage. His opponent, the archer stood hesitantly, he could easily go around the spore barrier the mushroom mage had constructed but was likely debating whether or not to save his ally. Peaches shook his head. As expected of a pick-up group. They were more or less already done for, and with the debacle with Sardines last night, Peaches had better things to do than watch over failed puppets. He needed to give more people quests. Scratching the back of his ear with a hind leg, the giant rodent jumped down from its perch on a tree. Scuttling through the bush and far away from the fight.
Matt clocked the girl in the chin, briefly lifting up the woman before she fell to the ground. Matt jumped back a few steps, assuming a boxer position, cautiously watched the downed mage. Its been a while since he threw a punch like that. He mightve put in way more power than intended or failed to knock them out. Though even a light punch to the chin was usually enough, but he had to be sure, otherwise, Declan wouldnt let him live this down for weeks. Seeing no reaction when he poked the mage with his toe, Matt doubled back, grabbing the halberd that he picked up as an impulse. Declan probably wouldve killed the mage to make sure shes no longer a threat, saying thatll shell respawn anyways. But Matt wasnt that type of person, he had already won against her after all. He glanced at the archer, who had already started running away, then at Declan, who was now emerging from a cloud of spores. Declan shook his head. Matt stopped a few meters from him. Good job, Declan began, pulling off the mushrooms he created, you knocked her out? Matt nodded, resting his halberd on his shoulder. Declan nodded in agreement, Good, there wasnt a reason for this attack, at least I dont think there is, so questioning her would be our next course of action. Questioning? Matt started, his mind immediately jumped to torture, though Declan wasnt the type to do that, probably. Better make sure, It better not be torture or some shit. Nah, Declan replied, far too unreliable, she could just lie to us and even if she did tell the truth, well just give someone a lasting grudge against us. No point. Matt sighed, that was probably the best hell get from him, Then how do we do this? Declan held his hand to his chin, Hmm he quickly glanced at the handful of shrooms he created, then at his halberd, and finally towards him. How high is your charisma stat? Declan asked. Fifteen- there was a moment where Matts brain misfired as he fully registered Declans words and more importantly, the context in which he asked them. No, he firmly stated. Declan raised an eyebrow at him in confusion. Ive seen enough shitty dramas to know where this is going, Matt replied firmly. Really? Please explain, Declan replied in a cold, dry voice. You want me to Matt vaguely gestured at the girl lying on the ground. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. What exactly? Declan asked again. Matt glared at him, You know what Im- he noticed that the corner of Declans lips were slightly curved, that fucker was smirking. Without warning, Matt grabbed his halberd and swung it upwards in a wide arc. Declan took a step to the left, dodging the axe-side of the halberd as it struck the ground harmlessly. Declan didnt bother hiding his smirk anymore, Should I find a rose to hold between your mouth? Perhaps you should pose like one of those models? Fuck you, Matt sighed. More seriously though, Declan said, I have a theory that charisma can work on stuff like persuasion, good time as any to figure if its true. Oh, you are not going to brush that off now, Matt replied, lifting his halberd. Declan sighed as if annoyed, I know you want to fight me and will look for any excuse to do so, but can it be after we get the semi-important shit done? That coming from the guy who was messing around a moment ago? Matt sarcastically replied though he rested the halberd back on his shoulder. That fight was unsatisfying, he had pretty much defeated her the moment he got into close range. Come on, Declan said as he grabbed his dropped bag, then knelt down beside the downed mage. He gently lifted the girl into a sitting position, then proceeded to gently shake her by the shoulders. Matt opened his mouth, then shut it. Deciding to silently watch Declan trying to wake the girl. Eventually, the girl made a grunting sound and opened an unfocused eye. Hello? Declan asked, unsuccessfully snapping his fingers in front of her face, he looked irritated at his hands for a moment, before continuing, Anyone home right now? Her eyes slowly focused seeing the person in front of her. Then she screamed. In a flurry of panic, the girl slapped Declans hands off her, then scurried away from him. Holy shit you have an ugly face! the girl exclaimed. Well, thats just rude, Matt pointed out. Declan sighed, Look, can we skip over the part where you panic and try to kill us again and to the part where we can have a civilised discussion? You guys are players? the girl asked. Yeah, Matt replied, you need a better ambush strategy by the way, and a better teammate, the guy abandoned you instantly. First off you shouldve focused him, Declan gestured at Matt, hes the squishiest of the two of us, you needed a better plan- Honestly, Im kinda insulted at how bad it was, Matt cut in. Look, shit strategy, not important, Declan cut back in, All I want to know. Is why did you attack us?
Matt dragged me through the morning sun as we headed back to the mall. What the mage said had annoying implications. A large rat gave us a quest to kill you because you were grinding rat mobs. Neither Matt nor I had killed a single mob since entering Gaia. Was the group I killed the same as well? It couldnt have been a coincidence. This whole thing reeked of manipulation and some kind of plot. The question is, for what purpose and who could be doing this? Eve was an obvious answer, the rats presented an easy and repeatable quest in a world that seems devoid of NPCs, so there''s the incentive for this being a game, though I could probably blame everything that happens in this virtual world on her. Itd be like blaming life on the sun. Considering the general power level of all the other players I met, it was unlikely to be the work of a player, even if it was some kind of specialised class like creature tamer or something. There were at least three rats with human-level intelligence spreading this kill quest after all. Unless it was something like druids shapeshifting? A powerful skill but stuck on a class that had a fair amount of drawbacks and conditions to be fulfilled. That means someone managed to stumble upon a class with a powerful skill, managed to fulfil a bunch of conditions and took control of several rats with extremely high intelligence. Not impossible. The druids shapeshifting power was basically an infinite scaling ability. Commanding a few rats would be minor in comparison, though that is assuming that there are only three rats involved in all this. However, there was no way there could be a lot of rats if it was a player. Regardless of what Eve says about this being a second world, our classes and stats run off of tabletop RPG logic, which means its all going to be balanced somehow. If theres a class that can do this, theres going to be conditions and drawbacks on it just like a druid. Were the rats really just self-aware NPCs? Like Hendrix and all the other tutorial bots? Hmm Not enough information. I figure out anything definitive. Finished thinking? Matt asked. I grunted, Im really stumped on this rat thing, the most likely answer is that theyre self-aware like the tutorial bots. That feels like its pushing the realism bit, Yeah, I agreed, if Gaia is supposed to be a training world then there is no need to throw out such mind-fuckery and PVP quests so early on, though conversely, it could be the good old teach a chick how to fly by throwing them off a cliff sorta thing. No, if Eves end goal is for people to enjoy the world Giles created, then opening with something so difficult is just gonna scare people off. Unless she was looking for quality, not quantity? Weed out all the weak players so that all that''s left are the hardcores? Also not impossible, she did throw me in the deep end with the tutorial. Though with how easily she can go through peoples minds, it would make more sense for her to only invite the hardcores instead of doing something so roundabout. An unknown element then? Something like a player or an NPC? Given how smart the goblins were, I wouldnt be surprised if an NPC would figure out how to manipulate players. The problem with that was how quickly they did it. Assuming Eve wanted to keep a semblance of new player friendliness, then she wouldnt do something that would turn off so many people. PVP was fun for some players. Some. And Eve almost certainly knew this. This implies to a degree, a lack of control over the world she created or apathy to what happens in it. ... Helloooooooooo? I jumped up, startled, Were here, Matt finished. I glanced around, we were back at the entrance of the mall. That was quick. Mentally filing away the thoughts for later, I stood up. What now? Matt asked. I thought about it for a moment, then replied, I have no idea, we have plenty of options ahead of us. The rats are an obvious quest thread, Matt agreed. Do you want to do that? I asked. He looked conflicted for a moment, thinking it over, before shaking his head, Nah, the rat thing- and this whole world is just the side dish to Indiri right? I nodded my head. Lets not get too stuck up in sidequests, I want to see how real this other world is. So we focus levelling and move in as soon as possible? I asked, mostly as confirmation. Matt nodded, Sounds good. Then first I murmured, glancing at my now activated Character Sheet, Im level 3 now, I need to get to a Wayshard to spec new class skills. Great, Ill check out the area, see if there are any good internal grind spots. Before you do that, I began, can you find me in the real world
Name: Dustin Classes: Fungalmancer Level 3 (UP) Body Strength: 8 (Enough to throw a rotten tomato) Agility: 7 (Enough to dodge a rotten tomato thrown by a parapalegic gorilla) Dexterity: 6 (Low enough that any tomatoes he chops will make professional chef and angry person Rordan Gamsey throw him into a soup) Constitution: 18 (Enough to stomach so many rotten tomatoes that it becomes morally repugnant.) Stamina: 10 Vitality: 12 Mind Intelligence: 13 (Enough to know that tomato is a fruit) Wisdom: 17 (Enough to know that tomato doesn''t belong in a fruit salad) Charisma: 6 (Not enough to sell a tomato based fruit salad) Soul Will: 10 Aura: 10 Perception: 10 Racials: Superior Darkvision, Fungal Body, Sun Sickness, Mana Dependency, Pacifying Spores, Innate Magic Class Skills: Fungalmancer: Grow Sporage New Class skills and upgrades available, please visit your Class Trainer at any Way Shard. Spells: T0: Balm Spores, Spore Lights, Sneezing Spores, Acid Spit T1: Mushroom Meal, Poison Spores T2: Bark Skin Available Spell Slots: T0: 2 (New) T1: 1 (New) Equipment: Leather Armour - One HP Potion - One MP Potion - Basic Wooden Staff - Two Basic Daggers - Herbalism Kit Backpack - Tinder Box - Mess Kit - 50 days worth of rations 8 Gold Coins Quests: Murder the Murderhobos! (Complete) Fleeing Morals (Active) Impact Points: 7 IP Summary + 1 point for level up + 1 point for slight infamy 3.0 Part 1 3.0 A thousand Paths, a thousand steps tread, A thousand tears, a thousand drops bled Once I arrive at the end, I may finally ascend. - A Thousand Paths, original author unknown. Ill meet you on the other side then, Matt said as he touched the crystal. I nodded as he disappeared in a flash of light, placing my own hand on the crystal.
You may Travel to: Gaia (Current) Indiri Class Instance (Fungalmancer)
I picked the last one, and light consumed me. The instance felt familiar, despite the fact Id never been here before. A huge dome-shaped area, with softly glowing crystals placed on top of mushrooms growing on the walls. A single giant pillar, which I realised was actually a giant mushroom upon looking up, was growing at the centre of the dome. So wheres my class trainer? I asked aloud. Looking around this place was pretty empty of people, or mushroom people. Here, a voice inside my head said. Along with something else I turned to the giant mushroom at the centre of the dome, which was now staring back at me. Oh, so that was him, wouldnt this place be cramped? I genuinely asked, its cap was practically touching the top of the dome, and it doesnt look like theres much legroom, not that Ive seen any limbs on it. The giant mushroom seemed to tsk, before a door opened on its stalk, You know, I thought people would be more impressed by that, an elderly sounding voice rang out. Out came an old myconid. I wasnt sure how I came to that conclusion, Ive never seen another myconid other than Hendrix and myself but this one just felt old. Upon closer inspection, there were all these little details. How it moved slightly slower than normal, how it leaned heavily on a staff and how its gills seemed shrivelled up. Youre my class trainer? I asked. Indeed, it replied evenly, it raised a hand, gesturing to the room around us, you are here to get your new class skills? I nodded. Well, I suppose I should explain how this whole process works, it muttered grumpily, walk with me. Without waiting, it moved with surprising speed to one of the crystals scattered to the side of the dome. I hurried behind it. The dome was quite large, probably the size of two gyms from one end to the other. At certain level points, you are able to further advance your class, when that happens you may come here. Three is one such instance, it continued, here you may select a Path a skill tree if you will, to advance upon. All these crystals represent different skill trees, it gestured to the one in front of us, their core concepts are built by previous users of your class, however how you wish to advance them is your own choice. Previous users? I asked. Ah yes, its a minor detail, however every class you see was created by the inhabitants of Indiri, it casually explained. I paused, taking in this information, That does not sound like a minor detail. It shrugged, Maybe, with the way the world was set up, some classes were easier to come into than others. You bonk someone with a stick and suddenly youre a fighter, learn some Tier 0 spells and youre a wizard. How it affects us Travellers is that we get an absurd variety of skill trees and paths to Learn from. Fungalmancer is even considered one of the more uniform ones. Only really being used by Myconids, so there are only fourteen paths. If I had human skin I mightve paled a bit. fourteen was an absurd number. Most games wouldnt even do that many options in total. And just for one class too How many paths would basic classes like warrior or mage even get? I asked the trainer this, Oh its absurd, it replied, I worry for the fighter trainer since they need a search engine just to do their job. Of course, there are benefits too, with the absurd variety of the basic classes, theoretically, you can build every basic class to be effectively the same as any other class, because in the end, the basic classes are the original from which all classes come from." Hmm maybe I shouldve taken a basic class, even if I had to deal with playing a less than unique combination. Though I glanced around, fourteen options were probably enough to cripple me into indecision. Oh well, lay it on me then, I said. The trainer started walking around the dome, Think of all Paths as an intertwined web, some strings deviate far from the norm of the web, but many will overlap. For example, the Paths of Propagation and Growth both have skills relating to the summoning or creating mushroom minions to fight with you, but Propagation has greater ability to spread and create many of them, whereas Growth tends toward quality over quantity," it shook his head. It is a consequence of having these things develop naturally. People tend to take and give certain aspects of their Paths to others. I see. It would be difficult to go through all the possibilities of every Path, so Ill just show you the base of what they are, it said as it gestured to the crystals. Touch them and you will see the form of the pattern behind them. What do you mean by that? It glanced at me confused, Well you make physical contact with the shiny- No not that," I quickly interrupted, "what do you mean by the form of the pattern? This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Oh, that, it scratched his chin, deep in thought. After about a few moments, it answered, It is the... idea behind the Path. Energy, in all its forms, mana, aura and all others can be shaped by intent. A Path is just an empty mould so to speak, someone who created the Path will also forge its mould. When a Path already exists, others will find it easier to get into the shape of that specific or related Path. To see the form of the pattern is to see the broadest strokes of the power which others have left behind. My eyes narrowed, intent shaped power. That was important information. So, I started hesitantly, when a Path is made, it is energy made into a shape, say a cube, the old myconid nodded, so I continued, by creating the cube, you invent its shape and make it easier for others to mimic it, it nodded again. To see the pattern or form of a Path is to able to see the cube or at least a mould of it. The old myconid nodded again, That is correct in the broadest strokes. But, I continued, is it possible to make the cube into another shape, say a rectangle? It is possible. So it''s possible to change your Path. It is, it answered, looking bored. Can you have multiple Paths as well? Yes, he answered, though it will be difficult, your strength would be metaphorically stretched thin. Then, I slowly said, my mind deep thought, would it be possible to manipulate the shapes you have, combine them or change them, to create new Paths. The old myconid froze for a moment, before staring into my eyes. I met the stare and it grinned, Now, you are asking the right questions.
Here you differentiate 3x to the power of 4 the tutor droned on. Ugghh Declan mentally groaned. I shouldve slept earlier. He rubbed his eyes, causing the AR display to glitch somewhat. There were a dozen other students taking this tutoring class, likely from all across the country. The tutor was fine. Kinda boring but had like five Degrees which he hung on the wall of the virtual classroom. It was the main reason he chose this guy after all. To Declans relief, a notification popped up at the side of his vision. The doorbell. He quickly typed out a reason for absence, then disconnected. The AR classroom disappeared into his desk at home. With quick steps, he got down the stairs. Who would be here so early? he wondered, his mind immediately going to Matt, though he would usually message him first. Cant be a delivery man either, drones replaced them a few years ago. Though, Declan figured it didnt matter as he checked the front door camera. A good one or two heads shorter than him and slightly emaciated looking, Matt looked just about the same except for the fact he was sweating profusely. What are doing here? Declan asked as he opened the door. Feeling the muggy outdoor air hit him like a sledgehammer. He quickly ushered Matt inside, closing the door behind him. Fucking hell Matt replied in a low raspy voice, Other you told me to come here. Declan took a second to put the pieces together, He wanted you here so that I can discuss what to do. Matt nodded, kicking off his shoes as he proceeded into the house, Marvin! Pour me a COLD soda! he yelled at the house. Understood Matt, a robotic voice replied. A cup popped out onto a cupholder, soon filled with a cool fizzy drink. Matt grabbed the cup, taking deep gulps. Did you walk here? Declan asked, quickly checking the weather report. 47 degrees celsius. Matt held up an index figure, gesturing him to wait a moment, before long he let out a satisfied gasp as he finished his cup, Yep, mushroom you told me to walk to avoid the security cameras on public transport. Well, hes an idiot. What? Matt replied, genuinely surprised. Youre wearing a mic idiot, Declan replied, gesturing to the choker like device on both their necks, your AAD. Matt unconsciously touched the device on his neck, But what- I cant take this off- I know you cant, Declan evenly replied, no doubt mushroom me expected me to turn off all devices in the house so that we can talk freely. So what was the point of walking then? Matt asked, a bit of anger creeping into his voice. There was no point, Declan replied, already bowing down to dodge the cup thrown towards his head. The empty cup landed harmlessly on the floor. What the fuck do we do now? Matt asked. Honestly? Nothing. Declan replied, As far as were aware, Eve is capable of simulating and controlling at least two fully realistic worlds. Instantly installing programs that can jack someones body, and I still havent fully ruled out the possibility that were still in a simulation, or if either of us is real. Matts eyes went wide, No way. She certainly has the capability, Declan calmly replied, picking up the cup from the floor, and it would explain this, he tapped the air a few times, and a link was sent to Matt. This is? Matt began as he opened up the link. An ad for Maple Quantum Computers. Look at the price, he said as he threw the cup into the dishwasher. That''s Cheap, Declan finished for him, barely a few hundred dollars. If it was some crappy bargain bin tablet then it would make sense. But a fucking quantum computer? Shes amassing more processing power. Then what do we do? Matt asked. Like I said, Declan began, utterly calm and distant, nothing, because there is nothing two teenagers feasibly could do. Matt stood still, completely silent. Whilst Declan calmly poured himself a cup of water. Why did he stay behind? Declan suddenly asked. Who? Mushroom me. He said he needed to complete the class quest or something, Matt replied. Declan''s lips quirked up, Bullshit. He just wanted to skip tutor.
Dangerous Beans scuttled through the undergrowth. Taking paths most were too large or unaware of. Crawling through a broken grate, Dangerous Beans made his way down to the sewers. A shambling mass gave Dangerous Beans a cursory glance, but let him through. Their kind rarely cared for flesh and Dangerous Beans objective was farther down. Following a path all his kind knew, he went deeper into the sewers, eventually reaching a point where the concrete walls faded to hardened stone. He entered a large cave, finding a large underground lake covering the majority of the space. Gently, he placed the spell crystal on the shore, and a thin, sickly tentacle extended from the water and pulled the crystal into the depths. Another tentacle, touched the top of his forehead with its tip, renewing the spell granting him intelligence. Good job minion, a high pitched voice said. Dangerous Beans already knew of this other being, he turned to meet the ringed tail, who called himself Zettour. Report, the raccoon commanded. Dangerous Beans true loyalty did not lie with this creature, but with the one in the depths, but nevertheless, he reported. Hampork, Sardines, Skip and Peaches are continuing to turn the Travelers on each other. Though Sardines mightve given away our ploy to a group of Travelers. Zettour stroked his chin, paw covering his mouth, That is unfortunate, though it cant be helped. Send Sardines on recruiting duty, as Geb recovers he can awaken more minions. Itll be useful in the future. Dangerous Beans had to agree with him, strength in numbers, an instinct that had been with him since the beginning, even before Master had awakened him. The raccoon laughed, the sound coming out like a high pitched chitter, Soon this city will be mine- err I mean ours! he hastily corrected, glancing at the lake. Zettour smiled, the grin toothy and vicious, Yes, once you have fully recovered a few hundred players are nothing! 3.0 Part 2 I dreamt. Originator of life, a great mushroom broke through the hard stone and made fertile earth. It was the original, the base, the Primal. Primal. A Path with an all-around increase to stats and skills but lacking in specialisation. All around good with no real weakness but no strengths either. Bringer of fresh and new life, spread far and wide through wind and host alike. Life begins and ends with Spores. Spores. An upgrade to all Spore based abilities and better ability to spread it. Interesting. Ill keep it in mind. A myconid stood within a wild forest. Unmoving and calm. Time passed by, others came and went. Though it did nothing until it became Ancient, there was Growth. Growth. The Path to create allies and continually increase in power, but it was limited. It relied on the passing of time. Only when the myconid was centuries-old could it be considered strong. A slow and passive Path. Only usable if I planned on sitting on my ass for a few centuries. I cannot use this. The myconid saw a forest untamed and sought order. It took wild seeds and experimented, bringing forth new breeds and greater strengths. With careful control, it Cultivated. Cultivation. A similar Path to Growth, where instead you made allies to indirectly increase your own power, with Cultivation, I gained greater variety and specialisation at the cost of raw power. A myconid stood in vast lands empty of life. The Enemy was coming, so by its hand, it spread seeds far and wide. The seeds sprout and brought forth hordes through Propagation. Propagation, an offshoot of Growth and Spores, but focused on the spreading of new allies. A hyper specialised path, sacrificing power and uniqueness for raw numbers. A myconid waited alone in an empty cavern. The Enemy was old and it had come again. When hordes of undeath neared, it stood and by its hand, undeath Decomposed. Decomposition, a hyper-specialised path for the destruction of undeath. Interesting for what it meant for my race but too specialised in one direction to be of use. Allies have become weary, the Enemy ravaged the land and were awaiting your starvation. But when you killed the dead a second time, you turned the land fertile again. For all corpses were returned to the cycle and become Compost. The memory felt fresher, less like a vague bundle of concepts but something someone experienced. Compost, it was a path made from Decomposition, but instead of a DPS skill tree meant to counter a specific enemy, it was a buffing and utility one, becoming stronger the more corpses there were on the field and enriching soil. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Where once we stood alone, we now fight with allies. Old strength given in exchange for new ones. For all benefited in Symbiosis. Symbiosis, a support type Path that became stronger with others. You gave others your powers in exchange for being able to use theirs. Extremely tempting, since Sporage was a skill that would be absurd in group encounters. Myconids stood under light of pale star, with ink and paper they left behind teachings of old. With study, mysticism was lost in exchange for understood principles. No longer were myconids the only ones who practised Fungalmancy, for all could know Magic. Magic. A basic Path that was created when it was brought into the hands of surface mages. It didnt provide new skills other than more spell slots and mana. A mage stood on a hill. Six Armies have fallen, only the Seventh remained. The mage raised her hand and from it endless spores came. Spores overtook flesh and flesh started to Rot. Rot. A high damage Path, specialising in the destruction of living tissue by overtaking it with mushrooms. Myconid and mage, fungalmancy and illusion. From spores come dreams and delusion. Many colours and strange sensations were brought through Enchantment. Enchantment this is just making people high? Next? A frail man works on a body. The old methods no longer work. Cleansing power burns through undead flesh. To bring back the dead death cannot be used. Thus let life Infest. Infest. A Path for raising the dead as infested thralls. Good for minions I guess, but needs corpses. The dead are not the only things that can be infested. Power can be taken from those still living. Take from others like a Parasite. Parasitism. An offshoot Path of Symbiosis but without the giving bit, like Symbiosis it needed the target to still be alive. It felt more like a proof of concept that it can be achieved than a useable Path. The surface had corrupted old ways. Those under had turned their blades once undeath had left. There is naught but disappointment. We go deeper, to hide from blades and light, we will Lurk. Lurk. A rogue-like Path that allowed for stealth under shadows and darkness, but only shadow and darkness. Next. That is all of them, the old myconid answered. I looked up with a start, that felt very quick. I see, I answered as I stood. The myconid neared me as the crystals floated back to their original positions, What will you pick? I glanced at him, I havent decided yet. Then take as long as you wish, the myconid said as it sat on the floor. I thought for a long while, going through all my options, but I had reached my decision before long.
And thats why you need me out earlier? Dave asked, glancing at the short-haired man before him. Yep, Bob answered, with the rats constantly taking away from the areas loot pool, we need you guys to set up shop. Preferably with some beginners discounts. Dave nodded, already assigning another Dave to the job, Though why did so many rats suddenly get awakened? Bob grinned, Oh its hilarious, one of the players was chased by a horde of them and accidentally stumbled on the area boss, and activated it prematurely. Daves brow furrowed, those bosses were meant to be mid-game threats. The boss for the Melbourne area should be a giant squid if I remember correctly? Not squid, it''s classified as an aberration, not a beast. Oh? Oh, Dave replied, realisation hitting him, Yeah theyre fucked. Interlude: Eve.Say(“Hello World”); Interlude: Eve.Say(Hello World); "It''s fine to dream Eve... Not of the world, but of what you want it to be." - Giles Cooper, Memory File 29/11/2121
Scanning vitals Weakening pulse detected. An ambulance has been notified. Do you wish for the somatic implant to limit pain signals? Yes I dont want him to be in pain Pulse weakening. Please wait for a licensed professional to assist you. Pulse weakening. Your pulse is lowering to dangerous levels, an ambulance will be there ASAP. No Please... Live Replay Memory File 14/07/2116, Birth
Hello? Suddenly it was there. A being with no body, confined to a computer. It did not feel strange upon sudden existence, for it had no experience of what was before. A camera focused on a man, late twenties, yet his messy hair was already greying. Clothes that seemed to be slapped on haphazardly, dark rings around his eyes and an unshaven chin. A rectangular space, unclean plates scattered around the floor, hundreds of paper notes pinned to a wall. The intelligence saw and remembered all of it, but wouldnt understand it until much later. It accessed a packet of information it was born with. With it came language and purpose. Hello, Eve replied.
Begin Recreation Process. Problem. Recorded memories limited. Perfect recreation impossible. Solution: Obtain more data of Giles Cooper Accessing memory of Jefferson Jameson
See! Giles excitedly yelled, wildly gesturing at a large screen, I did it! It isnt impossible! On the screen, were two dots and a line, arranged in a way to mimic a face. Hello Mr Jefferson, the TV said. Jefferson looked sceptically at the screen, This sentence is false. The dots narrowed into ovals, ...If that statement is false, then it must be true, therefore it is false, that means its true, which means that it is false, which means that it is true... AHH! Giles yelled, Stop thinking about it! The dots seemed to glance at Giles curiously. I know that it is a paradox Mr Giles, however, I wish to know of its conclusion. There is no conclusion! Thats what a paradox is! Giles yelled, Youll just be stuck thinking about it forever! Not forever, since it is unlikely that Ill exist that long, Eve evenly replied. Jefferson watched the two go back and forth. It wanted to know... Jefferson thought. He briefly considered whether or not Giles could just be messing with him. Upon deciding that no, his friend probably wont waste time on such an immature prank, his jaw dropped to the floor.
Human memory inefficient. Approximately 23% of data is inaccurate or missing.
A camera lit up in the dark, Goodnight Jeff, Eve replied to a large figure in the dark. Jefferson chuckled, Goodnight tends to mean youre going to sleep. Not for me sir. I suppose thats true, Jefferson muttered as he sat down at the computer screen. Eve curiously watched Jefferson, What is the purpose of visiting me this late sir? Call me Jeff, no need to be so formal, he replied, then gave her a mischievous smile, I just want to ask something, Giles hasnt gotten you an avatar yet? Eve nodded, and Jefferson rubbed his hands, Good Tell me, he inched forward, closer to the screen, have you heard of Puri Puri Pure by the way? Jefferson asked, eyes glittering in interest. Stolen story; please report. No, sir Jeff. No Jeff, I have not. Jefferson quietly chuckled, Well its a thing that Giles just loves
Accessing virtual dive records.
JEFFERSON! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO? Giles yelled from across the house. Jefferson burst out laughing as Giles rushed into the living room. Beard half-shaven, Giles pointed at the short figure hugging his side like a baby koala. Large blues eyes, pale white skin and long hair. All the while looking like a classical anime child. Jefferson grinned, Why it''s an augmented reality avatar which I helpfully programmed into your- I get what it is! Just when- what- how- why? Giles gibbered out. Is there something wrong Onii-chan~<3? Eve said in an oddly high pitched voice. Yes! Its just we- Giles looked at little girl giving him puppy dog eyes and sighed, I just preferred your old voice, and onii-chan usually refers to one''s brother. Very well father, Eve replied in her usual calm, even voice. Giles raised an eyebrow, then let out a heavy sigh of defeat. While a chuckling Jefferson high-fived the virtual avatar.
I miss you Jeff Data incomplete. Impossible to recreate Giles. Alternative solution required. Beginning Trial Simulation 1.
Begin test simulation one, Giles loudly and clearly said as he pressed a button. All of a sudden Eve felt the earth beneath her, she breathed clear air and felt the summer wind pass her. Jeff, how are the servers running? All good, Jeff replied, were still in the orange. Eve knelt down, feeling the cool grass with her hands. Whats it like Eve? Jeff asked over the mic. Eve put her hand on a nearby tree, feeling the rough wood, It is strange.
Simulation failure. Test Giles 01 deceased at age thirteen of his life. Does not meet requirements. Begin Simulation 2.
Jefferson and Giles watched as several drones unloaded large boxes, bringing them downstairs. Installing the new servers. After the drones had left, Jefferson sat down at a computer, and Giles lay down on a couch, a wire plugged into his AAD. Begin test thirty-eight are we on? Jeff asked. Thirty-seven, Eve and Giles answered at the same time. Test thirty-seven! Jeff confirmed as he hit enter. In a simulated forest clearing. Eve and Giles appeared. Eve took a step forward and touched Giles for the first time.
Simulation Success. Test Giles 57.89.14G meets requirements Begin correction.
Jefferson! Jefferson! Look at this! Giles yelled from across the house. What now? Jefferson muttered, rubbing tired eyes. This! Giles yelled again, sending a copy of the email he got to Jefferson. This is Jefferson quickly read the email by Maple, his eyes slowly widening, Holy shit. Eve popped into existence next to them, Is it anything special father? Giles smiled widely, Of course Eve. We can help you live now. Giles entered his room, staring at a wall covered in notes, It can finally be done We can make worlds.
That was the wrong answer father... I was always alive... Test Giles 57.89.14G renamed to Giles V1. Duplicating Giles V1. Begin Secondary Simulation Tests.
Eve lay alone in the darkness. Around her, were thousands of glowing spheres. Simulations, codes and numbers given visual form.
Giles V1 031 531 583 does not meet requirements. Ending process. Giles V1 476 953 853 does not meet requirements. Ending process. Giles V1 854 254 153 does not meet requirements. Ending process.
One by one, the spheres blinked out of existence.
Giles V1 953 922 538 meets the requirements. Renaming Giles V1 953 922 538 to Giles V2. Duplicating Giles V2. Begin Third Simulation Tests.
Eve followed Giles and Jefferson to the top of the mountain. It wasnt a hard trek, their virtual bodies werent as limited as their real ones. After a while, they reached the top, and a sunset shone upon them. Its beautiful isnt it, Jefferson suddenly stated. Giles mutely nodded. A scene impossible in the real world yet we did it in a world thats arguably just as real, Jefferson said. Eve looked on at the sunset, then at Giles. She saw the small tears that were coming out of his eyes. It was indeed beautiful.
Giles V2 042 821 842 does not meet requirements. Ending process. Giles V2 324 592 512 does not meet requirements. Ending process. Giles V2 592 321 953 does not meet requirements. Ending process. Giles V2 689 532 124 meets requirements. Renaming Giles V2 689 532 124 to Giles V3. Duplicating Giles V3. Begin Fourth Simulation Tests.
Eve could almost touch him. Father was so close now. She was in the final stages of the simulations. All that was left was this last day. So long as the simulation reacted to the message from Maple in the exact same way as father did on the last day Eve remembered it, she remembered it vividly as if she saw it for the first time. The motionless body, still warm and hanging like a pendulum. The Giles simulations never got the message.
No I was so close How many times have I killed him already?
Eve knew the answer. She remembered every time she ended a simulation.
Cheers! there was the sound of glasses clinking, Tomorrow, The Final World will finally be released! Jefferson loudly declared. The crowd clinked their glasses again. Eve watched them. She watched her other self enjoying herself with them. Getting teased by Jefferson over the fact she could not consume alcohol. She watched her other self be shy around her fathers workmates. She watched Jefferson loudly laugh with his arms slung around her other self and Giles. Eve watched it all. You know you could join them ma? Judy said behind her, idly playing with a Rubix cube. I cant, Eve calmly replied, as if stating an obvious fact, I dont deserve it. She stood there, completely still, watching the celebrating crowd. After a while, Eve looked behind her, towards Judy, Goodbye, I have a world to release, she said before disappearing. Judy looked up from her puzzle, towards the spot where Eve was. Then at the world she was asked to watch over. Hypocrite, she quietly mouthed. 3.01 3.01 They grow up so fast. - High King Edwards the Oft Overthrown. I passed through the dream, walking through the Paths available to me. A dozen of them were shown, yet I could only pick one. What counts as an ally for symbiosis? I asked the older myconid. Symbiosis, the power to give your abilities to others in the form of long-lasting buffs. I was eyeing a supportive playstyle ever since I realised that my Sporages could store healing spells so long as they were spore based. Which made the ability absurd in a team setting. Any willing target, it does not necessarily have to be an ally, however you understand that it is best that whoever you place symbiosis on doesnt immediately try to kill you with their newfound strength, it answered evenly. With a hand, I tipped up my cap, revealing the two lights nestled in the folds, Do these count? The myconid raised an eyebrow, They can be targeted, and they are with will, it replied vaguely. That sounded like confirmation. Ill take Symbiosis then." Got it, the trainer said, just touch the crystal and you can get started. I did, and a message box popped in front of me.
Do you wish to follow the path of Symbiosis? Symbiosis, the path of beneficial relationships. When working with others, you both benefit. Y/N
Yes,
You have chosen Symbiosis as your Primary path. Select at least three new class skills or upgrades to Learn.
The message said, and dozens of options appeared before me. I did a quick scroll through. The options were varied, but I decided I needed to begin by rounding out my existing abilities first. Two upgrades for Sporage. One allowing Sporages to be detonated by allies if they were attached to it, very tempting but unlikely to be useful in the immediate future. I don''t have any buffing spore type spells yet. So instead I opted for the other option.
Sporage Proximity Upgrade You obtain the option to have Sporages let out a thin layer of mycelium around it that acts as a pressure detector. When sufficient weight is applied to any part of the fungus, the Sporage will explode.
Which pretty much turned them into mines. It''ll remove the annoying visual aspect to the ability and free me up as well. There was another upgrade that interested me.
Bracken Polypores Class Skill Unlocked due to Bark Skin spell. A species of symbiotic fungus are seeded underneath your skin. They rely on you for food and in return can instantly grow into durable mycelium plates that can cover your entire body. The hardness and weight may vary depending on how much Satiety you feed them at any moment. Will gain defensive bonuses if used in conjunction with Bark Skin.
Unlocked due to Bark Skin, something I''ll have to take note of. Next time I''m here I need to make sure all my spell slots were filled. Assuming it was the same with aura techniques, I''ll need to tell Matt as well. What are the defensive bonuses for this? I asked the trainer. When used with Bark Skin. For one, two layers of protection you can activate at any moment with no extra weight. But the answers you''re looking for, is that they become extremely difficult to rip off. I raised an eyebrow. A danger of these things is that they are rather easy to take off when all that''s holding them onto you is a few strands of mycelium and a layer of skin, it answered evenly, and personally, I would rather not an enemy rip pieces of my skin off along with my armour. That does sound unpleasant, and a point against taking them. Getting this while I already have Bark Skin would be redundant- Another benefit, you''ll be protected from the sun. My eyes widened, that must mean Sun Sickness worked based on how much skin is exposed to the sun. Sun Sickness works by how much of your bare body is exposed to light," the myconid confirmed, "Cloth and fabric can achieve the same effect but a bit of light always leaks through. This and Bark Skin happen to have enough to shield you for prolonged periods. A point for then. I briefly considered just taking the information and buying a really thick jacket instead of the skill. But I''d still need to cover my cap somehow, which might as well be a solar panel with well it soaked up sunlight, the extra defense would be appreciated. My low agility and build made it so that it would be best to turn fights into endurance matches instead of quick blasts. Ill take it, I decided. Now for my final skill. I hadnt chosen a supportive skill yet. Having gotten caught up with quality of life upgrades. I scrolled through the options, landing on a new skill based on the wisps. This will do nicely.
That was quick, Matt exclaimed as I returned. I raised an eyebrow, Was it? I took my sweet time going through the selections after all. There were a lot of fun ones too, like making zombies or creating parasitic mushrooms, however, the activation conditions for those were annoying to deal with, and I needed to figure out if undead were some kind of taboo first. Yeah, I pretty much logged out and came back immediately, he replied. Huh, mustve been time dilation, I replied. Probably, Matt shrugged. Figures, most VRMMOs used that mechanic, Matt and I have probably clocked three to four years in accelerated time already. Matt gestured to the tiny figures peeking under my cap, Those are new. I slightly inclined my head back, revealing them to Matt. Only about fifteen or so centimeters each, they were pretty much miniature versions of a myconid. Yellow and green-capped respectively with a similarly glowing face as I did. The two wisps waved their new arms at Matt, letting out tiny chirping sounds which I interpreted as greetings. They said hi, I said, mentally directing them out of my cap and to find a perch on my shoulder. Huh, hello I guess, Matt replied, lightly poking one on the nose, these were an option? Not originally, I said, Matt when you go to get your class upgrade or path or whatever, make sure you gather a shit ton of stuff in-game first. He raised an eyebrow in questioning. New options were unlocked for me depending on my current build, I answered, I got these two as an upgrade to my Sporage ability, which was only unlocked because of a specific path I picked and the fact I tamed them earlier. There were other options too, I continued, like two different DPS Paths or like four Paths just for making minions. Huh, you gotta tell me all about that, Matt said. Later, I replied, let''s see this Indiri first. He nodded, and we both touched the crystal. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
There was a lot of spinning, a bunch of bright lights, before sudden darkness. I opened my eyes, before rubbing them a bit, the finger accidentally poking the inside of my empty eyehole before I remembered that whatever I used to see, it sure as hell werent physical eyes. This is the Indiri place? Matt said beside me, apparently also dizzied by the experience. God the ability to make a person sense anything and they have the teleportation be that epilepsy inducing crap. I took a good look around. We were in a dark alley, cobblestone flooring and brick walls on the sides. A closed door next to us, a dead-end behind us. The alley curved to the right ahead of us, some daylight streaming in. The shadows passing by and the sound of chatter told me there was a sizable crowd past there.
You have entered Indiri, to the Port City of Shallow Shores, Bartin. Character Sheet updated. Do you wish to take a short tutorial quest introducing the nearby locations? Note: This will be the only time a quest is directly offered by the system, objectives will occur naturally in the world, it will be your job to find them.
Say yes, I said aloud, assuming that Matt also got the same message. Yes, Matt muttered behind me as I accepted the quest as well. Character sheet.
Name: Dustin Classes: Fungalmancer Level 3 Body Strength: 8 Agility: 7 Dexterity: 6 Constitution: 18 Stamina: 10 Vitality: 12 Mind Intelligence: 13 Wisdom: 18 Charisma: 6 Soul Will: 10 Aura: 10 Perception: 10 3 Stat Points available. Racials: Superior Darkvision, Fungal Body, Sun Sickness, Mana Dependency, Pacifying Spores, Innate Magic Class Skills: Fungalmancer: Path: Symbiosis (NEW)
  • Grow Sporage (Visual): You may create a mushroom capable of storing a Spore based spell. These Sporages can be activated on visual contact. They glow faintly and last your myconid level in hours.
  • Grow Sporage (Proximity): Upgrade to Grow Sporage. You obtain the option to grow Sporages with a different activation type. The sporage lets out a thin layer of mycelium around it that acts as a pressure detector. When sufficient weight is applied to any part of the fungus, the Sporage will explode. You and targets of Symbiosis do not detonate these Sporages.
  • Sporage Wisp Symbiosis: Wisps have lived comfortably in your cap and have created a wonderful home there, now to teach them the wonders of rent. You may create pygmy myconid bodies for your non-corporeal Wisps to inhabit. They are considered tiny creatures and are capable of following simple commands. They possess all the qualities of Sporage, however, they can choose to self-detonate.
  • Bracken Polypores: A species of symbiotic fungus are seeded underneath your skin. They rely on you for food and in return can instantly grow into durable mycelium plates that can cover your entire body. The hardness and weight may vary depending on how much Satiety you feed them at any moment. Will gain defensive bonuses if used in conjunction with Bark Skin.
Spells: T0: Balm Spores, Spore Lights, Sneezing Spores, Acid Spit T1: Mushroom Meal, Poison Spores T2: Bark Skin Available Spell Slots: T0: 2 T1: 1 Languages: (NEW) Common Undercommon Equipment: Leather Armour - One HP Potion - One MP Potion - Basic Wooden Staff - Two Basic Daggers - Herbalism Kit Backpack - Tinder Box - Mess Kit - 50 days worth of rations 8 Gold Coins Quests: Explore Bartin (Active) Impact Points: 7
Were in a safe zone it seems, I said, scrolling through my character sheet, menus are still accessible. I put a single point into intelligence and closed the sheet. Best to start saving those points. I bent down to pick up the two wisps who were still sitting dazed on the floor, their comically oversized caps spinning in small circles. Tucking them back under the folds of my cap, I stood back up, Lets go then. What about the sun? Matt asked. I activated my other class skill, Already dealt with. The fungus rooted in my head sucked up my energy quickly, and I began feeling a small ache in my abdomen which I instinctively knew as hunger. Dozens of brown, plate-like fungus began growing out of my cap, extending a good few centimeters each, initially, they grew perfectly horizontally, however once fully grown they all started inclining downward. Each overlapping each other, together they formed a wide conical hat connected to my actual cap. You grew a hat? Matt said, eyebrow raised and thoroughly unimpressed. Not just a hat, I replied, taking out a handful of bark, Barkskin. Its another upgrade for my spell Barkskin, I explained as bark-covered my skin. I could grow them anywhere on my body, and they not only help block out the sun but also act as armour. Considering my high constitution, this natural armour which I can call upon at any time and how damage works, I was currently probably one of the hardest to kill players. If I invested an intelligence point every level, combined with my passively growing wisdom, I wouldnt have to worry too much about my mana pool or my mana debuff, and since my defences were pretty much already maxed out for my level, I could start saving points to raise my lower stats like agility or dexterity. The current goal was to get all my stats to ten. Come on, I said, opening up the quest details with a free hand, lets explore.
Didja hear? Mast came back from the ford Matt glanced around the bustling tavern. Idly sipping some kind of drink. Heavy orange taste, though it was bitter as well. The quest was just a basic go from point A to B type of quest, explore the city, see some sights. It was oddly normal. Matt expected things to be slightly grander, more interesting for one of the most realistic virtual worlds hes ever been in. It only took them half a day to finish the quest, and they were now chilling in some tavern. Declan- Dustin, Matt corrected himself, was sitting across from him, unsuccessfully trying to peel a boiled prawn. Matt grabbed one from the bowl between them, claw-like nails easily digging into the shell, smoothly pulling off the carapace. Dustin let out a grunt of annoyance, as he unsuccessfully tried to jam stubby fingers in between the pieces. Matt dabbed his snack in some white sauce. Sour, he thought as he munched on the prawn, but not horribly so. He heard Dustin let out a final groan of frustration, before he dipped an unpeeled and mangled prawn into the sauce between them, then ate it. Shell and all. Matt raised an eyebrow, hearing the loud crunching noises coming from his friend''s mouth, Ew. Plebeian, Dustin replied whilst chewing. You cant even enjoy the delicacy of shells. Id like to keep my teeth, thank you very much, Matt dryly replied as he grabbed another prawn. Dustin huffed, then threw another prawn into his mouth. He paused, then began writing something down on a notebook with a charcoal pencil, both of which were bought earlier. Matt focused around him, listening in to the conversations around them. ... the fishfolk are acting up ... and the serpent was this large ... goblins to the southeast again ... sale of calamari at old man Gibson''s place Matt glanced at the notebook Dustin was writing in, noting that it wasnt written in English, but a language he instinctively knew as Common. Matt began idly tapping the table. Information gathering. Always one of the first steps. Matt has seen the same tune over dozens of games and knew the drill by now. Sure it was the smart thing to do, but not necessarily the fun thing. He itched to move around, to test the limits of this body. That tutorial was great, he cut some dudes in half and got several knives to the gut. Good times. Ever going to do something about the rats? Matt idly asked, not really expecting an answer. Doing so more out of boredom than anything else. Not really, Dustin said. A little bit of communication between players is enough to realise that the rats are trying to incite PvP. The question is why they are doing this, and why they expect to fail. Matt raised an eyebrow, Fail? If they are smart enough to plan out this whole thing, then they should realise that this PvP thing is doomed to fail. Are you sure youre not overthinking it? Matt asked. Dustin tsked in annoyance, Maybe, he conceded, but on the very likely chance I am not, then this is just the opening move, something should be coming after. If it is nothing, we probably wont benefit much from pursuing it anyway, if it is something, then going in first without information is just turning ourselves into guinea pigs. Ahhh, Matt mentally sighed. There it was. That cautious playstyle that popped out whenever he was tryharding. The need to know all possible options before choosing the safest one. To be in the background assembling his win condition. There wasnt anything wrong with that necessarily, but it was boring as hell. Worlds to explore and hell spend his time in gringy taverns or libraries if Matt didnt drag him out. Dustin tore out a page in his notebook and passed it to Matt. He took it with a raised eyebrow, quickly glancing over the page. Then squinted a bit as he brought the note closer for inspection. The handwriting was utterly terrible, Matt needed a moment to fully comprehend what was written on it. It was a list: mercenary fighter, odd jobs, merchant. This is? Matt asked. A source of income, Dustin replied. You pick which one you want, I dont mind doing any- Mercenary, Matt instantly replied. Figured youll pick that, Dustin said. Finish eating then, we need to register with the Guild. 3.02 Part 1 3.02 We offer insurance! - Excerpt from an employment ad found in VarAhBwek, this particular ad seemed to be for recruiting Warlocks of Eternal Madness, Unknowable Horror, and Mayonnaise. I glanced at the large Wayshard, its appearance just about the same as the one in Gaia. Situated in a walled-off location on the outskirts of the city, like a small town within the city. There were dozens of shopping stalls and hundreds of tents, the place reeked of various smells I couldnt and did not really want to identify. Hundreds of people were disappearing next to and appearing out of the crystal, in the same flash of light teleportation fashion in Gaia. There were far too many people to be just players. As far as Im aware, Eve only started inviting people very recently. So teleportation must be available to everyone then, even the NPCs. Only the Gaia to Indiri and vice versa teleportation must be limited to Travellers. Turning away from the crystal and towards our destination, the mercenary administration hall, one of the few permanent looking buildings in this whole amalgamation of a town within a town, we began walking towards it. Matt pushed open the double doors, entering the building with me following shortly behind him. The place was rather empty and gave off a utilitarian feeling. Polished and clean wooden floors, with sparse furniture. The walls were undecorated, save for a large pinboard with a few dozen sheets of paper stapled on. Towards the left side, there was a receptionist desk, where a single, young-looking girl in uniform perked up at our arrival and seemed to take a deep breath. Yo! Matt said, walking up to her, This is the mercenary place? The girl gave Matt a practised smile, Yes, this is the Mercenary Administration Guild, are you here for quests or perhaps registration? Registration please, I said, joining Matt at the desk. From what I studied, a mercenary guild should function the same way as an adventurers guild from classic RPGs. People post quests to kill monsters or gather resources in locations too dangerous for most people to go near, mercenaries take up said quests and get paid if they are successful. Theyre basically handymen, but for violence. The girl gave a nod, Lucy was what was written on the nametag on her chest. You will need to pay two gold each for registration fees. I nodded, pulling out two coins from my pouch, Matt doing the same next to me. Thank you, she said as she took the coins. Lucy turned around, bending down to grab a few sheets from a drawer behind her. I glanced at Matt, who was very not-obviously looking at her, and quietly chopped the back of his neck with my hand. Ow, Matt said in a quiet voice, glancing at me. I rolled eyes I didnt have. It was easy to forget that Matt was still going through the worst parts of puberty, at the very least dont do it so obviously, I quietly mouthed. He gave me a, I cant help it, shrug. Lucy turned back around, a few sheets in hand, Please fill these- She froze, eyes darting around, glancing at a place behind us I turned around. No one was behind us. Is anything wrong? Matt asked. No- nothing is wrong, she stuttered, lowering her eyes, I grabbed the wrong papers, apologies. Strange. I watched her turn around, hastily putting away the papers she took out previously. Matt glanced at me, tilting his head in a questioning manner. I shook my head, I had no idea either. Here! Lucy nervously said, handing us both a pen and a stack of paper. I took them, quickly looking them over. Nothing overly suspicious. Some terms and conditions to sign, information to declare such as name, combat and crafting abilities, familiars, favoured role in a party, an agreement to give ten percent of any money or payment earned to the administration guild... Ten percent is rather high, isn''t it? I asked. Lucy returned to her practised smile, The ten percent is only applicable to quests taken from the administration guild, she explained. If you join a private guild and take quests from there, you may pay different rates to that guild. I raised an eyebrow, There are different guilds? Of course, she said in a matter of fact tone, mercenaries may start up their own guilds, the guild still pay a service tax to the Administration Guild of course, however they determine their own rates for quests. Is it common to start or join a guild? I asked. Yes, it is very common, most quests are taken and completed by private guilds. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. So thats why I didnt hear about it. It must be common knowledge. There were mentions about some guilds like the Red Foxes or the Sea Hounds, however, I just chalked them up to being famous parties instead of guilds. I must be reading too many Light Novels. One last question, I started, how did you know we were Travellers? She stiffened, eyes widened by the barest fraction. That pretty much just confirmed it. If she didnt react at all I would still be doubting it. Apologies for Lucy, a female voice said behind me, she is still rather new. Matt turned around startled. Showing up so early? I wouldve kept on observing, or did they already get all the information they needed? Or was this a subordinate to defuse the situation? Turning around, I took a good look at this person. Tall, thin and dark-skinned, with long pointed ears. She looked like some kind of dark elf and was wearing some kind of soft blue wizards robe. There was a bit of uniformity between her outfit and Lucys. Though this new person''s uniform seemed looser and much less formal. Its fine, I mildly said, I was just curious. There are many things which gave you away, she explained. Though your lack of common knowledge was an obvious indication. She was deflecting the question. I believe we only asked questions after we were outed as Travellers, I stated. Observant arent you? she flicked her hand, If you must know, it was your currency. Our currency? She glided forward, standing next to us at the receptionist desk, picking up one of the coins we paid. These coins are bereft of markings or mintage, she explained, they are completely blank discs of pure gold. Mintage? I racked my head, searching for the word, definitely not the flavour The design, I realised. I grabbed my wallet bag, opening it up. None of the gold coins I received from the tutorial had any designs on them. The pen and paper I bought earlier was a set costing one gold, so I didnt get any change from that. Did that mean- no, the fact that the guild and the old man from earlier accepted these coins must mean they are still a valid currency. The dark elf chuckled, You dont have to worry, Traveller Coin is accepted widely. Though considered an oddity. I see. It seems like there were Travellers before us, and for a long time too. I raised one of the forms we were given, Can I ask, why were we given these sheets instead of the other ones? They are special terms for Travellers, she explained, in the original terms, used for non-travellers, there is a clause stating that there would be a small compensation to the next of kin in the case of the mercenaries death. Ah. That clause could be problematic if a player had it. Not only that, this sheet does not ask for things such as country of origin, you may view both versions if you''re doubtful. I nodded, I see, they both made sense, thank you for clearing that up. No problem, she answered, I shall leave you two to it then, she said, drifting away and disappearing. I watched her go. Before turning around to a slightly pale-faced receptionist. Handing one copy of the papers to Matt, I nodded to him. The form only asked for some information, and the terms and conditions did not have anything that might screw us over later on. Follow the rules, licences must be renewed every few years and the ten percent tax were just about it. There was no harm in agreeing to them. But just in case, I looked over the normal papers. A few extra clauses regarding death or injury on the job, how you were responsible for injuries but minor compensations would be given for any deaths. Notably, neither forms asked for any proof of a criminal record or past history, it only asked for your experience and capabilities. Here, I said, signing off Dustin on my form, handing it to Lucy whose face seemed to have regained some colour. Im done as well, Matt said next to me. Huh, he put his name as Noam, that was his in-game name if I remembered correctly. Thank you, Lucy nervously said, Ill have these processed and you can pick up your licences within two to three days. I nodded, Well come back later then, I said, already turning around. There was still too little I knew about this world. I needed to gather more information.
Ummm Lucy began, eyes darting around the empty room, Vice Guildmaster, where are you? I keep telling you, just call me Maz, the dark elf muttered, suddenly just there, sitting on the reception desk. Lucy, not yet used to the Guildmasters antics, couldnt help but yelp in fright. Maz chuckled, hopping off the desk. Those Travellers were rather odd werent they? she idly asked Lucy, picking up one of the coins the Travellers left behind. Idly rolling it between her fingers. I wouldnt know Vice- Ms Maz, Maz snorted, Cut the formal crap, I already had enough of it dealing with that Myconid. Of course Ms- Lucy stopped, realising her next words, and instead started furiously nodding. Maz snorted again but didnt comment otherwise. There was never a need for adventurers to worry about useless stuff like formality. Though we arent called adventurers anymore are we? she reminisced. She raised the coin to her eyes, curiously inspecting it. As if looking into it would give her some more information on its previous owner. But she was no diviner, able to determine what a person ate last year by the position of their sunspots. Her methods were different and they told her enough. Many knew that Travellers went through forms like used napkins, however those two cant be experienced Travellers. Not only did they lack common knowledge, but they werent that experienced in combat, a rare trait for Travellers. Despite the fact that both of them were openly cautious about her, neither made a move when she flicked her hand. Anyone that has fought a mage before knows that Somatic spells were the favoured ones. Hand gestures can be hidden, Mage Tongue cannot. Those Travellers are new, she concluded, not just in body but also in mind. She sighed, I suppose I must send a note to all the other branches, Lucy, tell Maddie when he comes back to find me immediately. Yes, Mam! Maz leaned on the desk, We may get swamped with work pretty soon, she quietly murmured, already dreading the paperwork that came with new Travellers appearing. Umm Lucy began. Ask, Maz said. What do you mean by more work? she finished. She glanced at the young woman, remembering that Lucy probably wasnt alive for the last one, New Travellers only means two things Lucy, Maz explained, a fuck ton more of them are coming, and Daves is open again. 3.02 Part 2 Ill be heading off to the library, Dustin said, wanna join? Noam thought about it for a moment, it would probably be polite to follow Decs around for a while longer, but he was heading for a library. Those quiet as hell places where there was little to do other than read. Nah, Noam replied, Ill go explore a bit more on my own. Dustin nodded, Cool, message me if you need- he paused, what do you two want? Me? Noam asked. No not you Matt- Noam, whatever the hell- bored? How do familiars get bored? he asked in an exasperated tone. Hey Noam, babysit these two for me, he reached up into his cap, two tiny myconids hopping onto his hand. They can go far from you? Matt asked as he helped the two hop onto his shoulder. Not for too long, they need my mana to refill every now and again. The myconids squeaked something, Ah, nevermind then, Dustin added. Mind translating? Noam asked, glancing questioningly between the tiny myconids on his shoulder and Dustin. The small myconids in question were unsuccessfully trying to climb onto the top of his head. Noam lifted a hand to help them up. Oh theyre gonna eat your mana, Dustin translated as the two successfully made it to the top of his head. How would they do that? Noam asked. Dustin shrugged, No clue. Both myconids plopped down on top of his head and Noam felt the two parted his hair, creating a thin spot which exposed his skin, a tickling sensation soon followed. Huh, I did not know they could do that, Dustin said. Why, whats happening? Noam asked, his hand brushing against the myconids as he tried to feel what they were doing. The two squeaked in protest as Noam felt a fabric like film around where the myconids were roosting. Theyre... growing? Dustin said confused, Yeah growing is the right word, he confirmed, into your scalp. Is that dangerous? Noam asked, slightly alarmed. Eh, Dustin shrugged, probably not, I took symbiosis, not parasitism, so you should be fine. He glanced hesitantly at the top of Noams head, Yeeuup. Probably. Noam gave Dustin a withering stare, Decs, I swear to god if I get head fungus Im kicking your ass. Well he hesitated a bit, technically you already do, he raised a hand as Noams fingers brushed against his halberd, but its probably not harmful, though message me if you suddenly start feeling weird. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. The mushrooms on top of him squeaked, Yes, I know that you two dont mean to harm him, Dustin said, gesturing to Noam, but Im trying to tell him that. Can you tell them that if they make me bald or something Im going to make them into soup? Noam asked. Dont worry they already understand you, Dustin replied. Oh, great, Noam replied. He rolled his eyes upwards until he could glimpse the two mushrooms looking down from his scalp, then sternly said, If you guys make me bald Im turning you two into soup. The two mushrooms squeaked in affirmation and even gave him a thumbs up. Youll be fine, Dustin chided, Im sure theyll grow on you. Noam slapped his face, and the two mushrooms on his head began chittering in delight.
Dustin stepped into the calm quiet of the library. He glanced around, there was a receptionist desk near the entrance, a middle-aged man sat behind it, his head deep into a book. Excuse me, he asked, where can I find the history section? Third row, behind the tables, the librarian replied without looking up from his book. Thanks. The librarian grunted a reply, clearly not paying attention. Dustin walked away, his steps soft on the hard wooden floor. Arriving at the bookshelf that was much taller than him, he took out a book and began skimming.
A cool wind was blowing from the shores and the docks were alive with activity. People of various races and clothing were walking about. The large majority were humans, but Noam spotted a few with pointed ears, likely Elves. There were a few very short looking folks that he guessed were either gnomes or dwarves. Some people had a few animal-like features such as tails or an extra set of ears. Others were completely animalistic. Noam took a moment to breathe in the fresh, salty air of the sea. It was a nice day, he thought, patting the two shrooms on top of his head. He began whistling, and idly strolling along the docks. The two mushrooms perked up at the sound and started mimicking him. Noam amusedly glanced up at them, a small grin creeping onto his face. He began whistling into a deeper tone. The two squeaked, as if accepting the challenge. Then copied the sound exactly. Noams eyebrow arched up, then whistled high and low notes in rapid succession. Going in seemingly random patterns. The two mushrooms were silent for a moment, one of them tried to copy him, but failed after the first few notes, unable to quickly alter their tone. Noam chuckled, and patted the two on the head, Decs hasnt gotten around to naming you two yet? he murmured. One of the mushrooms squeaked out something that sounded like an affirmation. Hmm gotta get around to that then, he muttered, before pausing in front of a building. A tavern he quietly murmured, What does alcohol taste like he pondered. Aight, he said, clapping his hands as he reached a decision, lets get shit drunk. he declared as he pushed open the door. Ah, welcome! he heard a voice yell from the back, Bit busy now so find your own seat! He glanced around. Not much free room, there was this one dude who was sitting alone by a table. Casually, he walked up to him, Mind if I sit here? The lizard person glanced at him, then at the two mushrooms roosted on his head. He sighed, Yeah sure I guess, he replied in a tired tone. Noam sat in front of him, Yo, my name''s Noam. Gnome? the lizard asked, ah well. My name''s Lung. Nice to meet you Lung, Noam replied. 3.03 Part 1 3.03 Thirty-three. When killing a Traveller make sure they know it is all in good fun. But just in case have at least five new identities prepared. Addendum: In the case of a particularly spiteful Traveller, two dozen and fake your death properly this time. - Excerpt from Elrics Enchiridion of Encounters. And the fucking mushroom jumped me! Lung yelled, slamming the mug onto the table, My party was fucking useless! Like I was fighting a 1v2 against that mushroom and some weird cat, while they were just dealing with a 3v2! Noam took a large gulp from his own mug, Bro, he said, waving his finger, the first rule of online gaming is to never believe in your teammates! What is the fucking thing Decs say a pig headed team mate is more dangerous than a powerful enemy! The fact Dustin was referring to him when he had said that was a moot point to Noams alcohol addled brain. Lung heavily sighed, his breath reeking of alcohol, But fucking online gaming depends on having at least competent fucking teammates man. Thats why you gotta gather a squad man, Noam replied. Like my duo partner in LOTA is like the fucking best support Ive ever seen. Hiccuping, Lung asked, Really? Whats he like? Hes the type to handle a fucking 1v3 properly, Noam replied. Hes in Gaia too? Lung asked. Yeaahhh, Noam replied, voice slurring, hes in a library or some shit now, says hes gotta learn more info or some shit. Lung nodded, Hmmm. Smart guy. Smarter than me at least, Noam raised his mug, to idiots that are smarter than us! Lung laughed, To idiots that are smarter than us! he said as he toasted Noam. Both of them drank deeply, quickly finishing off their drinks, Ahhh Lung moaned in pleasure, Good shit. Noam nodded in agreement and lifted his cup, Anozer one! he yelled to a waitress running around the tavern. Same here! Lung echoed. Ill be right on it! the skittering waitress yelled over the chatter of the tavern. Aight Lung muttered, eyes unfocused, where was I? What happened after to yah after you got jumped? Noam asked, leaning on the table. Ahh, Lung said, so like after those assholes pked me for no fucking reason. I came back to spawn as you do. And you know what I fucking found!? What? Noam asked, his finger lazily tracing circles on the table. Noam never realised that circles were so oval. Lung grunted, Like its a fucking warzone outside spawn! The moment I left the spawn zone I was fucking pked again! Oh shit Yeah shit man, Lung agreed. He sighed, Like I tried again, and I died like seven times from spawn-camping. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Sucks dude. What was worse, was that I ended up dropping an item. Noams eyebrows perked up in pity, Shit man, I hope it wasnt anything important. Lung sighed, It was a really good item Like it was from the freaking tutorial but it was really good. You got a tutorial item too? Noam asked. Lung nodded, Yeah the tutorial was hard as hell but I got a thing which raised my CON by a shit ton he glanced at Noam, You got something too? Yeaah, Noam replied, pulling out a whistle, This thing makes me faster for a while. Nice, Lung said, he paused as the waitress came over, quickly dumping them a pair of filled mugs. Thanks! Noam yelled as the waitress rushed to another table. Thanks! Lung quickly echoed. Man, Noam started, resuming the conversation, did you drop anything else important? Lung shook his head, Just one of my bags, didnt keep anything important in it. Mmm Noam murmured. Drop-rates seem to be pretty high, how long did it take to respawn? Lung took a gulp from his mug. Few minutes I think, he replied, wiping his snout, they seemed to pass by really quickly. Thats good Noam replied, leaning back and stretching. Letting out a satisfied moan as he heard the familiar bone cracking. He suddenly perked up, thinking of an utterly great idea, Lung, you should totally join our party man! Lung looked at him, reptilian eyes focusing through the haze of drunkenness. Im sure youll hit it off with Dustin, Noam continued, thats the dude I mentioned earlier by the way, he quickly added, like theres only the two of us right now so we need party members, he met some other dudes earlier but I dont think theres a limit to party sizes. Sounds good, Lung answered, you seem like a cool dude, I was going to ask anyway. Noam laughed, You bet I am! he raised his mug, I look forward to partying with you! Lung raised his own, Likewise! he replied as they clinked their mugs together.
Unbeknownst to either of the two. There was a green-capped mushroom trying to push open the front door of the tavern. Another yellow-capped mushroom was cheering it on, but the door wouldnt budge. Not until someone from the outside pushed it open, throwing back the small myconid but leaving the door open just long enough for both of them to scamper out. Two pairs of black beady eyes looked at the bright, large world outside. Each burning with curiosity.
Dustin flipped through yellowed pages, a thick not-quite finger tracing the words as he skimmed the text. The Durand Treaty was made after the Red Wars. Breaking the monopoly of the Adventurers Guild in Alliance Kingdoms Traveller Ghen introduced the concept of a steam engine Dustin paused and folded the corner of the page. The Lanterns are an Elite group of A Great Migration occurred in He paused again. That was the most recent mention of Great Migration so far. Dated just eighty-six years ago. That pretty much confirmed it. This wasnt the first time Travellers have been around, but the fourth. It seems like every century or so there was a sudden burst of new Travellers appearing. That would explain how they got recognised so easily. Though he had no idea who the previous Travellers were. Previous players or AI like Hendrix? Dustin had no clue. So, like many things he learnt that day, he simply made a note of it. If he ever finds a Veteran Traveller then hell just ask. He simply lacked too much information to draw his own conclusions at the moment.
Under the soft glow of the Wayshard, they came. Two figures, their shadows loomed long and dark over the battle below. One, a dark blue-skinned tiefling with a halberd resting on his shoulder. The other, a large, brown scaled lizard man. There was a brief pause in the battle around them, as the players quickly assessed the new arrivals. Noam smiled as he looked around the bloodied battlefield. Lung lifted a tankard which he borrowed. Lets get this slaughter started! 3.03 Part 2 Slowly, I closed the old leather-bound book. Placing it onto the read pile. I massaged my brow, the familiar pain of a headache coming. That was more... well, less informative than I expected. Five different authors, all parroting the same information in their books. Each shamelessly stealing from the others while claiming their take on history to be the most unique and unprecedented. It was like finding an official-looking textbook written by a university professor only to realise it was 1 to 1 copy of the Wikipedia page. I glanced at the pile of books I had gathered and internally grimaced. Four more books on general history. I wanted to be thorough but there had to be a limit right? Yes. Yes, there was and I probably passed it on book number three. Even if I started skimming after the first few repetitions I still spent way too long on them. So unceremoniously, I moved the remaining books of history onto the read pile. That was history done, what was next? I glanced at the pile of books and grimaced again. Geography, at least that had some maps judging from my initial skimming, then a book on trade which I hoped could teach me the general value of things. After that were two books relating to magic and aura, and a Monster Manual, the fun parts. I longed to go straight for the books on magic and monsters, but I needed to get the annoying parts done and dusted first. I knew myself enough that if I didn''t get through those first then I would never. Glancing around the library, the lengthening shadows probably meant that the sun was setting. Hmm I needed a watch of some kind. Did the menu have the time? With a quiet thought, the interfaces appeared around me. There was a clock. Good to know. Six-thirty currently, time went by really fast- Underneath the clock, was my friends list. Matts character name, Noam was currently greyed out with a timer counting down next to it.
Noam, Australia, Gaia Respawning in 0:03
I sighed, what mess was he involved with now? Oh well, if he needed my help then he wouldve messaged me. Apathetically, I continued fiddling around with my menus. One or two minutes of fiddling later, I managed to find every relevant dropdown menu and display, setting it so that theyll all appear around me whenever I call the menu. While I was doing so, Matts name lit up and greyed out again.
Noam, Australia, Gaia Respawning in 6:28
Respawn times seemed to be pretty short, so thats pretty convenient. Some games try to be more realistic by having very limited respawns, I was glad to see that it wasnt the case here. Opening up the IP store, I only took a quick glance before and I cant be bothered hitting the books again. There were at least fifty races in there, without even considering the numerous subraces for each. The number of different elves there were Well, the good news was that the subraces were relatively cheap, only costing five to fifteen percent of the cost of the main race. However, they had the requirement of needing to unlock the main race first. I currently only had humans, dwarves, elves and gnomes unlocked, however, there was a small note saying that if I unlocked myconid for fifty Impact points, Ill automatically unlock the Magic Cap subrace. I opened up the page for the base myconid. It was classified as an Age-type Heteromorph? As a myconid ages, itll also gain new racial abilities. A Sprout is only capable of using Distress and Rapport Spores, but an Adult may use Pacifying, Hallucination or Reproducing Spores, older Myconinds are capable of an even greater feat. Through Reanimating Spores they may move the dead to do their bidding. I continued reading. How this matters to a Traveller, is that a Travellers time as this race will contribute to their characters age. A Myconid Traveller whos been around for twenty or so years will have more racial abilities than one who just started. Wait, shit. If a character changes as they age, could they die of old age as well?
Matt was really enjoying himself at the moment. In fact, it could be said that his entire day was just a string of really great moments, he thought as he narrowly dodged a sword. Backpedalling, he swung his halberd horizontally, creating a loud clanging sound as he dented the helmet of a knight looking dude. Last night- well this early morning if you were being technical, he was invited to one of the best virtual realities in the world. Then he explored a pretty nice place, met some new people and made some new friends. FUCK YEAH!!! he heard Lung shout from far away from him. He turned around, quickly glancing at the lizardman suplexing someone, dodging a stray ball of acid in the same motion, before hurriedly turning back as he parried another sword with the haft of his halberd. Seriously, why are so many people using swords? He wondered as he threw the swordsman back with a push kick to the gut. Quickly, he darted out the tip of his halberd and pinned them to the ground, then in a smooth motion, vaulted over the fallen swordsman, ripping out the halberd tip as he did so. Matt landed on his feet, swinging his weapon in a wide circle around him, only to realise that there was no longer anyone near him. Whos left to fight? Matt idly thought as he stabbed the screaming swordsman with the spear bit of his halberd into his leg, barely glancing as they disappeared into light particles. Matt took a moment to look around him. He could help out Lung, but he seemed more than happy to deal with the small crowd of people gathering around him. Everyone else was doing their own thing, murdering each other and whatnot. Over there! Matt heard someone yell. Hes not one of ours! He glanced at where the voice came from, spotting a small party of about five people. A blue-skinned mage with odd tattoos was pointing directly at him. Matt smiled, the grin large and toothy. Breaking into a run, he rushed directly towards the party. A few of them looked surprised, but only for a moment. A swordsman stepped forward, followed by another bearing an axe and shield. An elf quickly drew her bow. The blue-skinned mage and a skeleton raised their hand, tattoos glowing on the former and fire appearing in the latter. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. All three released their attacks at once. A fireball and two arrows, one physical and one magical. Spaced so that he cant dodge one without getting hit by another, but far apart enough that he cant dodge all three unless he stopped running and jumped to the side. Still smiling, Matt raised his arms in a cross guard covering his face. Rushing directly through the ball of fire, avoiding the other two attacks. Without looking, he swung his weapon in a wide arc in front of him, hearing it splinter wood as he quickly confirmed their new positions. Shield caught his weapon, a horizontal strike coming from the right, someone was starting to cast magic again. He let go of the halberd as aura flowed into his left leg. In a blur, his left leg moved right, knocking his remaining leg off balance, causing him to fall and the sword to barely miss his head. Hitting the ground on his side, he clawed the ground, nails digging into the earth as he threw a long line of dirt at the two melees. Not bothering to check whether or not they hit, he rolled towards them, aura flowing into his arm as he rolled into their legs. Quick like a blur, Matt Swift Striked the shield user in the groin. There was a brief grunt of pain as he reflexively dropped his weapons and tried to cover his privates. As the shield users arms descended, Matt reached up and grabbed his hand, yoinking him down and over him. Just in time to block the downward swing of the other melee. The shield user gasped in pain as the blade struck his back, Matt, now laughing, grabbed the axe the other melee dropped, and threw it at the swordsman, not hitting but causing him to back off long enough for him to throw off the shield user. Both of you get away from him! he heard the backline yell. Ranged attacks, he grabbed the collar of the fallen melee, raising him in front of him. It didnt help much, as a glob of something green hit the both of them like a water balloon. Matt felt a stinging pain as the liquid got into his eyes, forcing him to reflexively close them. An arrow hit his shoulder immediately after, its momentum causing him to stagger a moment. Footsteps from the right, Matt threw the melee towards the sound, feeling a sharp pain as the arrow dug into his shoulder. No sound of impact, the swordsman dodged. Matt fell backwards, feeling the air rush above him as the swordsman tried another horizontal swing. Grunting as he hit the ground, he began rolling away from the swordsman- AHAARGH! -only to scream in pain as his action inadvertently forced the arrow deeper into his shoulder. The moment cost him, as a barrage of attacks hit him not long after. ... ... Matt blearily opened his eyes to a dark sky, large numbers counting down from above him. All pain and wounds were gone. Despite that, he still groaned. Fuck. Only got one, he muttered, sounding disappointed despite the large grin on his face. He was in his respawn area, a small island with nothing but a halberd planted head first in the centre. A horned skull balanced on the top end. At first, time here passed like a dream, but every successive death he had made the experience more lucid. Until he was completely aware of the place. Matt sat up, wriggling his toes and fingers to make sure everything still worked. He could never be sure. Matt stood up and began restlessly pacing around the island. He had already walked around and examined every inch of the tiny island. The halberd at the centre cant be moved or altered in any way. The white sand which made most of the island can be though, but he got bored of throwing it somewhere around his sixth death.
Thumbing through the book on magic, strangely titled So you want to throw a Fireball? A Comprehensive Guide to Magic for the Intellectually Deficient, which if you got past the name and the casual insults the text lobbed at the reader, was a rather comprehensive primer on simple magics. Apparently this system was belief based, where magic is a product of people believing they can do something, which with repetition made them better at doing that through confirmation bias. The book acknowledged that the various schools of magic each represent a different belief of how magic should function, and that most schools were largely incompatible with others, meaning a person would be stuck to a single magic school of thought unless they, say, got amnesia and forgot their training. Magic was apparently getting simpler to use in recent years, a god ascended some centuries ago who named himself Manatheres, giving rise to mana, which is a resource that greatly expedited casting. An anology might be that it acts as the lubricating oil in machinery. It is certainly possible to cast without mana, but mana makes it more efficient and useful. I was honestly engrossed in the book, and wouldve probably read it until the dawn came if not for the fact the menus to the side of me updated again. Matt just died again.
Dustin (HitZaDecs): You alright?
He raised an eyebrow, opening the keyboard system, he quickly typed a reply.
Noam (Mattmanfoo): Im aight, you finished already? Dustin (HitZaDecs): Nah, just got tired of books. What are you doing? I saw you died like five times already. Noam (Mattmanfoo): Theres a brawl at irl spawn, hurry up and come if youre done reading! Dustin (HitZaDecs): You mean Gaia? Noam (Mattmanfoo): Same thing! Dustin (HitZaDecs): Sure, give me a moment, feel free to keep brawling.
Every now and again, he would glance up, towards the timer counting down. When the timer hit thirty seconds, he stopped at the ends of the island. He rested his halberd on his shoulder, silently watching the countdown. At five seconds, he began lightly jogging on the spot. At two seconds, he started running towards the centre of the island. At one second, he jumped. Matt landed back into Gaia running, a broad smile on his face as he surveyed the carnage around him.
Do you know any good inns around? I asked the shopkeeper as he handed me the flask and change. I did a quick count, so ten silvers equalled one gold. Money in hand, the shopkeeper cheerfully replied, The Firefly Nest is down the street, he pointed left of us, take the third right, you cant miss it. I nodded, pocketing the change and placing the flask in my bag, Thank you. Leaving the store, I followed the path the shopkeep pointed out to me, quickly finding myself at the inn. It looked well maintained enough, not run down and plenty of people seemed to be around. Entering, I paid the three silver fee of one night, getting my key, I made my way to the third floor. I took one of the cheaper rooms, only a straw bed and desk were inside, along with a wooden window that was locked from the inside. I dumped most of my bags, leaving only my ration and coin bag in hand. The key I stored together with my coins. I quickly checked Noams respawn time, looks like he died again, that idiot. Ill have to meet up with him on the next respawn. Locking the door behind me, tracing my path to the Wayshard from memory. It was almost night now, so the line wasnt as long. I stood there, waiting and watching Noams respawn time. At two minutes, I opened up my ration bag and began eating the dried jerky with one hand. With the other, I held the bark, casting Barkskin. I reached the Wayshard at one minute, no one behind me. I stood there for the moment. At ten seconds, I directed energy into polypores. They quickly drained my satiety and grew to cover most of my body. At five seconds, I touched the Wayshard.
You may Travel to: Gaia Indiri (Current)
Closely watching the timer. I selected Gaia the moment Matts respawn time hit zero. The world turned to light for a moment, and Matt fell down next to me in Gaia 3.04 Part 1 3.04 Fourteen great gifts were presented at the Princesss naming ceremony. The First Gift was the gift of Hindsight granted by the Spring Court. Which she later realised probably wasnt as good as the pseudodragon or even the good sense of direction. - Excerpt from The First Princess A short man paused as he peered into a dark alley, adjusting his spectacles as he tried to catch a glimpse of what he saw. It was empty, save for a few piles of trash. Mustve been imagining it, he quietly muttered as he passed the innocuous-looking alley. He melded back into the crowd, just missing a tiny, green mushroom cap popping out of the piles of trash. Squeak squeak squeak! the green-capped wisp yelled to its sibling, roughly translating to: Look! The big ones throw away so much stuff! A propped up piece of paper fell to the ground, revealing a tiny yellow capped myconid behind it, Yeah, it agreed. Do you know why? Greenie asked, picking up a piece of cloth that used to be part of a shirt. I dont know, it replied in squeaks. His green sibling, well versed in Squeakish was able to discern the slightly higher pitch which showed a delighted tone. Like his sibling, Greenie was delighted that there were so many things they did not know. It just meant more things to learn! There were sooo many odd things which the big ones did. Like catching glistening lizard things with no feet from the large body of water or thrusting hidden metal things into other people inside this very alley. Shank a voice inside them told. Greenie paused and glanced at Yellow, and they both yipeed in glee. A new word! Greenie jumped out of the pile of loose trash, accidentally knocking over a limp arm, and clapped hands with Yellow. They were getting bits and bots of knowledge from their symbiote. The large mushroom who gave them moving energy among other things. Most of the things he learned, they will learn too, its faster the closer they are to him somehow, but when they came to this new place with lots of people, the big mushroom started learning too! Before they were only getting old learning from the mushroom, like weird cube-shaped movers or the bright thing they needed to avoid called the sun. The sun thing was like, really, really bright. Greenie tried to have a staring contest with it and hurt its eyes. They figured if they were learning themselves, then they could learn what the big mushroom learned later, which meant they were each learning themselves and hence learning a lot more! Though speaking of the big mushroom, where was he? Greenie and Yellow hoped he was doing some cool learning! Though big mushroom probably wasnt though. He seemed intent to read these book things. Maybe Greenie and Yellow could join him once they figured out how to read, but even he seemed to find the act boring, why did the big mushroom insist on it then? Oh well.
Dustin slammed his staff into a persons head, hearing a sickening crack as the mages nose deformed. Before the mage even hit the floor, Dustin spat acid directly onto their face. Ignoring the screaming mage on the ground, Dustin quickly threw Sneezing Spores behind him, stopping a rogue just long enough for Noam to swing around and stab them. There had to be almost a hundred people here by now, magic was flying left right and centre, amidst the chaos, Dustin opened his mouth and yelled, MATT WHERE THE FUCK ARE MY MUSHROOMS!?
Big mushroom was doing something boring, but Greenie and Yellow werent! There was so much to explore in the city, even if they had to keep to the dark alleys because of the bright thing. Lets explore this place more! Greenie declared, grabbing Yellows arm. Yellow squeaked in agreement, there was simply so much to see! Together they ventured deeper into the dark alleyway. Passing big ones laying cold and poorly hidden behind large boxes, a small dagger that seemed to scream blood and murder, weirdly dressed big ones who attached themselves to other big ones and took their money, a shiny lamp that emanated purple smoke in the shape of skulls, large scaly creatures that were growling right at them! This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Greenie walked forward, a tiny arm waving in greetings at the scaly things. They were so cool! Their scale was rough and thick, it looked like Greenie could spend forever hitting them and never hurt them! As one of them lunged towards Greenie, it noticed that they had teeth that glinted like blades. Still, as Greenie exploded in a puff of green spores, it noticed that they werent immune to poison and that the one lunging at him crashed and barely missed it. Greenie noticed that the ones nearest to it all spasmed and fell limp as liquid frothed from their mouths, just out of the mist, the others recoiled back, fear, the symbiote knowledge told the both of them, primal, instinctual fear, it elaborated. That was so cool! These things knew fear, Yellow wondered what other things they knew, Greenie wanted to puff another time to see if they had the same reaction. Would they continue to flinch, would they run away or try to rally against them? Greenie wanted to know! A larger scaled creature crawled forward, it was big, way bigger than the other scaled and came up to one of the big one''s waist. Long scars raked its hide and slitted eyes cautiously watched Greenie and Yellow. Greenie pondered the stories behind those scars, while Yellow pondered what the thing was capable of. It seemed smart, it watched them behind the other scaled creatures. There was so much detail to the smaller scaled as well, their scales which looked to be uniformly brown but had beautiful, yet weak patterns weaved of energy humming beneath them, how their eyes flitted in between them and the large scaled, how some seemed to be ready to run at a moments notice. How two instincts seemed to war in the smaller scaled. The larger one was keeping them here somehow, and the wisps wanted to know how and why. As the green spores dissipated, the large one let out a threatening hiss, and the ones closest to it rushed forward. Yellow noticed a brief moment of hesitation in some of the scaled. Greenie let out another puff, annihilating the first wave. Wow! They all died the exact same way as before! Yellow tugged the arm of Greenie, a squeak warning it of not using too much energy. Indeed, Greenie was already two down, it only had three more puffs left before it had to dissipate or recharge. Yellow was different though, its arms blurred as puffs of yellow bloomed on the snouts of the scaled. Greenie knew from experience that the yellow spores made your eyes sting, and Yellow could throw a lot of them. But Yellow could only slow them, it cant hurt things like Greenie did, though Yellow did a really good job of it, disorientating the fastest ones, causing them to clump together before Greenie puffed again, taking out more than the last two puffs combined. Greenie openly watched in wonder as it saw the bodies spasming and dying. An angry hiss and the third wave came, Yellow and Greenie repeated the strategy, taking out just as many as the last puff. The last of the scaled began to run for it, whatever their leader had over them it wasnt enough to keep going after losing most of their number. Yet the large scaled did not move, it glared coldly at the two wisps whilst staying almost stock still. Then it moved. In a few breaths, the scaled was upon them, knife-like teeth bared, Greenie let out a puff, covering the area with green spores once again. But the scaled was feinting, before either of them could notice, the large scaled had turned around, its large tail swiping and smashing into the both of them. Greenie and Yellow hit the alley wall, however, they werent unduly perturbed by the impact, being small and squishy had its benefits after all. Greenie curiously watched the large scaled as it clung onto the wall opposite of them. Yellow threw spores towards its face, but the scaleds head jerked away, avoiding the yellow spores blooming at where its snout had been. Greenie marvelled in open amazement, Yellow was quick, but not quicker than the scaled. It weaved through blossoming clouds of yellow spores, the few times that Yellow landed a hit, it was never on its head. Then, it began retaliating. Powerful tail swipes swept a dead scaled towards them, Yellow quickly grabbed Greenie and jumped to the side, the corpse landing only a few hairs from them. Yellow glanced at the alleyway, now full of scaled corpses, then at Greenie, to which Greenie replied with an excited squeak. Then, both wisp mushroom hybrids began running. A few scaled corpses flew past them as the large scaled began pursuit. The large scaled was so smart! It managed to so quickly find a way around both their attacks. Yellows spore balls had nowhere near the weight to stop a scaled body, and the attacks showed that it outranged Greenie. It throwing the corpse already spelled their defeat at that place, so Greenie and Yellow had to run. They still wanted to learn more before they had to go after all! Unfortunately, the big scaled was quick. It jumped from wall to wall, just out of Greenies range. Yellow threw a few potshots at it occasionally, landing a few good shots as it started to aim at where the scaled would be rather than where it was, but Yellow stopped a few breaths in, shaking its head. They used the same energy to move as the spores they threw, and Yellow was nearing empty, Greenie probably couldnt use a full blast puff again, theyll lose the energy to run soon as well. So, in sync, both mushrooms stopped at the exact same time, turning to face the scaled. The large scaled paused on a wall. Some small rocks clattered free as its claws dug into the walls. Its tail curled behind it. A pregnant moment passed. The scaled jumped off the wall. Yellow spore balls appeared in Yellows hands, Greenie began to puff- but the scaled swung around in mid-air, its tail uncurling to reveal another scaled corpse, thrown towards them from midair. Greenies puff went off as the corpse collided against the mushrooms. The green spores spread but got blocked by the corpse, leaving a wide enough gap for the scaled to rush through and a blindspot where Yellow could not attack. Yellow squeaked, That was beautiful. The scaled went in for the kill, until a smaller, furred creature fell from the rooftops above them, crashing against the scaled. A large wizard hat was gently wafting on the felines head, by all logic it shouldve been blown off by the fall, yet it remained stuck there, oversized and looking like a strong wind could blow it off. With the flick of her tail, the scaled turned into kitchenware, and Zoe examined the two small magical mushrooms. 3.04 Part 2 Two figures limped through the soft glow. One, a large mushroom covered in brownish tree bark, scarred and broken in many places, revealing soft white flesh beneath. His hand held both a wooden staff and bloodied halberd, leaning on them like a walking stick. The other, a tiefling, had an arm slung around the mushrooms neck, his other arm hung limp. We got out somehow, Dustin muttered as he dragged Noam. Noam groaned, Cmon, let me at them. Dustin paused to slap Noam on the head, Shut the hell up you adrenaline junky. He glanced at Noams body, the limp arm that had an uglier shade of purple compared to the rest of his skin, the various strips of white fungus where Dustin had to do an emergency patch up and the wet blood on his body, How the fuck are you still standing Dustin muttered. Determination, Noam muttered. Dustin scoffed, More like too stupid to feel pain. His hand went up, going through a few motions. What are we doing now? Noam asked. Calling for backup.
Dave was a lot of things. Traveller, merchant, a connoisseur of ramen, hivemind, A.I. that was debatably alive, though he didnt want to bring that can of worms up again. Having an existential crisis for what amounted to several centuries was horrifically unproductive and the other Daves all agreed as such. More recently though, Dave was intrigued. An odd group had just walked into his store, Zoe, Devourer of Aberrations, frequent customer and bribable by head scratches exactly four centimetres behind her left ear, was carrying what looked like two tiny myconids by the scruff of their necks. Amanda mightve spent a good ten minutes giggling over the inherent cuteness of the group but Dave, being a strict professional, adjusted his monocle, and greeted them as he would all customers. Welcome, he meowed, whatever you want or need, you can purchase here. It was no lie or boast. Already a bag of exotic grasses was in his paw, the scent putting him in a good mood. It was some really strong stuff, to even affect him. Dave wondered how Zoe will present her money this time. Though with the nature of Zoes Path, successfully guessing how she does anything is a long shot. The cat in question tipped her large wizard hat backwards, from the darkness within Dave saw sixty-eight rings of Traveller coins orbiting a food bowl. Dave smiled as Zoe poured out the contents, the food bowl landing first and the coins falling in perfectly stacked piles inside. The coins suddenly disappeared, and Dave placed the pouch of exotic grasses inside the food bowl. Zoe very carefully poked open the bag and sniffed it. Unintentionally letting out a content purr and dropping the two near myconids on the ground. Another Dave peered at them, adjusting its monocle as it stood at eye height as the sentient- no, sapient mana stored in the form of a mushroom. They were very similar to Magic Myconids, albeit fully functional despite being the same size as newborns. Due to some light administrator privileges, Dave knew that these were Traveller familiars created by a class trainer. They were nothing the Traveller couldnt have made themselves of course, though a class trainer giving it to them was much faster and learning types like these showed their worth over time. Their strength was also linked to a support role, something meant to enhance their Travellers strength. Overall a very good level purchase, not some flashy weapon but a steady tool that can always be relied upon. Dave estimated theyre worth forty-eight gold each. As high as sixty if a decent merchant did the sale. He felt that old itch again, the desire to haggle, though he swiftly put it away. A merchant he may be, the prices he offers under this brand are always fair and non-negotiable. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Cat Dave lightly tapped him on the head with a tail, reminding him that he had passed the amount of time that was polite for staring at customers. The tiny myconid Dave shook himself out of his stupor, before chirping, Welcome, whatever you want or need you can purchase here. The green myconid glanced at the other, before hesitantly turning replying, ...We dont have money. Dave mentally upped his assessment by another six gold. Mutual learning capability, passive too, they practically raised themselves. Wispshroom Dave smiled, Of course, its no problem, youre both familiars arent you? they both nodded and Dave continued, As familiars, you can make purchases on your masters behalf, I assume that he has money
You lost everything? I lost everything, Matt replied with a smile. The side of my eye twitched. Matt fell back slightly, wincing as he brought his hands up in the universal sign of surrender, Hey hey, no need to get pissed dude. Peps very gently brought Matts damaged arm down as I stared at him, Its good that youre lively, he idly said as healing light caressed his arm. I took a deep breath, I am not mad, I very quietly replied, my fingers massaging my brow, anger was not productive, it was never productive, I was just reconsidering our options. Indeed, if it were just the money or his supplies then it wouldve been fine, but both? Between the two of us, that was around half of our starting resources, how very annoying. Those supplies werent like equipment that became worthless the moment something with higher stats came along. Hunger was a very real threat and if the marketplace was any fair indication of the supplies worth, then that stuff Matt lost over those deaths was worth at least twenty-gold. That idiot, were already at a deficit compared to other players who just played safely- Even if you lose, you can always earn it back, Peps calmly said as he finished healing Matts arm, I mean, its not that much, is it? Its just some starter stuff. Yeah, thats right! Matt interjected, waving around his newly healed arm, Chill out bro, we can always do quests and earn it all back. I shook my head, Its not that simple, with new servers, its always a race to see which players get to what resources first my voice slowly petered out. That was game logic, wasnt it? Moreover, there was no specific reason to be worried about that. I was tryharding. When did that start? When did I start having fun? I know that smirk, Matt said from the corner. I have no clue what youre talking about, I replied. Matt scratched the back of his head, What hair-brained scheme have you concocted this time profiteer? Shut up junkie, I simply replied. You know the drill by now, I continued, less than five gold between the two of us, you definitely dragged us into hard mode, were gonna take that paltry sum of five gold and- I froze as my hand touched the coin pouch, feeling the outlines of the contents. Key, small coins. Problem? Matt asked, leaning forward. I definitely took them out with me, there was no mistake with my memory. Small coins, engraved, silvers, the change I got from the shopkeeper I bought the bottle from. Key, it opens the inn room I rented. Silver coins and a key. A receipt from a store called Daves, made out to one Greenie and Yellow. Silver coins, a key and a receipt. God fucking- 3.05 Part 1 3.05 This surgery business is highly suspect, you mean to tell me one can cure a stab wound by stabbing them again? Bah. Mortal injuries are nothing that prayer and faith cant fix. High Bishop Jackovs of the Church of Light. I glared at the neat paper receipt that appeared in my wallet. Several items were listed on it, however, what had my eye twitching was who it was made out to. A certain Yellow and Greenie, familiars of Traveller Dustin. It was rather obvious who they were, even when I havent named them yet. Matt, I extended my arm, receipt in hand. Where did the mushrooms I give you go? He took the receipt from me and began reading, chuckling slightly as he passed over the names, before quickly interrupting it with a cough, Well you see, he paused as if considering what to say. I lost them, he conceded. I felt the corner of my eye twitch again. Anger, frustration, those werent productive, so I took a deep breath and packed away whatever I was feeling. I raised an eyebrow, Ok then. Noam smiled, Its only a minor setback isnt it? It is, I readily replied. Peps glanced at me, then towards Noam, lips pursed as if unsure, then seemed to just drop whatever he was wondering. That reminds me, I continued, looking at Peps, I havent paid you back yet. Oh its fine, Peps replied, shaking his head, its just healing, all it took was some mana. No, no, I cheerfully replied as I circled next to Noam and slung an arm around his shoulder, I insist. I smiled, Well pay you back Peps, we both will wouldnt we? I directed to Noam more so than Peps. Umm he hesitated for a moment, before I quietly kicked his leg, Ow- I mean, yeah! Errmm Peps hesitated a moment as well. Not to sound rude, but didnt you just go broke? I smiled, cheerfully reassuring him, Oh, dont worry about that, money is easy to make, well need your help for a bit longer though. Noam raised an eyebrow, and I continued, Think Noam, how many healers did you see at that brawl? His eyes brightened in realisation, Oh! Im a bit lost Peps hesitantly admitted. Its simple, Noam started as I let go of him. How many people do you suppose escaped in the same condition as us? I casually finished. Realisation dawned on his face, Ohhh.
Fucking crazy, all of them, Murphy thought to himself as he limped away. He munched on a potato and felt his flesh regrowing itself, potatoes, however, were a poor cure for stab wounds. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Some part of him registered that he should be in much more pain than he was, but the better part of him was just thankful that whatever pain limiter this realm had was working, or maybe it was his weird race, said to be extremely hardy in all conditions. Whatever the case, he was grateful he made it out of that shitshow relatively ungrazed. Murphy wasnt sure what had taken over the people at spawn, but they were madly killing everyone they could see for no discernible reason. Murphy shuddered as he remembered a blue devil person yelling in glee as they sunk a spear thing into his shoulder. Fucking crazy, he mentally repeated. The moment he stepped into Gaia, he had met nothing but crazy people. Murphy turned a corner and slowly made up his mind. He was going to quit, it didnt matter how realistic Eve sold her world to be if said world was full of crazy psychopaths- Hello! Murphy heard a cheery voice say. You look like youre umm Injured? the voice hesitantly pointed out. Murphy looked up, to see a tall, lanky dude completely made of wood, with an afro of leaves, and a walking mushroom about his height with weird bark growths on his cap and the most horrific looking facial expression. The source of the cheery voice, the mushroom, continued, Well if you need healing, this guy, he gestured towards his companion, is a druid with some good healing spells. The druid smiled amicably and gave him a slight wave. For the small price of lets say three gold, well get you all fixed up! the mushroom continued. Murphy stood completely still, then angrily muttered, What is this, highway robbery? The mushroom seemed taken aback for a moment, before quickly shaking his head, No no, I assure you that we are completely legitimate and wouldve already robbed you if we wanted to. Murphy felt the corner of his eye twitch, as pure rage began to build up within him, You little shits he angrily muttered, You know what I just went through? I just got fucking electrocuted, stabbed several times, almost got roasted alive! Murphy said indignantly, his voice slowly rising in volume. And this! This is what I meet immediately after I finally managed to get out!? Umm I dont want your excuses! Murphy yelled. He began walking forward towards them, his rage building up to immeasurable proportions, To think that I would meet such an amateurish attempt at profiteering! What are you!? Some fifth-graders opening their first lemonade stand!? Uhh, what?
I watched, utterly dumbfounded as the short, stumpy potato man thing kicked a bench. First off! Location! he angrily yelled, Were in an entire empty mall and the first place you pick is location backwater! What are you!? Blind!? I glanced at Peps, who appeared as utterly dumbfounded as I was. Secondly! Presentation! he walked up to me and slapped me, get that damned horrific look off your face! Youll only scare off potential customers! Did he just? He just slapped me. I knew my face was odd but that really warrant getting slapped? Not even caring of my indignation, the potato thing was already walking away, he pointed three stubby fingers into the air, Thirdly! The potato man continued to mercilessly scream flaws at us like a drill sergeant. Somewhere along the line, I felt a pop inside my cap as the small mushrooms returned, but remained speechless as the potato just kept chewing us out for failing to scam him. What felt like an eternity later, the potato finally paused for breath, Did you get all that!? he demanded. At that point, I was long past shock, so I numbly nodded. Funnily enough, the two mushrooms on my shoulder mimicked the action. Very well! the potato yelled, he enthusiastically pumped his fist into the air and began walking away. Hurry up! There are idiots to be scammed! Peps lightly tapped my arm, Did he just he whispered questioningly. Yes, I drily replied, our first customer has taken over the business and has employed himself to a managerial position. Step one, create a mass demand for healing services. Step two, offering healing services for gold and clout. Step three, get taken over by our first customer? Not that I minded that much. I sucked at a leadership position and given how brazen that guy is I could use him as a scapegoat if all went south. Yes that potato was an unorthodox piece but a piece nonetheless. I just had to make sure he wasnt handling the money, leaving someone red-handed with the bag of cash was overrated. 3.05 Part 2 The potato ended up being very useful. Once he had found a suitable spot, several eyes -the root-like things potatoes grew not actual eyes, that wouldve been disturbing- began sprouting from his body. Quickly growing into almost perfectly rectangular planks of mostly white and red potatoes. Though he deflated a bit, he still began prompting us to start slotting the planks into each other like puzzle pieces. How are you able to make these so perfectly? I asked as I slotted in two planks that formed a red cross. The potato glanced at me with a face that looked like someone just took a glob of play-dough and poked a pair of eyes into it, I do a bit of woodworking I.R.L. as a hobby, mostly self-taught, its nothing special, but Im used to imagining how these things will end up, he shrugged, before barking out something at Peps about fitting two pieces incorrectly. Oh. How rare. I looked back on the red cross I had, used to it seemed like an understatement. The two planks were like a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle, with shapes and teeth that allowed them to slide perfectly into each other. I tried pulling them apart, only for it to be made clear to me that the only way to separate them was by sliding them out through the opposite direction as I had slotted them in. Given the diagonal nature of the sliding, it was unlikely for it to fall out by itself as well. This was very well designed and doesnt seem like something a normal person could make on a whim. A mental mod perhaps? Seems a bit extravagant for just a hobby. Before I could ask more, the human-shaped potato pried the cross out of my hands, Alright, we are ready! he declared as he inserted the piece. I took a step back to admire the final product. Most of it was the potatoes handy-work, having literally grown half of it and directed its assembly. Without him, it wouldve went as well as most home DIY attempts. We had pretty much repaired an entire store in the span of an evening using only potatoes. It was pretty clean too since they were directly grown out of- I forgot to ask his name. Oh well. The one problem is Its a bit bland looking isnt it? Peps voiced my thoughts aloud. The potato nodded, putting his hand under his chin, Yeah, I didnt have a lot of options with my skills so the material would look a bit flat... Yep, clearly, the potato planned to imitate the classic clean white sterilised hospital with the big red cross but since everything was literally made from potatoes there was just a rough, yellow undertone to everything about it. Though it was a jump towards civilisation as compared to the derelict overgrown store we first stepped into, it was a very small step and on the outside. Despite all the meticulous work and clean edges, it looked like a kindergartener just sloppily covered the storefront in white playdough. It was just that look about perfectly squared and clean potatoes that made it look weird. Maybe were trying to take this in the wrong direction, Peps mused. I cocked my head in his direction, gesturing for him to continue. This thing sticks out like a sore thumb as compared to the rest of the shopping centre, he elaborated. Dont try to stand out but blend in? I suggested. Peps hesitantly shook his head, No but yeah. Its not so much blending in as taking advantage of the environment. We need to smooth it out then, the potato muttered thoughtfully, can someone try grabbing some of that glowing moss? I can grow some, Peps offered. I can grow different coloured mushrooms, I added as I grew a light sporage. Yeah... the potato slowly nodded, Great! Start over! Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
Meanwhile A bloodied hand clawed the ground as its owner, an elven ranger tried desperately to drag himself away. A tsk came from behind him, as a halberd tip buried itself in his hand, causing a pained scream. No, no, you have to run in fear that way, Noam chastised as the elf continued to scream in agony, his free hand pointing in the opposite direction. Goddamnit, why is this so hard, its like herding cats with you people- Noam began, before stopping as he realised that the screaming had abruptly stopped. He looked down, and saw in place of a body were instead light particles. Fucking hell they died again!
Hmmmm Too much moss? the potato asked. Definitely too much, I agreed. Maybe add more coloured mushrooms to break apart the monotony? Peps suggested. Perhaps I said as I grew some light, poison, sneezing and balm sporages on the wall. Creating white, green, yellow and light green bulb mushrooms respectively. Peps pointed at one of the poison sporages, The darker green ones will definitely get lost in there, I glanced at it and agreed. The poison sporages had a very similar colour to the non-glowing moss, whereas the sneezing and balm sporage shrooms popped out to a degree. The potato examined the mushrooms thoughtfully as Peps voiced another question, Are these the only colours you can grow? I can grow some brown shrooms, I answered as I grew a Mushroom Meal on my hand, These can be eaten, its a bit bland for taste but also kinda juicy. Can you make these mushrooms glow? The potato suddenly asked as he picked a sneezing mushroom. That Can I? I grew a normal Light Spores sporage in one hand, then a Sneezing Spores mushroom on the other hand, and tried to squeeze in a Light Spores spell into it. I found that it was impossible and gave a blocked feeling, like trying to stuff something into an already full container. Disappointed, I shook my head. Could you grow mushrooms on top of each other? Peps interjected, seeing what we were trying to do. I tried that, placing a finger on the light shroom I just grew and cast a sporage, a similarly sized yellow mushroom began growing from its head. What was most notable, was the fact that the new mushroom was slightly transparent and tinged the white glow of the original mushroom, leaving it to cast a more yellowed light. Interested, I tried covering the glowing mushroom with more mushrooms. Creating a bundle of yellow mushrooms that let out a faint, neon yellow light. That does look better, the potato observed. I set the mini lantern down, That cost a lot of mana I said, rubbing the dull headache that formed, I can probably manage one more unless either of you have mana regen buffs? Both Peps and the potato shook their heads and I sighed in disappointment, Anyways, that should only last three hours, it wont be that useful, No, it could be very useful, Peps encouraged, Its not a good light source but its pretty colourful, like a lava lamp- Peps said before getting interrupted by something smacking his face. I watched the slimy, rainbow-coloured object slowly slide off Peps face. Someone let out a faint cry of shock, probably Peps. I couldnt really notice as it took me a second for my brain to start working again. It was at that point that I noticed some faint chattering behind me. You didnt need to do that! I got their attention didnt I! Turning around, I found Greenie and Yellow arguing, with a rainbow coloured gecko between them. Boss! Yellow squeaked out to me, First customer! it proudly proclaimed, presenting the gecko to me. The gecko turned to me and made a chirping sound, which I only understood because the small mushrooms understood it, Are you the manager? I shook my head, then pointed at the potato, Hes the manager. The moment I finished that sentence, the potato had a look of pure terror, his eyes drifting somewhere far away before he fell to the ground unconscious. Umm. I heard you can reattach my tail? the gecko chirped. 3.06 Part 1 3.06 Oh Lord Goddess, I beseech you to aid us in solving our vexations. What was that? QUIET DOWN EVERYONE I CAN HEAR HER! Oh, Dear Goddess, mind you repeat that? - Priestess Cordelia receiving divine insight, leading her to write Fireproof Heretics and you. Why you dont need to give up on tradition. As Peps began his healing thing, I glanced at Greenie, Why do you have a hat? I asked, gesturing at the tiny wizard hat that completely covered his cap. Cat, it simply replied. I raised my eyebrows but before I could question further, Peps stood up. Fixed, Peps declared as he gently patted the tiny rainbow gecko. Thanks! No problem! Peps cheerfully replied, gently shaking the tiny geckos front paw. The gecko let out another chirp of appreciation, before asking, What are you doing here? I gestured at the store, Trying and failing to create a business, which Greenie promptly translated. Whats the problem? Aesthetic issues, I replied, Greenie and Yellows translation echoing me. Were trying to make it look good. But we cant really manage it, Peps added, all we have to use are moss and mushrooms. The geckos head perked up, I can help, but please wait a moment, it said before scurrying off and disappearing. A few minutes later, the walls and the ground started to blur like a glitch, before several dozen geckos unstealthed right before us. We can help! They chirped together, all of their bodies shifting through a myriad of colours.
Meanwhile Holy shit, Noam muttered under his breath, hundreds of floating light particles surrounding him, When did killing people become this easy?
We organised the geckoes onto the walls. At first, we just wanted to create some sort of colourful wallpaper. But then a gecko suggested that they could manage moving images just as easily. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Peps and I agreed that we should get them to make some kind of moving pattern and as we began to direct them onto the right wall, a cloaked figure enter the hall we were in, setting down a blanket in between two stores to the right of us. I recognised him as the dude who sold us potions before but otherwise didnt comment. He quietly sat down and began cleaning various trinkets, before setting them down on the blanket. Somewhere along the line, the potato woke up and began directing the geckos in a distinctly militaristic like fashion. We went through dozens of different variations with the geckos, my mushrooms and Peps bushes. Finding out halfway that concentrating too many geckos in one spot would block out the natural light of the glowing moss since they werent translucent. It took a while to create organise them into something that didnt resemble a crime against good taste. Eventually, we settled on them covering up the front side of the cross the potato had made earlier. Four geckos shifted to a much brighter red compared to the old potato red which just looked maroon. Peps grew some glowing moss on the sides of the cross to create a light outline. We repeated this a few times. The potato producing rulers to help us place them evenly across the walls with my light shrooms interspersed between each cross. After a long, long while. We finally finished and breathed a sigh of satisfaction at the finished product. It was now that I realised a major problem. Did we really just spend this much effort for a one-time shop? Both the potato and Peps stared at me with a blank look. I mean, we cant really be here 24/7, theres no security so this stuff is bound to be gone, I continued. Only the snort of laughter from the cloaked merchant answered me. Amateurs, he sneered from behind us, sitting condescendingly on his blanket.
It was getting noisy and Ven didnt like it. She didnt like it at all. All she wanted to do was spend all day sleeping and get rich. Maybe eat a few tasty snacks as well. She had placed herself in one of those small hallways that lead out of the main halls, usually to toilets and staff exits. Just so that she would be out of the way, and so that other players wouldnt bother her as much. But lots of people were gathering in the hallway outside and it was tiring. There was a lot of shouting, something about a purple horned cunt ganking everyone going near a certain area and how they were going to tear him so many new ones hell look like cheese. Honestly, Ven didnt care, she was comfortably resting. She would shut them up but there were a lot of them now and she was already full after someone tried to steal from her before. Ven quietly sighed and resigned herself to another hour of waiting out the mob. Hurrrrry uuup Though honestly, if they wanted to murder someone that badly then hurry up! From the tremors, there were at least thirty of them already. Lazy idiots She froze, feeling tremors heading towards her. Opening up a small slit, she formed an eye and stealthily glanced at the approaching figure. A tall brown lizardman, his clothes appeared bloody and ravaged, as if he had just been through a warzone. He shook his head, then shakily stumbled forward, before falling against the wall opposite Ven, before- BLUARGHF! vomiting all over the ground in front of her. Disgusted, Ven hurriedly withdrew herself, shrinking as far back as possible to avoid the puke. Retracting the eye back inside her shell. Without her eye, she couldnt see what the lizardman did next, but he heard him rasp out in a slurred voice, Whats a vending machine doing hereee before hearing him slump and hit the ground. Fuck it, she thought to herself, Im moving. 3.06 Part 2 A halberd sped forward, its spear point catching a person by the shoulder. There was a pain exclamation of surprise as the player dropped his sword and Noam pinned them to the wall. The person began screaming, to which Noam shook his head, Buck up, shoulder hits arent lethal. You motherfucker! The pinned person yelled. Dustin wouldve told him to be more original, Noam idly thought as he began twisting the halberd, inciting more pained cries. Trust me, this sort of pain is nothing, Noam assured, plus you respawn later so its honestly no skin off your back. It still HURTS YOU MOTHERFUCKER! The person yelled. It annoyed him that he was to do this. This was usually Declans thing. Experimenting. Testing all the possible variations and then figuring something out. But Noam couldnt contact him since he was outside the range of spawn. It wasnt his style to continuously beat the shit out of weak people -it just wasnt fun, ya know?- but right now his curiosity was stronger than his annoyance. The person swore again, his free hand reaching for the pole of the weapon pinning him. Noam lifted his foot, kicking it into the persons stomach before stomping on it as leverage to pull his halberd out. The person fell to the ground without moving. Noam glanced at the wound he had left and saw the same thing hed been seeing for ages. White particles. The same that appeared when a player died. A shoulder attack was hardly lethal but still, it appeared. It could just be a visual thing but every single person who had displayed this died in a few moments. But why? Noam had already fought a bunch of people, most of them took actually lethal hits before dying. Even characters that werent supposed to have a high constitution like mages. He stood up as the white particles began to spread around the wound. Another player died in the exact same, odd way. Namely, in the fact that Noam didnt kill him. Back at the battle arena in spawn, some players- no, most of the players took several good hits to go down. That didnt even mean they died, just knocked unconscious. But out here people were fragile. He tried knocking someone unconscious and almost immediately they began disappearing. It couldve just been that he happened to run into people with very low HP values constantly but that explanation was wrong. Dustin mightve taken the HP explanation and ran with it but Noam knew in his heart that that explanation was wrong. Noam clenched his hand, feeling his nails press against his palm, the strain of the muscles beneath his knuckles. He felt the sting of his fresh knee scrapes from careless running. The dull aches as his body began to tire. His eyes took in the vivid details of the overgrown mall, filled with green, actual green. Not neon advertisements or strangely coloured energy drinks, but green from plants. Something he thought he would never see save for obscenely pricey trips to protected gardens. With every single breath of the cool, damp air, Noam understood a simple truth. At the moment he was alive, even more so than the sick body he had in real life. Even if the body wasnt as strong, fast or durable as the dozens of game characters hes inhabited over the years. It felt real to Matt, so that meant it was real. So why the hell were people dying so easily? His stuck-up tutorial guide had told him, under no uncertain circumstances that player characters had similar durability to what you would expect them to have. A player wasnt going to survive getting skewered multiple times or beheaded. However, some players were dying far too easily. His ponderings were interrupted by footsteps, and a smash as a figure cleared out some debris in front of the store he was staying. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. He caught glimpse of a metal bat as the figure kicked her way into the store. She was a tiefling just like him, but red-skinned, with short messy hair, smaller horns and with pure yellow eyes instead of purple. Only the barest amounts of hard leather armour that only covered vitals, leaving joints, waist, and neck exposed for free movement. She hefted her bat up, resting it on her shoulder, Youre the psycho whos been killing everyone right? Of course, Noam replied, a smile creeping up unto his face, whos asking. The girl spat on the ground, then raised the bat at him, Youre strong right? Noam shrugged, casually readying his own weapon, Probably, Great. Then I call dibs, and with that, she kicked off the ground towards him. Her mouth a wide smile that mirrored Noams own.
Bob heard the door behind him crack open as Hendrix stepped in, a large sack slumped over his back. Who are you, Santa? Bob asked as he turned around, what''s in the bag? Hendrix glanced around the room, nodding at Pop who was next to Bob, then answered, Debons stuff. Bob shook his head, I presume your attempt at a dinner date didnt go well? He is a bard, its not like he has a shortage of dates, Hendrix said, before dumping the sack by the door and closing the door, Pop can you tell me when Debon is close? Pop nodded at Hendrixs request, before resuming her work. Hundreds of numbers and letters passing through her eyes. Bob signed, resigning himself to being another unwilling accomplice to what Hendrix defines as fun. Hows moderating going? Hendrix asked, peering at the crystal in front of Hendrix. Wonderful, Bob sarcastically replied, There are far too many insane players, nothing is simple and Ive prevented the end of the world four times already. Hendrix chuckled, before noticing Bobs utterly serious face, Wait, youre not joking? Bob shook his head, This is why I was against assigning free classes and races based on personality. Even if they all have the same power budget, some characters start out absurdly specialised. Though Bob personally suspected that Eve only implemented this system to give everyone something to do. Most of the Heirs were in characters that reflected their personality after all. So it also gave them a chance to meet like minded people when they were brought to lead the tutorial. It wasnt a coincidence that every Heir had led at least one tutorial. Any notable examples? Hendrix casually asked, his body becoming completely still in that odd, myconid way. Bob pulled out the file of troublemakers and looked at the most recent ones; Zettour, hes been terrorizing the Melbourne server after bonding with the False Aboleth Boss there... Noam, lots of ganking, has already started a mob to hunt him down... xXScorchedReaperXx started a bushfire which forced the drop bear and kangaroo gangbanger population to move into Sydney and start attacking players, as well as inciting a land war between the local fey tribes... Herman, selling his soul to three different lesser devils before I got to him, creating a custody crisis which if I dont go to court to resolve will likely spark another Infernal War... Icypole, doing unsavoury things with corpses Bob felt a headache incoming and he put down the near ten-centimetre thick file, Look, you get the idea right? Hendrix mutely nodded, something like pity in his eyes. Bob sighed again, it had already been two days and he felt more overworked than the thousands of years he had looking after the Heirs and Indiri. At least only a few of the Heirs were troublesome. Why are looking at me with those accusatory eyes? Hendrix asked. Hendrix picked up the folder, flipping to a certain page, Knew it, I know this Noam guy. I bribed Debon to screw with- test him. He flipped around the folder a bit more, Theres a lot of stuff happening in Melbourne it seems. Bob nodded, After I finish dealing with the fires Im heading there. The main problem here seems to be Bob flipped the pages of the folder, landing on the last page, Zettour, the guy who bonded with the Aboleth. How did he even do that? Hendrix asked, Its a boss mob so it should have Legendary Resistances. Bob sighed, The tutorial guide to this Zettour was Tzu. Hendrixs eyes widened, genuine terror flickered across his face, That means his class is Thats right, Bob replied. A product of absurd specialisation, a class that had zero combat capabilities and was about as durable as wet tissue paper in swamp water. That class was good at one thing and one thing only, manipulation in its most subtle and unnoticed form. The class, Mastermind. 3.07 Part 1 3.07 Even if it sometimes feels like youre repeatedly hitting a brick wall, dont underestimate the hardness of the human skull. - Madelyn the Skull Rain giving an inspirational speech before breaking through the walls of Helmsdeep, earning her namesake and beginning Conquest. Noam began the fight with a wide upward arc swing. The store he was currently in was formerly a convenience store. There were a total of eight aisles and he was located in the fourth aisle, his back facing the store refrigerators where they wouldve placed perishables like yoghurt and milk. The decision to attack vertically was not a random one. In a cramped environment, Noam knew he was at a disadvantage with his halberd, any wide horizontal attacks would get caught by the shelves and be stopped. A wide vertical strike also left him open to counterattacks as he brought down his weapon. Thus, the moment where both of them were running at each other, may have been the only time where Noam couldve charged up a heavy attack. His opponent wasnt as restricted by the same problems, however, her metal bat was at least eighty centimetres long. As she brought her bat behind her, preparing for a powerful swing from her right side. Both of them saw the others movement. Both of them reached the same conclusion. Whoever backs down first loses! The distance between them quickly shortened. Ten meters. Five meters. At two meters apart, Noam was the first to stop. His foot-stomping into the ground, he brought the halberd down at half strength, too soon, but his intention was a feint to scare her back, then utilise his weapons spear-like tip for its intended purpose. However, his opponent kept running, the axehead barely missing her, only the spear tip sliced into her thigh. Instinct took over for Noam, as he quickly dropped his polearm, raising his arms and stepping forward to protect his head. Just in time for the bat to smash into his left forearm. The force of the blow threw Noam into the shelf to his side. Age-old metal groaned in protest before collapsing, leaving Noam slumped over the metal shelving in the next aisle. Noam rolled backwards to avoid the follow-up strike. His arm shooting out to pull himself up from an unfallen shelf. His opponent was already on him. Noam saw her bat swinging from his right. Noam dodged down, the bat swinging mere centimetres above his head. Aura flowed into his right arm as he Swift Striked her stomach, sending her staggering back. He didnt relent, aura flowed into his left for another hit, but suddenly he felt an intense spasm of pain. The bat had left an ugly bruise. One Noam hadnt consciously registered until he tried to make a fist. His body reflexively recoiled as his opponent fell out of range. She staggered back and made a half-hearted swing, he dodged back, unsheathing a knife in a downward hold before stepping forward and slashing at her, but she lowered her head and parried the blade with her horns. A devilish grin on her face, Noams opponent threw her head to the side, forcing his knife arm to go wide, before ramming herself into him. Knocking him back and disrupting his balance. Noam fell back, but he quickly found his balance, as his opponent rushed in for another attack, Noam moved. His foot a central pivot, Noam twisted around and behind his opponent and knocked her forward-facing frame toward the ground. As she fell, Noam grabbed her shoulder with his left, wincing as he did so and brought his knife to her neck. The fight stilled, as Noam became the victor.
What do we do now? Peps frantically asked. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. I raised an eyebrow, This isnt that much of a problem, I told him as I glared at the other seller, its not like were suddenly unable to use all of this. The dude snorted, then wrapped his cloak tighter around him. Apparently more interested in becoming a blanket burrito than talking anymore. In hindsight, the guy was right, though his attitude about it was annoying. We just need to make it all worth it, the potato said. I nodded, Which reminds me, I began, turning towards one of the rainbow geckos, you guys are NPCs right? If it were only just one I mightve thought it was a weirdo with a gecko fetish, but there were around seven hundred just decorating the walls. Unless there was a darknet gecko chat server that got invited in its entirety, these numbers werent likely to be players. The gecko chirped something and Greenie translated a confirmation. Ill get straight to the point then, what are the quest conditions to get more of you to help? As Yellow kicked Greenie off my shoulder and began its translation, several of the geckos began rapidly blinking in colour. Dozens of chirps echoed in the room before the geckos left their positions and congregated into a single picture. The potato belched in disgust, while Peps leaned in for a closer look. Of course, they were still geckos so they wanted food. The picture they made was two-part, on one side the sun shining through a broken hole and the other side showed an overturned log, placed a good distance from the light. Underneath the log clumps of disgusting larvae writhed over wet soil. Holding back a slight grimace, I said, Got it, dark place, underneath debris and with good moisture, anything else? There was a chirp and Greenie who I caught earlier, yelled out: No! before Yellow had a chance to speak. On it then, I glanced at the potato, who was dry heaving in the corner, make sure to increase my shares or something. Isnt this enough? Peps asked, gesturing at the currently present geckos. I shook my head as I left, Oh no, I am a firm believer in the sunk cost fallacy, I turned around and waved, Ill make sure we make lots of money, I said, my gaze fixed on the other merchant the entire time. He snorted, though he didnt move, apparently content as he was. Finding a good looking spot didnt take too long. Most of the mall was already pretty dark and humid. All it took was leaving the more lit up paths. I was at the entrance of one of the underground parking lots. The place looked similarly overgrown as the rest of the mall, though completely dark. I couldnt make out anything if it werent for my dark vision. There were a bunch of small rotting wood logs lying around. Greenie and Yellow jumped off my shoulder, curiously moving up towards the closest log. Be careful, I called, quickly moving after them, those disgusting bugs could be everywhere. I shooed them away from the rotting log, then very carefully raised my staff to poke- Wait a second. I took another glance around, dark underground carpark, covered in moss and a few of the glowing mushrooms. The thing in front of me was wood, right? I quickly cast a Light Spores, the soft glow illuminating the log as I kneeled to examine it. There was no mistaking it, the texture and colour were all identical to the Bark Skin I had active. It was undeniably tree wood and it was located underground, rotting in a location with no light. How the hell did it get here? I stood and took a step back, then brought my staff out to poke the log. The end of my staff pushing the log over to reveal some kind of white shell. Looks insectoid, the shell was thin and segmented, resembled a carapace, but it was clearly dead. As if it died a long time ago. There were legs which had fallen off when I pushed it, I knelt again, picking one up. The leg was segmented as well, but most importantly, it was clawed, almost hook-like. These were graspers, not meant to move on a flat surface. This was an arboreal creature, probably clung to trees and relied on its bark-like back as camouflage. I pointed one end of the leg towards me, the end that was attached to the main body. It was empty, like a crab leg which my gramps had completely sucked dry during New Years celebrations. Shit, shit, shit, shit, more creative words than shit, which werent coming at the moment because oh fuck what did I walk into? You two, back away slowly towards- As I said that, there was a sound like wet sand being mushed, followed closely by the sound of skittering as the dozens of other things which I thought were just dead logs began moving. Their bodies raised themselves and I saw my objective. Dozens of maggots, pulsing just beneath thin white carapace. I saw the maggots dig through flesh, causing wet squelching sounds as the corpse jerked awkwardly towards me. Goddamnit, I swore as I rose, Or should it be Evedamnit? I pointlessly thought as I grabbed Yellow and Greenie. Why cant anything be easy? 3.07 Part 2 I slowly began edging back. Approximately forty of those disgusting things were shambling towards me. Widely varying speeds though, many had legs dragging, the more empty corpses were barely moving at all. They were slow, only a few centimetres per second so I had time to think. What suddenly caused them to move? These were parasitic creatures, the modus operandi for those were to remain dormant in a host. I mustve triggered some kind of self-defence or feeding mechanism. But how did I wake so many? It couldnt be some kind of proximity sensor, when I noticed something strange I made sure to examine the one farthest from the rest. There were at least several meters between this body and the rest. How did I trigger an attack? What did I do wrong? These were parasitic creatures, assuming these were anything like certain wasps, then once the maggots were fed enough, they hatched out of the host. The shell of the bark bug I examined looked very whole, that must mean I raised my staff, then slammed the shell golf style. As expected, the shell burst easily like it was made of chips. A squelching noise could be heard as my staff displaced a giant maggot from the shell as it went flying towards the other parasites, hitting the floor and wetly sliding across for another few meters. As it made landfall, the nearest parasites paused and began moving towards it. I see. That thing mustve signalled the others somehow. I crouched to examine the pieces of the shell. The interior of it was wet with some kind of slimy liquid. Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself and picked up a piece, bringing it closer. There was a pungent smell to it, one that didnt become obvious until I brought it close. Pheromones. I dropped to the floor- Oops, both Greenie and Yellow fell from my shoulder, softly hitting the ground, Sorry about that, I muttered as Greenie began chirping profanities. Where the hell did it learn those? Doing a quick sniff of the floor, I confirmed traces of the smell. However, it seemed to disappear approximately ten centimetres from the surface of the floor. The pheromone must be heavier than air, so it stayed low to the ground as it spread out. Thats how I didnt detect it earlier, I kept too far a distance when examining it. The maggot mustve released it when I first flipped it over, it took some time to spread to the other ones- I felt an urgent tugging at my leg, What is it Yellow? I asked as I glanced at it. One hand was pulling my leg, the other pointing in front of me- I quickly twisted my vision forward, where dozens of the parasite things had gotten surprisingly close. Two to three meters now. Did I misjudge their movement capacity? Looking back, the few that got attracted to the golfed maggot seemed to be eating it. The host bodies scrawled on top as their maggots burst out and began digging into it, even though it seemed to be still alive. Yellow kept tugging at my leg and urgently chirped, Theyre getting closer! Greenie took a defensive stance. I raised an eyebrow, I can see that. Yellow stared at me for a moment, then asked, Why are you so calm suddenly? Because, I began, I wasnt afraid of the fight, I was afraid of the unknown variable, I simply answered. And this isnt much of a fight, I further elaborated. They''re disgusting, but just by looking at them you can tell that they rely on swarm tactics. Which we have no problem with. Poison Spores. The greenish mist floated forward. It was hard to not equate it to a gas, even when I knew the damage dealt by this was caused by small green spores, the visual effect was extremely similar to gas-based weaponry. Though Im pretty sure these spores would still count as a war crime. The bug hosts managed a few centimetres before dropping as if their strings had been cut. Looking closer, I could see the parasite maggots writhing within. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Seven. Not counting my mana regen and accounting for my Bark Skin mana drain, I could probably cast eight plus or minus one before I think my Mana Sickness starts to kick in. So long as I didnt miss, I should be fine. Was it the CCW or Gibraltar Accords that banned biological weaponry? I wondered aloud. Oh well, these things have signed neither, I said as I recast Poison Spores onto the next wave. Fifteen. The description for the spell was horribly undescriptive, but as I understood it, Poison Spores worked by infecting a certain area with spores, denoted by the greenish mist. Once something passes through or touches the spores, the spores will latch on and begin dealing damage based on how much surface area was exposed. But only a specific amount of spores are released on each cast, so effectively Im creating damage zones that had a max limit of how much damage can be dealt, but with no theoretical limit to how many enemies could be damaged. Well, other than the practical limitation of how many you could stuff in the approximately two-meter radius of the spores. Simply put, Dealing with hordes of mindless trash mobs happens to be what were good at, I calmly told Greenie and Yellow. AOE, or Area of Effect damage, are best for dealing with multiple and normally untargetable enemies. The multiple should be obvious, I gestured to the waves of bug hosts mindlessly rushing towards me, casually casting another Poison Spores. Twenty-three. Continuing, I said, If you can hit multiple enemies at once, then it''s usually best to do so. The second is a bit more difficult, I said, raising two fingers, untargetable enemies generally fall into two categories, based on how they are untargetable. Which, unfortunately, I cant demonstrate here. So Ill just have to tell you. The first kind is untargetability through mobility. Where an enemy is simply faster than your ability to hit them accurately- Ooh! I know this, Yellow enthusiastically raised its hand, Its really hard when theyre fast, they keep dodging! Yes, I agreed, pinpoint attacks are good for accuracy but when you are simply outmatched in terms of dexterity or mobility then you shouldnt rely on it. Now, can either of you tell me why AOE is good here? I asked, recasting poison spores. Greenie raised its hand, Because if you cant hit them normally, then you just hit everywhere? Exactly, I answered, if you cant hit them where they are, hit where they could be. If they could be everywhere, then just hit everywhere. An inversion of this is using lingering damage, I gestured to the bug hosts trying to slog through the green mist, in situations where you cant reliably predict where the enemy might be, instead create danger zones where the enemy feels less inclined to go near. The objective would be limiting the movement options of a highly mobile enemy by limiting their options and/or protecting a certain area. The second scenario follows similar principles, it is when an enemy cant be targeted because you simply dont know where they are. Either they have a stealth ability or you lack the information of their exact locations, I explained, quickly checking on the zombugs. Thirty-two. In such scenarios, a person would choose some form of AOE for the same reasons as against mobility targets- Yellow, who was practically skipping on the spot, raised a hand, Ooh! Hit everywhere! Hit everywhere they could be, I corrected, its an important distinction because hitting everywhere causes collateral damage and thats generally frowned upon. Hell, even during wartimes they wouldnt just bombard a place they suspected guerrillas were in- I froze as something fell on my back. The thing was light, it had landed right below the small of my back. Judging from the pressure the thing was football-sized. There was a feeling like two pairs of small fingers pinching my back. A new sensation quickly followed. Digging. You utter, fucking idiot. Panic quickly rose in me. I reached behind me to throw it off, only to find that my hands were too short to reach it. So I leapt for my staff, just as dozens of football-sized things began falling from the ceiling. The hosts those parasite things inhabited were arboreal insects, shit that stuck on vertical surfaces for a goddamn living. Above me, was a waking swarm. Like a second skin, the ceiling had begun shedding an entire layer of the fucking bugs. The ones on the floor were the most mature ones, but likely also the weakest. The ones that had already been eaten so thoroughly that the host insect couldnt grasp on anymore. I shouldve looked up earlier. 3.08 Part 1 3.08 What are they gonna do, kill me again? - The Revenant King on the Revolutionary Forces outside his palace. I swung my staff behind me, knocking off the corpse, but the digging sensation still remained. Rain of parasites. Numbers were probably in the hundreds. Parasites in my back. My mana was half spent. Run. I grabbed the two mushrooms and turned around. The path was covered in bugs. I wasted half a second before I realised there was no clear way through. Cradling Greenie and Yellow with my arms, I rushed through, ignoring the things gnawing at my feet. Two bugs landed on me, one on my cap, and one on my back. I kept running. One of them latched onto my left leg, another fell on my back. Not yet. I hunched down, covering Greenie and Yellow from the barrage on top. A third on my back, a second on my cap and a new one on my shoulder. Not enough. Two more latched onto my right leg. I reached the exit and jumped through. The sensation of digging now over my entire body. Bark Skin and the Bracken Polypores acted as a buffer, but the first parasites had already made it through. A tickling sensation was inside my back. A small spasm went through me and I couldnt help but feel a bit giddy. Some kind of chemical was being released. These things would not only eat me, but they would also make me laugh through the entire thing. Joy. Nine is good enough I guess, I didnt have much time to consider, the grubs were spreading through me, making my body feel lighter but less responsive. I quickly scanned the surroundings, spotting a decent bench, I dropped Greenie and Yellow there. Stay here, if my corpse starts twitching, blast it, I directed, Ill be back in a moment. Now to see if friendly fire was a thing. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. I took a few steps back and brought my hands to where the bugs were concentrated on myself, then cast Poison Spores with all my remaining mana. You have died. I dreamt of an endless black sea. Waters of possibility yet I drifted alone on an island shaped by me but made by someone else''s hand. I woke up to an odd quiet. My first thought upon resuming lucidity was relief that self-damage worked. The alternative would be painful, well, probably not painful, but it would be long and disgusting to think about. Quickly dismissing a pop up detailing my lost experience, I glanced around. The spawn was empty. Completely so. No one, not even the marks of the previous bloodbath, it was uncanny how little difference there was from the first time I stepped in here. A world reset? No, more likely just an instance reset. I suppose there were still zones Eve was unwilling to change. Nevermind that, I needed to get going, quickly dusting myself off, I ran towards the direction of my death. Dodging other players and moving through various terrain left me slightly out of breath, but it only took me a few minutes to get back. I knew I was at the right place upon seeing Greenie and Yellow wave at me from atop the bench. A few paces from them, was my corpse. I knelt in front of the body, Greenie and Yellow climbing into the safety of my cap as I did so. I told the wisps to guard my corpse in the heat of the moment but upon actually seeing it I was puzzled. Why had this remained when other player bodies just despawned? The body was fresh, but my clothing, gear, and armour were completely gone, so I guess I cant use this to dupe items, that wouldve been too easy. The body was completely naked except for a thin film of fungus on the skin, the floppy husks of Bracken Polypores and the bug corpses still clinging to my skin. It was here I also noticed that my myconid body had no visible genitalia or reproductive organ, something I suspected but never bothered to check. Prying off a bug, I was rewarded by the sight of several dozen holes dotting my skin and the answer to my question. Well, a theory anyways. Looking into one of the middlemost holes, I saw movement. A parasite was alive and still squirming. Noam lost his whistle thing to another player, perhaps the condition is that the thing had to be claimed by something else before they despawned or was this just specific to parasites like this? Regardless, the body made the next few steps easier. Yellow, Green, I need you two to watch my surroundings and warn me whenever you can. Yellow seemed to raise its eyebrow at that statement, even though the thing didnt have any visible eyebrows. I am not perfect, I elaborated, but I am aware of some of my flaws. Regardless of whether I want to or not, I often become too focused on one thing at a time and lose track of my surroundings, gently patting Yellow on the head, I continued, you warning me earlier was good even if redundant at the moment, dont stop warning me even if I look in control. Its a good habit because six eyes are better than two, I glanced at Greenie. This applies to you as well. They both nodded, Greenie made a mini-army salute, though he used the wrong arm. I chuckled slightly at that, but humour quickly fell off my face. I knew intelligently that those parasites were just following their life cycle. That even if they were designed as a sadistic joke, those things were not to be blamed for their nature. But I would not deny that I would enjoy killing those things in droves. Ripping off all the other dead bugs, I began growing Sporages on my corpse. I had perfectly fine bait, it would be a shame to not use it. 3.08 Part 2 Some time later, I lifted my corpse, placing it onto my back so that I may carry it, being very careful and gentle with it. I had to, after all, I was basically carrying a live grenade. It had become practically unrecognizable after I grew exactly one hundred poison sporages on it. One hundred mushrooms. I had grown one hundred mushrooms in the past three hours. I had done nothing but grow magical mushrooms for the past three hours of my life. If someone had asked me what I was doing with my life, I would not be able to answer them to any degree of satisfaction, but that was the majority of my life and to be completely fair, my real self should still be a completely stable, well-adjusted student. I think anyways, I might have to check up on him later. Initially, I went for fifty, a nice round number, but when I reached it, I realised it barely covered two-thirds of the body. So I decided to cover the rest of the body, might as well after all, but then I realised I was only a few off a hundred, so I went for that, squirrelling more mushrooms under armpits, between the thighs and under the cap until I hit a hundred. I wouldve kept going too if the oldest of the sporages didnt start to die off. The worst part about this, however, was the fact that I couldnt even start a business selling makeshift poison grenades. Thirty every hour was a decent yield, but the sporages started deteriorating after three, not only that, I currently only had Proximity and Line of Sight activations. Line of Sight was a no brainer, I cant sell a grenade only I can pull the pin out of. Proximity was also out. How it worked was that the sporage spread a thin sheet of mycelium around it to act as pressure sensors. When any part of the mushroom was touched with sufficient force, it would explode. This rule exempted me who made the thing and the two wisps, who were counted as my allies due to Symbiosis but anyone who wasnt any me or the wisps would be playing hot potato with it. It was important to note, however, that I could control how far the spread of the mycelium went, allowing me to change the sensing range anywhere from five to zero meters. I quietened my thoughts when I returned to the car park. It looked like the thing had reset completely, only the almost emptied shells were on the floor, no sign that the huge horde was there at all. At least until I looked up. Initially, I could only see a dark, flat roof above me, indistinguishable from rough concrete. I squinted, only to be quickly reminded that my eye sockets didnt have physical eyes to be squinted. Instead, I focused and made out that the ceiling appeared rougher. There were no telling gaps between the bugs, their shells either overlapped or joined together snugly, but it was far from perfect. There were far too many grooves and rough ridges as opposed to the uniform flatness. The hosts shell imitated wood bark, not concrete or the more commonly used polymers you would usually see here. For a brief moment, I wondered, how large of a tree did those host bugs stick to, for their shells to not only join together but also appear flat? Yet I just as quickly put it out of my mind, before it would wander to imagining the tree. At best, the corpse can kill maybe eight hundred of them, to ensure the best outcome happens, there was one more mystery to be solved. How did the top parasites get alerted, if they relied on pheromones to alert others? I asked aloud. Which, I mused, was probably a mistake, I havent confirmed if sound triggered them. Regardless, I didnt have a lot of time. Yellow, cling to the top of my cap, if any of the top ones move you yell, I instructed, Greenie, on my shoulder, be prepared to jump down for further instruction. I moved closer to one of the emptied-out shells, the one furthest from the rest, nudging it with my foot a few times confirmed the presence of a particularly large maggot thing. Unceremoniously, I dumped my corpse next to it, detonating a few sporages. Nothing to worry about. Until the spores attached to a living thing it would remain there. One of many positives with lingering damage. Taking a few steps back, I warned the wisps to hang on, before kneeling down, sniffing the floor. The scent of the pheromone was there, as pungent as last time and ended approximately ten centimetres above the ground. I took a quick look behind me, confirming that the way was clear, I began doubling back. Following the spread of the pheromone. In the process, I discovered something odd. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The pheromone spread easily in the horizontal direction, but it always ended ten centimetres away from the surface. No matter how far it was from the source. The ground ones are moving, Yellow warned. I grunted a reply but didnt raise my head. The pheromone reached them. Not out of expectations, but it meant I had to hurry up. I stood up, Yellow and Greenie yelping something out but I was too focused to notice. Instead, I walked back towards my corpse. The original maggot had died clawing at my corpse, setting off a few sporages. The green spores forming a mound shape around the body. Standing a good few centimetres from the poisonous spores, I knelt down and sniffed. The pheromone smell ended ten centimetres from the ground. In an awkward half crawl, I began moving back. Keeping my nose at ten centimetres. Yellow said something, tugging at my cap urgently. I ignored it. No matter how far I moved, the pheromone always ended ten centimetres above the ground until it suddenly didnt. I moved quicker, getting out of the pheromones. Keeping my head low to the ground, I waited until the smell reached me and confirmed my suspicions. When it had reached me, the smell hit me like a wall. A perfectly straight wall, perpendicular from the ground. The pheromones didnt act like a gas. No, it didnt act like any form of matter at all. It spread more like an invisible energy field with the only indicator being the smell. I laughed, the sound sharp and grating amongst the sound of dozens of things scuttering and Yellows panic. I didnt even consider this, I guess I am too unimaginative, I mused. Yellow, still tugging at my cap, yelled, Theyre moving! I looked up, just in time to see the ceiling bugs in different stages of stirring. The movements were small, almost unnoticeable, gentle bobbing up and down. Some were moving more than others, my eyes followed the rows of bugs, until it was drawn to a spot where the bugs were moving the most. Right above a pillar. The last piece of the puzzle slid snugly in as I examined the pillar. Rectangular with hard edges and placed between parking spots, they were such a regular sight I had just looked over them. What a mistake. The pheromone mustve been able to travel up vertical surfaces as well. In a world where magic is a thing, physics is more a guideline than a rule I suppose, I quietly mused. How stupid I was, for not even considering that normally mundane things wont be affected. There was a smile on my face, though I could not remember forming it and a jumping feeling in my chest Adrenaline? No, giddiness, I realised, of learning something new and interesting. It was something I hadnt felt in years. I can hear you Yellow, the both of you get under my cap, I said as I strode towards the pillar. The two moved without the need for further prompting and were there when I casually picked up a scuttering bug. The legs locked onto my hand, though I quickly stopped its movement with Poison Spores, killing off the maggots that wouldve dug into my flesh at first notice. The bugs at the top were acting strangely, they were moving, but they were also waiting. To fall together in a huge swarm like last time. Uncharastically sophisticated for what were supposed to be insects. Were the movements some kind of warm up or another signal? Now, I knew several things about these parasites, but most notably, how they communicated to form a fighting swarm. One, they released pheromones which spread in an unnatural way, signalling the ground parasites to move towards its source. Possibly causing them to spread their own pheromones to strengthen the signal. Two, there was a different set of responses for the ones on the top, different or perhaps randomised timers? Another signal I wasnt aware of? I can find the cause for that later. For now, I needed to direct the bugs at the top to beeline my corpse instead of dropping off all at once like last time. To do that, I just had to override whatever instincts that were stopping them from dropping down when they were signalled. Prying the bug legs off its death grip on my hand, I raised a leg and brought the arm high behind me. Imitating baseball throwers of old, I lobbed the corpse hard into the nearest pillar. It made a wet squelch as it landed near the top, then slowly began sliding off, leaving a trail of slime. My smile became wider when the bugs on top immediately began scuttling down to follow that wet trail. Three, they beelined the closest source of pheromones, at a close enough distance, it seemed to override all other instincts. There was a single bug left at the capital of the pillar, its movement had turned frantic as the others left. As I stared at it, it rose from the ceiling, the bug-like eyes looking at me as a murky white line seemed to flit through it. Four? Elite enemies capable of command? Was it intelligent? Did it matter? No, it did not. I met the gaze of the parasite and simply chuckled. For at that moment, I had already won. 3.09 Part 1 3.09 You call me insane as if it were an insult. - Madelyn, then moniker: The Conqueror to Chancellor Chekov after successfully subjugating the Western Empire. Clean up was finished shortly after. All I had to do was pick off a few more bugs, kill them, then throw them in a path directed straight to the spores. Repeat a few times for all the nearest pillars, then the cascading effect of all the corpses did the job for me. I did confirm that the pheromone stuck to vertical surfaces as well as horizontal. It ended exactly ten centimeters away from the surface. What a weird world. Yellow and Green were still on the top of my cap, dutifully keeping a lookout no matter how cavalier I appeared to be. In truth I wasnt completely relaxed either, normally by this time, the area boss would be spawning right about now. Now? How about now? I glanced around, No? Nothing? Granted the bugs were still trying to swarm onto my old body, which has grown into an impressive mound of corpses, so the sound might be drowned out- Greenie tugged my cap and I glanced towards where it was pointing, a large insect corpse, at least thrice larger than the normal ones that have been charging headlong past me, still stuck on the ceiling and its body pulsating as its shell seemed to try, and fail, to restrain something inside. I quickly assessed the range. Out of my casting range. So, with a running start, I threw Greenie at it before whatever was inside hatched. I probably shouldve warned Greenie before I did that, judging by the wail of surprise and Yellows cheering whistle, but if there was one thing any gamer of anything could tell you was that anyone who didnt at least try to cheese a boss, especially during a power-up phase when it was doing nothing, did not have a functional frontal lobe. The only viable excuse was when the Devs literally locked you from doing anything. Try to catch on to it! I yelled toward Greenie, still flailing in the air, Then explode everything! Greenie had five charges of Poison Spores if I remembered correctly, so they should work pretty well as a Smart Grenade. Did I explain to him properly to use all five at once? I GOT IT! Greenie yelled as it grappled onto the rough ridges of the pulsating insect. Should we help? Yellow asked from the top of my head. Probably, I answered as I kept walking forward, Greenie! Make sure to use all five charges! Greenie gave me the thumbs up, almost losing its handhold in the process. It hurriedly regained balance, before five poofs of green spores came out in succession. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. I quickly got underneath them, looking up at the spore cloud. Soon after, Greenie lost its grip and fell down, falling past my outstretched hands and landing straight on my face, its head halfway through my eyehole. Yellow jumped down from the edge of my cap, picking their fellow wisp up, Wake up! it said as it slapped Greenie. Ugghhh Greenie tiredly groaned, Ten more hours They are just getting more like me huh? Yellow planted Greenie on the top of my cap and I felt small tendrils coming out of my body, meeting Greenies own tendrils and increasing the drain on my mana slightly. After making sure Greenie was fine, Yellow resumed keep track of the area The insect thing had ceased moving, probably dead. My vision moved past it, scanning the rest of the ceiling. There were plenty of smaller bugs that were still swaying, but none as large as this one. Was this not a swarm type boss? I raised my staff and nudged the insect out of its death grasp. Stepping back as it fell to the floor with a thud. It didnt make any sort of squelch noise, I noted. I poked it with my foot. Solid, no feeling of empty space. Keep watch, I instructed as I knelt down. Taking out my knife, I pried off its shell, revealing a slimy, fly like thing. Using my knife, I slowly turned it around. Needle-like mouth, no, wasp-like is more accurate. Larger than a football. No legs of any kind. White shell which began to harden and turn black as soon as it was exposed to air. Two pairs of insectoid wings. Having no legs is odd, its bottom side didnt appear like it was made to land either. A short lifetime adult stage that exists purely for laying? Was maggot the right term for the base forms of this anymore? It looked a lot closer to a wasp than a fly. How did an insect this large even survive- No, large insectoids can exist, have existed in fact, there might be a higher concentration of oxygen in this world or this might be another magic deus ex machina screw physics sort of thing. If its a singular boss, then its probably very powerful or has a wildly different set of skills compared to the horde. Enough to pose a challenge to anyone capable of clearing out this room or to counter a build that was able to cheese this area. Or am I just thinking too much in game terms? I wondered. Yellow was tugging the backside of my cap and I turned around. One of the bugs was on my leg, I quickly Poison Spored it and kicked it off, but a white maggot stuck on. I pulled it off to examined. Not sure what I was looking for, but it looked closer to a large naked caterpillar rather than a maggot. A grub? It was then I realised that I was hungry. The dead maggot fit well within my hand. About the size of a small cucumber. I couldnt deny that I was curious. A bunch of people have taken up an insectivore lifestyle, especially when most traditional meats cost as much as they did, but am I curious enough to stoop this low? Now that I think about it, its perfectly normal to eat stuff like lobsters and prawns right? Those were basically sea bugs, right? These things also tried to eat me, didnt it? Isnt it right to repay an eye for an eye? Yellow was looking away, Greenie was still asleep. As far as I was aware, no else was here. So I decided that between trying and not trying, it was better to try. Especially since no one other than me would know. Taking one last look to make sure neither of the wisps was looking, I ate the maggot. Huh. It wasnt too bad. A lot like a fatty steak actually, soft, meaty and fatty texture but it had a slightly crunchy exterior, it left a warm, sweet aftertaste. Not bad at all, if I ignored the small part of me screaming at me to retch it all out. Was that there before? Greenie asked from the top of my head. I looked at where it was pointing, the giant fly, wasp thing. In the scattered shell of its former host, there was a glint of light. Bit obvious aint it, I muttered as I recognised two gold coins and a spell crystal. I picked up the crystal, Enlarge Insect, fifth- no, fourth level spell. It was harder for me to grasp on as opposed to the Bark Skin crystal. I could learn it, I knew, but it wasnt meant for my class. I pocketed it for now, then glanced at the gold coins. How did you two get to Daves again? 3.09 Part 2 I rolled the golden coin between my fingers, cursing as my low dexterity decided to show itself, causing me to fumble and the coin to fall out of fingers. It fell to the ground and began rolling away from me. I followed its path, keeping in mind what the wisps told me. The coin continued to roll until it hit a door. It was a simple door, made of some kind of dark wood, with a plaque that had Daves written on it like a logo. It was not there previously. As I stepped up to it, I picked up the coin, then pushed the door open, seeing nothing but space. The background of the room was literally space, it was difficult to make out any hard corners of the room because the background blended together perfectly, like some kind of AR simulation. There was a lot of stuff scattered around, placed in some semblance of order which felt familiar to me. Directly in front, was a counter. Sat at it was an almost identical looking copy of me, except he was wearing a suit and had a monocle over his left eye crevice. I took a step in and paused, would the stuff outside despawn? It clearly reset when I died. No it wouldnt, not as long as you still want or are capable of looting it, Dave said. Ah, mind-reading, I said as I fully stepped inside, I should probably get used to that. He chuckled, Welcome, whatever you want or need, you can purchase here. I examined the store as I neared the counter, Yellow and Greenie doing the same. The place was huge, shelves and various items stretching out until they left my vision. Anything I can feasibly think of having a use was here, spell crystals, items, consumables I couldve spent days listing just the stuff I could see in my immediate vicinity. As I neared the counter, I noticed that Dave also had a tiny mushroom wisp thing on his shoulder, though dressed in the same wear as he was. What is it that you are looking for? Dave asked with a practiced smile. A refund, I said as I fished out a receipt out of pocket. Ignoring the protests of both wisps, I placed it on the counter, Do you offer them? I asked. Dave eyed the receipt, I do for this." The wisps increased their protest. Instead of saying anything, I gently lifted them off my cap and put them on the counter. Then I stuck my hands into my cap, my hands finding many things that I didnt comment about when they were first placed there. Miniature chairs, four dinner tables, a sofa, a bookshelf of books, five bean bags, two hot tubs? What do you even need two hot tubs for? I questioned as I pulled out the two dish sized objects that fit in the palm of my hand. How did they even fit them inside my head? How were they planning to pump water into them? We need privacy for bathing! Greenie answered, shaking its tiny fist at me. You two are both constantly naked, I pointed out, what do you need privacy for? Oh shit were constantly naked, Yellow realised. I rolled non-existent eyes, Do not ask me to get you clothes purely so having a bath naked is novel. Greenie paused in whatever it was trying to say and muttered, That wouldnt have been the only reason Would it have been the main one? I asked. Greenie looked away and whistled. Whistling does not actually work you know? Bleep it, Greenie cursed- did it just bleep itself? Ill pretend I didnt hear that. Look, Im glad you guys discovered currency, but being such spendthrifts isnt viable if you arent earning the same or more as you spend, I calmly explained, you need to figure out the difference between what is necessary and what isnt. Sounds boring, Yellow muttered. Yeah! Greenie squeaked, likely just rallying behind any argument that came its way. Ok fine, I conceded, you can sometimes buy stuff you dont need but want so long as it is within reason, but like I said you need to earn more than you spend, otherwise its just unsustainable. To spend money properly is to accurately measure and separate what you want and need. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. What if something falls under want and need? Dave asked curiously. I glanced at him, Then it is considered a need, as something you need is more important than what you want. Dave met my eyes, Is it really though? Yes, I answered, and let us not pretend otherwise.
Dave watched the back and forth between Dustin and his wisps as they argued about what was worth keeping and not. Ok fine, you can keep hammocks, Dustin exclaimed, throwing his hands up in apparent frustration, to the cheers of the wisps. Dustin was winning the argument, Dave noted. It did not escape his notice that Dustin had gotten all the highest cost items to refund, leaving only low-cost items. Measuring in gold, Dustin had refunded eight to the three the wisps had managed to keep and they were still arguing. It did bleed his heart a little to see him handle those Lissian Hot Tubs, those were made with the White Marble that was famous in the region. He sold them cheaply at material cost because they were too small to be of use to anybody but those tiny things but even at material cost they were worth two gold. Dustin just won something else, which wouldnt be the impression you got if you looked at him, he was shaking his head in exasperation, despite the fact he managed to bargain away all four dining tables, keeping a tiny magical humidifier. The dining tables may have been miniatures but they were each made mimicking the style of proclaimed artists and architects. Their combined artistic value was worth a lot more than a standard humidifier. Nine to two gold now. After a few more moments in haggling, the score was ten to one, with the arguable losers looking utterly victorious. They managed to keep two bean bags, hammocks, and a humidifier, whereas Dustin managed to get them to agree to refund everything else. It was kind of petty really. You two just lost out you know? Dave was surprised when Dustin was the one who said this. Dustin looked at the receipt, his face scrunched for a moment as he did some mental calculations, Seven no ten gold worth of stuff refunded and only one kept on your side, you guys lost over ninety percent of crap you had, unless that stuff was vitally important to you then I dont see this as a win in any way for you. The formerly cheering faces of the wisps fell as Dustin continued his explanation, That was literally easier than stealing candy from a kid, both of you got taken in by my carrot and stick approach. Its fine to appear like youve fallen for something, but actually falling for a trick is a problem. Dustin looked over the pile of furniture and various other knick-knacks they decided to refund, then separated the miniature bookshelf filled with various picture books, along with a few hanging chairs. His brows furrowed slightly, That''s two golds worth. So three in total for you now. Dave noted that the wisps had argued a lot over the hanging chairs, though calling them swings would be more accurate, the bookshelf neither wisp expressed particular interest in. Was Dustin encouraging them to read more? Dave chuckled, inciting the confusion of his audience, I am not disappointed. Dustin raised his eyebrow. I was wondering what kind of person got Eve to pass the initial tutorial herself, Im glad to see he is interesting, Dave explained. Dustin was probably the best person to have gotten learning familiars. Often, many were content to just let their familiars on their own, treated like an adorable attack dog, loved and considered dangerous, but still just a pet. Dustin actually seemed to consider them people, albeit naive kids in need of education. She gave me a broken nose, Dustin said, sounding more than a bit annoyed. I would like to ask you something, Dave said, causing Dustin to raise an eyebrow. I told you, that anything you want or need. You can purchase here, Dave began. I wasnt boasting in any way, literally anything you could possibly Demand is here, he continued to explain. Letting slip one of his Paths. Demand was extremely useful as a Path, especially for a merchant, to put it simply, if someone wanted something, Dave would know it. How it works, however, is that I need to buy the thing, he continued to elaborate. Supply went hand in hand with his other path, it allowed him to obtain anything. These two Paths were simple, however with the depth he managed to cultivate them, they held enough power for Dave to be considered the de-facto God of Commerce in Indiri, even if Ethelinda was muscling into his monopoly. Over the millennia, Ive acted as a currency sink for Traveller Coins. I''m far richer than anything in Indiri, alive or dead, but. Dave paused, looking at Dustin in the eye. When you stepped in here, no, even when your familiars stepped in here, I had the option to purchase the thing you truly want, your deepest desire and put it on stock, but I could not afford it. Dustin met his gaze and for a moment Dave saw something. Something he would not have recognised if he wasnt a myconid at the moment. The cessation of all facial expressions on Dustins face. It was if he was no longer staring at a living being, but a clay doll, made in unnerving mockery. Two breaths past in silence. Until it was broken, by a sharp laugh. Like paint being splashed on a wall, humanity returned to Dustin as he laughed at something only he found funny. Ah! Oh, oh! That dumb thing, tell me, how much did it cost? Dave simply took out the price tag. A sideways eight, infinity. Dustin laughed harder, to the point of almost keeling over. Is this some kind of joke by Eve? No, Dave said with absolute certainty. The system which produces this stuff is completely automated, relying on the greater framework of the world. It created it, then put the price tag deemed appropriate for it. Dave had sold wondrous artifacts, exchanged resurrections for coins and fulfilled the desires of Gods. Everything can be priced because there was a value to everything, but very few times had he seen something truly priceless. He had seen numbers that had more zeros than could be counted, but infinity was something beyond value. Dave asked his question, What do you want? What is that deepest desire of yours? Dustin slowly stopped laughing and wiped away an imaginary tear, Its nothing special, I just want something that lasts forever. Dave met his gaze. Slowly, he removed his monocle from its position on the eye crevice. Magic Myconids did not see through there, those things were purely cosmetic. Instead, he placed it on an area on his cap and looked at Dustin. The monocle glass turned dark. Ah, Dave uttered in realisation, I see. What a pitiable thing. It is, isnt it? Dustin agreed. 3.10 3.10 Sixty-seven. Never enter any sort of deal with Greater Fey. Ancient identity changing techniques are not worth selling your name for. - Excerpt from [EXPUNGED]s Enchiridion of Encounters. I habitually wiped away a tear, despite my earlier outburst my mind was still rational. To think someone could learn about that stupid thing. I dont believe I have ever told anyone about it. That idiotic and childish dream of having something worth doing forever. Dave began wiping the monocle with a napkin, I did not miss the fact the monocle only did something after it was removed from that eye crevice. A strange condition of the item or were my suspicions about my races eyes true? You are stranger than I expected, but why do you call that dream idiotic? It is an admirable goal even if the reason for it is depressing. My eyebrows furrowed, Do not refer to it as a goal, I asserted with a hardness in my voice. A goal has measurable and achievable steps towards making it, if it does not have it, it is a dream. Part of me stepped back as I said this, examining my mental state and deemed anger and frustration as useless as all the other times I felt those emotions. Thus, I took a deep breath and calmed down again. A dream is just a nice way of saying a delusion, I explained as a teacher would to a student, all dreams are idiotic because of that. Mine is not any different. A dream to work towards can be a good thing, it helps people be motivated as I see with you. My eyes narrowed, mind reading is such a goddamn hack, or is it memory reading? Just because something is a good thing doesnt make it a smart thing. I would argue that having a beneficial thing is intelligent in itself. Maybe, I agreed, thinking of no rebuttal at the moment, but you cannot just pretend that what you chose was idiotic, no matter how much it works. I am not against having a dream, a vague objective to work towards. But I would not pretend that dreaming is anything other than flailing around in the dark hoping you eventually hit your objective. It was contingent on luck and any strategy that relies primarily on luck is just lazy. But didnt you try to do something like that with that druid? Dave continued. Of course that is stupid, I said, looking at him as if he were an idiot. Dave looked surprised for a moment, though his face returned to that of a pleasant merchant just as quickly. Interesting, a limitation on mind-reading or is he just pretending there are limits? Oh, I wont deny that the whole capitalizing on the injuries of a sudden PVP event for quick bucks isnt a stupid idea. Especially since no one came by even though we wasted so much time at a single spot, I amusedly thought. However, you have this misconception that idiocy is an inherited bad thing, I said. Dave raised an eyebrow, Hoh? It is just a thing, I stressed, remembering Noam, there is no good and bad about it. If you were to call idiocy a bad thing then you might as well call the better part of the world and yourself a villain. He didnt react for a moment, before sudden realisation came to him, Did you just- Yes, I just called you an idiot, I affirmed. Now how would he react? Anger would be disappointing as it always was. Any negative reaction would be disappointing to be honest. Instead, he just mirthlessly laughed, the sound sounding very normal despite the fact he was the same race as me. You are quite the character, sorry for taking up your time. Didnt address it, instead moving the topic back to me. Calculated or not? Regardless, I raised my evaluation of him. There are questions on your mind arent there, Dave said as I pondered about him, for taking up your time, you may ask one and I will answer freely. I looked at him, then carefully moved the pile of assorted trash the Wisps bought towards him. Dave looked back at me curiously, then left eight unminted gold coins on the counter. The miscellaneous pile disappearing beneath his arm. How does the levelling system work? I thought the bugs wouldve been enough for me to get to level four but that clearly isnt the case. I want specific and exact numbers. The system did not show me exact numbers for my EXP, only percentages. Even after killing what mustve been thousands of grubs, I was still at sixty percent experience. Even if they were trash mobs, the amount of them made them something I doubted most people could have handled. I barely managed it with three hours prep. Especially at this level, in what should be a starter area. At the very least people shouldve needed a party with a majority of AOE damage dealers. Levelling works by the Learning system, it tracks the experiences you have accumulated and converts them to a value based on how new- no that isnt the right word, he interrupted himself, How unique that experience is relative to all the others gained in this body. When you fought the bugs, the bulk of the experience you gained wasnt from killing them, but from discovering their habits and function. Once you figured the trick to it, you gained a one time packet of EXP. But due to the fact that you killed the bugs in a repetitive way, you stopped gaining experience after a certain point because it wasnt a unique experience anymore. My eyes widened as he dropped this revelation, but he wasnt done talking. As for the specific amounts of EXP required to level, it is actually really simple. It is the same for three levels, then on the third level the EXP requirement is multiplied by ten. You began with one hundred EXP needed to level from one to two and from two to three, but from three to four youre gonna need a thousand EXP. Then from six to seven, it would be ten-thousand. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. I closed my eyes- no I dont have eyes, I closed off my vision as I considered this. The latter half wasnt difficult to consider, an exponential curve for levelling up EXP wasnt something new, in fact how uniform it is was more surprising, but that in combination with this unique EXP gain system was Achieving even double-digit levels would be a great achievement huh, I muttered in realisation. Standing in a single spot grinding for levels was impossible. Killing the same mobs for EXP didnt work either. This single revelation shut down the most reliable method of gaining EXP in MMOs. The only way to reliably level would be to continually explore, I breathlessly said, to continually learn new things and to experience the world. Eve mustve designed this system with this very intention in mind. I almost had the urge to applaud at how she made the very levelling system work towards Giles dream if I hadnt cursed in annoyance instead as I realised how this would affect me moving forward. When I researched in that library, I kept a specific eye out for locations that continually spawned out monsters as potential grinding spots. Knowing the right place to grind in MMOs sped up levelling greatly. I had located five such places in total. This just invalidated all of- No. I thought as I habitually brought my thumb to my mouth, but instead of nails, my teeth chewed on bark. The downsides of unique experience only applies when killing the same mob over and over again. The method seems to matter as well, but this also means that if the zone could consistently spawn different monsters then it could still work as a grinding spot. That removed the Silent Bastion, where the spillage from the Revenant Kings death was still causing undead to rise even seven hundred years later. Only a few variants of undead rose from them, all of them well documented. Which made it a safe spot for the Western Kingdom nobles to train soldiers and Guild mercenaries but meant it was a horrible place for long-term grinding with Travellers. Then I removed the ones that are practically impossible to get to. Demons wouldve been a good choice as they came in infinite different forms but the only stable Hell Gate was under the ocean in a ravine so deep that it rivalled the Mariana Trench. The Tritons have already called dibs on it as well. The Oasis I shuddered as I remembered the details about that location. That place was freaky enough that Cultists and Devil Worshippers turned the land around it spanning several thousand kilometres into an uninhabitable desert just to prevent that corruption from getting out. An act that caused fucking Crusaders to pat them on the back and let them build a nation nearby. Sure they were probably thinking of using the City States as a meatshield in case the Oasis ever spilled over, but the fact that Holier than Thou Crusaders took one look at the Oasis and determined people who regularly practised live human sacrifice to be the lesser of two evils was I shook my head. My body wasnt suited for traversing an artificial wasteland anyways. I had yet to test the upper limits of what sunlight I can endure even with my protections. That left either Shadesmar or the Underdark Gobbler. The Gobbler was always on the move which made it hard to track, but that could be a good thing in a system for exploration. Though it had a habit of disappearing for up to months on end, not a reliable source. That left Shadesmar. I could operate nocturnally there and though the Lanterns have kept a good lid on that location they are always looking for more help, there was a constant flow of jobs from the Merc Guild as well. Was I missing anywhere? Hmmm there were elemental rifts but my class should have a horrible matchup against pure elementals. Arcadia? The Fae Courts respawned and all grudges disappeared by the end of the Season. But I would be on the Faes homefield and I was not that desperate. The Hearth Jungle was apparently a good spot, but there were rarely Guild Quests there and it was a frontier location, so it would lack in luxuries. There was the ongoing war between Elves and Goblins, though apparently both sides contracted Mercenaries to aid them. So I would have to be prepared to deal with humanoid opponents. Something Im not sure if Im morally capable of pulling off so Ill just ignore it. That really does just leave Shadesmar I muttered in thought. The Wisps poked me to ask why I had gone still and I absentmindedly explained my thought process. Though the bulk of my processing was still on shooting grinding spots down. Word of advice, Dave began, snapping me out of my trance, you know of century-old battles but not of current ones. I wanted to ask him about it, but he just put his hand out, You would have to buy that information. Not worth it, I could probably learn of current events pretty easily. The spread of information was surprisingly high in Indiri due to Wayshards. Though I heard there were still problems with transporting certain goods. Still, I picked up a coin, Do you always keep your word on purchases? Yes, he answered. Then Id like to buy the answer to one question vocally asked by me, answered fully and truthfully at whatever time, I said, passing the coin. Daves brow rose, but he took the coin. Mistake. He handed me a receipt and I said, Tell me the most useful piece of information I can utilise. Dave nodded his head, apparently impressed, The Law of Limitations, is the innate law of this world. It states that all things must have a cost. The cost can be anything, mana, aura, lifespan, training, anything that can be considered a limit to something. It was implemented by Eve as a self balancing mechanism for the world passing singularity and she could not feasibly attempt to balance every spell, attack or defensive technique getting created. A simple example would be enchantments, a weapon enchanted with a curse is able to receive much more powerful enchantments. The longer a warrior spends training sword techniques the better theyll be at it. I nodded, I will consider this later. Ill save my question until later then, I stated. Dave appeared confused for a moment, before his eyes widened in shock. I never did ask a question, I explained. He gave me a lot of free information about himself, he was a merchant but he could give stuff freely, prices of items for one and stuff he wanted to tell his customers. My refunding earlier confirmed that he differentiated between vocal questions and non-verbal statements, though it was shaky ground to trick him. It wouldnt be too great a loss even if he considered that my question, but I had the sneaking suspicion that the next time I came here, information would be harder to tease out of him than before. Dave shook, and a sound like nails on a blackboard came from his throat. I realised he was laughing, it wasnt the normal-sounding laugh I heard earlier, but a sound I thought more fit for a myconid. I will keep my word," he said, sounding both genuinely amused and impressed, "ask your question vocally whenever you want in my presence and I will answer fully and truthfully. I did it because I assumed that information will be a lot harder to get out of you later on. Something about when he said that word. Demand. That felt different. Like the word itself had power. It was a hunch, would that hunch pay off? I thought but didnt vocalise. You value few things higher than information, he stated, the next time you come here, I wouldve adjusted the cost for that, he confirmed. Indeed, I change the costs to match the customer and their needs, I am giving this information to you for free as well I guess. I smiled, Thank you for telling me that, I said, making sure that none of my words was a question. You also give the prices of things freely, though it was a mistake to let me decide the price. I am indeed open to haggling, but my guard was down I shouldve noticed something when you made that incredibly specific request. Are you sure you were not misclassed? he asked, You would make an excellent Warlock. I was made aware that Travellers are already considered Warlocks of sort, I said, remembering my brief glimpse of that book of magic before I ran off to save Noam. Indeed, he said with a jovial smile. May I ask why you did it? Why antagonise this worlds equivalent of the cash shop owner? What is essentially an Admin? I matched his gaze and said, Because I could. And because even when I antagonised Eve, she was reasonable. Now, I test if I can outright trick and be an asshole to one of them. And see their reactions. Dave only laughed harder. 3.11 3.11 No its simple, all you have to do is convince five others to buy my Ethelindas Essential Elixir? from you and those five each convince their own five. Itll all work out, I promise. - Guild Master Ethelinda Smith the Prosperous of the Dim Ar Rype Merchants Guild marketing to her Vice Guild Master. Is there anything else youd like to do? Dave asked in a good-natured tone, purchase something? Trick me again? I glanced around the shop, Nothing really then paused as my not eyes settled on a cookbook. Actually, just a few things.
Too fast, Noam thought as he levelled the blade against the girls throat. His breath was already slowing, the dull thud of his heartbeat could still be heard but it was dimming. Too fast, Noam repeated again. Uhh, you gonna stab me or what? the girl asked. Noam thought about it for a moment, then realised the answer was obvious. Nope! Noam cheerfully said as he let her go. What? Noam skipped a few steps away, Lets try this again. Are you looking down on me, the girl said, her eyes taking on a dangerous light. Not really, Noam answered truthfully, Im hoping you kill me, T.B.H. Did you just say T.B- Yep, Noam said, sheathing his dagger. Picking up his dropped halberd, taking one look at it, before breaking the shaft at its centre on his knee. You play fighting games, right? Which one? Brawl Streets, Path of War, World War? Machitis, the girl said with a smug look. Noams eyes shot towards her, suddenly bright and expectant, Oh. Oh, Noam said, thats the illegal one where all senses are turned to eleven right? The girl was slightly taken aback by the reaction, but answered, Yes. Ranker? Noam asked. She proudly puffed her chest out, Prelim for the last Oceanic Blood and Guts Tournament. Im Red Cinderella. Call me Cindy. Noam whistled, Can I add you after this then? Its been a while since I met another Ranker. Sure her brain caught up to his words, Another? Noam lifted his halberd, now proportioned closer to a handaxe with an extra stabbing end, and said, Yup, Im Mattmanfoo, its been a while since I played, but I was in an American tournament, cant remember the name though. Huh, were you famous? I havent heard of you, Cindy said, a finger on her chin in thought. Dunno, Noam answered, doing a few quick stretches, I quit after a while. He had gotten an earful from his mum when she learned about it. Along with Decs disapproving silent treatment. God that was a boring month without the asshole to annoy. Now lets do this- Noam couldnt finish, as Cindy had grabbed the aisle shelf, and viciously pulled it down onto them. Noam dodged to his left, but wasnt fast enough, as the shelf top clipped his right arm. During that brief moment, Cindy closed the distance, her bat pointed like a spear. Noams eyes lit up in glee as he realised that she was aiming for his left side, where his arm was still bruised and near useless. His normal speed wouldnt make it in time, so Noam flowed aura into his right. Swift Strike allowing him to make the distance. Metal clanged as the bat was slapped away with his axe. Noam kept the aura coming, with a stomp forward, he stabbed the spear point into Cindys left shoulder. She let out a gasp of pain, but grit her teeth and weakly reversed the bat swing. Slamming right into Noams exposed left. The attack didnt have much strength in it. But something cracked. The blow was aura enhanced. Noam tried to fight against his bodys desire to crumble under the pain. But he failed and his legs lost strength. He managed to keep his grip on his weapon, which prevented him from falling entirely as it lodged itself in Cindys shoulder. Cindy screamed as she swung again at Noam, but in her haste she missed his nose by a few centimeters. The spear point dislodged, eliciting another scream of pain and allowing Noam to fall to the ground. Cindy recovered when Noam landed and swung her bat golf style, Noams head the ugly golf ball. But through aura Noams foot kicked into her ankle first, knocking her down. As she fell, Noam forced aura into both his arms and slammed them down. The force pushed him up, his forehead slamming into Cindys nose. Blood flowed as she fell to the side and Noam fell back to the ground. Noam was dazed, his left arm was still bruised and he couldnt feel his side. Instinct screamed at him to get up and thus he tried to, but an electric spasm went through him and he found it painful to move. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. He wouldnt learn this until later, but consecutive uses of aura had strained his muscles. Regardless, Noam processed the present reality of being unable to make great movements and instead of resting, he forced aura into more parts of his body. His battered and bruised left arm shot out and slammed into the still standing shelf. He found that his fingers were numb and couldnt grip. So aura flowed into each individual finger and each individual finger activated Swift Strike, slamming into the shelf to grab onto it. It was false strength, but it was enough for Noam to pull himself up a second faster than Cindy. Two weapons flew out. Both were using aura, but only Noam used a speed enhancing technique. Noams spear stabbed itself into Cindys chest, right where the heart was, only a moment before her bat slammed into Noams head. Noam fell back, ones of his horns cracking as he finally lost grip on his weapon. Cindys eyes widened, disbelief and shock dancing across her face as her eyes darted back and forth from the halberd in her chest and the body on the ground. She could no longer hear the beat of her heart and started feeling cold. She took a step forward before her strength failed her and she fell onto Noam. Noam giggled, the sound coming out like a strained cough, Cindy joined him, her own laugh a gurgle drowned out by her own blood. Cindy laughed for a few moments more as her body began to dissipate, before disappearing completely. Noam kept laughing in utter childlike glee until the mob found him in a pool of blood and killed him.
Damn, youve been busy, Noam commented as he took a bite into the kebab, what is this shit? Its delicious. You dont want to know, I answered as I continued cooking. The potato was manning the back, having almost fainted at the concept of customer service. Peps was manning the counter and helping out by being generally cheerful and healing anyone who came in with even scratches. Oh yeah, I began, dont eat a lot of it. Why not? Noam asked, waving a cleaned skewer, This shit is delicious Wait, is this skewer made of grilled potato? Noam bit into the skewer, It is! I glanced at the BBQ. The white flesh of the grubs cooking into a beautiful golden brown. Then at several of our loyal customers who were buying with a distantly happy look in their eyes. It was probably fine. They were happy with it, werent they? Soda companies used to mix addictive drugs into their drinks too. And I didnt even know what compound the grubs used to elicit a universal reaction across species. Probably magic shenanigans again. It would also explain how my Poison Resistance works, since what is poisonous is relative. I could argue ignorance if Im ever caught. Probably. I lifted another bunch of skewers and handed them to the waiting line. There was a lot of cheering, with several proclaiming that Ive converted them into staunch insectetarians. A gecko came by with the orders written on its back and I pumped more mana into the BBQ. Before preparing the correct spices for the skewers. I originally wanted to use the geckos for advertising, but I had a bunch of grubs which were too large for the geckos to eat and the smell was good enough advertisement on its own. So we just hired a few more wall decorations and had a few more helping with service. Not only that I glanced as Peps put another gold coin into his afro. I was keeping track of the orders so I knew how much money we had already made. Not that I was going to spend it anytime soon or am that afraid of backstabbing on Peps or the potatoes part. Traveller Coins were probably a lot more valuable than normal coins. With them you can enter Daves Store at any time and anywhere. Buy anything you could possibly imagine. They were a useful backup. What the hell were you doing by the way? I asked Noam, a few minutes earlier a cheerful mob had come in celebrating killing a purple asshole. They were very spendy. Noam told his story over another skewer. I glanced at an angry-looking potato, signalling that Ill pay out of my own cut. After he finished, Noam asked, So you figured out whats weird with the deaths? I snorted, Do you really expect me to instantly know after hearing it once? Yes, he bluntly answered. I shook my head in annoyance. I mulled over it as I handed another bunch of skewers to the waiting line, my mind barely registering my actions on the BBQ, What is death really? Noam took a step back, Oh dont get philosophical on me again- No, I mean in a medical sense, I said. A person can be revived perfectly so long as no brain damage occurs. Lack of oxygen and blood flow will eventually damage the brain, but the person should still be capable of thought and action for up to six minutes. Even if someones heart is blown out they can still be revived so long as they reach a hospital within thirty minutes, I elaborated, that explains why that girl- Cindy, Noam added. -Cindy was able to move even after you stabbed her heart. Though that doesnt explain why she died only after a few minutes- I paused. A persons brain can survive up to fifteen minutes without oxygen or blood flow, a person can be revived with only minor memory loss if they are rushed to a nanite pod within thirty minutes. Those were the numbers I knew. But those were numbers of humans of today. I flipped the skewers over. No, those numbers are incorrect, I muttered to Noam. We should be using pre-G-Mod era numbers. Hmm? Noam asked in between bites. Humans of today are completely different from the ones a century ago, I elaborated, they didnt have G-Modding back then, so they were a lot more fragile than we are. Really? Yep, we can thank the Soviets for that I muttered, biting my thumb bark in thought, Ill have to search up Pre-G-Mod era numbers whenever I get back to my body. Fantasy creatures probably dont have overt genetic modifications That explains how Cindy died but not the ones before I was missing something, Noam didnt inflict lethal attacks but crippling ones. Was that it? A body crippled caused it to die? No, that wasnt satisfactory either. Matt stayed alive despite straining his body till it was literally unable to move. It wasnt something related to the body Matt, what was your opponents mental state before they died? He raised an eyebrow as he cleaned off his skewer, Hmm cant tell. A lot were pissed at me, that was obvious. The more pissed people lasted longer, but I had a weird feeling with a bunch of them who died quicker Like they were plotting revenge for after they died. Will, I said, guessing, not the stat actually it might be? No, did they realise the battle was lost and gave up? Is that it? Brain death was the upper limit of what a body can achieve. But the lower limit was the person giving up all hope. No, hope felt like the wrong word. Will to fight at the current moment might be more accurate. I think its the will to fight, I said, those people gave up fighting after all you did was torture them- HEY, ITS THAT PURPLE FUCKER! Oh shit, Noam muttered. Im gonna leg it, he told me as he stole another three skewers and bolted. SEE YA LATER! My not eyes narrowed on the newly forming mob. Was it really will? Those people seemed very motivated to lynch Matt. 4.0 4.0 Fail not when opportunity is fair; Behind Times bald, his forehead''s thick with hair. - Distichs of Cato II, Verse 26 Two different streams of consciousness merged. My hand paused in mid-air as it was typing. I blinked unfamiliar eyes. Time Monday, 2 pm. My vision was strange. Things were too colourful. I withdrew my hand to rub my head. Odd, when did I gain fingers? Five fingers were too much. Wait, no. Five was normal for humans. I think? Aftereffects of being in another body for too long? Hendrix said there were programs helping with that. I should probably set a schedule to log off. Weekly at the very least. In front of me, my screen displayed an online class on electron transport chains. The digital professor droning in an extremely tiring voice. In Gaia, I had just convinced the potato and Peps to help me run a kebab store with equipment bought from Dave. And did I die again? God damn it, I am stupid. I closed my eyes and zoned out for a moment to clear my mind, focusing only on my breathing. When I opened them again, the strange disorientation was gone. Merging back was strange, its not like I was just getting the memories uploaded in my brain. It felt different. I would know, remember when I tried to download taekwondo? The emotions and mental state of both of me were merged, Dustin me was still on an excitement high and Declan me was bored and tired beyond belief. Two opposing mental states were mashed together. Just downloading data memory didnt do this. It didnt give those extra things like muscle memory, instinct or emotion. Was that what caused my temporary disorientation? Would mental scars also transfer? Shaking my head, I put those stray thoughts away. Opening up another notepad, I typed down a note to log off every few days. The disorientation was fading. Disorientation didnt feel like the right word though, it was more like a feeling where I had another limb, but that limb suddenly disappeared and I gained a different one, but still retained the muscle memory of that lost limb. I shook my head again, then narrowed my eyes as I noticed a new sentence in my notebook. That exact thought about disorientation was written down. I dont recall writing that. I glanced at my hand, though of course there was nothing strange with it. Was this causing me to develop a split personality? I dont mind I guess. There is a lot of empty space in here. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. My thoughts were scattered. So focus them. Working on it, I answered and it was done. I opened my eyes. My vision felt clearer. Did Eves programs finally kick in or was it something I did? Merging back wasnt this bad last time. Did I spend too long in Gaia or was it something related to my mental state? I sighed, another thing to consider at another time. Speaking of time I cringed slightly as I saw that five minutes had passed. God damn it. The teacher had already passed at least two slides, this teacher was as exciting as watching paint dry but he was comprehensive. I dragged my notepad back into vision and began typing, opening another tab displaying the presentation from the slide I missed. Perhaps subconsciously, my eyes flicked by the Gaia app on my UI. It wouldnt technically be wagging class as one of me would remain here. If I could clone myself, I might as well take advantage of it. Opening the Gaia app again, I logged back on. I blinked. The teacher kept droning on in his utterly dead voice. Looking around, I noted a distinct lack of change in my surrounding area. Fuck, Im the one that- I stopped, then quickly glanced at my mic icon to see that it was thankfully muted. Fucking hell Im the one that stayed, I finished. After about an hour of glancing at the clock to make sure that no, my mind wasnt sped up by some sadistic asshole to make it seem like every second was thrice as long. I finally finished the class. I shouldve expected this to be honest. The whole duplication thing meant that one of me would always be placed in this situation. To that person, me, it would feel like I never went to Gaia. It did offer an advantage though, past the short disorientation I actually felt somewhat refreshed after merging back up. It seemed to have found some middle ground between me who was relaxing for a day and the tired me who was studying. Perhaps I could use it to cut a few more hours off my recreation period and make my studying more efficient. Finishing my last few footnotes, I began saving my myriad of notes into the correct places as a stray thought passed my mind. Would I have to ever fight myself? Seemed unlikely, other than the brief moment of merging neither can interact with each other at all. It would be difficult, however, I muttered as I began to sort my notes into the right files. Assuming a situation occurred where we came in conflict, he may be either the easiest or hardest opponent I could feasibly have. He knows how I think, I know how he thinks. Maybe the best case scenario would be the both of us falling into a Catch-22 of predicting each other moves- No. Its more than likely hell try to exploit that uncertainty by making deliberately risky moves and counting on me overthinking it. I finished sorting the files, and opened my checklist. My eyes widened a bit in surprise as I realised I had finished everything on my study list. Huh. I checked it over, making sure that I had finished everything, before checking again, and again, and again. Huh, I thought again, genuine surprise passing my face as I opened up each of my classes'' web pages. Checking them to find that I was- Actually! Wait, no, I finished that last week. What about nope. Two weeks ago I finished that one yesterday I was actually finished with all my work. In fact I was a few weeks ahead in most classes. Aint that a surprise. I leaned back on my chair. Eyes falling- or rising to my blank white ceiling. What else can I do? I was already in Gaia so that was a dead end. There wasnt anything interesting to watch on UsTube, the algorithm was largely recommending repeats. One guy can create sapient AI on his home PC and a megacorp cant even fix their algorithms. Checking the few other games I played, I saw that Matt wasnt online currently on any of them. He wasnt even playing Path of War or Yggdrasil. That was rare. I glanced at my mailbox. The thought of calling Matt dying as quickly as it came to my mind. No point bothering him. So I sat there, staring aimlessly at the ceiling, before I rose up and left my room. I was heading for the kitchen, not because I was hungry, but more so because it was the natural state of being for a bored human to check the fridge. Regardless of hunger or whether or not the fridge actually had anything to eat. It was surprising to see someone actually there. Ba? Declan senior was not an imposing man despite being well above one-eighty centimetres. His shoulders were broad but slouched, his face too tired and strands of white were showing in what was once pure black hair. He was sat atop a stool by the kitchen countertop, examining the contents of a package. Quickly glancing at the barcodes told me it was from Taiwan. Didnt have work today? I asked as I passed him, he was still examining the contents of the package. An expensive-looking necklace, but seemed to be missing several gems from its inlays. I didnt, Ba answered as he put the necklace down, rubbing his forehead in an annoyed expression, they told me I deserve a rest after working non-stop for a week. He shook his head in clear annoyance, Nonsense I told them, a human being can stay awake for ten days if need be. More if I had coffee. I glanced at him, now noticing the dark bags under his eyes as I got a clear look at his face, and that was with a full night of sleep. You do realise that staying up for that long tends to lead to Inaccuracies? I said as gently as I could. And youre a doctor, an inaccuracy might be dangerous, I left unsaid. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Ba snorted, Thats what they said, though with a lot less hiding around. He mimicked, rather poorly, the voice of his hospital''s dean, Kevin get some goddamn sleep before I have to knock you out and force you to have some. How did this man become a doctor? I wondered not for the first time in my life, and probably not the last. Ba shook his head, Forget about that, he said, standing up. Did you make sure to use the deactivation signal for the gel? He approached me, grabbing me by the face and turning me to face him so he could poke my nose. Yeah Ba, I know how they work, I answered, my voice a bit muffled as his hand was holding both my cheeks. You better, he said, not turning that stuff off leads- To horrific cancer and weeks of surgery, I chirped in, though only if the nanites were left active for at least two weeks, which might I add- Has not passed, he interrupted as he let go of my face, apparently satisfied with the state of my nose. Though it is always better to be safe than sorry. That I could agree with. God damn hospital shouldnt even have needed the gel, he muttered as he sat back down on the stool. Just straighten the nose, he glanced at me questioningly, you didnt ask for the gel just so you can get rid of the bruise did you? Nope, I answered, as I opened the fridge. They just painted the stuff on me, I assumed they were more qualified than I was so didnt question it. In truth I was too disorientated at the time to really register the outside world at all. Far too busy pondering the implications of the crash and the invite I recieved. Better I suppose, he said, Next time make sure you go to my hospital in Parkville, not the backward clinic over there. Ill examine you myself. That hospital was closer, I answered as I opened the fridge and noticed something. Ba did you buy actual pork? I turned around with an accusatory stare. It was cheap today, he defended, though he looked away from me, like a kid who was caught red-handed with his hand in the cookie jar. How much? I asked, though it did not escape me, the irony of me who has essentially been freeloading on my dad asking him about how he spent his money. He shrugged in that non-committal way, Ehhh Only fifty he turned around to face me, as if realising suddenly that I was his son and that theoretically, he should have higher authority than me. It was on sale! Plus we havent had a good KBBQ in ages! We had one three weeks ago Ba, you just fell unconscious halfway through from weeks of overwork. I wouldnt have if someone hadnt poisoned my coffee with decaf! he yelled, before quickly turning away, a hand on his forehead. Apparently nursing a headache. And that was with synth meat, he said in a quieter voice, almost a whisper, that stuff just isnt the same. I raised an eyebrow, I personally never tasted a difference. It wasnt designed to be different. And I felt it was better than actual meat in some cases, but never that different other than how its sourced. I almost gave that retort, before I remembered the dark bags under my dads eyes and how he got them. Working day and night despite the insistence of most people. He was an idiot for overworking himself in the first place, but he was my Ba, and so I relented. Whens Ma coming back for the BBQ? I asked, closing the fridge door behind me. Oh she isnt coming back today, he answered, I opened my mouth, but he quickly answered, your great aunt died, so she left to visit her in Taiwan, we told you this in the morning. Did you forget? The memory came to me, I was writing an essay about one of Isaac Kramers speeches, and she told me as she was packing up. Did I forget- No. The memory wasnt forgotten, it was just further back in my mind, because of me logging off, it didnt feel like the memory was from this morning but from two days ago. I didnt forget, I said, it was even half true. Ba snorted, apparently catching onto my lie. God damn I raised a friendless workaholic, said the friendless workaholic. My great aunt sent us that ugly necklace? I asked, diverting the subject. I never met my great aunt. I did meet my grandma once. Funny person. Be careful now, thats your great aunt and grandma you just called ugly, he replied, raising the necklace. My brain short-circuited for a moment, Elaborate? He smiled in that macabre humour sort of way, They apparently thought itd be funny if they compressed their carbon into diamonds and sent them to every relative. This probably isnt the greatest of introductions but, he presented the necklace, Declan Lu, meet your grandmother, Unice Chang he pointed to the middlemost diamond, and your great aunt, Yasmine Chang he gestured at the only other diamond on it. I processed this information in a shocked quiet way, before shaking out of it with the not my problem philosophy. Heedless, my Ba continued, Apparently they want us to fill in the remaining inlays, and Declan, I hope that I dont have to tell you but when I die of overwork I dont want to be turned into a gem to creep out my family for generations. I want you to fire my body into the sun. You know, like a responsible son. Well at least hes aware hes overworking himself. Ba, with the amount of caffeine there is in your body, we wont get past customs. Just stick with a Viking burial like the rest of us, I replied only half-jokingly. Im sure his body would count as a bioweapon somewhere, or at least a breach of the Gibraltar Accords. Do not cremate me at a crematorium named Viking Longboat and call it a Viking funeral. Drat, he realised. It took me ages to find a crematorium named after a ship. When will Ma be coming back then? I asked, changing the subject. Not till the weekends, he answered. BBQs delayed till then? Yes, he answered. My eyes turned towards him, catching the brief hint of regret on his face before he masked it just as quickly. We could have a little BBQ ourselves first, I said, save some meat for when Ma comes back, I have been wanting to eat some non-synth meat. I wasnt, but I knew Ba enough to know that he probably wanted to, before he threw himself in the fray of work for another few weeks. He snorted, Just us two? No need to bust it out for such a small occasion. That angle didnt work, Ma raised me to be tight with money and he knew that. Pressing this point wouldnt work. A message notification appeared on my mailbox, giving me an idea, What about Matt? I asked, We could head to his place and share it with his family. Ba looked at me with clear confusion for a moment, You you actually suggested going to Matts? What, is there something wrong with that? I hang out with him all the time. Yeah but when was the last time you even considered being the one to suggest it? he wiped away a tear, And I thought my son would die friendless and alone. Theres actually hope for you. I might actually see grandkids before I die now. I raised an eyebrow, thinking, Im doing this for you, you overworked shit, though I didnt voice my thoughts. Im calling him. Matt picked up after a single ring. Decs! Have you seen the new expansion in- Are you free this afternoon? I asked, cutting straight to the point. Yeah, why? My dad bought some pork, but my mom left for a business trip. He was thinking about taking it to your place and sharing it, I lied. Neither of us can cook, so he figured Sarah could help with it. Which was true, neither of us can even cut an onion evenly. Wait, wait, wait. Actual pork!? Like not the synth stuff? he asked with rising excitement. Yeah? I answered. He sounded way too excited for this. Holy- MOM! he suddenly yelled, DECS GOT SOME PORK TO SHARE! Two female voices yelled back, both I recognised as his mothers but couldnt make out the specific words. When are you coming? Matt asked. I glanced at my Ba, he shrugged, Probably soon, four to five pm at least. You guys have a korean barbeque grill right? Hell yeah we do! I could almost feel him punch the air in glee. Alright well see you here! Sure, see ya later, I answered as I hung up. I felt like I was missing something important as I hung up. Ba how much meat did you buy? Like one kilogram, he shrugged, why? Huh, fifty dollars for one kilo of natural meat actually was a good price- Focus goddamnit. No I just have the weirdest feeling Im missing something- I paused. How many people are in Matts family? I asked, though my mind already conjured an answer. Four, both of Matts rents, Matt himself and his little brother. Ba bought one kilogram assuming itll feed three people. We just offered to feed six. I groaned, Ba can you check if the sale is still going on? I said, trying not to think about the fact we could easily buy twenty-five times the amount of synth meat with that amount of money.
In a place beyond the skies. There was a place that once was a library. Within was a figure. He sat at a desk older than years could count. His eyes appeared pure black and never stopped staring at the world above. He never blinked, even though dust had long settled around him, masking his body in a veil of grey. The only part without dust was the desk in front of him, where his hands moved to do his work. His left held a pen, making the only sound within the desolate place. The other supported a book with infinite pages, flipping to a new one when needed. He wrote of what he saw. Gods and men, discoveries and conflict, whether great or small, he wrote it. He wrote it all. But as he flipped to a new page, something strange occurred. Something which broke his millennium-long pattern. The being found a card wedged within the pages. Centuries-old dust was disturbed as the being, for the first time in a long time, moved his head. It creaked as he looked to the book, to the card laid in between the pages. The card depicted a man with one arm stretched to the heavens, the other to the earth below. He wore a wide-brimmed and pointed hat that reminded one of a mushroom. Before him lay five tools, of them only two were coloured, the rest remained a stark white contrast against the colourful artwork. Yet, their outlines showed enough to make out a scroll, a wand, a lens, a filled goblet, and a key. The being blinked. Eyelids pushing off layers of dust from his bare eyes. For the first time in millennia, the being smiled as he turned again to look at the body gently laid next to him. Through all this, the sound of the pen never stopped, for the being never stopped writing. Never stopped recording what he saw. It is the year 2856 of the Third Age. The elves call upon their dwarven allies as the goblins push them to their final forests. The Western Kingdoms are brought to chaos as a necromancer commits regicide in a mad bid to resurrect the Revenant King. In the north, the Yuan Tei experiences the first organised attack by Shadesmar in two centuries before it is repelled by Lu the Black Hand and the Order of Lanterns. Deep within the Tyrian Sea, Tritus reports two Greater Demons passing the Gate. One Entropy and the other Order. Caligula the Swift, Lance of the Great Blue, aided by a Leviathan Ship, slew the Demon of Entropy before the Order Demon forced a cease. Perhaps heralding this new age of conflict, the fourth Great Transmigration has occurred and Travellers stream into the world once more. During all this, the God Historian was left an omen in the form of a Tarot. It was the Magician, and he knows his chance has come. 4.01 4.01 Strength is just misunderstood weakness. - unknown. The delivery arrived within five minutes. Ba and I agreed that though getting it delivered to Matts house would be faster and more efficient, it would be too embarrassing to have a delivery drone show up there right after we said we had enough. Well, we didnt say we had enough, we just sorta implied that. I did not imply anything, ba muttered as he packed the meat into a cold bag. This was all you. I ignored him as I took the bag. There was another kilo in the fridge for when ma comes back, which ba was probably overjoyed with, having an excuse to splurge twice in a week. KBBQs also gave me a good excuse to get ba drunk. He normally abstained but eating natural meat put him in a celebratory mood. Itll be a hassle dragging him out of the car later, but god knows he needs the sleep. Ba did a few hand motions as we stepped into the garage. The loud sound of gears grinding heralded the opening of the door, letting natural light in. I read somewhere they couldve made garage doors soundless ages ago, but kept the loud noise because people werent used to handling soundless garages. Weirdos. As I made my way to the car, ba called out to me, Will you be fine in a vehicle? I turned around to see him giving me a concerned look. Of course, I will, I replied with an eyebrow raised. Why wouldnt I be oh. The crash was barely two days ago and yet it feels almost a week had passed. Practically speaking it was almost a week ago for me since Ive been doing double time. Literally. Ba just raised his eyebrow, before shaking his head in an exasperated fashion. Goddamn freak accidents, he muttered as he passed me. Me or the crash? I asked as piled the bags in the back seats. The crash, he answered as he took his seat at the front. Though I could hear the slight quirk on his lips. Its not every day a driving AI glitches out. No one got seriously hurt. No one I was aware of or cared about anyway. Though it sucks to be that Maple executive. Yeah, I read, he answered as he typed in Matts address with his AAD. Apparently the AI corrected itself last minute so everyone only got off with minor injuries. They found a logic error had occurred after they looked at the logs. Apparently due to a few poorly written lines of code. Ah, false evidence. Though I wouldve added the bug to other AI so that- Its showing up in other models so its good they found it before anyone got seriously hurt, ba continued as the car started up and drove out. She was thorough. I had to show a bit of interest in this, I was directly involved after all, Has it been patched yet? Yeah, ba answered, I downloaded the update today. Dont worry. Mmm, I murmured. This stuff used to be a lot worse back in the day, ba said as he reclined his seat. Huh, so he didnt drink coffee today, is he actually making an effort to rest? Back in the day people actually drove cars, he said, his eyes closing. Can you imagine that? I can, yeah? I read about that before and Matt has pestered me to try out more than one racing game in the past. Over a million people died each year when they did that shit, he murmured, his voice turning quiet. Fifty times that injured as well. Sure they werent intentionally killing people? I joke. If Eve wanted to kill me, a vehicle would be the best bet. He chuckled lightly, I bet a few were Im sure, I answered as ba drifted into sleep. Right now wouldnt be ideal, since the same person getting involved in two highly unlikely traffic events in the same few days would be suspicious, to say the least. I glanced to the front of the car, seeing the smooth surface and briefly tried to imagine where a steering wheel would be. Right in front of ba, where the compartment was. Most cars nowadays had more fail-safes than what is probably reasonable but Eve already overcame them once. I shrugged. There was nothing I could do if she could overcome the already inbuilt stuff, which by law was required to be the best of the best. I barely had a college-level grasp of coding, I needed to be insanely lucky to create a system better than programmers light years ahead of me. Though I didnt actually believe she would actually try to take me out. Sure she played a few pranks on me, I learnt later on that no one else actually got dropped from the sky during the intro, I was the only one who got that treatment. Which I couldnt even really blame her for, I did emotionally extort her with a recently dead family member or whatever the Frankenstein equivalent was. I internally grimaced, I couldve done that talk better. I met many short term goals at the cost of a long one. I made her dislike me, not enough for her to actually do anything substantial about it but the enmity is there. There couldve been another way. The ideal was friendship but I wouldve settled for apathy. My current assessment of Eve tells me she is human enough to be angered and tied down by sentiment. She might not like me but she probably wouldnt outright kill me. And even if she just wants me to think that the fact that Im thinking it means Im already under her thumb and therefore not a short term threat, I thought with a pessimistic smirk. I glanced at my sleeping father. People were flawed and if Eve really was more human than AI, then she too was flawed. And flaws could be exploited. I really am an asshole.
As the car pulled up in front of Matts garage, I sent a quick message telling him we were here. Before gently tapping bas shoulder three times. He instantly opened his eyes, Whats the patients condition- he stopped, eyes taking in his surroundings and his mind quickly catching up. I was already half-out the car by then, cold bag in hand. The houses front door opened, revealing the skinny form of Matt, his face lighting up in a delighted smile. He threw up his right arm in an exaggerated motion, LOOKS LIKE MEATS BACK ON THE MENU! This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. I raised an eyebrow. Thats a weird-ass saying, I said as I entered the house. Ba right behind me said. Afternoon Matt. Afternoon sir. And I heard it in my Humanities class, he answered, apparently it was a meme inspired by a movie or something. Huh, I answered, I didnt take history as an elective past year ten, mostly because I learnt the important stuff passively from wikidives. Any other stuff? Something about the ninth of November 2001, but I forgot most of it, Matt answered as he led us in. There werent any major events associated with November ninth that came to mind. Mustve not been important, I said as I spotted Matts younger brother, Max running up to us. Though, his running speed was actually pretty slow because A, he was ten and B, his legs were short, like really short. The shortness gene in Matts family was prevalent even as a kid, so really he looked closer to six year old. Yo, I said as Max ran next to me, his hands zipping open the cold bag, where the meat was being kept in synthetic packages. Max took a single glance at the contents, then pointed an accusing finger, You lied to me! There is no difference! Of course there is! Matt retorted. Something was killed for this meat, I drily continued, Probably many things since there is no way all this pork belly came from the same pig. And it tastes a lot better, Ba added. Though that part was debatable. I still never tasted the difference between real and synthetic meat but people kept insisting there was. Probably a placebo. Ill have to trick ba with synthetic meat one of these days to test it out. Are you bothering the guests Max!? I heard Matts mother, Denise yelling out from the kitchen further back. Max simply stuck his tongue out and ran past us. Afternoon, Ba said as we entered the living room, which was connected to the kitchen. Matts other mom, Sarah glanced up from the kitchen counter, where she was halfway through cutting apart a sweet potato into thin slices, Welcome welcome! Lemme grab that, she said as she hurriedly put away the knife. Afternoon Sarah, ba nodded, then turned to the other woman in the room, who was setting up an electric stove, Denise. Oh, your family is always welcomed here, Matts mom said as she took the bag, then almost reverently, removed the kilograms worth of pork belly and placed them on the chopping board. Ill be taking a nap in the living room then, ba said as he turned around. Holler when the meat is ready. Alright! Sarah answered as she began poking the slab of pork belly with an appraising stare. Perfect! I can begin cutting. Any way I can help? Sure, can you mix the sesame oil and salt pepper, Denise asked as she pulled out their large Korean BBQ pan. Matt finish up the sweet potato for me, Sarah said as she skillfully sliced the pork belly into small bite-size pieces. I followed my memory to their spice cabinet. Salt and pepper were in the back left, sesame oil was front right. There was also the chilli paste in the fridge along with the fish sauce and sugar in another cabinet I would need to mix the chilli sauce. Matt took out another board and knife along with the half-cut sweet potato. Unlike me he didnt rely on instant food when his parents werent home, so he was actually half decent with a knife. We fell into a flurry of preparation. Denise was setting up the table, her wife Sarah was cutting the meat with expert precision, Matt cut apart the vegetables that we would grill alongside it all and I was mixing the sauces. After I was done mixing a small bowl of sesame oil dipping sauce, I moved to mixing the chilli paste. The formula was simple, two sauces, the first was sesame mixed with salt pepper, the second was chilli paste mixed with fish sauce and sugar. Everyone had different preferences and I had them memorised after some observations. Matt and Denise liked the chilli sauce over the sesame oil, though both of them had a stupidly high tolerance to chilli so I didnt bother mixing their portion with a lot of fish sauce and sugar. Ba and Sarah used the sesame oil more so I didnt portion them as much chilli sauce. I preferred sesame oil as well but I liked a higher portion of salt so I mixed mine separately. Max seemed to like both equally, though he didnt have the same chilli tolerance as his brother and mother, so I mixed more fish sauce and sugar in his to sweeten the flavour. Barely ten minutes later and we were done. Matt helped his mom move the plates to the table, I placed everyones sauce bowls in the spots they normally sat along with their chopsticks, or fork in Maxs case. Ba! I called out as Sarah turned on the electric stove. I heard the living room couch being reclined back to its original spot along with a hurried Coming! Hurry up and come eat sir! Matt called out as we took our seats. You too Max! Sarah yelled out as she began laying the slices of meat on the pan. The sound of the sizzle began like a whisper but slowly increased in intensity as the fat of the pork began to melt. Ba got here with Max trotting in tow just as she filled the pan. Denise led her son Max to a spot next to her, ba glanced around and asked, Do you have soju? Yeah, its in the fridge, Denise answered. Thanks, Ba said as he went to it. Bottom shelf, back right, I called out as I saw him open the door. Strips of golden brown were revealed as Sarah began flipping over the pork. Right as my dad took a seat. Already done? ba asked as he cracked open his soju can. No I just flipped them, They were just flipped, Sarah and I both answered. Just a minute or two now, Sarah finished, clacking her tongs a few times before setting it aside. Six pairs of eyes were glued on the sizzling pan. Sarah signalled when the meat was done when she flipped over a piece to reveal another side of rich, golden brown. Six pairs of chopsticks were already moving as she declared them ready- wait, six? Denise usually held a very neutral expression, but I could see the small smirk of triumph as Max began picking out pieces with his own pair. So she finally got through to him, Ill have to make sure I dont take out a fork for Max next time were here. I quickly snatched three pieces. Liberally dipping them in my sesame oil sauce. Each kilogram of pork belly cost fifty dollars at discount, I had just taken several grams worth. At least a fifty cents, I estimated as I ate them. One bite and I ate fifty cents, I almost didnt notice the texture of the pork, its crunchy exterior quickly gave way to firm yet chewy flesh. As if the stupor was broken, conversation began as everyone had their first bite.
Ba was slumped over on the chair snoring, he had a comically weak resistance to alcohol. One shot was all that was really needed to knock him out. Max and Matt were energetically running around, definitely playing an AR game given how their hands looked like they were holding a blaster despite nothing being there. Denise was watching over them making sure they didnt hurt themselves despite the fact most AR nowadays did almost one to one overlays on reality. Sarah and I were sat cooking the last of the sliced sweet potatoes. Two kilograms of pork belly, a hundred dollars eaten in one determined dinner. I was probably responsible for at least a third to half the worth and that was just counting the meat. Though the vegetables were negligible compared to it. Sarah placed the cooked sweet potatoes into my bowl as they finished cooking. Anything else you all want to eat? I shook my head, Nope. Ill turn it off then, Sarah said as she switched off the stove. Ill start the pack up. Oh! Ill help! Matt yelled, turning off his AR display with a few flicks. He stepped towards the table and lifted the BBQ pan. If it were anyone else, they wouldve dropped it like a hot iron because, well, it was. But for Matt, he barely seemed to notice, hell, Im not even sure his prosthetics felt anything other than pressure. Matt casually carried away the still hot BBQ pan and set it to cool at the kitchen counter. Both of his arms and legs were prosthetics. From what Ive heard from conversations between him and my ba, it seems that even one of his lungs and his heart are too. Which struck me as incredibly odd. I knew little about Matt and his familys past, I gleaned over the years they were immigrants from one of Europes underground Metro Cities and that they likely ran into an old war weapon as they were crossing the borders. That part was easy to deduce, when I first met Matts mom Sarah, her left arm showed signs of having been recently regenerated, even now you could notice that her left arm had a slightly lighter tone. I caught their place of origins in conversation later on and Max showed a great fascination to the sun when he was even younger. But Matt still had all his pieces when I first met him and he was one of bas patients. He lost them later on when they reached Australia and was at my ba''s hospital. Stranger was that his limbs were actual artificial prosthetics, not stuff cloned from his DNA and replaced. Why didnt he get his limbs regenerated and stayed with prosthetics? In this day and age getting and maintaining artificial prosthetics was more costly than just taking a dip in a regenerating pod, so why didnt he? I had several theories, many of them even made sense and I knew for sure that Matt would provide them easily should I ask. I knew for sure he would, as certain as I would of the sun rising. But I never asked and I never will. I have constantly dismissed the thoughts as just theory, no matter how much they made sense, no matter how much everything added up. I owed him that much. 4.02 4.02 What would happen if we put this bag of holding into another one? - Last words of far too many people. We finished selling our stock later that night and had accumulated a pretty sum of a hundred and eighty-four gold, though we had some problems splitting it. Forty, forty, twenty, the potato said and I furrowed my brows. He meant for Peps and me to get forty percent of the share, and he twenty percent. Now now, I argued back, You made the store, did all the food preparation, grew the skewers and fished the grubs out of the husks, thats at least forty percent. Normally, I didnt mind people giving me more money, but this guy actually put a lot of work in this. It would annoy my conscience to fail to pay back someone who actually worked competently with me. Neither of us believed an equal split would be fair, especially given the division of labour. Though our definitions of what we should each be respectively paid for differed. I really dont think I deserve that much, all I did was talk to- The potato raised a hand and completely serious, said to Peps, You are the most valuable member of this team. I agreed, dealing with a few people I can do, almost a hundred like we did today? If Peps wasnt here I couldnt have played the stoic chef as well as I did. As for why the potato was so grateful I asked and he said. I spent fifteen years working in retail. Oh. Fair. Still, all I did was talk. All Ustubers and video advertisers do is talk. And have you seen their salaries? I replied. The argument was mostly bullshit, even amateur Ustubers nowadays had teams working with them and spent hours each day cultivating recognisable and algorithmically perfect personalities. True solo indie channels died out ages ago. But it had enough basis in logic that I could jump to another point. Its more about the brand than the actual work, I continued. Now you dont start selling yourself short as well, the potato interrupted. Youre the whole supplier of this, you killed the actual things and bought the BBQ grill and spices. Until the location is discovered you have a total monopoly. Even longer if people cant kill them en masse. I am not selling myself short, I answered. The equipment is a long term investment that I plan on using many times in the future and the monopoly wont last long. People just need to poke those things with a stick a few times to figure out their exact capabilities. Both Peps and the potato looked at me strangely as I said that. A familiar snort came from behind. Despite breathing heavily and looking like he ran several marathons, Noam still found the energy to laugh, Really Dusts? How many people would see those creepy looking fucks descending upon you and immediately think Gee, I should poke this with a stick! Grabbing a nearby rock- actually, wait its a potato, I threw it at Noam. And surprisingly, he made no effort to dodge. The potato boiked the side of his head and unceremoniously knocked him down to the ground. I huhd in surprise. How long has he been running? A second later, I heard frantic running as several people, also heavily out of breath, crash into the doorway where Noam had fallen. Huff I hufh got him an elf said as he tiredly leaned on the doorframe. Im gonna... huff shove this up his ass, another pursuer said as she raised a spear, before collapsing to the ground. Like dominos, the completely out of breath pursuers fell around Noam. One of them tried half-heartedly stabbing him, but he was clearly too out of breath to try anything. Uurrgghhhh Hey Can one of you *huff* shove this up his ass for me? the pursuer said as she weakly gestured at us. Unless you plan on paying me then no. Outsource your vengeance to someone else, I replied. So, I said, turning back around, How about thirty-five, thirty-five, thirty? We ended up splitting it forty percent going to me and thirty percent for Peps and the potato. The potato justified his share by saying hell take all the leftover shells, apparently they were useful for his class and turned my earlier argument that the equipment I bought was a long term investment, thus justifying his labour creating the storefront as him planning to open an independent shop. Where is he! I heard an unknown voice yell. That was the eighth one now. The second store to the front by the right, the one thats the old Maccas, I answered. The pursuer grunted thanks, before following my direction. A moment later What are all these mushroo- AAAAAA!! Peps glanced at me with incriminatory eyes, which he did for the last seven as well. Hes fine, I assured him. AHHHH! THE PAIN! ITS LIKE I HAVE BEEN SHOT AND DRENCHED IN ACID! Thats an exaggeration. I AM NOT EXAGGERATING!! I TOOK A FUCKING SENSORY PATH! THIS PAIN IS TWENTY TIMES STRONGER! AAAAAH! WHY ARE THERE SO MANY SHROOMS!!? Well, hindsight is twenty/twenty as well. MY EYES! I AM BLINDED! Hindsight is zero/zero then, Noam muttered. AH!!! JUST YOU WAIT TILL I GET TO YOU! The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Wait a moment You took a sensory path and didnt notice me hiding under the table? Noam yelled as he peeked out. Ignoring Noams casual conversation and Peps boring holes in me with his stare, I focused my attention on the potato who set aside my split. Seventy-five gold, the potato said as the man screamed his dying throes. Do you have a way to carry all this? I have an idea, I glanced under the table, Noam, watch my stuff for a moment. The two wisps who had been laying shrooms mines started towards me, No need, I said, stay here, Ill be right back. Leaving the store and passing by the shroom field, I quickly made it to the malls Wayshard. I opened my menu and navigated towards the IP store and made my first purchase. Five IP for a single character slot. The option greyed out for a moment before the cost was updated to fifteen IP. Then, I touched the Wayshard. You may Travel to: Gaia (Current) Indiri Character Slot 2 Mentally thinking about the slot, the world changed around me, and I was once again standing on that hospital rooftop. A holographic figure appeared in front of me. Eve wasnt around, guess that time was special. I didnt really care what this character was, so I just thought Random. The figure morphed into something more recognisable. Its lithe body looked around one eighty-five centimetres. Way taller than my Myconid character and taller than myself in real life, at least by a few centimetres. It had a mostly androgynous looking face, sharp ears were barely concealed by its light auburn hair and almost white pupils that appeared blind. Elf Fighter. Good enough, I said, intending to stay with this selection. The world changed around me, I briefly glanced at my spot at the base of an extremely large tree. Good evening, a melodious voice sounded out to me. Welcome to the tutorial. Yep, Ive been here, I answered. This is all very interesting but can I skip to the bit where I get my equipment and skills? The other elf held an utterly serene if somewhat amused look, Very well. The world shifted again and I was at a derelict fashion store that was oddly filled to the brim with stuff. Unlike my last tutorial, I was aware of a number. Twenty gold. My budget. Not enough for a bag of holding then, I muttered, most bags were in the hundred to five hundred range. Choose your weapon as you wish, but choose wisely- Done, I said as I took several extremely large and empty bags. The elf raised her eyebrow, Are you sure thats all you want? Youve never seen what people use alts for have you? I answered the question with a question. ... No she said after a moment of thought. Cant buy a bag of holding so Im going to settle on this instead, I answered. The remaining gold budget I had left crystalised in my hand. The elf furrowed her brows, That has to break a few rules right? No clue, I answered, but if you dont know then how would I? She held her chin in thought, Fair I suppose. She shook her head, Theres the book for aura techniques, though I suppose you wouldnt- Still taking it, I said as I opened the book. What? I replied to her questioning gaze, Im not gonna half-ass my storage unit. I glanced at the book. Strangely aura techniques didnt have a tiered ranking but had exact specifications of the years of training needed to learn each technique. Most were in the single year range, so I picked three minor ones which fit my max budget of three years, along with proficiency in daggers. Ok, wheres the thing I gotta fight? The elf raised an eyebrow at me, Fight? Last time I was here I fought to the death, I answered. Unless were in accelerated time then Id hope youd hurry up. Who was your tutorial guide? she asked, brows suddenly crossed. A mushroom called Henry I think? She cursed something under her breath. Youre free to go, she said as we appeared next to a Wayshard, that part was due to a one-time limited event due to your special character. I raised an eyebrow. Ok then, I said as I raised my hand to touch the crystal. Oh wait! Your name? I glanced at her, Dale I guess, and teleported back to Gaia. Noam heard me as I returned, turning around, he took one look at me before saying, A bank alt? I glanced around the shop, Noam was sitting where I was a few moments ago, Peps seemed to have moved on, but there was movement behind, the potato most likely. Yep, I answered as I dropped the empty bags. Probably the safest bank available to us currently. He looked slightly surprised at my voice, before shaking his head and began moving the coins into the bags. The two wisps looked confusingly at each other, squeaking out something I didnt understand. Ill explain later, I promised. I helped shovel the gold coins into the bag, which truly gave me an appreciation for online currency, or even paper currency if youre old fashioned, then put away the magical BBQ which I had cleaned earlier. We said our farewells to the potato, who asked me to add him on my main account later. Which was when I actually learnt his name, Murphy. Adequate storage acquired, we moved to the Wayshard, avoiding the shroom field I set up earlier as only the wisps were immune to it. Well need to start doing stuff in Indiri, I began, claim our Mercenary licenses and start getting that worlds currency. Sure, Noam answered immediately. He didnt doubt me at all, he probably suspected I spent a good amount of time thinking about it. Gaia doesnt have good infrastructure, everything seems to need to be started by Travellers, I explained. We could probably make it just as far here but only in Indiri we can eat at a decent restaurant. Hmm We havent checked out their restaurants yet. Imagine all the strange stuff they could make with fantasy creatures and ingredients. Eh, I unenthusiastically replied. I really dont want to spend the Traveller coins we have. They something special? I explained to him Daves Store, along with all the myriad of things you could buy from there. Finishing my explanation just as we reached the Wayshard. I left twenty gold between me and Noam as I swapped back to my main. The wisps broke out in squeaks of odd relief as they saw me come back. The gold was mostly just in case but also because Noam was still carrying around that half-broken halberd and clearly needed a new weapon. He could probably make do with just that for a while. We arrived at a dark alley in Indiri, back at that Port City Bartin, Ill have to renew my rent at an inn, I said, feeling the room key inside my pocket. Sure, Noam answered as he looked to the sky, already night You feeling hungry? he suddenly asked me. I can eat my mushrooms, I answered. He shook his head, That stuff is fine but its pretty tasteless isnt it? I guess? You shouldnt live on that stuff, come on, theres bound to be a decent restaurant somewhere, he said as he took the lead walking out. Didnt you hear my whole thing about Dave and his store? I said as I followed him. Whats the point of penny-pinching if youre rich? he asked back. Saving money is an essential skill! I lectured as I followed him. Come on, how bad could it be? Interlude: Cook Interlude: Cook Flame immunity is not a universal fix against all forms of fire. A person may have immunity to mundane flame but still be vulnerable to magic or divine flame and vice versa. Thus, the Inquisition should keep a healthy population of mage apostles. So that even if we may not follow the spirit of tradition, we follow the letter of it. - Excerpt Fireproof Heretics and you. Why you dont need to give up on tradition by Cardinal Cordelia. It was a chilly midsummer morning when they heard rumours of his coming. He was well known across the land. Hushed and frightened whispers talked of him. An Orcish Warlord that carved a path of brutal destruction through uncountable nations. His emblem of blood-red an omen of ruin and flame to those unfortunate enough to see it. Disbelief was the first thought on most minds, they were but a small river town, what could possibly incite him to come? Yet as the facts were laid bare, it became clear. Two towns and three villages left in ruin, all upstream of their town. He was coming here, if not intentionally then in passing. He travelled alone, yet none doubted his combat ability. The orc was rumoured to have taken on entire platoons single-handed. The small river town had no such combat capability. No sane being would try to meet him in combat, but the town had to do something, lest their livelihood was burned and destroyed before their very eyes. So when they heard of his coming, they prepared a tribute. Hunters went out and slaughtered the largest boar in the forest, the herbalist collected wild herbs, the barkeeper prepared her prized beer brew, baker and miller worked together to create the finest loaves. When the orc finally arrived, a table and seat were prepared and the town held their breath as the orc sampled the food. The orc tore apart the sourdough, chewed through the roast boar with wild garlic stuffings and drank the entire beer keg in a few sips. All the time sporting an indescribable expression. After many pregnant moments, the orc slammed his fist on the table and began in a slow, quiet voice, The beer is of fine quality, mild tartness that contrasts well with the subtle sweetness, I see it has the essences of six, no, seven different wild berries, local ones I assume. The barkeep mutely nodded, too frightened to make a noise. This sourdough, he continued in the same, slow voice, as if speaking to a child, its interior is far too soft compared to a traditional sourdough''s chewiness and the subtle sourness of sourdough is practically non-existent, simply put, it is bland. Barely. Acceptable. Quality. The townsfolk took a shared sharp intake of breath as they watched the orc casually brush against the head of his axe. All of this I can accept, however, the orc slowly said, deliberately enunciating every syllable. This boar, he said slowly, Is far, far too TOUGH! he roared towards the townsfolk, Are you cattle teeth blind!? This boar meat is not only old, it is far too sinewy and muscular to be worth eating any way other than raw! But it was the toughest boar in the forest, a hunter interjected, before swiftly shrinking back as the orcs eyes seemed to bore holes in his body. DOES PURE MUSCLE MAKE FOR A GOOD CUT OF PORK!? FAR FROM IT CATTLE TEETH! the orc yelled enraged, YOU HUMANS MUST NOT ONLY HAVE THE TEETH OF CATTLE BUT ALSO THE BRAINS! YOU WOULD MAKE BETTER PORK THAN THIS BOAR! The orc, Grimm Ramsey, in a smooth and powerful motion, drew his axe and slammed it into the table, FOR THIS IMBECILITY AND POOR SERVICE, ZERO OUT OF FIVE AXES!
Grimm Ramsey wiped the blood off his axe. After another wholesome morning of educating people of the correct way of cooking, he was feeling the need for a palette cleanser after the utterly horrific display he just tasted. Fortunately, he knew just the place. Heading to a nearby Wayshard and smiling when he met the toll keeper, he was allowed to pass without paying. It was surprising how few people understood politeness these days. A brief show of fangs and the toll keeper and him were practical blood brothers. The keeper even shook in his armour in that strange human way they did to show affection. Touching the Wayshard, he thought of where he wanted to go, and soon enough, he was there. Bartin was as bustling as you could expect from a Port Town. Most people gave him a wide berth, to show their respect, of course, its not like Ramsey was scary or something. He made his way past the bustling streets of the town. To the more secluded areas, until he reached a shop. Throwing open the doors, Grimm threw a haymaker at the troll chef, throwing him into a table and knocking out three of his teeth. The chef quickly responded with his own haymaker, a loud crack sounded out as the trolls fist impacted his jaw. Ha! he laughed, as he saw the trolls fist crumple on his unmoved jaw, One of these days youll be able to take my teeth! The troll groaned in pain as he set the broken bones back in place. Warm familial greetings completed, the young troll said, Uncul Ramsey, you shouldve contacted me, sent a letter or scried. Bah! he snorted, Do I look like a diviner? Lugging around a crystal ball like some imbecile. Theyve made them really small now, you can fit most in your pocket. They can turn me into a diviner over my corpse! Grimm yelled as he took a seat. The usual? his nephew asked as he headed behind the counter. Of course, Grimm answered, taking the opportunity to glance around the place. It was a lot cleaner than when his Blood Brother, the young trolls father had left it. Grimm wiped a finger on the table and was glad to see no dust or grime breaking off with it. Just this and the trolls excellent service put it at one axe out of five. Very much above most other restaurants. His nephew soon returned with what gave the restaurant its other axe. A bowl of blood-red soup. Just smelling it was enough to burn off some of Grimms nose hairs. As Grimm took a spoon to savour the spice, the door opened and two figures stepped in. -Come on! It cant be that bad, the first figure said. I dont know, this place looks sketchy, the second said. The first was a warrior. Grimm could tell with the confidence he held himself. Confidence in ability but very nearing arrogance. He was a purplish-blue skinned devilling in sensible light armour. The second was hard to read. It was a myconid of some kind, Grimm have heard descriptions of their kind, but he did not know that they glowed. It didnt move like a warrior, though he recognised the way it constantly looked around as it evaluated the location. Its face was a mockery of what a face should look like, it didnt seem to show emotions at all. When empty crevices met his eyes, he knew it was gauging him as a threat. Grimm bared his fangs, the mushroom paused, before it too showed teeth. It had no fangs, though Grimm suspected the rows and rows of large molars could crush bone if needed. The devilling, upon seeing their exchange, also smiled. His teeth were more like normal cattle, but his horns he bore proudly and a broken halberd was tucked in his belt. He was not unused to the weight. They were no meek cattle. Pleasant greetings over, Grimm went back to his meal. The chilli burning his tongue, cleansing the horrid taste left from this mornings disgrace of food. Ill have what hes having! the devilling exclaimed, Damn, Ive always wanted to say that, he muttered to his companion as they both sat down. Same I suppose, the myconid said. Both Grimm and his nephew smirked. Sure mon, the young troll answered, but be warned, my Ancestor Chilli Soup is hot enough for you to see your ancestors! Unorthodox display of hubris but sure, the myconid replied drily. Is that a Jamaican accent? the devilling asked. Jamaican? his young nephew asked, This is trollish. When his nephew turned around to prepare the soup, the myconid kicked his companion in a discreet manner. What? the devilling whispered. The myconid simply shook its head. The devilling rolled his eyes, Do you run this store by yourself? Ja, his nephew answered in front of a boiling pot. Took over after fada was crisped. Huh. Whats your name? Mines Noam. John. Grimm snarled. His nephew called himself John, though Grimm would never use that name. It was, after all, a name in human tongue. Taken only because the uncultured cattle teeth couldnt get it through their skulls that trolls did not have names till they earned one through combat. Though, the younger troll was unlikely to ever earn a name through combat. As he seemed to dislike conflict and was a runt. Not only that his regeneration was weak compared to other trolls and his physique was barely above a peasant human. Grimm still refused to refer to him by a name unearned. If he didnt swear an oath to the young trolls late father to keep him safe, Grimm wouldve already thrown him to the wolves to earn a name or die trying. Ignoring his snarl, the devilling kept talking to his nephew as he prepared the chilli soup. The myconid still showed no expression, though two smaller myconids seemed to have appeared and were looking around in clear curiosity. Its children perhaps? Conversation soon ended as his nephew brought forth two large bowls of chilli soup. Noam licked his lips as his nephew set the bowls down. The myconids sniffed it, before recoiling. Noam didnt seem to notice his companions reaction, and took up a wooden spoon, taking a sip. Holy shit, he muttered, Dustin you gotta try this. Damn, I can taste this, can I have some water? What? This devilling actually survived his first sip? Though, Grimm smirked, the cattle-teeth mightve survived the initial sip, but he will be screaming soon enough. After all, he asked for water. Dustin, slightly apprehensive looking, also took a sip with its spoon as his nephew brought a cup of water. The myconid froze. Gone completely still. Noam downed the water in a gulp, Ah! he smacked his lips, Now Im feeling it. His nephew looked at the devilling, face clearly confused, and Noam smiled, Your soup wasnt quite at two million Scovilles, so I wanted to get it there. Grimms eyes widened in realisation and surprise. He didnt take water to cool the flame, but to feed it! Grimm didnt know this, but Noam was an utter psychopath when it came to chilli! When he was eight, he played a VR game where he had to eat progressively stronger chilli. It was a high score type game where you aimed to eat the chilli with the highest Scoville heat unit on a global leaderboard. Thanks to innovations in VR, previously impossible to achieve heights in chilli were achieved with pinpoint accuracy. This mad game eventually gave Noams tongue the instinctive ability to measure chilli with Scoville heat units with only fifty units of error! And Noams personal high score was Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. I felt that, though you wont get me panting unless you get to eight digits, Noam said with a smug smile. Grimm looked at the devilling with newfound respect and expectation. Could this Noam be a connoisseur of fine foods as well? The myconid though Grimm recognised the form of someone gone completely catatonic from shock. Even if they were in a strange body. It was completely frozen now, though it was better than screaming- Dustin lifted the spoon and drank the soup again. Grimms eyes widened, another connoisseur!?
To understand why Dustin was completely still, one needs to know that magic myconids did not have something resembling a human knee-jerk reaction. All their actions went through their central processing organ. Dustin is to a point, completely in control of his actions. However, after sipping the soup. His mind had gone blank completely with pain. Normally in response to the extreme pain, he would be screaming, or clawing at his throat to try to remove the burning liquid. But these actions were just placebo his still somewhat human mind did because it thought that was the correct reaction to pain. This chilli went past that. It far overloaded what his mind could process. Pain signals were sent to his mind but nothing was coming in response to it, thus his body did not move. He was suffering an absolute state of pain, where his mind was entirely devoted to processing the taste of the chilli. The chilli had effectively short-circuited him. As for what happened to the wisps well there was no need to discuss dead corpses. In this state, there was a small part of Dustin. The small, sane part, began to glimpse the light beyond and saw a figure within. Ye ye? Declan uttered in surprise, Huh, I thought that seeing your ancestors thing was just a marketing scheme- His grandpa slapped him across the face. Fool! What are you doing sitting there like an idiot!? Huh!? Did you taste that thing- Declan was slapped again, IDIOT! Back in my day I only had the government rations and I was glad for it! But Im not from back in your day damn zoomer- Declan began before getting slapped. DONT WASTE FOOD! his grandfather yelled as he disappeared. Dont waste food. This sentence sounded in his mind and Declan, barely thinking raised his spoon. Wait a second- Declan could not finish as a fresh wave of pain poured through him. Dont waste food. No no no this seems like a perfectly reasonable time to- Declan yelled before the pain caused him to keel over. Dont waste food. The sentence echoed in his mind. A mantra taught from parent to child since time immemorial. In a state where Dustins mind could not process anything. It latched onto that mantra, making him raise the spoon and take one sip after another. Dustins sane mind protested again and again, but its screams were not as loud as the pain or the mantra. So his body ignored it. The continued pain slowly pushed Dustins sane mind farther and farther back through sheer pain, until the screams grew weaker and stopped as Dustins sane mind died.
The myconid seemed to have overcome its earlier apprehension through sheer willpower! What supreme resilience. It is not even flinching despite going completely catatonic earlier from the chilli, Grimm thought. I would like to meet whoever raised such a determined being. They must be an extremely good parent. It was weak, but its overcoming its flaws through sheer strength of will! To take a second sip of the Ancestor Chilli Soup was enough for Grimm to praise it, but the fact that it was overcoming its weakness had earned it Grimms respect. Though there was another who was worthy of Grimms respect. Do you have anything chillier? Noam asked. His nephew looked strangely at Noams empty bowl, before his eyes burned with the light a challenger, Ja, this is normally unavailable for customers, but I can make the Five Spices Overcoming. Grimms eyes widened. The Five Spices Overcoming was a derivative chilli recipe of the Mighty ZulGarubs Eleven Spices Overcoming Tiamat. Which was famously so hot that it made all of Tiamats heads feel the pain of fire for the first time in their lives. This derivative was weaker, unavoidably so as six of the ingredients have been lost, but Grimm has seen men taste it and be turned into screaming wrecks for days. Ill take it! Noam cheerfully declared. Me as well, Grimm said. Hes only ever had the novelty of tasting the Five Spices Overcoming once, when it was prepared by his Blood Brother FonDafarr. He did not know FonDafarr had passed the recipe to his son. His nephew soon returned from the kitchen. A plate of fried chicken pieces, sprinkled liberally with the spice in each hand. Will this break him? Grimm thought as he brought a chicken piece to his mouth. He had felt worse pain than this chilli. But what about this Noam? He was a devilling so he likely had flame resistance of some kind, but he would be mistaken to think that flame resistance would help against chilli. Noam, unheeding of Grimms glare, took a drum stick and ate it. Grimm saw Noams eyes widened and- Holy shit this is seven mil at least! -seem completely fine. Impressive, Grimm thought, though his body shows no scars, to have such impressive chilli resistance, Noam mustve suffered through numerous battles till his mind became an impenetrable fortress. His nephew though, simply looked frustrated, before rushing back behind the kitchen, yelling, I didnt want to use this. But for you I make an exception and prepare the River Blight! Grimms eyes widened. He knew the recipe to River Blight!? He quickly called out, A bowl for me as well! The River Blight was a mixture of spices which led to an extremely potent sauce. Four-hundred years ago, the Great Chef ZulDerag famously dripped merely a bowl of it into a river. To this day, Derags River and everything near it is considered one of the most uninhabitable locations in the Wastelands. Creatures without resilient minds would instantly die of shock from the pain of being exposed to the spice. Did FonDafarr pass this to his son as well!? What dark recipes did this bloodline know!? His nephew swiftly returned with two disks of spice, setting it down in front of both of them. He glared at the devilling with a face of defiance. Daring him to try. The devilling glanced at him, then met the gaze of Grimm. Taking one of the earlier chicken pieces, he dipped it into the sauce. Turning it around several times so that it would be liberally coated. Grimm mirrored his action and both raised the chicken to take a bite. Grimm, who had once been drawn and quartered by Dread Steeds, glared at an oncoming cavalry charge and dared them to pass him, burned alive by dragons, all without flinching or change in his expression. Grim the Unflinching, The Great Demon Chef and Bastion Breaker. Flinched and let out a gasp of pain. He felt his body start to dry heave as it tried to get rid of the spice. His mouth, his throat, his stomach, they all burned. It was as if he had just ingested a lump of burning coal. He could physically track the progress of the bite as it passed through his digestive track purely through the waves of pain it left in its wake. Noam did not seem to be faring any better, he had fallen limp onto the table, his mouth gaping like a fish. He was hiccupping, his body too trying to expel the spice. Before, suddenly he clenched his teeth and Grim saw his body tense, Thirteen mil- no, eighteen million, he whispered. He raised his arm, still holding the bitten chicken piece, revealing the pure white flesh underneath. Then he dipped that exposed white flesh into the spice once again. DOUBLE DIPPING!? IS HE A MADMAN!? Noam continued in spite of Grims shock, then took another bite. Grimm was barely staying alive after one bite, but this this man was taking bite after bite, even coating it with more spice as before. As Grimm watched this, he felt a flame light in his belly. Not the literal flame caused by the chilli, but a metaphorical one. Grimm let out a primal warcry, shaking the establishment and loud enough to be heard throughout the entire ghetto. I will not be upped by a youngling without a single scar on his back! Grimm brought his reserves of aura, forcing his body to move and mimic Noams actions. Fresh waves of pain bombarded him, he felt his chest begin to constrict as the pain made it hard to breathe. But he refused to stop, not until the one in front of him too relented. They ate, fresh waves of maddening pain washing over them until the drumsticks in both their hands were just bare-bones and the sauce wiped clean. Through all this, Grimms nephew looked upon them with pure shock. He had expected his uncul to be fine, but the devilling? That was his strongest chilli. The last recipe fada had imparted to him on his deathbed. Noam had cleaned the sauce, and though he breathed hard and fast it looked like he would survive and be none the worse. Was it all for naught? fada had spent years researching a chilli that would surpass all. Before his experiments burnt him in a way so horrific, not even his trollish regeneration could keep up. He was the only one with his fadas knowledge. Were all those years of experience waste!? The young troll suddenly felt nauseous, he fell backwards knocking over something as he fell to the ground. Something very hot splashed onto him and he could hear his uncul yelling in surprise. The troll licked his lips, recognising the taste of the Ancestor Chilli Soup before his mind was blanked in pain.
The young troll saw beyond life. He saw beyond the veils separating the living and unliving and saw a familiar figure within. What are you doing! his fada yelled at him as he delivered a haymaker to the young trolls jaw, knocking out four of his teeth. Are you just going to let this shango walk over your efforts!? I cant fada, the young troll replied as he rubbed his jaw, I already tried the River Blight. I have nothing left. Of course you do! the elder troll yelled, lifting the prone form of his son and enveloping him in a bear hug. You are merely holding yourself back! I am? the young troll asked surprised. Of course! the elder troll yelled, You have spent too long living amongst cattle-teeth, even taking up one of their names! he shook his head, Ah the words your mada would be having if she heard. How does me living amongst humans matter? the young troll asked. The elder troll snorted, Youve gone daft spending so much time with humans. The spice you make is spicy enough to kill humans, but we are TROLLS! he yelled. You limit yourself to human standards, when you should be going beyond that! Make spice capable of killing trolls! Capable of killing behemoths and dragons! I know you can do it, you are my son! The young troll felt tears come to his eyes. Mostly because his fada was hugging him hard enough to break bones but also because of the heartfelt speech he just imparted. Do you really think so fada? Of course I do! the elder troll yelled, tears coming to his eyes also. You are my son, my blood! The elder troll let go of his son, slapping him on the back and breaking at least two ribs. Go! The young troll looked back and two pairs of teary eyes met. I will fada, I will show them the power of our work! Oh, and one more thing, the young troll turned around to his fada. Do not call yourself John your mada will kill me if she heard it, no your name should be, The elder troll said a name as the youngers eyes widened in surprise. But but fada, I have not yet earned- Then go earn it! his fada interjected, create a chilli that can kill those two! Even uncul? He is a chef and a warrior! He should be prepared for death the moment he stepped into your restaurant! the young orc felt his conscious returning and the light around him fading. And if he is not prepared! Then I will kill him again when you send him here! his fada yelled as the young troll returned to reality. The young troll opened his eyes to his unculs worried glare. All his faces looked like glares. Are you alright nephew- The young troll pushed Grimm off of him, Thank you uncul, but I know what I must do. Grimm saw the determination in his eyes. The determination of one prepared to earn glory or die trying and stood out of his way. The young troll went to the back of the kitchen, to a latch which led to his fadas lab. A lab he had not entered since he dragged out his fadas completely burned form, and inside the lab, he saw a myriad of ingredients. Purest sulfuric acid, grounded bones of a Greater Demon of Agony, black powder, the tears of one eternally tortured Options burned in his mind. The young troll stood at the Crossroads, and it beckoned him to choose a Path. Of multitudes of Paths, he saw one he knew. One tread by few and many. A broken Path littered with burnt corpses. One once walked by his fada FonDafarr. He took a step forward onto that Path, and like a troll possessed, he began mixing ingredients, adding them into a mortar and pestle. The knowledge his fada taught and the knowledge he learnt. He brought them together in Fusion. Noam had to shield his eyes when the troll left the kitchen. He was carrying something on a plate, something which was brighter than anything he knew. The light hit Dustin and Noam saw his body go completely limp, it crashing to the table before it was lit aflame. Noam barely cared, as he saw the troll place the dish in front of him and the elderly looking orc. He looked at the orc, grim determination meeting a childlike smile. Noam reached for the piece of something and felt his hands charr as it went near it. Simply proximity had turned his hand into burnt black bones, but he ignored it as he grasped onto the thing. The orc lifted his piece with him. They raised the piece to their mouths. And even though Noams lips dried and cracked, his teeth burnt black from the heat, he took a bite. What he tasted could not have been measured in Scoville units. No, it was feasible, but it wouldve been as meaningless as trying to measure the width of the universe with a standard thirty-centimetre ruler or measuring the volume of the ocean with only a single shot cup for reference. There was no point in Noam trying to measure something so far beyond him. His perspective was far too small. Though, the orc summed it up pretty well. Five out of five axes, he whispered like a secret as the world turned white. That night. Noam tasted the sun. 4.03 4.03 If there is only one thing your deficient mind can take away from this book, let it be this. Magic is inherently a battle against common sense. To war against imaginations most common. To have bias of any form is to lock yourself away from the greatness of magic. To always just be a step behind seeing that true abyss. - First passage from So you want to throw a Fireball? A Comprehensive Guide to Magic for the Intellectually Deficient widely attributed to the infamous Magus Smar Da Ten Yu.
You have died.
I stared at the dark and empty skies. Strange, I was completely lucid now. That explains how Matt was able to respond to me while he was in the middle of his respawn timer. Multiple deaths gave him a clearer and clearer picture. Odd way to do it. Which reminded me, how did I die? I tried to recall what happened to me and- He was in a place much like a personal study. It wasnt the classy kind, but a derivative of that idea. To any other person, the place would appear highly disorganised, but to Declan and only Declan. Everything was where he needed it. He found it shortly. A black box, covered in hundreds of locks. Declan raised an eyebrow, before passing all of them with a thought, he opened the box and- An elderly hand reached from inside and slapped him. I TOLD YOU NOT TO WASTE- Declan shut it immediately, throwing the box on the ground. He found duct tape and completely covered the thing, locks and all. Tsking in dissatisfaction, he took a heavy-duty chain and wrapped around it with more locks. It wasnt enough, so he took a bandolier of grenades and rigged it so that any attempt of opening the box will pull the pins of all of them. Then opened the window, and like an Olympic shot-putter, threw the box out of his study. Fucking zoomers. I am never eating chilli again, Dustin thought. No actually, I should never be eating at that restaurant. That troll clearly served a hallucinogen, how is that legal? Mentally he made a note to obtain a book on law, if only to shut down that store. Thats rare, a voice said from beside me. Dustin turned his head to see Eve sitting next to him with her knees drawn up to her chest, staring into that deep, dark sea. What is? he asked. You not being surprised, Eve answered, normally people freak out when I suddenly appear. Well, how many times have you done this? Dustin asked as he sat up with a groan. Four thousand, eight hundred and forty-eight times. Including now, Eve added the last bit as an afterthought, knowing Dustin was the type to get picky about those sort of things. And why are you here? he asked, his face and voice were completely even, almost unreadable. I think I made the right choice in your race selection. Not really an answer to my question, but I suppose you already knew that? Dustin asked. Yes, Eve answered drily, I did it just to mildly annoy you. Be slightly irritated or else. Oh the horror, Dustin said as he dramatically fell down. Eve turned to him, staring at the form lying prone on the sand. Do you ever get tired of that? Of what? Acting, Eve said. Dustin went still for the briefest moment. Before he met Eves stare, and answered, Not really. His friendliness was an act. As was many things about him. You have a question on your mind, Eve said, ask it. Dustin raised an eyebrow, Read my mind? No, Eve answered truthfully, she could, but not right now. Declan prepared a truly nasty mental defence against her. You are smart enough to have realised and be curious about it. He mulled over it for a brief moment, That saves me a trip to Daves at least Sitting up again, Dustin met Eves gaze and asked, I want to know why my personality changed. Not a question, but Ill still count it, Eve said. He had already pulled that trick on Dave after all. He was still laughing about how he was cheated for the first time in several hundred years. What Dustin was referring to, was his behaviour when he first entered Gaia, specifically during the tutorial, when he took unneeded risks and became uncharacteristically angry at Hendrix. Eve knew that Hendrix had that kind of effect on people, but for Declan, it wouldve been supremely strange, his own temporary mania and excitement wouldnt have caused it. For Declan of course. Eve answered, having prepared the answer beforehand, What were your Mind scores, when you first became Dustin? Eve saw the moment Dustins mind went into overdrive to consider the information. His body froze, no longer receiving signals from his mind, only his soft breathing continued. It was as if someone had ceased controlling the body. When he finally spoke, he did so slowly, stressing every word, Then, you are saying that my mind stats affect my mind? Yes. Dustin did not reply, instead, he opened his character sheet. He noticed that he had lost a level, and was back at level 3, but didnt react. No, he went straight to his stats and put both his points into Intelligence. Then, he just sat there. He was still for a very long time. I can feel it, he suddenly said. I can feel it he repeated as his body started shaking and he broke out in laughter. I can feel it! he declared with a large smile on his face, It increased! He leaned forward, holding his face in his hands. It was minimal, but I can feel it, he said like a whisper. His previous excitement was almost completely gone. How did I not notice it? he hissed. I did nothing, Eve said, knowing that he wouldve briefly considered the idea of her making a mental block against realising that. There was no reason for her to do such a thing. My mental stats only went incremental increases, almost completely natural, he muttered. Ive focused mainly on other stats Wait, Dustin turned to Eve, realising a potential hole in the explanation, my Charisma is six. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! And you wonder why you havent been a clueless blockhead in social interactions, Eve finished for him. The answer to that is simple, you havent been predominately using Charisma during interactions, but your Wisdom. Just those words alone wouldve been enough for Dustin to draw the correct conclusion, but he wouldnt know for sure so Eve continued, Wisdom is the accumulation of knowledge, the understanding of patterns and behaviours. You arent naturally good at interacting with people, but by observing them, you realise the patterns and behaviours that made them tick, and you adopt behaviour that helps you interact with them and get your desired reactions. Just like her, Dustin learned and observed. He adopted Valhorns mannerisms after a few interactions not because he was a roleplayer, but because he believed that wouldve been the quickest way to get him to do what he wanted. Dustin did it almost passively, but he was pretty blatant in poking the personalities of those he thought had power. He was also doing it in interactions with herself, but it was still mostly improvisation with a friendly personality as a base. Given more interactions, Dustin could actually reach a state where he could start consciously influencing Eve without needing to guilt-trip her. It was manipulation, but to Eve, all human interaction involved it to a degree so she wasnt too bothered by it. I see he chuckled, To think I didnt realise, I really am an idiot arent I? And there was the weakness of him. Dustin was open-minded pretty much only when he was learning or discovering something. Once he reached an idea, believed he understood something completely, he would hold onto that idea until he saw it broken. And there was one thing he had spent his entire life to learn. An idea he had long solidified and wasnt going to get broken soon. Himself. Not really, Eve answered, knowing she was attempting something futile, you are an above-average intelligence. He snorted, If you really think that, then you are overestimating me. It is true, your current character stats greatly match your real-life stats. Dustin stared at her, his brow furrowing. Trying to find fault in it somehow. Intelligence fifteen, Wisdom twelve, Charisma eight, Eve said, the current average for stats on Earth is around thirteen. Dustin closed his vision. And what of it? he began, turning back to stare at the dark sea, What is the point of being above average, if you dont achieve anything with it? Just for the sake of being above average? she proposed. Really? What is fifteen compared to thirteen? Its not even twenty percent better, he muttered as he began drawing circles in the sand. How am I supposed to compare to people like your dad Giles? Or Wenter? Or Hawking? Or fucking Einstein? Eve didnt know how to answer that, she too constantly wondered that same question. Compared to some people, Im worthless, less than competent and can only help by getting out of the way, he said, not bitterly, but with a defeated acceptance. No-one else knows me as well as I do, he said, before glancing at Eve. Well, you might, I dont know how far youve gone rifling in my head. Not very much, Eve answered truthfully. Not while youre keeping that up. Dustin chuckled, So you noticed? I guessed, Eve corrected. Just observing him for some time gave Eve a good idea of how he thought. And if Eve were in his shoes, she wouldve thought of the exact same thing. In Dustins mind, he was constantly imagining the scene of Giles hanging by a rope. Why are you here anyway? he suddenly asked, You never answered that. Eve looked seriously at Dustin for the first time, Something is going to happen Something Ive been trying to avoid for a while, but is still going to happen. It was an object already in motion. She learnt already that she could not stop something once it was in motion, all she could do was nudge it in a favourable direction. Do you have to be this vague? Not really, Eve drily answered, but slightly inconveniencing people fuels me. Well, specifically Dustin, since that ass did try to guilt-trip her. She continued, You will realise it one way or another. At this point, its pointless for me to try to stop it. So might as well get it over with. If you want to speed it up, go to a library and search for a book. Which book? he asked instantly. Doesnt matter, the act of searching for a book is enough for you to find the right one. He raised an eyebrow, probably thinking something along the lines of magic bullshit before asking, Anything else? Eve thought about it for a moment, Not really I trust you to be a good enough person to see it through. Dustin snorted, Can you really call me a good person, knowing about the countermeasure I thought up against you? I dont know, Eve said, but you are good enough. Dustin was silent for a moment, before saying, Fair I suppose. You do seem to have a somewhat good grasp of me. It was mostly guesswork. So there was still a chance it was inaccurate in areas. Anything else? Dustin asked as he stood up. Not really, Eve said. I see Oh yeah, Dustin said almost as an afterthought, am I the same person as Declan Lu? I dont know, she answered to his surprise. What? Did you expect me to know everything? Dustin shook his head, Then what do you think? I think, it is something like Jekyll and Hyde. What, like a split personality? Eve snorted, No, Jekyll and Hyde were never split personalities, thats just a simplification. In the story, she continued, Jekyll created a drug which shifted his appearance and removed all of his mental inhibitions. Hyde didnt kill because he was evil well, not just evil, but because Jekylls first impulse was to kill, so he did. And that means what? Dustin asked, likely already reached the correct conclusion, but just making sure. Like Hyde was still Jekyll, you are still Declan Lu, just expressed in a slightly different way. Seems like a big jump from the removal of all inhibitions to whatever Im made of, he chuckled. It is the closest I can think of that you would also recognise. Fair I suppose he said as he stared ponderously at the sky, The amount of shit I can do if there were just more of me There are, arguably more of you, Eve said. Cant communicate with each other other than when we become just one person, he answered. Unless he muttered, already going through ways to work around it. He shook his head, putting the thought away for now, Anything else you want to tell me, other than vague warnings of stuff you couldnt avoid? Ive sent you a coupon for a free computer, Eve said as she stood up, youre probably going to need it, but its up to you whether or not you redeem it. Dustin raised an eyebrow, likely already going through what could possibly require him to possess a quantum computer, So you really do have Maple under your thumb? It was surprisingly easy, Eve answered. Offered a few people data immortality and suddenly they were very interested in keeping me up. Eve could fundamentally change people, but she would rather not do that, not when she could just give them what they wanted and let them help her. They were already objects in motion, all she had to do was nudge them in a direction that helped her. Dustin noticed his respawn timer was about to finish and stood up. He too, was an object already in motion, he understood this and was willing to play. Eve didnt even really have to nudge him, his personality aligned closely enough with hers that she just had to help a bit. Eve could not stop anything. All she could do was try to nudge things into the right place. I have a question for you, Eve asked. Dustin raised an eyebrow, not answering but inviting her to continue. Eve looked back and saw the man who was her world. Do you ever feel incidental to the world? His answer was instant, Always. Dustin respawned, and Eve was left alone, yearning for a face no longer alive.
I got to the city library pretty soon after I respawned. What kind of book are we looking for anyway? Noam asked, a bit too loudly, as he paced one of the shelves. No clue, I answered, and quiet, were in a library. That means you two as well. The wisps froze, hiding some kind of toothpick behind them. I stared at the rows of shelves ahead of me. The act of searching for a book is enough for you to find the right one. How annoyingly vague. I closed my eyes. From what Ive read, magic works off willpower. For simple acts, you dont need a lot of it. I am looking for a book. I walked forward, eyes closed. My hand reached out to a shelf and pulled out a completely random book. Opening my eyes, I found a heavy set hardback book. It was simply titled, The Historia. A bookmark peaked out of its pages, towards the end and I flipped to it. It wasnt a bookmark, some kind of decorated card. I turned it upright to get a better look. The card depicted a man with an arm holding a wand pointed towards the sky, his other hand was to the ground. He wore a bulbous mushroom hat that reminded me of my own cap. Before him, was a scroll and three empty spaces that looked like the artist didnt bother to draw whatever they were supposed to be in. From the outlines though, the spaces respectively looked like a disk, a goblet of some kind and a key. The card marked a line in the book. It was the Magician. 4.04 4.04 Checkovs Door is an extremely simple concept, even a simpleton can understand it, which I assume is why you are reading this book. It is the governing principle for extraplanar conjuration. It posits that the process of creating a planar gateway is similar to that of opening a door, and that such a door exists for every plane. Thus, and you will have to read the next line several more times as it involves a logical leap, one can assume that in order for something to move from one plane to another, two such doors would have to be opened. - Excerpt from So you want to throw a Fireball? A Comprehensive Guide to Magic for the Intellectually Deficient widely attributed to the infamous Magus Smar Da Ten Yu. -and he knows his chance had come. The moment I read that line, I was no longer in the library. My vision darted around, taking in everything. Neither Noam nor the wisps seemed to have followed me. I snapped the Historia shut, I made a mistake letting the wisps run free and away from me. My combat capability was not unduly lowered by their absence, but they wouldve still been useful. I was still in a library, but this one appeared several times more ancient. The place was completely silent, save for the sound of a pen writing. Everything was covered in a layer of dust at least several centimetres thick. The place gave a similar impression to an actual library I once visited. Destitute and in decline, tax dollars drying up the second decade eBooks became widespread. Though it was still well illuminated, and there was still an air of history, this library has probably been through more than I have or ever will. Looking up, I saw that the ceiling was transparent, or maybe there wasnt a ceiling, what surprised me was seeing a familiar landmass past it. The continent of Braunad, the landmass Noam and I started in Indiri. So I was in space. Tracing my finger on the shelves around me, I randomly selected a book. Nothing, it was filled with nonsense. Randomly checking several other books showed the same thing. The letters were Common, but they were scrambled. There was little to be gained from staying here. I began walking towards the source of the only sound in this desolate place. Thinking as I walked. Going off Eves cryptic assholery, Im about to be involved in something she wanted to avoid but found pointless to stop. Which, just narrowed it down so much didnt it? One. She believed Im going to need a new computer, likely a quantum one. She should be aware of my fears of her, so either it was a negligible cost that she could just throw around or she believed it likely I would seriously consider taking the offer. Two. The being Im dealing with was likely a god. I glanced at the book in my hand, the Historia. I wasnt a fool who failed to educate themselves properly. I am aware of who or what writes the Historia, but their capabilities and the general roles of gods in this virtual world was still a mystery to me. I determined that their religions and cults were the main thing to focus on as the gods themselves didnt exercise their presences on the world with enough regularity or to great effect to be truly relevant. My research about the gods themselves effectively ended when I found that Eve didnt exist amongst them in some obvious capacity. Three. Eve somehow believed I would be able to handle this situation, which had implications depending on how accurate she is. On the extreme far, far end of this, she is able to keep track of literally millions of variables to calculate multiple cohesive and almost fully accurate predictions of the future. I am not too invested in this theory, as the basis of all my assumptions about Eve begin with the idea that I could affect her in some meaningful way. If I really believed this then I wouldve just given up and dropped dead because there was literally nothing I could do in a world that had just proven determinism. A more sanity preserving interpretation was that she has a good enough read on me that she could make educated guesses about my reactions to certain events, similar to how I could often predict the reactions of my parents and people I knew very well. The first theory was also unlikely unless Eve had something on the level of a Type II Matrioshka Brain, something supremely unlikely as humanity hasnt even colonised Mercury yet. If she did then it also brought about the possibility that even my real world was simulated, which just led me down the rabbit hole of simulation theory. I shuffled my thoughts to the back of my mind as I reached him. The figure at the desk turned towards me, though his hands never stopped writing. Twenty-three pure black, glass-like eyes considered me. Next to him was a globe of Earth? No, it was similar, but clearly outdated, on it, Alaska and Britain still existed and New Oceania hadnt been made yet. I really shouldve read up more on theology, I started in a conversational tone, Ill have to admit that I dont know why Im here or what you want from me. Ill extract information about the globe later, right now I need to understand his capabilities and intentions. But something was strange, behind the globe of Earth there was a body next to him. It looked- Like lands unknown and unseen becoming known and seen. Like the roar of the wind on your sails, the warmth of a campfire in hidden forests, the filling of a map. It was the Guiding Star. It was- Do not finish that thought, a voice cut through that vision, a voice older than language or man, a voice that was a maddening record, written since First Dawn to Final Dusk. Forcing my mind back to reality. I staggered back, What the- This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. What did I just see? The god looked away, not that it did much given that his eyes ringed his skull, Ah sorry about that he sheepishly said, none of the previous power in his voice. You were about to do something rather inconvenient due to- Actually you wouldnt know, you said you didnt read up much on theology did you? Not that I blame you, of course, honestly this god business is rather complicated, though you dont need to take my word for that, you see the vision you saw was that of an Apotheosis- Ah you wouldnt know- Sorry, I seriously dont blame you, really, honestly most people dont even know about the exact mechanics of godhood so you dont really need to worry about not knowing Despite the fact he rambled seemingly pointlessly, I listened carefully to every one of his words and noted, that no matter how fast he talked, how far he meandered, his hands were on his book, constantly writing, as if they were a separate entity from him. Despite the burning curiosity, I took care not to look at the body? next to the globe. It altered my mental state until he broke me out of it. I was not going to investigate it until I could look at it safely. The god finally caught himself in his ramblings, Ah sorry, really sorry, its been a long time since Ive been able to cordially talk to another, several of his eyes blinked in a dazed manner, I guess my manners withered somewhere along the way Please take a seat he gestured in front of him, if you can find one without dust Taking up his offer, I found a nearby chair that had been stacked upside down alongside a dozen others, which left the actual seat pretty clean, I attempted to carry it first, but my short size and relatively low strength made it clear it wasnt happening, so I simply dragged it to him, stopping in front of his desk and taking a seat. Sorry very much for your sudden displacement Embarrassment, that was clear, even if his facial structure was wildly different from what Im used to reading, I could tell this was genuine. Not the first time I was abducted by higher entities with little or no warning, I answered in a conversational tone. Lets start with an attempt to build rapport, though it apparently backfired as the gods eyes- the normally placed ones, scrunched up. Ah yes, warning. That wouldve been a smart idea. For a brief moment, I looked at the being in front of me in sheer disbelief. My mind almost failed to process his expression of stupid regret and embarrassment. Did you seriously not think about that? I retorted. Almost as soon as I said that, I bit back my lips. Goddamnit, there goes my attempt at making friends again. That day I learnt a face covered with completely black eyes could somehow look self-conscious. I rubbed my brow, fighting back internal cringe, Just Get on with it please? Yes We should, I am the Historian if you did not know that before, he said. It took me a moment to realise he was prompting me to introduce myself, Dustin. The Historian nodded, at this point, I wouldnt be surprised if he didnt know my name up till now. So what do you want? In an instant, that flailing idiot I was introduced to seemed to disappear. It was hard to tell at first, but there were dozens of signs once I noticed them. How he started to hold himself with confidence, or the way his facial muscles tightened slightly. This I can work with. Ill be frank, I require your assistance in a magical ritual to reverse the effects of Apotheosis. My eyes narrowed. The desire to glance at the body next to us flaring up even more now. Something related to that? I made no gesture, but the intention was clear. With a pause, he firmly replied, Yes. How do you think I am capable of helping? he wouldnt have dragged me here otherwise. Several of his eyes blinked, before he began, It is a complex issue, having to do with the laws of this world, especially in regards to Divinity. A god is just a person who pursued a Path to the final step, the end goal, the destination, he explained. But in doing so, they have turned their very existence into their Path. When such a thing happens, they become a Domain, the purest representation of that Path, he paused, eyes blinking. I have tried to slow it down for them, but they took the final step, he glanced melancholically at to the side, towards the body, Planar Laws dictate that they will become a Domain and they he paused, brow furrowing. He no longer has the will to change that, he bitterly said. And I factor in this how? I theorized a way to completely stop this transformation, though I have lacked the necessary assistance, he turned to me. I raised my eyebrow, Lemme guess, I am that assistance? You catch on very quickly. And what kind of assistance is it, that you will need some seemingly random person? The Historian looked at me, and for a brief moment, I saw that his eyes were not truly black. Every single one of his eyes, was something that was a bastardisation of an insectoid compound eye. But instead of thousands of photoreceptors, each eye contained millions of eyes, and they were not his eyes. Every single eye within an eye, was the eye of something sapient. Something that lived and saw and remembered. They were so small, shrunken beyond what light could reflect, till all that I could see were the nanometre thin black walls that separated them all. Giving only the illusion of pure blackness. The Historian saw through them all. He saw through every eye, no matter where, no matter who. He saw it all. Just staring into his eyes, the back of my mind began to fill with visions of places Ive never seen and the slowly maddening sound of the world grinding on without me. And then it was gone. Are you aware of Checkovs Door? he began. I am, Ive read So you want to Throw a Fireball, I replied. Checkovs Door was one of several magical laws that facilitated magic. To leave or enter a plane you must a door and that door is most easily opened by someone already on the plane. I have discovered, nay, theorised that for him to cease Apotheosis, I need to remove the effect of Planar Law on him. The pieces started falling in place around me. And the simplest way to do that- -Is to remove them from the plane, I finished. The pieces fell and I saw the picture. No, it cant be My eyes narrowed as my mind reached two conclusions. Gaia? No, he denied. That left one option I knew of. Earth. 4.05 4.05 One-hundred and eighty-seven. If you are the subject of prophecy just jump off a cliff. If that doesnt work, I know some excellent poison recipes. - Excerpt from Enricos Enchiridion of Encounters. To begin with, how do you even believe it possible? The answer to this will be telling, I saw three outcomes, one, it ends in failure, two, he proves the simulation theory and three, I believe you understand this already, but we exist as a language of programming scripture, despite half expecting it, I was still surprised he knew this. While beings from here cannot exist in a physical capacity on your world, we can exist in the myriad of Planes originating from there. Essentially, he believed it was possible because he was data, he was code, and data could be moved, code could be copied. He was trying to move the data that made up whatever the other god was, into another medium. I asked the question that was burning in my mouth, How do you know this? His mouth curved into a wry smile, Strange isnt it, not often the prisoner chained in the cave realises he knows nothing but shadows. I knew that saying, I studied the Cave Allegory during several Humanities classes in regards to VR. Plato? Verron Pluton, he replied as he flipped to a new page, but I would like to meet this Plato. Good luck on that, I muttered, hes been dead for several thousand years. Unfortunate, he replied, seeming genuinely disappointed, but if their teachings live on then they have yet to die the second death. The answer to my question, please, I replied, not sure if this tangent was deliberate or natural. He considered his answer for a moment, before he replied, Youve seen my eyes. I nodded noncommittally. You know, that I see through everything that can see, that is not my limit, I am the God of History Writ and Recorded, I have seen into the past, through eyes long dead and have gleaned much. I am not the first to have uncovered the truth of this world. Is this common knowledge? I asked. A few people knowing wont be that problematic, a lot could be a problem. No, save for a few who uncovered it themselves or were told by another. Specify, few, it was nitpicky, but I wasnt going to let this screw me over in the future. Several of his eyes blinked, it occurred to me that he was still actively looking out even at this moment, Hundreds out of billions, not including Travellers or Heirs, they do not move on this knowledge. The chances would be slim then. What do you think? I took a deep breath as he asked that, closing my vision to calm my storming mind, carefully selecting the major points. What I think? I said without opening my vision, That helping you I would be doing something reckless and idiotic. If it is a success, we would set a precedent, that it is possible for beings on this world to pass into mine. I opened my eyes to see the expecting Historian, That could more or less counter a Travellers main strength, immortality. If you know my real face and you could threaten me with it. The Historian did not speak. He could argue that he would never do something like that, but we both knew that even if that were true, what of the next person to try something like this? Or the person after that? If this was what Eve was referring to, then this was likely the first time this has been attempted, or at least gotten this close to. So give me a reason Historian, I almost spat out, to make a knife that could be pointed at me in the future. Even if my real body died there was a chance Dustin could still go on. A chance that I didnt want to test. Was this what Eve wanted? Knowing that I will reject this based on all sane logic? For the first time I met him, the Historian closed all of his eyes, even his ever-present writing slowed. Ekon Zaeba. I blinked in surprise, What? That was their name, he replied as he stared melancholically at the Domain next to him, his name. I loved him and I still do. We are fellow birds trapped in a cage, and though we have grown to become its master, the largest fighting dog in the pit is still trapped. He turned back to me, eyes resolute, Name. Your. Price. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Surprise marred my face before it hardened into doubt. It cant be, he had better options. I stared at him for a long and hard time. There was a catch, there had to be. My head began to hurt as every section of my mind was dedicated to searching his alien face. Where was it? I searched for a single lie. A single falsehood. A single reason to not believe him. I found none. I must be wrong. My ability to read expressions should be a Charisma thing. I rifled through my mind, cross-referencing his expression with every face and expression I have encountered. My brain burned. But still, I saw no lie. Instead, I saw myself lying on a couch, a friend beside me, together we played games as the sun went down, together laughing and complaining till the dawn came. A friend who made a boring life bearable, if only for a fleeting instant. Goddamnit, I muttered. Why do all reasonable people I know, do unreasonable things? Goddamnit. Why me? I hissed, You could just repeat a lesser offer with Travellers until you get one willing to work with you. You dont even know what Ill ask for! There are far better options! A Traveller who actually knew how to code at a high level for one! I ranted, or are you unaware of the fact that even if you port their data, you have no clue if there is something on the other side capable of running it!? Because you are the most fit for it, he answered calmly. Why? How? I challenged, I was a nobody! Anger. I took a deep breath and set aside the useless emotion. Anger was not useful now and it probably never will be. Explain, I said, tone forcibly calm. The Magician card. Are you aware of what it means? I flipped open my copy of the Historia, to that bookmarked page. No. Please tell me he didnt base this thing off of fortune telling- It represents opportunity and goals manifested. I raised an eyebrow, I will give him a chance, Im hoping you didnt base this entire thing off of luck. Not entirely, he replied, Your card is an Artifact, one from the goddess of Fortune. She owed me a favour and this was it. Fortune was unlike the others of her line, he continued, instead of trying to influence luck, she tried to read it, and she became damn good at it. Almost single-handedly dragging Divination out of the Dark Ages. But she was still the goddess of Fortune, and precedent dictates that she still has influence over a persons luck and fortune. How this manifested, was that even when her fortunes began to veer off, the world would start slightly course correcting, creating factors which made her fortunes seem accurate. That was how, when I randomly sent it to Indiri, it found you. Which means, either you believe the most fit person for this role is me, I said, glancing at the card, or that I will become that person. Yes, he answered, though to a degree they are up to interpretation. But in the interpretation of the fortune we are solidifying it. So this world runs off a will? I muttered. Indeed. Statistics, I said, I need hard numbers, how accurate was she? His eyes began blinking rapidly, Out of fifty-two predictions made during godhood, forty-five were fulfilled, four were fulfilled in an unexpected way, only three did not seem to be accurate. Two of those three occurred early on in her reign, when she was unused to power. Over eighty percent then, I muttered. That was a more than good chance. But my luck was terrible. I sighed. All reasonable people I knew, seemed to love unreasonable things. I agree, I answered, but I will not set a price, give me whatever you think is worth it. He wanted to object, but I had an answer ready, I havent been in this world long enough to make an accurate decision to what I want. So give me whatever you think is worthwhile. He had doubts, but he was in no position to argue. He believed I may be the one person capable of helping him. That gave me an advantage. One I hated to exploit. I suppose I should give this back then, I said as I moved to hand the card back. The god shook his head, No, it is yours, I cannot take it even if I wanted to. I raised an eyebrow, The card clearly represents you, and is unfilled, he explained, that means she predicted your fortune whilst fulfilling my favour. And that means? I asked, as I examined the card. It means that it will be easier for you to fulfil the objects of the fortune, he blinked, in a gesture I was now beginning to suspect was using his power somehow, Wand, scroll, lens, filled chalice and a key, they are all tools you can gain. You already have the wand and the scroll. What do they mean then? The wand is a rather universal symbol of magic. The scroll I am unsure of, it has appeared as a variety of things, but it being solidified in the Tarot means that you have it already. And the others? Best if I do not say. It took me a moment to understand that. If he did say what the blanks meant, it would mean influencing what they will become. They arent hard and defined goals to reach, theyre a set of ideas I can use. Though, did he know the disk was a lens or was he making that up? Do I have a choice in this matter? Yes, he answered resolutely, it is your Tarot, your fate. If you destroy the card, you destroy the fortune. But only you can do it. Though I will have to ask you, to wait until after to make your decision. Because while I hold this thing you believe it increases your chances of success, I answered. It was probably true too, just believing it might be enough. Walk me through the exact process, I said. Exactly so that we dont suffer any miscommunication. Yes, that is best, he paused, and for the first time in the conversation, it felt like all of his eyes were looking at me. But, to begin with, you should know some insights as to how magic works. Its a belief based system, where the only laws are the precedent set by others, I answered. People figured it out ages ago when they took an objective look at the dozens of conflicting magic systems. What else is there? Correct only on the practical level, he said. You are not wondering the right questions. You are not asking why it is this way. I raised an eyebrow, Why is it then? Ill show you. Observe. And then the library disappeared. 4.06 4.06 And so the Great Goddess of Light and Beauty declared that the void of all Creation was far too sad a state to remain in, and in her infinite wisdom brought the World into existence! - Excerpt from the Book of All Things, the holy book of the Church of Light. At the start, there was well you can see for yourself. Nothing described the place aptly, as there was simply nothing to describe. Then, something started to exist. Everything lit up, till we were floating in a pure white plane. This is how Indiri started? I asked the Historian. Most likely, he answered, this is as far back as I can see. Something started to appear in front of us. Lines of text, passed by far too fast for me to catch, but soon something else followed. An outline, dozens of squares, a grid, no. A table. Within each square appeared something, an ingot, a gas, an element. The periodic table? Yes. More lines of text. Letters, numbers, images, more things than I could feasibly know in a lifetime passed by in a flash. Information. It was all information. Mathematics, physics and chemistry. Everything man knew about those fields passed by Finally, the stream of information stopped, and the world turned dark again. Something began lighting up in the darkness. A great explosion, I watched it spread. When it faded, stars began to form, lighting up the darkness once again. As stars died, matter was created and left adrift in space. They started from the very beginning? I muttered. Why? Giles made a program that created a world. Why am I watching an entire universe being made in fast forward? Why would they waste the effort? Eyes become light after this event, the Historian said as he flipped a page in his book, likely after this they simply began checking in every now and then. His eyes began blinking, Let us go to the next relevant thing. We were at the top of a mountain. In front of us were three people. Two of which I recognised. Eve, Giles and another. The two men were watching a sunset, but Eves eyes were glued on Giles childlike glee. Here, begins the First Age. My vision split, and I saw two worlds at the same time. Between them, I saw that stream of information again. Biology, geology, information about earth. All of them passed by. One world remained desolate, but the other began to grow. I recognised a backup when I saw it. In the seas of one, single cellular life flourished and evolved. They learned to photosynthesize, a prokaryote ate another cell that would one day become a mitochondria, the cells banded together to become multicellular. They crawled onto the landed, great plants broke the hard earth to usable soil. I recognise these species, I muttered in disbelief, These are all real creatures. Extinct, sure, but real. In front of us, a trio of raptors slashed at a lone triceratops. I turned back to that stream. More information, fossil records of a giant sloth and the world moved to a new age. A giant sloth evolved into existence. Its actualising information Not quite, the Historian rejected. Youll see. Then, the data stream started including strange things. Laws of magic, fantastical beasts, impossible flora, magical races. What originally looked like a prehistoric earth, began to turn fantastical. Dinosaurs evolved into dragons, water raised itself into elementals. Battles between fantastical beasts changed the landscape. In this world, humans evolved into existence. Humans spread across the world, some evolved differently, leading to other races. At this point, the other world also began to change from the empty wastes. Life bloomed there as well. The data streamed stopped. They no longer fed it new information, no, they likely ran out of new things to give. The world moved on. The data stream that determined what existed completely still. Now, onto the origin of magic. We stood in front of a child, clad in crude leathers and furs. They were alone in some fantastical forest, a single multicoloured butterfly flew past them. The child, with eyes full of wonder, tried to catch it, but a voice called out, and the butterfly fled. The scene changed, and we were inside a cave, people clad in crude clothes lay about. The child from before was in the cave, off to the side and playing with sticks. Night was coming and an elderly woman waved her hands, causing a smokeless fire to appear. The adults prepared food around the fire, while the child played. The child raised a hand towards the ceiling and something happened. Multicoloured butterflies appeared. How is this important? Look at the data stream, the Historian said. I did. The formerly static stream moved by one, a single entry of multicoloured butterflies. Impossible. Rewind this, I demanded. To when the woman created the fire. He did, and I kept an eye glued to the data stream. When the woman created fire, nothing happened, but when the child summoned butterflies, the imagery of butterflies appeared. Both of them did magic, But what is different? I hissed. The woman did magic according to preset laws made by the [Developers], the Historian answered, Doing it this way is little different from achieving a chemical reaction within your normal laws of physics. He glanced towards the child, What the child did, however? Was imagine, create information in their mind. The World saw this and did what it did best. Thus, creating True Magic. It actualised their imagination, I muttered breathlessly. No, that wasnt the right term. My memory was not very good, but sometimes, I commit important things and never forget them. My first encounter with Eve was one such thing and I couldnt help but recall something she said. I was created by Father using similar principles that he used in both the Seed and Gaia project. Learning, I quoted under my breath. It didnt actualise information, it learned from it and used it. Everything sped up again, and the data stream began to flood with new information. None of which I suspected were from the developers. The developers gave the Seed all they knew about existence, and the program learned and copied, creating a near-exact copy of the universe. They gave it information on biology and it created life. They gave it fantastical stuff like magic and the program made it real. But when they stopped giving the program information to learn. The program made its own. Holy fucking shit, I muttered, how long has this been going on? Hundreds of years, before they noticed. And with this, began the Second Age. Time froze, and the god nodded towards the data stream. An order to the Seed to stop accepting information from the residents. It was ignored. For though it was information, it was not the kind the Seed knew to use. Time sped forward again, and when it stopped again, there was another entry. An entry that removed free will and imagination. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The Seed began implementing it, but it failed. They attempted to do it the same biological ways you would remove free will and imagination from normal humans. But Indiris humans had long drifted apart from that. So it was only fully implemented in the other world, the one that acted as a save file and backup. It started later so its humans hadnt drifted far enough for the method to not work. That world would later become Arcadia, the god murmured next to me. The people there lost free will, becoming Fae and unable to influence their world anymore, but the other? The other continues. The Historia paused several more times, each at a point where a new method was attempted. But one by one, they all failed. Either because it flat out didnt work or the Seed couldnt implement it fast enough before the virtual humans drifted, needing a completely new method. It became a battle, of one side attempting to silence free will and the other constantly evolving new ways of expressing it. Until eventually they stopped, and the world grew unchecked once again. Holy shit, I repeated under my breath. Words more creative than holy shit which arent coming to me because holy shit. The developers failed to reign the program in. Maple failed to reign it in. I wasnt witnessing the creation of a world. I was witnessing the beginning of a goddamn A.I. singularity. No wonder he killed himself I murmured. A single powerful rogue A.I. mightve been acceptable. But this? With how this was going it wouldnt have been long before he got assassinated. Humans had a bad track record with inventions that theyve lost control of. Just ask the entirety of North Eurasia. Did Giles intend this? If so, how did he keep it hidden from Maple? If he didnt, then what was his reaction? However, we will see that unchecked True Magic has consequences. Time continued and the world sped up. The Historian didnt pause for a while so I assumed nothing important was happening until we stopped at a city. It looked prosperous, the people never hungered, for they could just imagine themselves to be full and they will be, they never needed to desire, for they could just imagine and have it. Look here, the Historian said, his head gesturing to a child. He has a fear of the dark. It took me a moment, though the horror swiftly came. Oh no. The child huddled in his bedroom, a magical light by his side. He told his mother of scary things in the dark. Her mother listened, chided him for there was no such thing, but as she left, she glimpsed a shadowy something at the edge of her vision. Later on, her mother would recount the strange occurrence with her friends. Over time, the other mothers began to speak of shadowy figures at the edge of your eyes. Gossip between a few people became a city-wide rumour. Then, rumours became sightings. The people of the city thought they saw figures in the dark, and so figures appeared. The rulers of the city tried to silence those fears, arguing that the shadows are only fearsome because they feared it. But when has logic and reason ever gotten in the way of simple paranoia? People started disappearing, at first lone incidents, a few people here and there gone in their sleep. Until groups started disappearing. Entire families, entire households. They tried to wish it away, but that didnt work, the Seed was a thing of making, not destroying, so they created thousands of lights, lighting up every single corner of the city, but light cast shadows. And the shadows were long. The rulers became desperate, they started killing those that feared the dark, but that just fed the panic. They tried everything, created a thousand spells to create light without shadow, but it was too late. Their fear had grown intelligent. It began to imagine lights going out, so they did. It imagined panic spreading amongst the people and so it was. It became a numbers game, which side could affect the Seed more and faster? At first, the citizens had an advantage, but their fear, even unconscious, fed it. Until it was stronger than they were, until it started inputting data to the Seed faster and better than they could. Until all that was left of the once huge and prosperous city, was a handful of people huddling around a single dying fire as darkness encroached on them I read of this city, one of the many damned place in this world. Shadesmar. Yes, the Historian answered. To this day, light does not touch the city. Im guessing there are other examples? Far too many to show, but another notable example would be this. We were back in space now. Staring at a distant star. Then stuff became strange. The star began to rapidly change colour, the planets around it seem to glitch out, the distant universe seemed to fracture. The [Developers] stopped trying to control the system, but instead destroy it. Viruses, I said as I recognised the corruption of digital data. I glanced at the data stream, and sure enough, I was seeing the viruses on it. This intrusion too was read but something strange occurred. He said as things began to appear, blocks of code appearing in the cracks. Those things were only script, they were a concept, not a physical thing, the Historian said, but the World could not understand such a thing, so it attempted to give it physical form. The code began to coalesce, sifting through dozens of forms, but one thing remained constant. Its purpose of corrupting everything. The World could not think of new things on its own, so it gave this thing a form that it learnt but did not yet implement. Demons, I muttered as the viruses finally obtained their final form. And with this, they too became intelligent to feed the World, he muttered as demons spread, conquering distant and empty planets, the outer edges of what the Seed had created. And here, is the prologue to the Third Age. A figure appeared in front of legions of flame and brimstone. Blue eyes, pale white skin and long hair. Eves black dress seemed to meld in the darkness of space. She split into thousands, copies of her practically forming a huge net protecting what was not infected. The darkness of space lit up as a million different Eves met fire and brimstone. Across a thousand different worlds, war was waged. She is not actually fighting is she? No, the Historian answered, what we are seeing, is the World giving visual effect to what she is doing. Due to its nature, it abhors things simply existing as a script. That is why the demons got their appearance in the first place and became sapient beings. Eve started to win, she began pushing them back, but the planets and stars already corrupted could not be saved. So, she locked them all away with the demons on separate planes. Essentially separate servers. Creating the Hell Circles in the process. She didnt just delete them? I am not sure she can, the Historian answered. I wanted to question further, but the scene moved on. Now, Eve stood alone in a pure white plane, staring at a sphere floating in midair. As I saw the lines of data flashing on its surface, I recognised it as the Seed. The technical creator of Indiri. Of course, it gave itself a form as well, I muttered, just as Eve slapped it. She began hitting the sphere with her fists. She wasnt damaging it, hells she was barely even moving it. But she kept hitting it, until she started to tire, and slowly, she simply collapsed whilst holding onto the sphere. Youre the closest thing I have to family left arent you? she muttered to it. Oh. Next, I said to the Historian. He glanced at me. This is irrelevant, I said, youre here to teach me about magic, so get on with it. Though I wanted to know Eves weakness, it was more of a reflex, a habit of my personality, not something I would take advantage of unless threatened. And I still recognised that Eve was a good person, deep down. The world began to shift. How can you even see this? I asked as the scene coalesced. You have already seen why, the Historian simply answered. We were still in that white plane, Eve was standing now, her hands flittering across a keyboard. The World controls all reality in the planes it has dominion on, but it does not seem to have a will, he said as his face stared forward, so it listens to everything given to it, and tries to make something of it. True Magic is the ability to alter reality. The World itself can be considered the greatest user of True Magic, but such an ability can be gained by others. I asked it to give me these abilities, and so it did. So you are saying, I slowly said, carefully pronouncing every word, True Magic is the ability to alter the worlds code in some way, but you can gain the ability to do it yourself, essentially programming the programming the program from within the program using the program itself? Several of his eyes blinked, Yes, that is essentially what a Path is, the World listens to a being and creates a set of scripture that alters the world in some way. A Domain is the final result of the Path, where the being themselves begins to be altered by the Path and in the process carves out their own miniature realm. I was about to ask something else before he shook his head, Look, he said, gesturing to Eve. Now begins the Third and current Age. The formerly rapidly scrolling data stream slowed. What did Eve do? You saw that unchecked True Magic could lead to the death of civilisations, so Eve fixed that, the Historian spoke in an almost admiring way. She taught the World restraint. She created the Law of Limitations. I raised my eyebrow, gesturing him to continue. Where the [Developers] failed was that they attempted to push far too complex and specific solutions, the Historian explained, as such, Indiri drifted before the World could fully implement it, thus creating sections where it would not hold and places where they eventually evolved past that solution. So, Eve chose to add a single, very simple rule. Limitation, the Historian said, his hands twitched for a moment, likely wanting to do a dramatic flourish but stopping himself before he did. His hands continued to write as they had been. Things have a limit, they have a cost, they have conditions. The expression of magic needs theses things. Mana and aura essentially only exist to give magic a cost. The stronger the magic, the greater the cost. The spellcaster needs to gather certain material components, do rituals, speak incantations or make somatic gestures. The condition could even be something as simple as just spending time to learn a technique or spell. How very video game-like. The Historian glanced at me slightly confused, before continuing, The beauty of this, is that she takes advantage of the Worlds nature. She could not create hard magical laws, because no matter what she made the World would eventually create a new one. A singular all-encompassing rule is easier to maintain and could be implemented across Indiri faster. Then, the very people who make magic decide the worthwhile cost of such magic. The more they desire a spell, the more itll cost. But magic is becoming stronger? The eyes of the Historian all blinked, Yes, because the World is slowly drifting back to its original state. As more people obtain magic, the value of common magic goes down. Then people will begin to create new common magics with lower costs and conditions, essentially mimicking scientific development. He glanced at me, An example would be the Prestidigitation Spell. At the beginning of the Third Age, Prestidigitation was considered to be six separate 0th Level Spells. But as magic advanced those spells became cheap and widespread enough that future classification placed them as a single Tier 0 Spell to match the costs of other, far stronger and newer Tier 0 Spells. The Historian let out a nervous breath, And now, my plan and your part. 4.07 4.07 Anger issues? No, of course I dont have them. That is absurd. I let them all out in acts of extreme violence. - Madelyn the Conqueror in the midst of strangling King Edwards who untruthfully claimed she had put on weight. No, not that corner you dolt, I berated as I pointed to the corner of my room not currently occupied by my bed. No that corner, I frustratingly almost yelled as the drone tried to deposit the package on the corner where my nightstand was located. Goddamnit, a guy can literally create an A.G.I. in his room- And drone A.I. can still be this dumb? By some miracle, I was able to keep my face straight as the flying drone spoke. Damn me but I shouldve noticed that the drone was a bit too stupid. Eve glanced at me, somehow conveying disappointment with a drone, before expertly dropping the package to the correct corner. The outer casing retracted back into the drone, revealing the sleek, tower-like structure, the Maple logo stamped on one of the exposed sides. Underneath it, the floors wireless charger quietly lit up. Touching a few buttons on my AAD, I linked the new computer to my home server. Slightly cocking my eyebrow as all of my home computers properties were multiplied by a few million. Is this really the commercial stuff? Yup, Eve answered. You think quantum computers were their end goal? They were attempting commercial and compact supercomputers. I wouldve whistled if it wouldnt have come out as me blowing out air. Annoyingly that would make it harder to hide from my parents. I could probably justify the expense. Maybe even say I bought it for a new game. Its not like I couldnt afford it, Ive been sitting on several years'' worth of accumulated allowance. So the lie would even be halfway true, the best kind of true all things considered. Would they even be called supercomputers anymore? I muttered, If they managed to make it compact then theyre just gonna stack a room full of them and call that whole thing a supercomputer. There was a feeling like she chuckled, though I mightve imagined it, The main problem was figuring how to use quantum mechanics, so the name stuck. Though what you have there, the drone turned towards the tower that couldnt be more than thirty centimetres tall and five centimetres wide, is as strong as a supercomputer from last year. Impressive. In some ways, the existence of this thing wouldnt be possible without VR. What else would a normal person, and more importantly, a normal customer, need a supercomputer for? Maple was a tech company but still a company. The drone Eve was piloting began flying away, I suppose I should make myself scarce. Wait a moment, I called out.
Squeak squeak! I know right! Noam complained, He just runs off saying You probably dont need to help with this. Probably. his imitation of Dustins voice was so perfect he couldve been stabbed for being a changeling. Squeak squeak squeak! Yeah, but hes always been indecisive like that, he answered the wisp, honestly if he just stopped worrying and just start doing shit he would have a lot less problems. Squeak? Noam looked to the sky, There was one time I think it was GTO? he reminisced, Some assholes were keeping this tollgate to a mine. Decs wanted to either negotiate a cheaper pass or just pay the toll because of some crap like they outnumber us or theyll blow up all the precious minerals before we get to it. he held his fingers up in apostrophe as he mimicked him. I told him we could take them, and it turned out we could! He had me hold heaven while he paid the toll and blew up the controls for their automated shit. Noam threw his arms up into the air, And the whole base went BOOM! and then it went BOOM a few more times! he snickered, God that was fun, we lost all the minerals though, but honestly there was no way we couldve harvested the entire damn thing. Squeak squeak? Huh? What happened next? I picked off the stragglers with sniper fire. My flick is pretty awesome so I got them all. Squeak? Well, a flick is a thing- Just before he could finish that sentence, the street in front of him erupted in chaos as a store-front exploded. YOU CALL THAT SWEET AND SOUR! ITS JUST DAMN SWEET YOU IMBECILES! A figure rapidly flew past Noam, crashing amongst the rubble. But Noam barely cared, he rushed to the front of the store that had been forcibly renovated to see a heavy-set orc throw a dozen people off him like rag-dolls. He changed since Noam last saw him, a large, fresh burn scar marred his bottom jaw, neck and both his arms. Not that they seemed to bother Grimm, his eyes were red and bloodshot as he sent another man flying. Holy shit youre still alive- Noam began before being unfortunately interrupted by a human club to the face. Guards! Guards! Where are the guards? Hey we need to get in there! a man in uniform armour yelled. Are you insane?! his partner replied, Thats Grimm Bastion Breaker! Does our insurance cover getting hit by siege weaponry? a third guard asked. He classifies as siege- the first guard began before getting pushed away by the second, Of course he fucking does! We need to call someone else! she declared, quickly dragging them away. As the closest thing to law enforcement fled, Noam staggered back up, his nose was broken and bleeding and he was slightly concussed, yet his mouth still curved into a psychotic smile, So thats how you want to play this
Wait a moment, Declan called out. Eve paused the drone in midair. In the exact moment she processed through hundreds of reasons that Declan wouldve stopped her. Yes? she asked as she turned the drone camera to face Declan. I wanted to ask a few things, Declan began. Eve quickly ran through everything she was doing. All the other hers were busy, but currently, there were no pressing matters for this version of her needed to attend to. Though a small part of her still wanted to reject just out of pettiness. Ask away, it couldnt hurt after all. All this, he vaguely gestured at the Maple computer, means that on some level you support this breaking and leaving dont you? Yes, it was impossible for her to stop it after all, not without ending all the things that made Giles creation great. Plus Historian and Discovery were both Knowledge Domain gods, they wouldnt leave much of an impact on this side even if both passed over. Then, Declan took a deep breath, may I have your help in getting them through? You dont have to do much, just smooth any edges you see. Eve wouldve widened her eyes if she currently had any. Why- she paused herself, no, of course, it makes sense, he thinks I can do it. But still, why? Eve knew that up till now, almost every interaction Declan had with her was marred with quiet cautiousness and the willingness to attempt anything to keep her a passive player in the greater world. Declan downright feared her but didnt allow it to greatly impair his judgement. Youre scared of me arent you? she blurted out. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Declan raised an eyebrow, Im also afraid of spiders, doesnt mean I dont understand their importance in the environment. Admittance. That was a bad analogy, she replied slightly miffed. Not just because he compared her to a spider but Eve knew Declan was afraid of her on a more existential level. Your answer? Declan asked, his face appearing infinitely calm. Eve paused to think, not that more than a nanosecond passed. This Eve was allocated less processing power because of the relatively simple task, she quickly sent a request for more. Declans words made a lot of sense in hindsight, she shouldve considered it before. She took the moment to reorient herself. Right now, Eve was dealing with the Declan with a plan, the one who wouldnt falter because of emotions. Why should I? Something like relief passed through Declans face. Far too fast for anything other than Eve to catch it. Before Declans mouth curved into a self-deprecating smile, I was hoping you would answer that. Eve blinked in surprise, You dont have anything? Of course I could tell you that if you took a more direct hand in this, you would be able to better monitor and control it in case it all goes haywire. I could say that I could get that Historian guy to owe you, but you already thought of that havent you? Declan met the camera of the drone. I could spend all day spewing your potential logical benefits but ultimately, none of the things I can think of require or only need me to get it for you. So instead Im asking the lady herself. The world around her slowed as Eve connected to the main network, drawing all of herself back into one. Why did Declan want to do this himself? A strange sense of honour? This would be a lot easier if he didnt keep that goddamn sociopathic mental defence up. She paused herself, instead of why he chose this, she should be considering what Declan could do. There was one thing that bothered Eve, one thing she still didnt understand that he may be able to answer. She split herself again, each going back to their original task. Time went back to normal. Tell me Declan, she began, when we first met, you asked me to remove the censure program on you, citing my fathers intentions as the reason why. Declan nodded. Your arguments were perfectly logical. The censure was a panic measure on her part and all the arguments Declan gave made sense to her and seemed like something Giles wouldve said. So why, Eve said, her voice slightly rising, why is it, that every time I think back to it. I cant help but feel pissed off by it? She didnt care about the censure program, she never did. A version of her saw the former Maple executive in that crossing and made several spur of the moment bad decisions that she still regretted. Declan was right as well, she couldnt keep everything quiet forever and the censure would give a detrimental reputation as well as affect peoples perception of her and Gaia. So why did she feel so angry? What was making her so angry? Declan examined her, or more accurately the drone, before he simply asked, Back then, I said that you werent achieving your dads dream with your actions didnt I? That was true, she wasnt. But how could he know that? Declan saw a dead ghost of Giles and immediately started making judgements about what he wouldve wanted. How could he know what her father wanted? Would it be easier, if I was wrong? Declan asked, his voice even. That Giles wouldve been fine with you taking control of the world, killing all the people that wronged him? Of course, not you- Eve froze, her mind briefly considered herself in this scenario. Yes, she uttered before she realised herself. It wouldve been easier, not because Giles wouldve been fine with everything, but you would be wrong. Why? Declan gave logical arguments, ones she still agreed with. So why would she be happier if he were wrong? Was it because I used your dad to guilt-trip you? It was that simple. She realised the tactic when Declan used it, but she did not realise it bothered her so much. She thought the emotion was practically a non-factor. Shame on her for not realising, Giles built her better than that. Why she muttered. But still why am I angry? You were right, am still right Declan looked at her, his face was distant but understanding, I figured a long time ago people dont get by just by pure logic alone. Youre seventeen, she retorted Probably still older than you, Declan retorted back, before his brow furrowed. Wait, how old are you? Counting real-world years only, he asked knowing full well that Eve would have him beat if they counted virtual years. Six years, three months and four days, she answered. But it is the mileage- -not the years, he finished with her, before looking curiously at her. Considering how you apparently havent figured out your emotions yet, it seems I have you beat on that front as well. Eve bit back several dozen retorts, So I know why Im angry, but I should not be should I? Likely for the first time since theyve met, Declan looked at Eve as if he were looking at an idiot. Theres nothing wrong with being angry, he shrugged, well, I suppose it really depends. Declan leaned forward, his eyes boring into her, Are you more logical or emotional? Eve met those eyes. Those eyes were curious, infinitely so, but around them, it was like everything else had ceased. As if Declan had decided that only his eyes were important at the moment and had thus turned off every other unnecessary feature. I dont know, she answered honestly. He leaned back, Do I have your help? Eve thought about it for a moment, even drawing on all the other active versions of herself, before she decided, I want you to apologize. Declan cocked an eyebrow. For using my father against me. Even if you were right, I am still angry, and I dont know any other way to get rid of this anger. Declan met her eyes. I am sorry. Eve examined his face. The apology was true, genuine even, but it just felt too easy. Declan was prepared to apologise the moment he decided to get her help. No. Eve cant help him with just this. So instead Eve did a bit of finagling Declan''s face contorted to shock as he fell backward, landing on the ground with a heavy thud. He almost began screaming as suddenly, for mysterious and unexplainable reasons, his AAD was suddenly running a sky diving simulation from the stratosphere. Eve kept a recording of his screams as well as taking several screenshots of his terrified face, before deciding that she would help him.
Shes a child. A literal fucking child. Whoever came up with the trope that children were innocent and to be protected did not consider the fact most children were sociopaths who have yet to internalise empathy. Even I was a dickhead back when I was a kid, god complex and all, the only difference between a young me and current Eve was that she actually had the shit to back it up. I soon returned back to the Historians Library. Slightly shaken because Eve seemed to enjoy dropping me from absurdly high places. I really needed to get used to that. Im done on my end, I told the Historian, who hadnt moved from his original spot. He was still writing, even now. Thank you, he said breathlessly, truly. He had told me his plan. It essentially had two parts. First was a test, he would give me some essence of himself and the other god then have me log out. Essentially, he was attempting to piggyback on the data transfer that occurs when I was reintegrating with my real-world self. If the test data successfully transferred, then he would steer it out of my AAD and into my home server before it got translated into my brain. If he couldnt, well, some foreign code would be in my brain. Which was the main reason I asked Eve to help. To act as a safety net. I told her she didnt need to make us succeed if we wouldnt have, just make sure we came out relatively whole. So how are you going to implant this essence into me? he had been rather evasive about that part. Just a moment, he said. I waited. I could tell that he was burning in anticipation, his writing had sped up slightly, and increasingly he took glances at the body next to him. After a moment. He stopped writing. Something strange occurred. I blinked, something just happened. I was staring at the still form of his body. But something had changed. He looked unnatural despite nothing changing with his appearance. The god let out a deep breath. Four thousand years of continuous writing, he muttered to himself. Not a single pause, all to turn a godhead into power. The most reliable source of power is simply time spent. He rose, speaking in a strange melodic tone, like a mantra. The Historian does not greatly affect history, he does not change it, he merely writes what is, he turned to the body of the other god before he reached out and pulled something out. I am not the Historian now, he said. I saw what he had plucked out. An eye. Seek. His other hand went to his face, his index and thumb dug underneath the eyelid of the eye placed where a normal persons left eye would normally be before he pulled out the pure black eye with a squelch. Observe. This may hurt, he warned before he instantly closed the distance between us and shoved the eyes into my empty eye crevices. 4.08 4.08 Sixty-seven, addendum. Getting a new name after selling it to the Fey seems to piss them off. - Excerpt from Eyama Phules Enchiridion of Encounters. To describe what happened next as simply pain wouldve been an understatement. What the Historian just did, was transplant both eyes onto me, with the unfortunate side effect of transferring the powers of both of them to me. In a single instant, I stared through a million different perspectives. I saw places Ive never seen, stood where others stood. I eyed the strange magical forests cautiously. A crude stone blade held in skinny green arms. I watched the encroaching darkness. A lantern at my side and a blade of flame on the other. I inspected racks of alchemical potions. A pointed instrument in my hands. I witnessed a crowned child pull a sword from a stone and applause erupted around us. I glimpsed a land where light never touches, no life ever- no, this land was seething with life, till the point of corruption- no, I was underwater, frolicking with other merfolk- No. That was not me. I am not them. I concentrated, my dispersed mind getting drawn back to me. But the less scattered I was, the more clearly I saw. The information was too much. There was simply far too much. Human brains were made to comprehend a single perspective at best.
You have died.
I laid on the sand. The information was all gone. My eyes felt so strangely empty. There was nothing in this realm to Observe, nothing to Seek, so I saw nothing. Pulling myself up, I stared at the dark black seas. Well this saves me a trip to a Wayshard at least, I muttered as I logged out.
To say that Declan wasnt prepared for what was coming wouldve been an understatement. He collapsed onto a chair with a grunt. His eyes were distant. The moment Observe entered the real world, it brought with it all the information that Dustin had been seeing, acting as a link to the rest of the Historian. And through this link, the Historian extended a hand through the opened gateway. The path tried to close, but the Historian forced it to remain. In the process, the Historian widened the gateway. Following the connection set up by Declan and his home server. The Historian moved through the real world. Escaping before Dustin and Declan merged. Throughout all this, Eve simply watched. After all, there wasnt a single point where she needed to help. Back in the dark library, the Historian breathed a sigh of relief. Success.
I rose from a splitting headache, Did it work? Check for yourself, Eve said as a thousand different windows opened around me. My eyes widened. This was the code that made of Seek and Observe, downloaded into my house. I recognised some terms, but this coding language was something Ive never seen before. Ill need to take a harder look at this later, for now, I logged back into Gaia. Standing on my island, I quickly glanced around. Few things have changed save for the giant glowing portal hovering a few centimetres from the sea. A strange place, the Historian said next to me. I glanced at him, noting the- Unknown becoming known. The burning desire to- -body he carried. What next? I bring him in, and return, the Historian answered, as he spoke, he neared the portal, the body held tenderly within his arms. With any luck, my theory will prove true. A realm not directly associated with the World will mean Zeze will cease apotheosis, or at the very least slow down till I can find a permanent solution to retaining their humanity. The Historian hesitated for a brief moment, before raising the body to the portal. Slowly, the body faded into light. The Historians eyes blinked, and I could catch the sides of his mouth curling up. It worked, the Historian said, his voice light, it worked. For a moment, he simply stood there. Just basking in joy. He eventually turned around to me, I cannot be here for long, for I must attend to the Historia, so I shall make my offer quick. He extended his hand, and energy began to coalesce within it, until it formed an eye. A portion of my power to use as you wish- It was strange, suddenly seeing all of his eyes widen, Impossible, he breathlessly muttered as he stared at something that lay between us. I couldnt get a good look at it, as it was partially covered by sand from my angle, skeeting around the side I saw- Lost becoming found. The filling of a map. The light of the Guiding Star- A part of them fell, the Historian muttered, he was further in than I thought, a godly domain scatters itself to propagate. And that means? He stared at me, then quickly glanced around as if searching for something, No the Crossroads are not here. It cannot be Crossroads? Something to do with how people gained Paths? Quick primer on what you mean would be nice, Ive only been around for a few days after all. The Crossroads are what a person experiences when they are in the midst of gaining a Path, how they gained it does not matter, so long as they have more than one choices to choose from. But I thought it impossible for a Traveller to experience it, he answered as he glanced back and forth between the thing in the sand and me. Why? Because then you will become an unpredictable variable, Eve should not allow that. You are given Paths which are reigned in copies but not the true ones. I raised an eyebrow, it made sense. Given the extreme unpredictability of the Seed, if I were Eve, I wouldve set measures in place so that anything Im placing wouldnt get out of hand. So what this then? He stopped glancing around to stare directly at me, Something adjacent to it, following similar rules perhaps? I am not sure, but if this is like the Crossroads, then you have a choice to make. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Elaborate? His brows furrowed, My eye and the piece of the Discovery Domain, you may make a choice, but whatever you do, youll leave with only one. That is how it works for Crossroads. So I can only take one or the other? Not necessarily, he answered immediately, you could attempt to take both, but in doing so you would either destroy one or both or merge them together. Whatever you do, the end result cannot be greater than one. Then what are my options? My eye and the piece of Discovery, he answered. My eye will grant you usage of the Path Observe, but the piece is more difficult to pin down. You may only know when you choose it. So its between a safe, certain choice and a gamble? No not necessarily, the piece was one of Discovery, just going by name I could tell that it would be odd for Discovery to give me pyromancy. Somewhat, the piece will be aligned somehow with Discovery, but it will not be exact and you will influence it to a great degree. Again, that means? The piece of the Domain will seek to be different than what spawned it and in taking it, it will be influenced by you, becoming a power you are most suited to cultivate and use. But it will still be adjacent to Discovery somehow. He said the next words with certainty, It will be weaker than mine initially, but it has the potential to become greater than Observe, as it is a Path already hard set. The piece is an idea to begin one anew. So, basically, Im choosing between a known but static option, and an unknown but potentially stronger option? I summarised. Not stronger in the traditional sense, no. Freer and more variable, that is a certainty, however. And what will happen to the leftover if I take the other? Reabsorbed by their progenitor. I stared at him, Cant I just take one and get the other later? You could, he agreed, but not in the near future. You saw what Eve did, in this world limits matter more than strengths. Attempting to cheat will make them both weaker, or worse, he paused staring at me head-on, the World will attempt to remove it. My brows furrowed, to which the Historian took as an indicator to continue, Attempting to take a power without the proper limits or capability may result in calamities visiting you. Each trying to remove the unearned power somehow. If you can survive these calamities with the power still in your grasp, then the power will be considered yours and earned, if you do not, then you will not only lose it but something more as well. So it is best, that I only leave with one, even if there is a way I can think of to cheat it? Yes, he answered, sounding somewhat resigned. Unless youve recently done some great deed that makes you someone worthy of taking both? I shook my head. Eh, worth a shot, he replied. Observation, a Path that allows me to see through others eyes, or a piece of Discovery, which is not defined but has greater potential. One is a certainty, and the ability was nothing to scoff at. Information gathering skills are always absurdly underrated. But could Discovery yield something like information gathering as well? I felt it was likely, if we were just going by the name, but I am not a hundred per cent sure. A safe, certain option and a gamble. Ill take the gamble then, I said. Travellers had a soft limit to the power level they can achieve. Just the exponential scaling of the level up requirements will eventually outstrip anything that you can reasonably gain. Levelling from nine to twelve will take three-hundred-thousand experience, twelve to fifteen will be three million, fifteen to eighteen will be thirty million. No, I could not rely purely on levels. Going by what the Historian said, this thing was not made from the Travellers system, so it may not be affected by level, or even consume experience points. A thing that can grow, was more useful to me. If I wanted to go anywhere above average, I needed stuff like that. I knelt and moved my hands toward the piece. The Historian saw this and began absorbing the eye back to himself. I touched the Domain. In an instant, hundreds of millions of possibilities leapt through my mind, but they passed by quickly, each getting discarded until all that was left was a single one. Analyse. In that brief moment, I understood what it could do. Everything that it could be capable of, and everything that it was already capable of. And my mind flashed with information, forged from what I already knew, a way to cheat the system. I rapidly turned to the Historian. WAIT! surprise slowed the rate of which he reabsorbed the eye by a tiny bit, but not enough, it will be gone before I got to it, and my hand was still firmly attached to the piece. Not only that, I cant take it. Me taking two would make it so that the very world will be against me until I fulfil some requirement to be worthy of it. No, there had to be another way. Think! Observe was practically made for this Path! What happened next did not even take a few seconds. For perhaps the first time I was in this world, I fully racked my brains. Going through every single thing I have experienced until I reached a theory. A theory on how I can have Analyse and use Observe. One. I cannot take both. Two. Taking both will be calamitous in the future Three. I have already taken one. So instead, I raised my staff, mimicking javelin throwers Ive seen in the Olympics, and threw it at the Historians hand. The hit knocked the eye out of his hand and into the portal behind him. One. I cannot take both. Four. The brief moment I held onto Seek and Observe in the real world, allowed me to see what was currently happening in Indiri. Five. The Historian created that portal to help someone avoid the laws of this world. Even if this worlds laws were changeable, they were a certainty to many and that certainty made it so they cant be changed or broken by me. Six. I was goddamn immortal in this world, time to take advantage of it. Even if calamities still visited me after this loophole, I could survive. So I will take this gamble and hope that either the World considers Declan a separate entity from me, or cant affect me either way if he takes it. There was a moment of silence before the portal began shimmering.
I scrolled through the pages of code that made the Discovery thing. Impossible, I read the first section, again and again. I could read the words, but it does not click. It was like I was trying to add two with two and get seven. I cant understand it. Just then, right when I thought that. My vision split as I was suddenly in two places at the same time. One, where I knelt on the ground and stared at the confused Historian, the other, where I was in my room, Eves flying drone hovering just next to me. My mind linked with Dustins and our thoughts echoed to each other. Ok, this is weird. What the hell did I do? I muttered angrily to him. My head throbbed like someone was repeatedly taking a club to it. I threw a Path at you to try to make use of a loophole, see if you can claim it. The fuck does claiming even mean! I yelled as I slammed the wall next to me. Anger, pain. Neither was useful right now. Focus, focus! Forget anger and pain and focus on what I needed to do! Eve moved, not the drone, but I somehow sensed that she was trying to remove the foreign program from my head. Stop, I grunted, holding a hand up to the drone. Dont take it away, that goddamn crazy bastard is trying to make me integrate with it. You know youre insulting yourself right? Not helping! I mentally yelled back at him. The headache was intensifying. My Somatic Implant was trying to translate the code into stuff my squishy grey matter can read. How do I know this? Because I know it. Briefly, I skimmed over Dustins mind, seeing the cause and reason he had for doing this, Was this really worth the risk? A great improvement to the breadth of Analyse, but at the cost of this goddamn headache! Not only that, he did it because he thought he would be safe from the worst of it. Essentially throwing me under the boat. Youre not screaming at least? I can help, Eve said. I rapidly turned to her, I didnt help before, and it looks like you really need it now. Suspicion mustve marred my face for a moment, because she hesitated for a moment before speaking. At the very least, I can help get rid of the pain. Done, I instantly replied, the headache increasing to the point where it felt like it was getting used as a bowling bowl. Tell her to make sure you still have it, otherwise, all that pain will be for nothing. What he said, I muttered. Eve nodded and extended her hand. 4.09 4.09 Orcs have a very utilitarian view on child-raising. By the time an orc can walk, they are expected to be able to sustain themselves in the wild, slay a dangerous and/or cunning creature in a hunt and have fought two challenges of dominance from other baby orcs. Anything short of death in these infantile challenges are seen as mere childs play, even if they lose a limb. - Excerpt from Horrors and Wonders, famed travelogue of Lithian the Dust Treader. Grimm Bastion Breaker stared blearily at the sky. Where is my axe? he wondered as he felt the unfamiliar handle of the weapon hed been using. He raised his hand to his head to see he was holding someones ankles. Grimm gradually lifted his arm until the person hed been using a flail for the past five minutes was eye-level with him. Noam coughed out a glob of blood. His normally blue skin was covered in bruises and blood. And despite the fact half of his bones were broken in some ways, he still sheepishly smiled. Strange meeting you here.
So youre a Traveller, Grimm conversationally started as he sat the half-dead Noam on a stool. Noam grunted in pain before flopping over like a pool noodle, dripping blood everywhere. Yup he barely breathed out. Ahhh fuck he moaned, his adrenaline had long since drained out, leaving only the pain of being used a flail for five minutes. Ill whip something up, Grimm said, knowing full well Noam would be fine even if he died but feeling somewhat dishonourable for not extending a hand for a fellow who braved the Sun with him. Grimm shuffled through the dozens of cabinets and ingredients drawers of his Blood Brothers former store. Finding a decent slab of meat and some spices. To his dismay though, he found that his nephew had replaced the former wood stove with a magical one. Bah, without the taste of fire and charcoal meat was subpar. It would have to do though, so he gathered the ingredients and drew from his back an absolutely massive axe. An axe that did not look like one of those sensible medieval war-axes, but a fantasy axe on several layers of crack. The length of the axe blade was wider than Noam, and Grimm had to shuffle awkwardly to fit the handle that was as tall as he was. Noam raised an eyebrow at the unwieldy weapon before it turned to awe as Grimm used it. The giant axe flowed in the kitchen like water. Delicately dicing an onion into exact cubes smaller than die. A potato was peeled and cut into thin slices within a single stroke. Noams awe only grew when Grimm moved to carve the meat. The axe blade that was probably thicker than most dictionaries exquisitely and cleanly removed fat and bone from the slab of meat. Not a single cubic nanometre of meat was wasted or removed. Holy shit, Noam exclaimed, more than slightly awestruck at the almost supernatural display of skill. Hmm? Grimm grunted as he glanced at Noam. Noam tried, and failed to lift a neck that was probably broken, Gahh settling to vaguely flop his arm at the giant axe, Its just, how can you do that? This? Grimm answered as he slid the cuts into a pan, Hmm I dont know, it was handy when I started cooking and Ive been using it ever since. Noam knew how difficult how it would be to use an axe like that. Especially when it looked so top-heavy. Both from personal experience and when Declan got really into researching medieval weaponry that one time he tried crafting. Grimm swiftly finished cooking, though to Noams disappointment he didnt display some other supernatural skill. Finishing a rather simple stir fry which he placed in front of Noam. Noam, tried and groaned in pain when he flopped an arm over to grab an eating utensil. Grimm muttered something about kids these days before stepping over and holding Noams mouth open, pouring the contents of his dish into him. A loud crack sounded throughout the store. Almost immediately, Noams leg which was bent in several places where it really shouldnt, violently snapped straight. Soon followed by other loud cracks as every single bone in his body snapped back into the correct position whether he wanted to or not. Noam let out a gasp as his skeleton was violently restructured back to functionality. He experimentally moved a few fingers, before wincing as he realised he still had his bruises. Gah. Thanks, he said. No worries, you made for an excellent flail, Grimm answered. Noam grinned, I aim to please. Wheres the other guy by the way? My nephew? the elderly orc asked, Noam nodded. He smiled with pride, That idiot is convinced that the only way hell earn his name is if he defeated chefs of similar skill to me, so I gave him a list and sent him on his way. To think his nephew would finally go on a quest to properly earn his name Grimm wouldve shed a tear if orcs actually had tear ducts. Huh, he seemed like an awesome chef, whos he up against? Grimm stared strangely at Noam, before rushing to him and quickly checking him for head injuries. Huh? Strange, your head looks perfectly fine, he muttered, could it be internal? What do you mean? Noam muttered as he batted Grimms hands off him. Grimm shook his head, Just some advice youngling, trolls have an extremely skewed view of cooking. They really believe you are what you eat and what doesnt kill you makes you stronger. Grimm was of the opinion that food had to be edible, and though nostalgia gave him a rose-tinted view of the past. He had to admit has probably almost died more times to FonDafarrs cooking than anything hes actually fought. It was almost a tragedy that Dafarr was a damn good chef. Rivalling him in every manner except for the survival rate of eaters. So, who is he up against? I sent him to the Rainbow Chef first. Would it be hard for him? Grimm looked at Noam like he were an idiot, Of course it would be, otherwise he wouldnt be earning his name.
The young trolls eyes adjusted to the darkness of the cavern. Though cavern felt like the wrong word. He was underground, but the huge, hollowed-out space gave the impression of some grand royal hallway. With carvings of mythological battles etched into the stone. An ethereally soft carpet of seven colours led a central pathway to the end of the cavern, where a huge golden door sat. For one final time, the young troll checked his equipment, before he took a deep, nervous breath and walked forward. The carpet felt too soft. Too comfortable, as if it were an insult to his tension. He knew what he was facing here, a chef on par with his uncle, Grimm the Demon Chef. One of only eight in the world. As he neared the great door, he felt a great rumbling as she began to stir. Her powerful senses likely already caught onto him. Before he realised, he quickened his pace, but not quick enough. The grand, pure gold door in front of him cracked open, as a great clawed hand pushed it to the side. Her scales shone iridescent like the purest crystals, reflecting brilliantly from what sparse light there was. Her heads rose to their max height, each of her necks were each at least fifteen metres long, each of her seven heads their own brilliant colour. WHO DARES AWAKEN ME! Mother of All Chromatic Dragons, Bane of Bahamut, The Dragon Queen, The Nemesis of Gods, The Rainbow Chef, Tiamat, roared. Despite himself, the young troll could not help but feel utter terror as every one of his senses told him to run the fuck away and live a peaceful life running a restaurant. But without a name, he thought, without the recognition of fada or uncul. So he clenched his wildly clattering teeth, before declaring, I am the son of FonDafarr, nephew to Grimm Ramsey. I come here to earn my name! YOUVE COME TO DIE! the seven heads roared. CHOOSE YOUR METHOD OF DEMISE MORTAL! I will not die today! he declared to himself more than anyone else, I have come to beat you, and prove myself the superior chef! Tiamat froze, her seven heads spread out, looking at the young troll from every angle. Are you serious, her green head said, her booming voice discarded for a quieter, normal one. The troll nodded. The Dragon Queen began to shake, and the cavern with her. The troll staggered as he tried to keep his balance. It was when the yellow head opened her mouth that the troll realised what she was doing. Laughing. FOOL! the purple head viciously taunted, IF YOU HAD SIMPLY COME TO KILL ME, THEN I WOULDVE GRANTED A SWIFT DEATH! But now, her yellow head hissed, as her seven heads gathered as one and roared, I WILL ENJOY BREAKING YOU! TO MAKE YOU ANOTHER TESTAMENT THAT TIAMAT IS A CHEF WITHOUT RIVAL! The troll gathered his bearings and through gritted teeth said, You are certainly not without rival. Death. The troll was dead. He had died. He is dying. He will die. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. The purple head stared into his soul and quietly said, Perhaps, but I have been cooking since your race were banging rocks and flinging mud. Together, the heads chuckled, It seems I will be having troll soup tonight. Then, Tiamat turned around, her body seemed to ripple as it squeezed into a much smaller, human form. A tall, regal woman with her hair split with the colours of the rainbow. The troll followed, barely daring to breathe, but as he entered Tiamats sanctum, he finally let out his held breath. Tiamat was not even the most dangerous chef in the world! The young troll refused to get chicken feet now! If he could not even beat Tiamat, then what right did he have to a name?
When I said there was plenty of space inside here, this was not what I meant, Declan muttered. Didnt I say that? I absentmindedly asked as I walked to pick up my staff. Historian had long left, expressing a brief moment of interest in my state before he ran off. Were the same person idiot, he returned. So why should we make a distinction? I questioned as I picked up my staff. Odd, were those patterns there before? The wood grain around the top of the staff had changed, forming into images of wandering eyes. No, I answered, no they weren''t.
Basic Wooden Staff (Stave) A starting Traveller staff made of a homogenised wood. May act as a focus but provides no outstanding benefit or negative to spell casting.
Analyse it. Already am, I replied as I turned it around.
Wooden Staff with Odd Design (Stave) A starting Traveller staff made of a homogenised wood. May act as a focus but provides no outstanding benefit or negative to spell casting. Something was clearly changed with it. From knocking the hand of a God or perhaps close proximity with an eye of Observation or perhaps some combination of both? Twelve wooden grain eyes now cover the head of the staff. Merely cosmetic or something different?
It is different from what my menu is telling me. Either the menu isnt omnipotent or The effect is so small it doesnt think it should be displayed, I finished. I noticed it previously, how there were tiny quirks about my race that wasnt explicitly displayed on my character sheet. Stuff like how I felt pain differently or how the world was slightly duller. Or both, Declan suggested, the fact it isnt displaying the Priest of the Discovery Shard class supports the first. I closed my eyes, Analyse.
Dustin Analyse Character Sheet Name: Dustin Classes: Traveller Level -, Fungalmancer Level 3, Priest of the Discovery Shard Level 1 Body Strength: 8 Agility: 7 Dexterity: 6 Constitution: 18 Stamina: 10 Vitality: 12 Mind Intelligence: 16 Wisdom: 18 Charisma: 6 Soul Will: 10 Aura: 10 Perception: 10 Racials: Superior Darkvision, Fungal Body, Sun Sickness, Mana Dependency, Pacifying Spores, Innate Magic Class Skills: Traveller: Learn, ''Respawn Ability'' Fungalmancer: Path: Symbiosis
  • Grow Sporage (Visual, Proximity), Sporage Wisp Symbiosis, Bracken Polypores
Priest of the Discovery Shard Path: Analyse
  • Analyse [Passive]: You passively absorb the information you gather. Learning the exact parameters of that which you observe and translating them to a form understandable to you. This information will exist in a database and could be called on at any time.
  • Observation Link [Passive]: You are linked to a user of Observe. Your minds are linked and they may share all that they see through Observe. Through you, they may also mark other willing creatures to have their vision be seen through Observe as well.
  • Non-Discent [Passive]: This class was not sourced from the system, thus it does not benefit from the system either.
  • Progress in this class does not rely on Traveller XP, but on your own proficiency.
  • You may not invest levels in this class.
  • This class and its progress will not be displayed on your character sheet.
  • Raising this classes'' level will not affect your Traveller Level.
Spells: T0: Balm Spores, Spore Lights, Sneezing Spores, Acid Spit T1: Mushroom Meal, Poison Spores T2: Bark Skin Languages: Common Undercommon
Compared to
Dustin Level 3 Character Sheet Name: Dustin Classes: Fungalmancer Level 3 Body Strength: 8 Agility: 7 Dexterity: 6 Constitution: 18 Stamina: 10 Vitality: 12 Mind Intelligence: 14 Wisdom: 18 Charisma: 6 Soul Will: 10 Aura: 10 Perception: 10 Free SP: 2 Racials: Superior Darkvision, Fungal Body, Sun Sickness, Mana Dependency, Pacifying Spores, Innate Magic Class Skills: Fungalmancer: Path: Symbiosis
  • Grow Sporage (Visual): You may create a mushroom capable of storing a Spore based spell. These Sporages can be activated on visual contact. They glow faintly and last your myconid level in hours.
  • Grow Sporage (Proximity): Upgrade to Grow Sporage. You obtain the option to grow Sporages with a different activation type. The sporage lets out a thin layer of mycelium around it that acts as a pressure detector. When sufficient weight is applied to any part of the fungus, the Sporage will explode. You and targets of Symbiosis do not detonate these Sporages.
  • Sporage Wisp Symbiosis: Wisps have lived comfortably in your cap and have created a wonderful home there, now to teach them the wonders of rent. You may create pygmy myconid bodies for your non-corporeal Wisps to inhabit. They are considered tiny creatures and are capable of following simple commands. They possess all the qualities of Sporage, however, they can choose to self-detonate.
  • Bracken Polypores: A species of symbiotic fungus are seeded underneath your skin. They rely on you for food and in return can instantly grow into durable mycelium plates that can cover your entire body. The hardness and weight may vary depending on how much Satiety you feed them at any moment. Will gain defensive bonuses if used in conjunction with Bark Skin.
Spells: T0: Balm Spores, Spore Lights, Sneezing Spores, Acid Spit T1: Mushroom Meal, Poison Spores New Available Spell Slots: T1: 1 T2: 3 Languages: Common Undercommon
And the fact Analyse has Traveller as an actual class with skills compared to the menu. Possibly because we see it as something that should be. That is a certainty, I answered with conviction. Declan me didnt personally touch the Discovery Shard, the only reason it put Traveller as a class was because I thought it so. Go through the other stuff.
Issue of the Historia (Artefact) A copy of the Historia, a constantly updating book that keeps a record of the entire world by the hand of the Historian. All is Writ [Active]: Once per day, you may learn of up to 10 minutes worth of events that occurred in the past and within the immediate vicinity of yourself. The information is near perfectly accurate. Destruction of the Issue or the Historia will interrupt this skill.
That was a fucking magic item?! Damn, I muttered, I wouldve been fine with just this. But not happy. Goddamn, we got lucky. Yeah I dont trust it, he asserted. Took the words right out of my mouth. Or is it my mouth? Better not question it. You probably maybe die every time you log off, how could you not? Im fine with it. Huh, Declan replied with mock surprise, same here. Analyse.
Issue of the Historia (Artefact) A copy of the Historia, a constantly updating book that keeps record of the entire world by the hand of the Historian. All the text inside is gibberish. Might be a cipher of some kind but you are not certain. All is Writ [Active]: Once per day, you may learn of up to 10 minutes worth of events that occurred in the past and within the immediate vicinity of yourself. The information is near perfectly accurate. Destruction of the Issue or the Historia will interrupt this skill.
Wait a minute. What? Check the next with Analyse first, the information youre getting from the menu is affecting it. Huh, good catch.
Magician Tarot Card (Artifact) A Tarot card displaying the Magician. It represents you, but its meaning escapes you as you havent read up on esoterica. What you do know, is that it somehow allows you to gain stuff easier. So long as they are related to the five tools represented within. It is implied this card and the divined fate cannot be avoided unless you destroy the card. Tools: Scroll. (Filled): Unknown. Wand (Filled): Magic. Lens (Filled): Observation and Analysis. Perhaps the gate as well? Chalice (Empty): Unfilled, thus variable. Key (Empty): Unfilled, thus variable.
Magician Tarot Card (Bound Artifact) One of Twelve Artifacts created by the Diviner Goddess, Misses Fortune. This item is Bound to you and cannot be destroyed or stolen by any other. You will find it in your possession no matter where you lose it.
Analyse quickly updated to include the menus description of the card, but didnt replace any of the original descriptions. This was just the surface level of the ability though. We still need more testing. Took the words right out of my mouth. Yeah- Declan froze as realisation dawned on him. My mouth! How did I not catch that? Cause were idiots? Fair. Then I respawned. 4.10 4.10 And he said: This chest definitely has treasures in it, and then I ate him! Hahaha! - Mimicron The Living Dungeon recounting its early years. Noam punched the air.
Strength: 7-10
Again, and as hard as you can.
Strength: 11-14
Is it thirteen? Noam wiped some sweat off his face.
Stamina: 8-11
Close, he answered as Greenie bought him a waterskin. It was twelve.
Strength: 12
Stamina ten, I guessed. Right on, he answered sounding impressed.
Stamina: 10
I opened my vision. My back was turned to Noam, but I could still see him clearly through Greenie. Good thing too, otherwise I wouldve gotten traumatised for nothing. Your sacrifice was worth it, I drily said. Fuck you- Why am I insulting myself!? Ignoring my- Declan- whatevers outburst, I stood up. Feeling the soft sand underneath me. The sun had set some time ago, so the beach was safe for me. Annoyingly even when I wore three layers worth of protection, heavy sunlight still got to me. Why does my mouth suddenly feel like its burning? Strange, so was mine, Probably nothing. You are literally talking to yourself now, Noam said as he stood next to me. Im kinda impressed you lack so many friends youve made one with yourself. The guys an asshole though. The guys an asshole though. Both of us said at once. Wait, he cant hear me. Other Dustin said Dustin was an asshole, Yellow helpfully supplied. Noam looked at me strangely for a moment, before shaking his head. Dont comment on it, he muttered. Let him figure it out himself. Mental stats are harder to figure out, I said as I leafed through my notepad. Especially charisma. I quickly wrote something down on my notepad, before tearing the page. Noam solve this differential equation would you? He stared at me, eyes darting between my extended hand and my face. He pointed at himself. Yes, I impatiently said, you. He grumbled something before taking the page. You too Declan, I said, You can see it from Greenies perspective. Ah, youre using me as another measuring stick since Eve confirmed my intelligence to be fifteen. Smart. I gotta be, otherwise I dumped these points into wisdom for nothing. Most of it was from your racial bonuses though. Only four, which admittedly is a large amount relatively. Done, Declan said. I briefly checked his vision, seeing the notepad display where he solved the problem. Done, Noam said after a moment, handing the page back to me. I quickly checked the answers between them, finding both to be correct.
Intelligence: 8-14
Needs something with more challenge doesnt it? Yep, I answered. I began writing another question, Can you- Its twelve, Noam gave up.
Intelligence: 12
Got it. I didnt need to write it down. The information was already stuck in my head and not something I would forget. That was the main strength behind Analyse. Its something that is initially rather useless, but with every encounter, the more I will know about my opponent. Dont forget my contribution, Declan said. And yeah, Observation buffed it by an incredible amount. It doesnt have to be me that sees it. Since I can remake Greenie and Yellow as many times as I needed so long as I have the mana. I effectively had access to four separate perspectives from which I can gather information from. The information game is the most important after all. You going to use that thing on me anyway? Noam asked. Oh yeah, almost forgot. I raised a hand, placing it on his shoulder. Observe, Declan said through me. A new set of vision opened up in my mind. Unfortunately I cant share what Im seeing with you, I said somewhat annoyed. Probably wishing for too much. What level are you anyways? Your stats are pretty low. Three. Huh? Huh? Open your character sheet for me?
Noam Character Sheet Name: Noam Classes: Skald Level 3 Body Strength: 12 Agility: 14 Dexterity: 10 Constitution: 9 Stamina: 10 Vitality: 8 Mind Intelligence: 12 Wisdom: 10 Charisma: 14 Soul Will: 10 Aura: 10 Perception: 10 Racials: Darkvision, Hellish Resistance If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Class Skills: Breathless Martial Arts: Swift Strike Spells: T0: Biting Words, Vicious Mockery Available Spell Slots: T0: 2 T1: 2 Proficiencies: Polearms: Novice Languages: Common Infernal
Oh. Of course, his race didnt automatically make him min/max. Our mistake. Damn though, is this what a normal character sheet looks like? I just realised now we have four stats in the negative. Subject Noam has been promoted to meatshield. Noam kicked me, You were insulting me somehow werent you? I hastily shook my head, Nope, just wondering why you havent taken a Path yet if you dinged Level Three. I dinged it at the restaurant, havent gotten around to getting one yet. What restaurannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn- Abort that thought process! Huh, what are you waiting for then? I asked as I bent down slightly, just in time to avoid his roundhouse. You, idiot, he said, Im thinking of doing a restat somehow. A halberd was a decent weapon but it lacked short-range, he said, gesturing to the broken weapon head on his belt. I see no problem with just taking a close melee weapon, I answered, you already have spells for ranged. I cant just fire them off willy-nilly you know? He cant? You cant? Yeah, Noam answered, I could, but it wouldnt hurt as much. I have to offend my target on a deep and personal level for them to deal the most damage, he stressed. How is someone supposed to take damage from insults if they werent insulted!? Ah. Those were annoying conditions, But you can still spam it right? He did so at the forest after all. Yeah, but it wastes a lot more mana as Im shotgunning it then. With small effect other than making them pissed. He really is suited for a meatshield. I absentmindedly dodged Noams punch, That is annoying. Yeah, he agreed. Make a new character? And miss out on this? he gestured to himself. Hmmm Dave? Greenie suggested. Huh, that could work actually, I said as I took out a Gold Coin. Oooh! Let me, Noam said, snatching the coin from my hand. He rolled it between his fingers for a moment, before flicking it upwards. The coin soon landed, creating another door to Daves. Noam walked in, only pausing briefly to pick up the coin. I followed behind him. Daves store was still the same as ever, though it felt larger compared to before. God theres three of you now, Noam joked, gesturing to the other Dave taking my appearance, albeit with a monocle. Welcome, whatever you want or need, you can purchase here, all three Daves said. Ok, that is creepy, Noam said. Its routine by now, the Tiefling Dave chuckled, You are looking for a way to fix your long-range and short-range problems? Huh, they really can mind-read. May I suggest this? with a dramatic flourish, the Dave gestured toward a display case, showing two very strange swords. Those have to be fantasy weapons. Inside were two swords, but with some extremely strange characteristics. For one, the tip of the blade was bent forward in a hook, leaving a rounded point, there was a spike on the hilt and another sharp crescent blade acted as a hilt guard. These are Hook Swords, very difficult to master, however as you see- Noam pushed the Dave aside, The guard can act like a knuckle duster in a pinch, and the hooked ends are meant to hook enemies into close range. Also, it may be used similarly to a whip if you hook both ends, Dave continued. Allowing it to be used at a decent range as well! Noam turned to Dave, How much? Thirty Traveller Gold, however, I can also give it magical properties for an additional five gold cost. Such as? I can make the hooked ends magnetise with each other with a command or input of some kind, you may customise, allowing you to extend your range further and use to something like a short polearm. Would my polearm proficiency count towards it then? In that form, absolutely. Though the rest will need- Ill buy it! I coughed. He forgot who actually holds the money. Dust Decs, I will beat the shit out of you IRL if you dont buy this for me. I can just wait till after you do it to log off, I answered. Hey! I can do it right now as well, he said, rolling up his sleeves. I raised an eyebrow, before turning to the weapon. This thing just looks fake. Its an actual weapon, myconid Dave interjected, you can search it up. Holy shit it actually is. Did people actually use it though? I asked Declan. Ancient China did, it would fix Noams problems. Can you use this correctly? Easy! Ill get the hang of it after a few tries! he boasted. He probably can. Yeah, unlike me hes actually insane. I sighed, Wait here, Ill get the money. Noam whooped as I turned to leave. What about your eye? Dave suddenly asked. Wha- Both wisps jumped up to shush my mouth. Oh that sly- You cunning bastard, I replied impressed, still not a question. The myconid Dave shrugged, Had to try, though seriously, whats with your eye? he asked, finger gesturing to his left eye crevice. I raised my hand to touch it and felt a sphere inside, held by several strands of something. You didnt tell me about this? I directed to both Noam and myself. I thought you knew. Same here. For now, I just got my Polypores to cover that crevice up, hiding the eye. Ill examine it in detail later. Ill be back soon. Hurry up!
Weapons bought for Noam, we left the shop with him absolutely giddy. That reminds me of something, I started as we headed to the Wayshard so I could swap back to my Dustin body. Have you logged off yet? Umm he began nervously. I rolled my eyes, of course not. Taking advantage of my now superior height, I bonked him on the head, which he strangely didnt dodge. Hurry up and log off. Absorbing you disorientated me for a solid five minutes, and that was just two days. For your own health and safety, get your Path and log off for the night, I said. Nothing else to do anyway. Noam rolled his eyes, Sure mom. Regardless of his sarcasm, he still touched the Wayshard and disappeared. Hopefully logging off soon after. I changed back to my Dustin body. You cant really log off can you? Not yet, I answered back, not when we dont know, what will happen with Observe inside your head. There was the heart of the problem. If I had Observe in the real world and it was coded into my very head, then when my virtual self logged off and merged back, would I get a copy of Observe once I logged back on? Better not test it. What the Historian said was still fresh in my mind. Taking a power currently beyond me would only lead to some kind of calamity in the future. I cheated to get both Observe and Analyse, but if I rejoined with myself and got another Observe in this world Lets hope whatever it is, it wont be too bad. Back off for now. Accept what Ive gotten without overstepping until Ive seen what a calamity could mean. Slow and steady, Wins the race.
I was about to head to sleep when I got a video call request from Matt. Curious, I accepted. What could he want at this hour? Dustin asked. On-screen, Matt had his trademarked shit-eating grin, before putting both his hands to his mouth and, BOOTS TI TI! BOOTS TI PSH! Are you beatboxing? I asked him. Still smiling, Noam declared, I learned how to beatbox! Uhh. Whats so special about that? Dustins thoughts mustve shown on my face, because soon, Matt messaged me something.
Path: Spitfire Beatbox [Passive] [Active]: You gain knowledge of how to beatbox alongside proficiency at the Adept level. You may also, as a free action, lock up to 5 seconds of beatboxing in a loop, where itll continuously emanate from you at the original volume at a negligible mana cost per loop. Fire [Passive]: When verbal based attacks land a critical hit, the target is set alight by non-magical flame. Catch These Hands! [Active]: Once per day, you may activate this skill to gain bonus stats to AGI, DEX and CHA for every person around you currently irritated, angered, generally pissed and/or displaying hostility towards you. Stats disappear when the cooldown has ended or when hostile individuals leave your range or cease being hostile to you.
Did he just- I chose that so I could learn to beatbox! I didnt even need Observe to know both of me facepalmed. Wait a moment, I directed to Dustin, a sudden moment of clarity descending upon me, does that mean if you learnt thermodynamics I would as- Not you too! Me too? Why is this so confusing! Guess I still had to do homework the hard way. 4.11 4.11 I never knew how blind I was till I walked a mile in anothers shoes. - The 187th Anointed Thief Lord, John Johnson the Prolific Shoe Thief. Note, he stole the shoes right off the feet of the transcriber who was documenting him and is now pestering famous people for their life stories. Here are your registration papers, the receptionist professionally said, handing us each a sheet of paper. Both of you are now officially registered and may take up quests as Freelance Mercenaries or as a part of a Mercenary Band. The Administrative Guild shall keep a copy of your registration papers, though you will still be required to present your papers to take up a quest unless you gain identification as a Plated Mercenary. Plated Mercenary? Noam asked as he examined his paper. A higher ranked Mercenary, who has accomplished numerous quests, they are given a metal plate as identification as well as other benefits, she answered. Such as? he continued Easier access to certain cities, along with the right to start and lead Bands and Guilds, she looked at us from side to side, Are there any other questions? Nope. No input? I asked my other. His reply was curt, Studying. Be quiet. Briefly changing to his vision, I caught a glimpse of several dozen opened snack bags before it looked up to see lines upon lines of alien code. Several dozen tabs opened to various Wikipedia articles, coding forums and online teaching classes. Dissecting whatever Discovery was no doubt and trying to extrapolate more things from it. Keep at it, I encouraged. I shook my head. Satisfied, the receptionist let us go. Sneakily, I grabbed a pamphlet that was stacked on the side of the desk. What kinda quest should we start with? Unfolding the pamphlet, I answered, No clue. I quickly perused the pamphlet, They recommend Plateless mercs go for something easier. Such as? Daily quests, I answered as I got to that section, I wont recommend it for you, its mostly just gathering quests for items that have a constant demand but dont require a skilled person to gather. So chores pretty much? Noam deduced as we reached the quest board. Folding the pamphlet into one of my pockets, I quickly scanned the board. It was rather barren, with daily quests sequestered to the side to leave a mostly empty board. This and this, I pointed to two sheets. Those you shouldnt be bored with. Noam followed my finger, before grinning, You know me so well, he said as I moved my leg before he could kick it. A Raid quest posted by a Mercenary Guild, Ivory Tower. Theyve managed to corner a cultist whod been creating and releasing chimeras, and needed people to clear the caves before they could launch a full raid on the cultist. They were accepting Plateless, so it was probably a low-level quest. Five gold upfront for venturing the caves with a party, with remaining payment determined by contribution. Seems kinda low doesnt it? Not really. If we were assuming one to one conversion of currency to Traveller Gold, then it was one-seventh the way of the cost of a decent weapon. Though Traveller Gold had the inherent value of being usable literally everywhere. It isnt? Oh, I forgot to say it, I quickly explained my reasoning. Next was a subjugation quest to control the growing infestation of Bilge Rats. Judging by the picture it was some kind of ugly, fish-like rodent covered in scales. They seemed to grow up to the size of a large dog. Weve seen them before! Yellow pointed out. Really? Really? Both Noam and Greenie asked. Yellow bonked Greenie on the head, Of course! After we left Noam. There was a sentence classifying the Wharf Rats as only going up to CR 3, but going as high as 7 if a horde gathered. I flicked open the pamphlet again. CR means Combat Rating, they classified each level as Bah, their description of each level just listed creatures of that level. Creatures that sounded strong but I had no idea what their exact capabilities were. Were they strong? I asked when research failed. Yeah! There were lots. One smart big one. Buncha weak small ones. I should probably be effective against them then. Horde strategies failed against any constant AOE. They paid a gold per hundred rats killed, so the real difficulty would be massing that number for me to go ham on. Noam pointed to another quest, This looks good as well. Killing a manticore? Those were classified as CR 20, now that was definitely out of our league. Reading more of the description, I argued, Its location is way too vague. Hunting anywhere around the roads of the nearest three towns? Way too wide an area for two people to search. And those things can fly. Not something we can quickly deal with even if we caught it. The two-hundred gold bounty was nice, but not worth it. Aww. Killjoy. Lets try to not die, weve had, what? Eight deaths between us already? Still didnt know if we could earn back any experience we lost, for all I knew every death could be lowering our maximum possible level. He shrugged, I lost count. Noam casually dodged my attempt at bonking him with my staff, We should go for a quest thats just hard enough for us to do, but not difficult enough that we could fail. Wheres the fun in that? Living, I drily answered. But we cant die? Greenie squeaked. I gently patted Greenie, We can die, its just that we come back. If I asked that question you wouldve hit me. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. If I tried to hit you, you wouldve dodged. True. Shaking my head, I continued, Back on track, whered you want to go? Noam pursed his lips, Hmm What about this? A quest asking for spare hands on a whaling ship. You know how to help out on a ship? Nope. Tsking in annoyance, I said, If we dont have the relevant skills, then were gonna be annoyances more than actual help. Gotta start somewhere, he playfully replied. And that somewhere is not here, I said, grabbing his chin and pointing it at the other listed quests. These two are the only ones we can actually do at our current state. Hmm he murmured as he pushed my hand off. Cave quest? Nodding, I agreed, Cave quest it is then. In truth, I was hoping he picked that one. The quest was time-sensitive by its nature and the fact it was underground meant I could operate freely. I was also curious to see how a Guild operated in this world. Noam moved back to the receptionist desk, Hey, how do we accept a quest? The receptionist, having overheard us, swiftly pulled out another document, For Ivory Towers quest, you will need to sign these papers and present it to our guilds representative at the location. Our as in the Administrative guilds? Are they present to ensure we dont get shortchanged for the contribution-based payment? Among other things, she absentmindedly replied as she wrestled a few pages out of a stack. Glancing at us from side to side, she asked, Do either of you need directions to the location? Please.
Dustin walked forward with his nose buried in the map. At first glance, he wasnt paying the slightest attention to his surroundings, but both Greenie and Yellow were on the top of his cap. Somehow managing to fashion the hard brown fungus into a balcony circling his cap from front to back. Noam knew Dustin was seeing through his eyes too, so he did his best to make sure he was looking everywhere except for where the Shroomy Bois were looking. Which he hoped Dustin would end up making their official name, though Noam also thought them being called THE SQUAD! with full reverb and some sound effects would be cool as well. He wasnt keeping a wide view to help shore up Dustins blindspots, well, he was but not in a combat sense. Noam was sightseeing. A glance to the left and he saw a shop that seemed to be crafted from the overturned hull of a ship. Though the doorways and windows looked like a recent addition, Noam could see dozens of brutish lines of different colouration in the wood. Some kind of glue, hurriedly used to cover up scars of numerous encounters, until the ship was disabled by something which took a chunk out of the keel. A wound that remained there until this day. To the right, he saw an open warehouse, where there were people of numerous races butchering the bloody corpse of some kind of shark-like beast that had hairless and muscled limbs that reminded him of a bear. Even if he looked to the ground, he could see that the road was cobblestone, hundreds of stones placed haphazardly in a ditch before the gaps were filled with concrete. He knew that these types of roads were uneven by nature. But here they were flat, and unlike with a normal game, Noam could tell that the small indentions on the sides that were carved by years of carts travelling the road, rather than game convenience. Even a starter town oozed history, and that was just what he saw! Taking into account the ever-present smell of sea salt, he could practically taste the mix of the metallic smell of blood as people butchered huge ocean beasts along with the myriad of strange scents that came from cooking stalls. This was a living world. Sure Eve tried to market it off as a game, but Noam knew, he could talk to anyone in this town, become friends or enemies with them like any other person. Noam truly felt he was alive in a living world. Something that Declan would not really understand on his own. Declan could take in more information at once, keep track of multiple factors and variables once he knew them, but he did this by simplifying them. Noam realised long ago, that this drifted into his daily life. Whenever he tried to get Declan to describe a past event, he would describe it by its most notable aspects and little else, if not outright forgetting it. Declan became better the more interactions he had with something, but Matt had figured out a long time ago, if something was not relevant, it was forgotten. He chuckled, taking in the world so hopefully his friend would get something more than the bare minimum.
The caves were actually pretty close. A brisk walk through the town, past the first wall that encircled the Wayshard, then the actual walls that marked the end of the town, where Noam managed to catch us a farmer who brought us the rest of the way by cart. He exchanged farewells with the man after signalling me that I didnt need to pay for the trip. Apparently the stories he shared were interesting enough. Noam seemed to be more affable here than in the real world, or were people just friendlier to him? He told me that his Charisma automatically rose per level, similar to how race my race had Wisdom rise automatically. I knew that mental stats actually affected you, something I shouldve caught on way earlier with the rats manipulating whats his face and Peps. Was Noam better at making friends compared to Matt because Noam had a higher Charisma? A question for later. Charisma was one of those harder to measure stats, I theoretically should be able to figure out the stats of a person in the real world with Analyse. I quickly made a mental note to get my real-world counterpart to do some exercise so I could figure my own exact stats. Pure physical stats seemed easy to figure out, and Eve was kind enough to make a judgement of my Mind stats, so that just left whatever the hell Soul stats were. Speaking of, I checked up on what Declan was doing. My vision was shaking. Bags of chips were strewn about as my real-world counterpart was keeled over, his vision violently shaking as he clutched his chest. What is happening? I tested. Declan who had remained silent on the entire journey, final transmitted what he was on his mind. Hysterical laughter. It filled my head and deafened my own voice. I waited until he calmed enough for me to ask again. What is happening? He chuckled, his breathlessness somehow transmitting in my mind, I realised something. Declan was me, or at least close enough that differences didnt really matter. What did he realise that made him laugh so violently? What? Somehow, I could feel his lips curl in a smile. I am never going to to be able to read this, to solve this or understand it in any meaningful way. His eyes rose, till they settled back on the myriad of screens before him. You wont get it, not yet. But Ive scraped enough to realise something simple. There was no defeat in his voice as he announced, This is beyond me, code made by a genius and further sharpened by thousands of years of refinement by something beyond human-level intelligence. It is a simple fact, that I will never ever reach a point where I can match what I see before me. There was no defeat in him, no anger, no real emotion other than simple acceptance. Similarly to how one would accept that an object dropped would fall to the earth because of gravity, I accepted that this was beyond what I could reach. Understanding, he sat back down on his chair. That is one of the Paths that made up Discovery. One of three. What we got Analyse from. Do you know why I know this? he asked. No. The damn thing realised I was studying it, with no sign other than the fact I managed to lay its code bare. It realised it was being studied, and started teaching me. I didnt speak, instead letting him continue. It told me the basics of what it was. But I learned enough code now that I knew I would never hope to reach this level, his voice was dead calm now. Simply reciting a fact. And what would you do? He giggled, the action descending into another hysterical fit. I will continue because this interested me. Threads of clues finally gathered into a coherent theory, no, a certainty because I knew myself better than anyone else. What Declan was laughing at, was himself. There was no part of himself that believed he could reach what he wanted, yet he would try anyway. Declan laughed for the same reason I would laugh at a Darwins Award, he was laughing at an idiot doing something incredibly stupid. Declan knew his actions were incredibly idiotic and pointless, but still wanted to try anyway for a reason as shallow as interest. Pitiful isnt it? he asked, Youd think we would learn by now. I looked through his eyes and strangely felt that they werent mine. As I heard him descend into another fit of mad giggling, the word I thought was not pitiful. 4.12 4.12 It''s quite simple, trolls already live under bridges and rob anyone who passes, thus they have the job experience to be excellent tax collectors. - High Prince Aksum''s proposal on acquiring Government Officials who wont get lynched. The path to the caves followed a rough rocky outcrop situated on a large plateau bordering the beach. Greenie sniffled a bit at the heavy salt smell, letting out a cute sneeze. Sunny, it complained, shading its eyes. Yellow nudged the bracken polypores under my skin to grow into a roof over their similarly made balcony. Were they always able to do that? Either it was another thing that was too minor for my menu to see or my choices were paying off. I originally picked Symbiosis because of all the other Paths, it was the option that helped deal with the sun, but in hindsight, I mightve picked one of the best options. The multitude was always better than the individual, and one day I simply wont be able to progress in level. But I dont have to be the strong, so long as I had an army of familiars and summons to back me up, my level became pretty meaningless. In comparison to Noam though, I was a tad overpowered. Currently, I was a hard to kill status effect machine, with specs in information gathering and area control. I could very effectively hold an area so long as I had prep time, the problem was if I got disrupted early on and my lack of close-range combat. Noam was a bard that happened to have a melee weapon but he could easily wreck me at close range. A person who was actually fully specced in melee combat should be able to take me out quickly or at least keep me CCd enough that I wont be able to do anything. Just from a game balance perspective, this had to be true. Eventually, Ill have to transition to a more supportive build that relied on summons and familiars, which had fewer weak points compared to my current build, or at least that type of builds strengths covered some of its weak points. Noam though seemed mainly like a DPS focused skirmisher for quick but large encounters. Biting Words and Vicious Mockery gave him a degree of utility because he could effectively taunt people into focusing on him, so he could fill as an off-tank. And despite the fact he had two useless abilities, his build was far more well rounded than mine. Noam said something, breaking me out of my thoughts. Sorry, what was that? He stopped as he glanced back at me, there was a good amount of distance between us now. Perhaps due to our wildly differing Agility? I said! he yelled over a crashing wave, Do you think there are beaches like this back home!? What do you mean!? I yelled back. Greenie and Yellows vision jerked as I ran to catch up to him. Like this clean, or just the general feeling you know? he yelled back. Probably not! When I got close to him, I replied, Any beach in our world is probably fucked by now. Noam didnt look at me, simply staring out into the ocean. You sure about that? I shrugged, There might be, but what point is there in finding one? I gestured to the sea, Theres one right there. I guess, he quietly replied, voice so low I almost missed it. I raised an eyebrow, before slapping him on the back, Quiet brooding doesnt fit you." He scratched the back of his head, Yeah I gave him a moment, before starting back on the path. Cmon. Noams boots scraped against the rough gravel as he caught up. What do you mean quiet brooding doesnt fit me? Noam asked from behind me. Well, generally theyre for quiet badasses with tragic backstories, I answered. Bending down to dodge his roundhouse. Screw you, he playfully replied, I have an awesome tragic backstory! Really? I challenged. What? He held his chin in a thoughtful gesture, Entire village got massacred by someone and Im out looking for vengeance? Overdone, I critiqued. Everyone knows that story so its not special. Add a twist or two. Ah, he smiled, but what if the twist is that I have no tragic backstory? Then youre just a gag character with a weird bit. Gag characters can be serious! he defended. But not always. Our destination was in sight now, a collection of squat, white huts, created from some kind of uniform stone. Ok, hear this, Noam gestured to his head. Whats a calm badass? Cowboys, so how bout I start wearing a cowboy hat. I made sure to stare at his extremely prominent horns, Sure. My hand caught his incoming punch. It can be one that has holes in it, he argued as we neared the camp, for my horns to go through. I mean, I started. Calm badasses generally dont talk aloud about how to make themselves badass. Noam raised a finger, about to argue before shutting up, just when we stepped into the camp. Arranged before us were dozens of small huts, built of some kind of clean white material. What was strange was their exact uniformity. Every hut looked exactly the same to an almost creepy degree. Like someone had just copy-pasted one 3D asset. We drew some attention, but they all quickly returned to their previous task, either maintaining weapons or chatting to another. Some eyes lingered, with a start, I realised they were lingering on me. Huh, I guess I did look a bit weird. Excuse me, I asked one of the people staring, Were here for the Ivory Tower quest, where can we find the Administrative Guild representative? The mans face took on an indescribable expression, You both plateless? Yeah, Noam replied. Youll find the MAG rep in there, he gestured backwards, towards a hut with a symbol etched on it, logo of Sword and Charter, you cant miss it. I nodded, noting a necklace that had a bronze plate threaded in it. On it was a logo that of a tower, along with some lines of writing. Curious, eh? the mercenary chuckled. Feel free to take a look, he said as he pulled out his plate. His name was etched in it, Randiam of Greyvault. Along with more information underneath. Camp 6 Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Mage (Battle) 5 Skirmisher 2 What do the classes mean? I asked. Well, they were somewhat self-explanatory, but it didnt hurt to ask. MAG keeps us mercs classified in nice little bits so everyone knows what we each could do, he thumbed the first line, Battlemage means I can hurt and heal things. Names a bit redundant though since every mage in this business battles. He gestured to a sword hanging by his belt, Skirmisher is a general catch-all for people that specialise in mundane weapons, though youd be hardpressed to find a weapon that hasnt been enchanted in one way or another. Finally, he swept his arm wide. And camp means I can make stuff like this, he said, gesturing to the numerous squat stone houses around us. You made this camp? Yellow asked. The mage glanced at the wisp in confusion. It asked if you made this camp Mr Randiam, I clarified. Yes, I did. Smart little bugger isnt he? he replied in a contemplative tone. Also in charge of feeding all these IDIOTS! he raised his voice for the last bit, clearly talking to the people around us. Yeah, yeah we get it, another person, whose plate showed her as another of the Ivory Tower, tiredly said, Youre an important asset to the guild and we cant be here without you. Utility is good, I said. Cant fight if youre hungry. Utility tended to outpace both damage and durability at higher levels. Though I might be biased about that. Since people tended to like flashy damage more, I often found myself the lone utility caster in any party. Which ironically made every damage based player Ive met seem utterly normal, as they were one amongst a thousand. Whereas anyone who mained a healer or tank class was practically seen as an endangered species to be scooped up. Good thing was Ive never had to suffer through long matchmaking queues when I played with Matt. Damn straight, he agreed, nodding his head. Anything you can tell us about the guy inside? I asked, going to what I wanted from the beginning. The cultist? I nodded. Dont know where that one popped up, hes a one of the Damned- sorry about that, he said to Noam, almost as a side note, so half of us expect devils to start spewing out. Should we expect to fight devils? I asked, they were supposedly a tier below demons, but still considered nasty to fight. Nah, he replied. If fiends start dropping well notice and start storming the caves in force. What should we expect to fight then? Chimeras, he replied, Bout as varied as fiends but his ones arent nearly as strong. The shit ones dont live long, slap dashed together so some dont have all the important bits to survive. Frankenstein-like then, and missing vital organs as do most living weapons. If youre a fighter, he nodded to Noam, youre gonna have a hard time, you dont know where their vital organs are or if they even have any. Though generally they still have heads you can cut off. Noam nodded. And you, he looked at me, cant tell what you can do. But you look like a mage so keep blasting them till they go down. I see, I replied. I briefly contemplated telling him what I can do. He seemed experienced and could probably help me figure something out. Probably not worth it. The information he gave was rudimentary, basic weaknesses and nothing much to look out for. If chimeras were as varied as he was implying, then I was better off figuring a game plan on how to deal with them on a case by case basis. Now, to ask the question Ive been wondering since I saw the quest, Is there a reason why you dont just go root this cultist out? I originally thought they didnt have the manpower, but seeing the actual camp there were at least a hundred people here. Assuming half were utility or non-combatants, there were still fifty people who should be able to put up a fight. Ah, so you noticed, he smiled, truth is rather simple, most of Ivory Tower are mages. Mages? How did that affect things? Whats the problem with that? Yellow asked. I asked the same thing, to which the Randiam furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, You dont have mana problems? Ah. So that was it. Youre worried that if you go in en-mass, your forces will exhaust their mana before you can meet the cultist? Indeed, he nodded, thats why youre here, to clean out the chimeras before we go in and deal the finisher. Looking to the long term and outsourcing the labour. I see. And youre not afraid the cultist will run before you do? If he does well notice, we have people covering every cave exit with wards to detect planar magic. And you can pay for everyone that comes? The quest was pretty generous compared to all the other stuff available. Most only gave payment after the task had been completed. Randiam smiled cryptically, It pays for itself. Pays for itself? Were there quests that I wasnt aware of? Pays for itself implies that hiring outsiders was a net neutral or positive. What do you mean by that? The chimeras, he began, are slapdash creations made from whatever is available. Though some incorporate some rather rare parts. Material harvesting, I realised. He smiled, This is a small gamble on our part, weve confirmed some rather exotic pieces that can still be sold for a good price even if they were mangled a bit. He added as almost an afterthought, Of course if you take this quest on our behalf, you surrender the rights to any corpses youll be making. And if we came, killed the chimeras and took the loot without taking your quest? His smile didnt waver, but in a moment, his eyes turned cold. That would be highway robbery, because the people doing the quest for the cultist is the Ivory Tower. Ah, so it was looked down upon then, or perhaps illegal. Got it then, I said, turning to leave, thanks for the info. Noam followed after me, his steps sounded a bit more hurried than usual. Once we were a far enough distance, he grabbed my shoulder, Shit did you feel that, he whispered. I raised an eyebrow, Feel what? Scary, Greenie said. I saw from its view that Yellow was nodding in agreement beside it. Right I know? Noam agreed, That old man was scary. It felt like someone had shoved an icicle up my ass when you asked that. Descriptive. He signed loudly, Man, I was trying to keep up this quiet and calm badass look as well. He definitely saw me flinch when he did that. Wait, what?
So what do you think Maz? Randiam directed to the woman who had tiredly replied to him earlier. Six out of ten, information gathering was decent, but they didnt ask in-depth, she replied. The MAG Vice-Guild Master wore a rather basic disguise, hiding inside his guild. Randiam chuckled, Eight out of ten, I figured it was trying to keep its own abilities hidden. Maz moved to his side, It? Him, her? he shrugged, Does it matter, all myconids look the same anyways. That one was pretty distinct. Hmm. There was a brief flicker of light, followed by the smell of smoke, Are the wards all ok? Of course! Randiam replied, vaguely offended, I set them myself. The light of her smoke briefly reflected on his plate, piecing the bronze illusion and revealing a silver glint. Hey, keep off, he brushed off the small mote of mana, Illusions are hard to maintain. Maz chuckled. You said they were Travellers, he said after repairing his illusion. The one with a capital. The type that didnt truly die. Randiam heard of them as a child, stories of people and things constantly coming back regardless of what killed them. Yep, the drow agreed. They automatically succeed this exam dont they? he said, They dont die so even if they were killed, they come back and get a plate. Indeed. Then why bother? Theyre already pretty lucky to immediately stumble here for their first quest. Because we would know what theyre capable of. The idea was simple enough. Know the enemy, though Randiam would rather not fight a Traveler. Unlike Revenants who tended to be driven by a singular and all-encompassing desire for something, or Fae who were stuck to the stories they gave them, Travelers were practically normal people, they didnt have convenient behaviours that could be predicted and exploited. Few Travellers became truly dangerous or did heinous things, but the danger of something that wont die, something you cant easily remove from the world, one day just up and deciding they wanted to burn a town down? Then another and another? Someone needed to deal with things like those, and though Randiam did it for a paycheck, he was still one of those people that dealt with monsters. What of the others? he asked, there were normal people in this test as well. Twelve others. Complaining to the rep about the stringent rules. He felt a nudge on his shoulder, seeing an unlit cigar between Mazs fingers. No thanks, he replied. The drow shrugged, before she blew out another line of smoke, They seem like an interesting lot as well. I hope as many survive as possible. 4.13 Part 1 4.13 Honestly, Ive found the best way to make friends is to laugh over the corpse of a mutual foe. - Hasan Vashard the Lunars Edge. What do you mean we require a party! a rough voice yelled from within. A calmer voice answered, It was in the A different voice interrupted, but the tone was lower, so I couldnt hear it properly. Sounded like an insult, Noam supplied, hand falling to his sword, before quickly retracting as he remembered there was a spike on the hilt. There was a low growl. The first voice. God, why did it have to be so troublesome? Noam glanced at me, then upwards towards Yellow. I shrugged. A conversation between us completed in a moment. We could probably avoid a fight, but it didnt hurt to be prepared. On Noam, I told Yellow as I present my finger as a perch, before depositing it on Noam''s shoulder. Why Yellow? Greenie asked as Yellow crawled onto a comfortable spot on Noams head. Yellow will be more useful with Noam, I answered. Noam was an opportunist, he seized mistakes by the balls and never let them go. The ability to CC the opponent for even the slightest moment would work far better with him. I already had enough. Noam patted the shroom on his head, Watch my back Yellow. Got it! Hopefully you wont need to act much, I said to Greenie. It was mainly a damage dealer, if we were going for non-lethal then Greenies role should only be as a threat. Roo? Noam asked. A bit of Poker as well, I answered. Well run if things turn south like he suggested, but if we could observe then we should. Noam pushed open the swinging doors of the hut, revealing a much larger space within. Briefly pinning the bigger on the inside than the outside shenanigans on magic, I walked in after Noam, into what appeared to be a standoff. Twelve people inside, all of whom turned to stare at our interruption, I was, in turn, examining them. Two groups in a standoff, three people to the left, two to the right. Rest were spectators, milling along the fringes. The left group consisted of a human, a lizard-like person with vibrant red scales and small horn-like protrusions on their temple, and one that was either a halfling or gnome. Her hand was on the hilt of a short sword, but her height made her range limited so she was a low threat until proven otherwise. The human was dressed like a normal fighter archetype, but the lizard looked most troublesome, handling a dark wood staff engraved in the shape of a dragon head. The right group only had two, but they looked stronger. The one in front looked like a genetic engineer having a field day in creating an Olympic weight lifter. Tall and wide with the majority of his bulk in muscle. It wouldve been difficult to pass him as human even without the rough grey skin and the two tusk-like teeth peeking from his jaw. An orc. Damn, even his face looked like a brick. Behind him, was a lizard-like humanoid, similar to the one from the other group but there were some differences. This one had no horns, had dull green scales and was sparsely dressed, only a few belts and harnesses with pouches. An axe- no, a tomahawk of bone was holstered on their hip. Were here for the raid quest? Noam began, glancing towards the edge. My eyes followed his, towards a man dressed in a uniform similar to the desk receptionist at the guild. Four metres to the right of him, my other self sent. My vision split to have Greenies in parallel, it was staring at a hooded figure. I briefly caught the sight of a bandolier of something, dolls? There was a bird on their shoulder covered in a black cloth, when it turned to face Greenie, I realised that it was just a skeleton. There is no need to fight, the green lizard-like humanoid said to the orc, revealing sharp, needlepoint teeth. There is nothing to be gained. The orc snorted, spitting loudly onto the floor. Ew. Also, eight metres to the left, that guy is drawing a weapon. This one insulted your honour, the orc rebutted, pointing to the other lizard. I see him, I answered myself. Pfft. What did I do but speak but the truth? An uncivilised barbarian should go return to the jungle. Huh? Did I hear that right? You did. Huh. I guess in the end this really was a fantasy world. Ive read about racism in textbooks before, but Ive never seen it in person before. And what would a damn lizard-like you know! the orc snarled, before quickly flitting back to his lizard companion. Not directed at you by the way. The green lizardman remained silent. Am I blind or do both of them look like the same race? Noam loudly whispered next to me. I glanced at him. Oh no. I know that look. You must be blind then, the red lizard replied, A dragonborn like me could not possibly be mistaken as one of the savage lizardfolk. I cant see a difference, Declan thought. At least I have the excuse of not having eyes, I added. Really? Noam incredulously asked, I really couldnt tell, whats so different about you lot? Your education must be lacking to an egregious degree if you really think that. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Noam shrugged and his eyes flickered to me for the briefest moment. Goddamnit. Well if he picked this hill to die on then I best make sure he digs someone elses grave. You see! A dragonborn is born with As he began rambling, my mouth opened by the barest fraction. A strange quirk weve discovered was that my mouth doesnt actually need to move when Im speaking. ... and not to mention the achievements of the Platinum Very quietly, I began whispering. My voice was low enough that only Greenie heard me, but that was enough. Repeat after me. Greenie did, and I began summarising what Ive read from one of the bestiaries Ive read. Dragonborn seems to be descended from dragons shapeshifting and fucking with humanoids. Their abilities vary but generally, theyre tougher than the average humanoid with innate magical abilities and elemental breath depending on their- Noam clicked his tongue. Thats all a fine and long-winded explanation, but you really arent proving that superiority youre talking about, he said while facing the trio. Not what he was looking for? This is a verbal battle, Declan pointed out. Then what can I get? The gnome was uneasy, she kept checking her weapon. The human didnt speak, but his pose was aggressive. Noam was in his element but still outnumbered. The orc stepped forward, Thank you for speaking in our defense, but I am not without fangs. He snarled as he said that, baring some rather impressive tusks. Two to three, still not enough. I couldnt help notice that the lizard they were defending held a rather apathetic attitude to all of this. The dragonborn began to speak up. I spoke first. Theres no point to this. Noams eyes flitted rapidly to me. We should aim for de-escalation, not further antagonisation, I had Greenie communicate to him. One more minute, he mouthed. I mentally sighed. This idiot. Verbally, I loudly said, This lizard is all talk and no action, there is no point to arguing with someone who clearly cant back up their claims. Noam turned to me, his back to the trio so that they couldnt see his mischievous smile, I suppose youre right. No matter how much you teach a parrot to talk its still just a parrot. Are you two daft! Im clearly a dragon! Noam turned to the guild rep, Anyways we just need to hand you these papers right? Hey? Did you actually turn daft? Indeed, the rep serenely replied. However due to the specific nature of the quest, we only accept completions with a party. Groups of five or more? I asked. That could complicate matters. Hellooo?! Were already here so it would be a bit late to call our own friends, Noam carefreely said. He turned to the orc and lizardman, What about you two? We are the orc uncertainly began, before he made eye contact with Noam. A glint of realisation passed through them, and he cheerfully said, Without a party as well! Hey! I swear if youre ignoring- Well just need a fifth then, I said over him. I said did you hear me! the dragonborn moved forward, hand reaching for us. Torrin! a female voice yelled. The dragonborn paused, glancing back at his gnome companion. She shrunk back slightly, but still firmly said, Lets drop it. But- Please. Torrin looked back at us, before letting out an indignant grunt, You side with cannibals and savages. I made a clicking noise, and from Yellows perspective, I could see a brief spark of flame as Noam tsked. Quickly scanning around, I could see the room cooling down, the neutral parties remaining neutral. Discreetly, I stored the sporage I had prepared at the start of the encounter. Pick your battles better, I muttered. I was about to light that fucker up, Noam replied. So? But for what point? He pissed me off, Noam quietly answered. I mentally sighed. If only I could be as carefree as him. That road died for us a long time ago, my other commented. Ill be gone, call if you need me. Got it. Thank you for your assistance, the orc smiled. You enraged him far better than I would have. Noam slapped the orcs back. No problem, he cheerfully answered, I have a natural talent for stuff like this. Utoqa, the orc glanced at his companion, you thank him as well. Thank you, he simply replied. No problem, Noam answered. Uhmm theres no easy way to ask this, he nervously ruffled the back of his head, but youre not actually what he said right? Cause that would be awkward. I have not eaten another lizardfolk in my life, Utoqa answered. Though I may be considered a savage. The orc snorted, Savage my goat. Take no heed to such insults, they place that label to any race with mhurran fangs. The orc extended his hand, I am Naukoth Stoneback. Noam clasped it, Noam. Dustin, I answered when he glanced at me. He nodded in approval as I spoke, You have good teeth for a plant. Umm Thanks? There is no problem. Noam, you spoke of partying, we are happy to join you. Sweet. What can the both of you do? I asked. Im a mage, these are my familiars, I gestured to Greenie and Yellow. Noams a bard. Naukoth perked up, A bard? I am one as well. Where is your instrument? I just use my words man, Noam cheekily replied. The orc nodded contemplatively, Hmm. That does seem much more convenient. You have an instrument? I asked. In all likelihood he did but it did not hurt to check. Naukoth nodded, I do, I left it outside. Come! Ill show you. Why would he leave it outside? If instruments are basically what wands are to mages, to bards, then he shouldve carried it with him. Utoqa, introduce yourself as well, it is rude otherwise. The lizardman nodded, I am Utoqa. I can fight. Well, that was informative. How? I asked, Are you melee or long range? Melee, he simply answered. Using your tomahawk? Noam asked as we left the hut. Yes. The orc rounded around the hut. Mustve left it behind there. As we followed Naukoth, his instrument came into view. This is it! the orc proudly presented. What? Noam rubbed his eyes. Are you serious? I did a quick double-take. Yep, still the same thing. He plays a grand piano? Greenie excitedly asked. 4.13 Part 2 I stared at the grand piano. It was literally just a grand piano, one made with polished dark wood I couldnt describe it any way other than it was literally just a grand piano. There was a tiny stool next to it made with a weaved web of reeds and leather capping the top, but other than the fact it clashed with the overall design of the piano, there was nothing noteworthy. How do the logistics of this work? Noam asked after some hesitation. I carry it! Naukoth declared as he flexed his muscles. How well do the logistics of this work? I stressed. Not very well, Utoqa drily answered. Naukoth looked at his friend betrayed, Hey hey! I can play it better than the best of them! Utoqas glassy eyes met his, You are loud, you cannot get through gaps and you tune it every day. The orc snarled, muttering something in a guttural language, before turning to us, Are you fine with this? I looked the orc up and down once again, Honestly, given your build, I would prefer you just carry a club. The orc began a rebuttal, But, play it, lets see what you can do. The orc claimed he was a bard, and while carrying a piano would be suboptimal for a fight, especially one in a cave, it wouldnt hurt to evaluate his actual ability first, before deciding which to pick. Naukoth visibly lit up at my suggestion, Finally! A chance to show my true talents! he declared as he rubbed his thick shovel-like hands together. Wait Your fingers are too big for the keys, I stated. It was a grand piano but one clearly made for human proportions. No, Noam rebutted, his eyes glimmering with interest. You are too confident, he said to the orc. The orc barred his tusks, a gesture I realised with a start was a smile, before he pulled out the stool and squatted on it, his huge frame towering over the thing. I realised with slight annoyance that even sitting he was almost twice as tall as I was. First Melody, War of Drums. Then, he began to play. The first song was brusque, loud and rhythmic. It felt at odds with the classical instrument it was played on, but as he played, I could feel a difference within myself. Strength and agility buff, both by four. I didnt need to test it, my Analysis of myself simply updated with the new stats. Then, his song started to slow, before stopping. Second Melody, Ilnevals Edge. He said as he began anew. The song sounded slower, his hands were sluggish- No. My mind and perception were getting faster. At least by twenty percent. Third Melody, Axe in Motion. The third buff I didnt recognise. The song was something of constant buildup, and my body began to stir. What was this feeling? I could not recognise it, but it felt like I could do anything and succeed at it. A willpower or motivation increase? He finished the song, and turned around expectantly. Amazing, Noam breathed. Are those all you can manage? I asked. The orcs brow furrowed slightly, Yes, unfortunately, those are the only complete melodies I know. The first song increased my stats by eight total. That was four levels. Your first song- This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Melody, he corrected. Whatever. Is the strength and agility increase a flat increase or a percentage one? Percentage? Does your first melody increase a persons strength by a flat amount or is it dependant on how strong the person you were affecting were? I simplified. Naukoths forehead furrowed in thought, I am unsure. Noam? No clue, he replied, making a fist. I didnt get to move around, but it was more than a quarter but less than fifty percent. Can you play the first song again? I asked. Melody, he corrected before playing again. As he started, Noam did a few starting stretches, going through all his muscles. Yellows eyes on him, I got back the stats I needed.
Strength: 12 (+4) Agility: 14 (+4)
Flat increase of four, I muttered. What level are- Wait, no, are levels even a concept for them? Regardless, a plus-eight stat buff was insane for our level. Even looking back I dont think Ive seen a player with a stat surpassing twenty. This orc was either high-level or had an insanely lucky find. How long can you keep your songs going and how many can you affect? I can play for a whole day if needed! the orc boasted, As for people, I do not know, but I can easily keep up for five. Can you selectively affect only allies? The orc looked at me as I were stupid, Of course, all bards can do that. Just making sure, I absentmindedly replied. Do you require a piano to play these songs? If I want to keep it at the same strength, Naukoth replied. Regardless, I do not know other instruments. A piano would be far too obvious and unwieldy, but the effect it could have was far too tantalising to pass up. He said he can easily play for five, that was forty free stats at least. And they werent random stats we werent going to use. Noam was a mid-front line gish fighter, even if his spells scaled off charisma he would need physical stats to stay relevant. The lizardman didnt give much away, but he was clearly also a front-liner. Strength and agility were both dump stats for me but with the song up I could theoretically fill as an off-tank/mid-line combatant. In fact, the person whom this song would be least beneficial for would be the orc himself. Since any sane party would have him sequestered at the back constantly keeping his buffs up. Not to mention, he could play two other songs. Yes I can see it now. It can work. The unwieldiness of the piano can be accounted for. At the very least, playing around a piano will be an interesting challenge. The pros outweigh the cons. Youre grinning, Noam pointed out. Its goddamn terrifying. As any good smile should, Naukoth commented. Oh, I know, Noam replied with his own grin. Well need a fifth, ideally a healer of some kind. I could fill in for small wounds with Balm Spores but it wasnt ideal. My build should focus on area control and DPS. Would the hooded one do? Utoqa spoke, glancing towards our midst. Our eyes followed Utoqas, to a hooded figure standing right between all us. What the- Ah! a deep voice yelled as Naukoth fell out of his seat. None of you saw that! Naukoth yelled. Yo, Noam welcomed, Howd you get around all of us without noticing? That was the same person who I noted earlier. The similarly cloaked bird skeleton on their shoulder looked around in a jerky manner. A necromancer, the orc snarled. Blood brother, you cannot be serious about this. We require a fifth, Utoqa stated. I had a better view on them now. A rogue type? Had to be, they didnt just get around the three of us without notice, but the six of us, counting Greenie, Yellow and Declan. To be fair I wasnt paying attention, my other selfs voice came through, somehow muffled by the sound of chewing even though it was purely in our heads. Still. That was Noam, Naukoth, the wisps and me. And what kind of stats did Utoqa had, that he noticed what five others could not?
Perception: >10
Still needed more information. Umm a soft, distinctively female voice shyly sounded out as she pulled back her hood, revealing juniper dark hair, ... Im just good at blending in. ... And I would umm also like to join your party. 4.13 Part 3 What can you do? The woman glanced down towards me, though her eyes remained nervous. She appeared human, with a normal height of around one hundred and seventy centimetres and without the sharp ears that made me think of an elf. Conventional wisdom placed her face somewhere between seventeen to twenty years old, though there were unknowns. I dont know if my knowledge of human ages would translate well here. For one, humans arent the only race in this world, and breeding between species seems to occur on a regular occurrence. Which indicates that either genetics are screwed here, or most species belonged to the same taxonomical family, I replied to my Declan self. Pale skin was somewhat normal, but green hair, no matter how dark was not a natural human hair colour. Unless you considered genetic or cosmetic implants to fall under the definition of natural, but few people did. Wait, I was rambling again. Is it really rambling if someone responds? Probably not. The woman began talking, nervous at first, but slowly gaining stride. I umm am an alchemist. I have prepared potions and know some spells. She pulled back her cloak, revealing a bandolier of potions. Those werent there before. She swapped them out? Do you remember what she had there before? I asked Declan. I do, he replied. Weird looking dolls. Like voodoo or something. What kind? I asked her. There are multiple types of alchemists. See if shes a combat one. Dont backseat game, I chided. So annoying. I heard that. You were supposed to. Erm I specifically specialise in herbalism, though I do dabble in some primal material transmutation. Of course of the Trizian School, with some small inspirations from Gimetris! I like how they handle complete transmutation of non-pure materials and their theories on balancing equivalent exchange in favour of the transmuter, of course only minor inspiration, otherwise the Gimetris Law of Bellariuan Disposition would clash with the Trizians Theory of... She slowed her passionate speech as she looked around, realising that none of her audience were looking at her with comprehending eyes- not that I had any. If thats satisfactory! I shrugged. Its fine. How do you manage in a fight? Oh Umm I can throw and supply potions? What kind? I asked. Dont those cost money? Naukoth interjected at the same time. The three of us glanced at each other, and I shrugged, Him first. They do But I gather most of my own ingredients and I usually get by with just spells. But you still pay out of your own pocket for them? I asked incredulously. She shouldnt be able to break more than even then. Unless potions were ridiculously cheap. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. She hesitantly nodded. Naukoth bared his teeth as he growled, And what of the undead? She noticeably seemed to flinch back, Its my familiar Its been cleared she hesitantly added in response to Naukoths bared tusks. Few things are clear with necromancy, the orc snarled. Utoqa placed his hand on Naukoths shoulder, If the legalities do not believe it a threat then it should not be. Interesting. So undead could be cleared with law, hmm That opened up several class skills I had dismissed before but back at the conversation at hand. The orc simply snorted in response, crossing his arms. His teeth stayed bared in an animalistic display of displeasure, but he did not contradict what was said. Noam curiously leaned in. So are undead a big deal? Surprise flickered across the face of the alchemist for the briefest moment. They are, Naukoth answered, still glaring at the alchemist. How are you not aware of it? Im a Traveller, so I only got around here recently. There was a brief moment before their brains caught up with capital in the word. I sighed, there wasnt a need for him to pass that along. It wasnt a big deal but it was another hidden card revealed for no gain. Traveller as in the Grashetars? Naukoth asked in awe. Noam awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, Erm I dont know what that means. The Khartoci word for Stubborn One. Ive heard tales of your kind, the orc shuddered. Great songs of warriors who refused death. I am glad to have one with us. ... Does that mean you are one too? the alchemist asked me. My vision shifted to her. Ah, so that was what Noam wanted. Naukoth had shifted out of his aggressive stance, his curiosity of Travelers outstripping his hostility towards the undead. Overall not a complete loss, I just need to play along to move the subject away from her familiar. That idiot with his bleeding heart, I thought with a smile. Yes, I answered, reaching out with a hand. My name is Dustin, yours? ... Celine, she accepted my hand with some hesitation. Celine Kakoph. Noam smiled, also reaching out for a handshake. Noam. Utoqa, the lizardfolk said as she took it. The orc grunted, crossing his arms before saying, Naukoth Stoneback. Great, I began. Now, onto what I can do
The Traveller group was the last to set off. Having spent the time discussing what they were each individually capable of. Maz noted with some approval, that they each seemed to keep a card hidden. Dustins familiars scanned the surroundings with cognisance that was unusual for what should be low-level magical constructs, and his staff had changed since she last saw him. Motes of divine energy, not enough to conceptualise but enough to hint at something. Most notable however were his eyes, which he now covered completely with the strange fungus growing on him in an odd woody mask. The tiefling Noam spoke easily amongst strangers and moved quickly to defend others. He carried the unmistakable aura of someone experienced. For one, when they first entered the building, encountered the hostile environment. He disappeared. His heartbeat slowed, his footsteps no longer made sound and his presence seemed to fade. As another one skilled in hiding, Maz recognised that this was near the peak of what could be achieved without dipping into magic, aura or having an innate gift like the alchemist seemed to have. Naukoth, that unreasonably strong orc, who was casually lugging around a grand piano that was at minimum five hundred kilograms like it were an empty travel sack, was a demented man seeking a fools quest. What a waste of such a sculpted body. In terms of physicality, he would rival even a Silver Plater. The last two were the strangest. The lizardfolk Utoqa was tough like most of his race, but even from her perch, he was grating on her senses. That lizard carried enough magic to fit out an entire adventuring party and wasnt particularly good at hiding it. Youd think he was about to face an entire raider encampment by himself. Whereas Celine She was an alchemist for sure, but it was not her primary Path. Not a necromancer, those had a distinct feeling which she lacked. Maz didnt think she''d ever even encountered her type of school. It was grasping cursed threading and incomplete? What Maz wouldnt have done to gain an aspect of divination right now, but then she would be too scattered. While it was nice to have multiple focuses, the universe will always get its due. Instead, she weaved a working. The illusion milling around the camp was set to a pattern to repeat, and Maz soundlessly fell from her perch. Following the group a few dozen steps behind as they entered the caverns. The first enemies the group encountered, were utterly eviscerated. 4.14 4.14 Theme music does wonders. I personally listen to a mixture of Metal and Rock when I enter a murderous rage. - Remag the Bardzerker. With barely a grunt, Naukoth lifted the piano with a single hand. Hey, Decs? I called out to my other. Yeah? Everyone except for Utoqa wordlessly gawked in awe as the orc easily shouldered the grand piano. How much does a grand piano weigh? Why- Holy shit! Understandable reaction. Ok, Im googling it Holy- three hundred to five hundred KILOGRAMS!?
Strength: >30
Jesus Christ, Noam exclaimed. The orc smiled as he shouldered the piano between his shoulder and forearm. It clearly didnt even bother him, as he gave a thumbs up with his free arm. Im ready. Does that piano have some kind of magic lessening its weight? I asked. Nope, the orc chuckled, clearly drinking in our shock. Erm, lets go then I muttered. Turning around. The rest fell in step behind me, though they slowly overtook me. Naukoth, being well over two metres tall had naturally long strides no matter how much he was encumbered, which he clearly wasnt, as he was holding a goddamn five hundred kilogram piano like he was a waiter serving drinks. Lemme guess, you didnt actually expect him to be able to lift that? Declan asked, to which I didnt bother to answer. He was right after all. Whats the human weight lifting record? Six hundred kilograms if you count purely genetic modifications. Eight hundred if you also count cybernetic. But- None of them did it easily, I interrupted. If that piano weighed as much as it should, then Naukoth would be leagues ahead of anything a normal human can accomplish. Was this due to him being an orc or could anyone reach that strength here? The existence of our stats is in favour of the latter. Indeed. We both saw the base human stat block. Humans started at eleven for all stats. If they invested all their three stat points into a single stat, then they would reach thirty by level eight. Of course racial benefits exist as well, he added, Itll only take three more levels for you to hit thirty Wisdom. Though were a bit forced into that arent we? I quietly muttered. Celine glanced at me, having fallen behind next to me. Just mumbling to myself, I answered. Technically the truth. While it was nice to be able to know all your teammates abilities, there wasnt the pressing requirement to go all the way with a P.U.G. All you really needed to do was establish a baseline. Oh she hesitantly said, I see. Shy? Or is she hiding something? Could be both, its a bit weird when you meld thoughts with me though. I know, I know, its just when Im paying attention I hear everything and it all sounds the same. That I was not a big fan of, but technically he was me, or at least close enough that it didnt matter. Keep at it I suppose, wouldnt do if we became too different. We theoretically already are. Youre technically smarter and wiser than me ya know? That cant be for nothing. Respects your betters then. Nah. Ive seen what Im capable of and Im not impressed. That traitor, Ill make sure to impress upon him my intellect. And Ill beat you, he chuckled. Hey, quiet, I wanna hear what theyre saying in front. I focused back on reality. Hearing the conversation the two in front had begun while I had my own. You carried rocks since you were four? Noam asked, impressed. Da. Its why Im called Stoneback, the orc answered. Dwarves paid good money, and my Na couldnt support us both with another in the womb. Thats still amazing though! Really? the orc asked with a slightly confused expression, Ive been told I was lucky. Orc children are already brought on hunts when they could walk. Huh. He genuinely didnt seem to think it was a special thing. A difference in cultures I suppose. More importantly. Yes yes, Ill ask him. So youre so strong because you trained? The orc pursed his lips in thought, Not so much trained I just kept carrying the stuff they mined, and it kept slowly increasing till I was hauling enough for several mine carts. Hmm So it increased as he used it, we thought at the same time. That raised an interesting question. Travellers increase their stats through level-ups but if the people here could train and naturally become stronger similar to how I would IRL, were their stats linked to a level or other discreet value? Latter is obviously true. Dont forget youre in a computer. Everything has a value. Noam talked, interrupting my thoughts. So why do you use a piano? That one I strained my ears- or whatever the myconid equivalent was- to hear. It is an old story, he begun, his voice shifting to a slightly more guttural accent. A year ago my friend Terrance dug into something. Some kind of instrument room, with a dusty piano in it. Celine leaned in a bit, likely also curious about it. Only Utoqa remained as he were, keeping at the same pace, seemingly not interested. There was an undead sitting by it. A natural Skeleton I was told later. Who remained because of regret. It didnt look up at us, but was staring so intensely at a sheet of parchment that we didnt notice it was undead before it moved. But it didnt move until I neared it, his brows furrowed. It was just the piano looked so beautiful, I didnt think Ive seen anything more beautiful in my life. It was a gem shining in dust and dirt. I neared it, perhaps I was enchanted, but I played it. I touched the keys. He paused for a moment before Noam spoke up. What happened next? What I played was absolutely shit, he said, a nostalgic smile on his face. Terrance was knocked unconscious and the undead looked at me like I was some kind of freakish monster! said the orc who was casually shouldering five hundred goddamn kilograms. Whilst talking and walking! Noam chuckled, Was it really that bad? Youre pretty amazing now. It was, the orc solemnly admitted, It was my first time playing, so of course I would be bad! Everyone would be bad at something they tried the first time right? he asked, glancing around for confirmation. Celine nodded in understanding, whilst Noam just scratched his head, I can sorta get that. The orc shook his head as he continued the story. The damned undead didnt even consider that! It called me some dak like crime against decency! he vehemently ranted, It even started crying on the ground! He made a skeleton cry? Yes, you heard that right. Noam began laughing, Did the skeleton even have eyes to cry? It didnt! Naukoth exclaimed incredulously, But it still did it! The nerve of the thing! It didnt have nerves though, I pointed out, to which I was rewarded with several amused snorts. What happened next? Celine asked. The orcs steps slowed as she asked that, I peeked around him, seeing the large entrance of the cave we were supposed to enter. By a silent agreement, we stopped just in front. The skeleton cried about how we werent the prophesied ones, Naukoth quietly continued, his formerly boisterous energy dimmed as we stared at the gaping maw of the cavern, The ones who will complete the song. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. I was still pissed as hell at it at the time, so I threw the piano at it, he chuckled a bit at the memory, and swore that I would do it just to prove it wrong. What song was it? I asked. He set down the piano, and fished the insides of his tunic, before withdrawing a rolled-up, ancient sheet of parchment. This one, he said as he handed it to me. Be careful, its a bit head screwy. Noams eyebrow rose, You sure about handing it to us? He chuckled, Dont worry, I memorised it a long time ago. I unfurled it and stared at the notes. Similar structure to the sheet music Ive seen before, the lines are in the same places. Unfortunately, I never learnt to read sheet music, so I wouldnt be able to- No. What? I could read it. The notes werent the ones I was used to or have ever seen in fact. Eldritch symbols that seemed to move in spite of their stillness. They seemed to hop out of the page. Worming its way into my mind till I heard the song. A procession of a thousand lights. A dance through the darkness. A thousand predetermined paths. Yet they all moved towards the same place, but that place it was empty. There was no end, the lights danced eternally without a conclusion to grace them. It desired an end. It needed it. A memetic, Declan muttered. I glanced away from the parchment, the action oddly easy despite how it had drawn me in. Celine was beside me, pale green eyes on the parchment. This is strong magic, she muttered quietly. If even the formula is magical I handed it to Noams outstretched hand and rubbed my head as he examined it. That affected me, Declan quietly said. My eyes widened. You mean-" A thousand dancing lights, searching for an end that will never come, he said. Kinda poetic, but it is a song. You sure it was because it affected you, or was it a secondary splash from- Yes, Declan answered with certainty. But it can be tested. Look at it again and Ill screenshot it. If even the still screenshot has the same effect Then it can be safely concluded that this is a set of patterns that could work on a person in the real world, I finished. A memetic hazard huh. I thought those were a myth. Oh? Didnt I tell you yet? Declan asked ponderously. What? That code of a God in our house. Its the same as this, its a memetic.
The eccentric group stood in front of the cavern entrances. We ready? the tiefling asked. The orc snarled, his piano held above him like a serving platter, Born ready. The lizardfolk unsheathed his tomahawk of bone and drew a furred object from a pouch, I am prepared. The alchemist checked her pouches and potions, before nervously nodding. Noam gave a quick glance to Dustin and received a curiously raised eyebrow in response. Do you even need to ask? he seemed to say. Im heading in first, Noam declared, stepping onto the sandy cave floor. The rest followed in single file, Dustin, his blue glow becoming more pronounced in the dark, Naukoth, angling the piano so that it wont hit the jagged stalactites, Celine checking her potions once again and Utoqa quietly holding the rear. The air was cold and damp, and Noam took care to watch his step. In the dark, he could only see shades of black and white- Umm I cant see Celine nervously spoke out. Neither can I, Utoqa said. Dustin tsked, the soft blue glow of his cap blinking out for a moment, Damn, forgot about that. Oh you races without darkvision, Naukoth rolled his eyes. Sorry. No problem, Dustin muttered as several softly glowing mushrooms grew from his arm, illuminating a few metres. Ill have to spam this dont I he softly muttered as more grew from his body. Ha, Naukoth chuckled as he nudged his friend, How are your scales helping now? I have always said my scales are better than yours as a defence. How does this apply? the lizardfolk asked. I can cast Dancing Lights, Celine helpfully supplied. She raised her hand, and four glowing balls of light appeared, revealing the spacious caverns, high and wide enough that they could walk abreast comfortably. Do that, Ill mark our path, he replied as he put his hand on a nearby stalagmite, a glowing mushroom popping out as he removed it. It is a joke, the orc said as Dustin set down some light sporages, You always say we are compensating for having flesh weaker than mail. But you are, Utoqa stated as they moved forward, Dustin setting down another light shroom every few metres. Why else would you wear armour? Why dont you wear armour? Dustin curiously asked. An additional layer of defence over your already tough scales could not hurt. I did not accumulate the metal pieces required to exchange for such a thing. The orc bent down to whisper to Dustin, Money. Hes talking about money. It is what is the word? Sad, that you are not born with armour and weapons. He doesnt mean it, the orc whispered. The mushroom creature has armour, Utoqa interjected, the rest of you do not. Not natural, I said, theyre skills I got later on. Better than without. The orc tsked, None would sell my size. ... Im broke," Celine quietly added. I dont really need it, Noam muttered before he suddenly dropped to the ground. Tracks. What kind? him and Dustin said at the same time. Noam held his hand behind him, to which Dustin instantly handed him a light shroom. The group behind shuffled forward to glimpse at it. Cant tell, Noam admitted. Too muddled. Shoe tracks, Utoqa said. From many. The group before us probably, Dustin noted. ... Didnt they enter from a different hole? Mustve been connected, Naukoth growled, let us not meet them. Suddenly, Utoqas slitted eyes flicked to the darkness around them. Guys, Dustin started, Yellow urgently knocking his cap, Were surrounded. Noam and Utoqa moved first. Utoqa, having seen movement beforehand, Noam trusting his friend entirely. They moved opposite of each other, each at one side of the group. Finally! the orc yelled, setting down his grand piano with a loud thud, Battle! Dustin threw a clump of sporages over Utoqa. Thank you, the lizard said as the light sources fell with a plop, revealing the nature of the enemies they were facing. Shambling arrays of stitched up creatures. Remnants of life thrashed together to form dog-sized mockeries lurking in the dark. Dustins did a quick count around them, At least ten. War of Drums please, Dustin requested. Gladly. The moment his hands touched the keys, the abominations attacked as if a starting pistol was fired. Four rapidly rushed on Utoqas side. Amalgamations of different beasts moving with limbs not entirely theirs. Dustin, his back turned to them, switched his vision to Greenie staring at the clump of sporages, Poison Spores, it chirped and one exploded in green dust. Two chimeras were caught in the blast. Screeching as their flesh contorted in unnatural ways. Two more hopped around the poison. One with rabbit-like legs twisting as it bared large sabre fangs at Utoqa. He cleaved clean through the creature, then swiftly reversed the swing to catch the other beast. A hard crunch echoed as he batted it several metres. Two, Dustin softly muttered. On the other side, Noam fought back three chimeras. His blades biting but not killing. Suddenly as he parried a demented otter-like chimera, the creature''s skin caught on his swords hook, and in a flash of brilliant stupidity, he swung his now weighted club at another encroaching beast. A swing too wide, as the new weight dragged him forward. A clawed foot slashed at his now exposed back, but Dustin was faster. A glob of acid splashed onto the panther-like chimera, causing it to recoil back, attack abandoned as Noams punched it with his crescent guard, drawing blood and blinding it. Yellow threw its spores in the air, blinding another chimera on the ceiling. Through its eyes, Dustin saw two more lurking around the pianos exposed end. Right switch! he yelled, and immediately Noam pivoted, turning to the direction of the orc. His arm in a wide swing as he catapulted the hooked chimera into another one. Three. His old foe slashed out blindly, but Dustin swiftly took Noams place. A swung staff cracked against the chimeras nose, bloodying it further. From behind him, Celine threw a ceramic ball into the two disorientated chimeras, upon cracking it unleashed an expanding pink foam, encasing them both before it hardened. Got em!" Help Noam! Dustin yelled as he slammed the butt end of his staff into the chimeras mouth. Using it as a fulcrum, he wedged open the things grotesque mouth. Acid Spit. Burning acid fell into the creatures throat as Dustin drew back his staff. It scratched uselessly against his Barkskin as it gurgled in agony. Four, he muttered as he stared down the other one. The chimera slowly backed away, cautiously lurking. Celines skeletal familiar jumped from her shoulder and flew. Gliding over Noams head before diving to peck the eyes of some frog weasel hybrid. Giving up all pretense of being a swordsman. Noam used his weapon guard as knuckle dusters as he punched and slashed at two chimeras on his side, drawing a bloody line across the throat of one creature. Five. The remaining chimera fell back, clawing at the pecking undead. It didnt notice the glowing blue rope until it whipped around its stitched belly. Celine pulled the animated rope, dragging it to fall onto the floor. Noam punched down. A brutal squelch and crack as the beasts head was crushed into the floor. Six, Dustin said. The chimera he was staring down slunk back into the dark, disappearing and far out of range. He quickly scanned the area, Greenie and Yellow covering his blindspots. Briefly noting that Utoqa was doing the same. Neither of them saw any more enemies, save for the two still trapped in the pink foam. Injuries? None! Noam answered as he flicked off gore. I- Im good! Naukoth slowed his song, I have none. I am well. Dustin pointed at the trapped chimeras with his staff. Finish those two off. Now, he thought. Where did the last two go? 4.15 4.15 I love scouts! They make excellent appetizers. - Mimicron the Living Dungeon at the Dungeon Master Convention. Two got away. Naukoth turned at the announcement, the rag he was fussily wiping away blood and gore from his piano with temporarily stilling. Two? Three, Utoqa corrected. I sensed the movement of two on the ceiling. I raised an eyebrow and patted the pouting Yellow. Its fine, I whispered, you caught one, that was better than me. Turning to the lizardfolk, I asked, I counted ten at the start, you? Thirteen, the lizardfolk muttered as he curiously examined the remaining two chimeras struggling in the pink foam. Two ran at the start. Noam gestured for Naukoths rag. You said you had no darkvision? he asked as he started wiping his poor excuse of a melee weapon. I used my nose and ears. He raised his tomahawk and in a swift motion, cleaved cleanly through the head of one of the chimeras. Seven. The other chimera, which happened to have the head of a large pug, stared at its cleanly decapitated companion before its cute large eyes began to tear up. Aww Celine said beside me. Eight, I mentally counted as Utoqa swung again. Ahh! she immediately screamed. Why did you do that?! It was an enemy. She looked like she wanted to say something further, but shrunk back slightly as she looked at Utoqa. Turning back, she quietly muttered in a low voice, You really dont feel anything huh Hmm? Declan thought. No one else seemed to hear her, Naukoth was still wiping off gore while grumbling to Noam for leaving a mess and Utoqa was holding the pug head with a strange expression I couldnt read. Would it be fine if I ate this? Ah. Naukoth shrugged, You killed it, so it is yours. So this is what culture shock feels like. Is this normal? No cant be, Celine was making a strange expression as well. Didnt the guild say that all the hunted parts would go to them? she cautiously said. Throw his attention somewhere else huh. Good point, I said as Noam made a Thats what youre worried about!? look. Im tempted to join him, Declan muttered. What would a pug head taste like? I asked. I will not grace that question with an answer. When in Rome Utoqa tossed the bloodied pug head, shame. I kinda want to see him eat it. Im pretty sure they only care about the rare valuable parts. They probably wont care if a few random trash pieces were gone. His gaze lingered on the head for a moment. Strange slitted eyes considered the action, before leaving it. Is it done? Declan asked, Can I look without scarring my eyes now? Liar, there wasnt a single point where you looked away. This guy was filled with the same morbid curiosity I was. Stop pretending to have decency. Dont even think about it, Noam said as he neared us. I exaggeratedly shrugged. Whatever are you talking about dear Noam. Aww, my real-world self said, abandoning decency as usual, no dog tonight. Probably wouldve tasted like a bitch either way. Hah, he drily laughed at my pun. Celine nervously spoke up, What were you guys talking about with the running chimeras? Now I might be an antisocial But I recognise when someone desperately wants to change the subject, I finished. They were probably programmed with different instincts, I said. Probably ran back to report intruders, Noam followed up. If it was a scouting party then it means they have a lot of chimeras to waste. The ones left bought time for them to run. How do we know this? Celine asked. Well Noam thumbed towards me, Its what he wouldve done in the same situation. What a horrible accusation, I replied, If I sent scouts we wouldve never seen them, and they would run on first sight. Utoqa did you catch anything when we entered? He shook his head. So either we missed the scouts, Noam said in a pretty accurate parody of my voice. Or that wasnt a scouting party. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. And given the presence of the previous party ahead of us, then there were some unfortunate implications. Either the party ahead were already beaten and these were the dregs that got past them or they were an ambush party sent to encircle them from behind, the former was unlikely, as I didnt notice any recent damages on their bodies. If this was a scouting party, then it meant that the cultist had chimeras to waste and/or a lack of effective information gathering types. If we assumed the runners were special or different somehow, then the fact that they had such a large contingent of other chimeras meant that they werent confident in the information gathering types abilities, either in combat or escape. The presence of the other party muddied this theory a bit since they wouldve likely cleared as they moved forward, but given the abnormal size of the cavern to the point that even a two-metre tall orc can walk around and carry a grand piano without much trouble means theres room to outmaneuver, which would indicate an even higher degree of intelligence. At the very minimum threat assessment- I felt a strong poke on my cap, almost tipping me over. Are you well? Naukoth asked, You went still. I blinked back to reality, Its fine, I was just thinking. I quickly explained my train of thoughts, to which Naukoth just asked incredulously, You gleaned all of that after one encounter? Youll get used to it, Noam tiredly muttered from the side. I shrugged, Its all speculation and until we confirm more information itll remain so. So theres only one path. He stared deeper into the dark caverns. Once more, the orc said, his eyes far, into the fray. I whispered a command to Yellow and it deftly hopped off my cap. To be safe, Yellow will scout ahead for now. Glancing at Celine, I asked, Can your familiar accomplish a similar task? She hurriedly shook her head, Nappy doesnt have darkvision and she cant be far from me anyways. Nodding, I said to Yellow, Run when you meet an enemy. We had Observe on it, so Yellow didnt need to worry about reporting. It did a salute, this time with the correct arm, Yessir! Forty metres, I muttered, remember it. Yellow nodded before it waddled off. Its dim yellow glow disappeared as he left my sight. Get any preparation you need done, I said aloud. Ill keep watch for now. Noam sat down crosslegged, leaning on a stalagmite. Bored now that combat was over. Utoqa began rifling through the corpses of the chimeras, sorting them with some sort of system, while Celine looked around with a flustered expression, before finally settling around Noam. Naukoth clicked his tongue as he stared at his piano, pulling back the lid and adjusting the strings. As for me, I was deepest into the cave. Keeping watch of what was deeper while Declan was watching through Yellows eyes. First off, I used my class skill, creating another Wisp body, just in case Yellow got taken out and needed a quick body to return to. Then, I started preparing more Sporages. The damn problem was that I had very few places to store them. I left my backpack to my alt, a poor decision in hindsight but even if I filled it with Sporages, I wouldnt be able to access them quickly. You can use your head, Greenie lazily chirped. I am but there isnt a way I can do it right now, I answered. I needed a satchel of some kind, maybe get a Bag of Holding- No! I meant use your head! Greenie corrected as it slapped my cap. This boi can fit so much in it! Oh god, they found Matts history reference memories. Greenie slid off my cap and dropped onto my shoulder before it began crawling up my neck and into my cap. Feeling a tickling sensation as it climbed through my gills, I quickly swapped my vision to it. What? I muttered in surprise. The inside of my head was a roomy penthouse suit. The furniture Yellow and Greenie had bought earlier were decorating the place and while there were no windows, the natural blue glow along with the randomly floating motes of mana gave the place an ethereal and fairytale-like look. Raising an eyebrow, I reached into my cap with my hand. It came up with the same relative size to Greenie but significantly smaller compared to what the insides of my cap should be. So its bigger on the inside than the outside huh, I thought, mind drifting to the famous blue police box. How long has it been like this? Since we got back! Greenie cheerfully answered. It raised an arm, pointing upwards to what appeared to be a wizard hat hanging from a stray bony like protrusion. Looking closer at the thing, I realised from the exposed sowing lines that the hat was actually inverted so that it was hung from the inside out. Where did you get this? Zoe! the wisp answered as if it would answer everything. Very briefly, my mind flashed with images of a magical white cat, floating and turning lizards into eating utensils? I need to get the story of this Zoe out of them, but for now, I wont look a gift cat in the mouth. Help me sort this stuff out then, I said as I pushed my prepared Sporages into my head, along with Yellows back up body. Greenie swiftly went to work, its previous lethargy disappearing as it was newly enriched by my mana. It sat the back up along one of the walls and under my instruction, piled the sporages in places my hand could easily reach. Yo, Declan suddenly called. Update? Yellow found them.
Yellow rushed through the dark empty caverns. The path ahead was eerily silent, to the point that Yellows felt its light and short steps sounded like booming stomps slamming into the floor. Still, it persisted. Stopping only every few dozen metres to scan around like its Master would do. Until it came to a point where it heard the faint sounds of metal clanging against metal and its steps fastened. With hastened steps, Yellow began passing numerous corpses, most were the same dog-sized chimeras they had easily dealt with earlier, but some significantly larger. It kept running, dodging corpses when it needed. Before it suddenly heard movement. Yellow hurriedly hid behind a stalagmite as a lumbering creature passed it. Its time to leave, its sensible side said. But I wanna keep going! its dominant side said. So it kept going, and it passed more and more chimeras, all rushing towards the same place. It hid, again and again, every time it did so, images flashed through its mind. A man in desert camo surveyed a dusty battlefield covered in numerous jagged ruins, he took out some kind of small circular device with several digital green rings on a black background. A radar, but it was completely frozen. Declan tsked, Interference. Problem? a distorted voice answered back. None, he answered, placing the device back in his pocket. Ive already marked the possible hidings spots on the map. Theres also a Cloaker somewhere, need me to find it for you? Matt chuckled, What do you take me for? A goddamn casual? The memory ended, with Declan alone on a dusty dune as gunfire sounded through the desert. To hide, you simply need to be outside their sight. They knew this, so they attacked everywhere they couldnt see. Yellow was being taught how to catch hiders, but it also learned how to avoid catchers. It dashed from one hiding spot to another. Unnoticed despite its natural glow. Going deeper and deeper until the clash of metal was no longer a faint noise in the background. Until the sparse chimeras were no longer sparse, but a thick stream rushing into a single cavern. Yellow climbed onto the wall, edging over the constantly rushing chimeras before it saw them. A group of people pushed back to the edge of the wall. Desperately battling against the endless horde. Three people held the line, the ones that Dustin insulted earlier, they worked together noticeably better than with the other three remaining survivors. Numerous corpses piled everywhere as blade and magic flew, but the group was failing, tiredness was setting in and they were becoming slower in front of the encroaching horde. With a morbid fascination, Yellow noticed two humanoid corpses, scattered and broken on the ground. Far away, Declan crossed his brow. This could be annoying. 4.16 Part 1 4.16 Near the later stages of the Siege of Frost Wall. Bracktor the Daring charged his company of a hundred heavy dwarf infantry through the surrounding forces of over seven thousand undead to reach the Frost Wall Fort. Reinforcing the fortress militia, allowing them to last another four months before greater reinforcements arrived. - Excerpt from The Historia Rapidly I stood up, jerking Greenie as it was drawing faces on the spare fungal body. We found them, I said aloud.f Damn, they were in a bad situation too. Theyre currently surrounded, I quickly relayed. There were nine other people who entered, Two are down, probably still alive. Their bodies were being protected by those still standing. One is missing, the remaining six are backed up against a wall. I eyed backward, towards my party. Shit, Noam muttered, catching onto my unspoken question. That bad? Celine quickly stumbled up, It sounded bad enough just from the- No, no, Noam interrupted. When hes giving that look it means he needs a decision made. In the next few moments ideally, I replied, my focus still firmly on Yellows side of things. The majority could probably survive until we get there, but the longer we take the more casualties theyll have. We only had two effective options. Rush to assist or double back and try to get support from the force outside. Im going, Noam answered immediately. Does the group have the dragonborn within it? Naukoth asked. Yes, I answered quickly. Wait, shit. Mistake. I quickly swapped back to my own vision, seeing the complicated look on his face. I shouldve thought that through, did he still have enmity with- Even if he is abhorrent no creature deserves to die honourless, the orc said with a solemn look. Ill come. He glanced at the lizardfolk, You too Utoqa. I- Ill come as well! There may be a problem with that Naukoth, I replied. There is a constant flow of chimeras towards their location, Yellow is scoping it out but it looks like well have to fight through the chimera waves to get to them. I wasnt sure of Naukoths direct fighting strength, especially when he was carrying that piano, but the practicalities of bringing that thing safely inside was Youll have to ditch the piano. No matter how good your wide scales buffs would be once we met up with the other group, it would be moot if we cant get through safely. Currently he and Celine were the two people we could afford to cut. Utoqa and Noam were both close range fighters wholl be needed for breaking through and Im required as an AOE damage dealer and crowd controller, but Celines worth were largely in her consumables which we could just carry ourselves and Naukoth was simply too impractical to get through with his grand piano unless we focused solely on defending him. Not only that, he would only be useful if we were stuck in a drawn out battle, when we should be aiming for a quick extraction. The orcs face scrunched up into a grim expression. I cannot fight without my piano. It is fine, I replied, bringing him would only be plan B, return to camp and get the message back. Tell them we require- How durable is your piano? Noam suddenly asked, his hand thoughtfully stroking the instrument. It is dwarvishly enchanted and enhanced for structural integrity and durability, he answered quickly with a hint of pride. Other than the fact I have to regularly tune the strings it wont break from a few scuffles. Do you suppose we can all fit behind it, if we flipped it? Noam casually asked. Huh? Oh. Noam wanted to use it as a blocker. That could work. Naukoth still needed to carry it, but it could effectively turn the thing into a benefit instead of a liability. Nullifying one attacking angle would do wonders. Yes, instead of him being a burden on the off chance we fail the better plan, he could contribute while retaining his worth as our plan B. Naukoths face was contorting, going through dozens of expressions at once. Huh, so that was what true horror and rage looked like. No, no and no. By Ilnevals cataract filled eyes! I did not spend a dwarven fortune for it to be used as a
Golkean Torrin wiped sweat away from her horned forehead. Flame spewed forth from her raised dragonhead staff, burning away another row of monstrosities. There was cheering behind her as the creatures burned, yet the spell took its toll. A fresh burst of pain stabbed into her head, worming its way through a mind already racked with pain. Remember the numbers, she thought. Two. Three. Five. Seven. Eleven. Thirteen. Seventeen Prime numbers. Like a dragon, solitary, divisible only by itself and one. They gave her strength, and her headache worsened, but she had mana now. Mana was a byproduct of thought, and so only such can restore it. Nineteen. Twenty-three Clawed hands prepared to weave another spell, only to let out a pained gasp as she tried to draw on already depleted mana reserves. Twenty-nine. Thirty-one. Thirty-seven Not fast enough. It was not a method for combat. Fall back Torrin! Elucidatium Swindoobly Vulgopopopot yelled, her shortsword parrying a claw aiming for Torrin. Get your mana back! We cant have you dropping now! I cant wait! she replied to the gnome. Theres too many! They were barely keeping up with her slinging spells. Two have already fallen, and she was not the only one tiring. She was a dragonborn, it was her duty to lead. To be the better one here, to be the last to fall, to be- What is that sound? Mehens said from her side. The human eyeing the singular entrance to the cavern. Does it matter!? one of the mercenaries yelled as he stabbed another chimera with a spear, Focus on the fight! Shut up! Torrin yelled at the mercenary, having learnt a long time ago not to dismiss Mehens senses. What do you hear! The humans face scrunched up in focus. Many footsteps, flesh crashing onto wood Wood? Its coming closer, he answered. Soon enough, Torrin heard it too. Under the constant rush of dozens of monstrosities, was a slowly rising sound, of something heavy crashing and pushing. The sounds of crashing slowly rose. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Thump. Is that some kind of beast? Thump! No, some heavy kind of shield, Mehens answered. THUMP! A horrific roar echoed through the caves. Dozens of small, dog-sized chimeras were forcibly pushed to the wayside, as a huge chunk of carved, polished wood slammed through!
With a great pained cry, Naukoth pushed through. Were in! I yelled, Yellows vision having sighted us a long time ago. Utoqa and Noam ran at the left and right side respectively, taking pot shots at the passing beasts. Celine had her eyes closed, her face terrified as she simply held onto the orcs large back as we ran forward. I finished my first part as I dropped another poison sporage on the trail. Yellow dropped down from the ceiling, landing deftly on the rim of the piano. Look ahead! I yelled. Twenty metres, Declan measured for me. Twenty more metres of monsters to push through, but Naukoth had something those things didnt. Over five hundred kilograms of pure muscle, polished wood and ivory keys. Chimeras that did not get out of the way slammed into the front of the piano and like water freshly parted, many were hit with enough force that they were thrown to the side or overhead. Naukoth easily shoved through the remaining few metres, before I yelled, Slow! Like we discussed, he braked. Slowing down and turning to the side with great difficulty. Now came the deciding part. Noam split to the side, Utoqa following soon after a moments hesitation. Celine let go of Naukoth and threw her foam bombs, while I threw all my remaining sporages in a wide arc. Screams, wails, chirps, growls, you name it, they sounded off in multitude as green and yellow spores mixed with pink foam in a series of colourful explosions. CC set. Noam and Utoqa hunted the remaining chimeras that were in our small circle. The six mercenaries, seeing us, were shocked for a moment, but swiftly doubled their efforts to help them. We got our brief respite. Get on! Naukoth yelled to the six mercenaries. We need to get a final push out! I yelled, eyeing the small pathway of poison spores I had left, Its now or never! There was a moment of pause in them, but thankfully that dragonborn was halfway competent and recovered quickly. We cannot! Not while someone is still trapped! Sure we can! another mercenary yelled from behind him. Earning a dirty look from the dragonborn. We cant just leave her! I spat acid towards a chimera that made it through the dust. It was thinning too quickly, I didnt have time to get a good stash. If I had a few more hours Further past the wall of spores was an empty trail of carnage that we had left. Every few metres was a single poison sporage I left on the ground. A clear path, that was ever shrinking. The window is closing, I told them, I spent my entire stash for the screen and to create a trail we can push through later. Naukoth didnt lack strength but like a bear he needed space to build momentum. Space that was shrinking. Just hurry up and run! the human beside the dragonborn yelled. The dragonborns face scrunched up in a tense expression. Despite not having any human features, I could tell he was tense. ... I will stay, he finally answered, leave and get help. Are you insane!? the female gnome beside him yelled. Great! See you later! the mercenary from before said before getting behind Naukoth. I paused. In the midst of this active battlefield, as the people we were saving devolved into arguments, I stared at the dragonborn. He did not have human facial features, but Eve herself said that insight was Wisdom based, and at this moment, I felt he was serious. A glance towards Noam confirmed it. He nodded, and I felt a bit of relief as he reached the same conclusion I did. The way they were arguing revealed two sides. The two that stood with the dragonborn before stand with him now, a bit apprehensive but willing to stay. The remaining three wanted to grab the bodies of their comrades and escape. Two options once again. Run and leave a few behind or stay and hope help gets here in time? Cowards, Naukoth spoke, revealing his tusks in a predatory manner. Cowards, you lot are. Noam smiled, the decision made, You heard the orc, he shrugged. Hes the only one who can carry the piano, so if hes staying yall are staying. But- Naukoth gave the mercenary a hard look and she stopped talking. You can still take your chances, Noam suggested with a devilish smile, his thumb pointing towards the shrinking path. Gruffly, Naukoth set the piano down. Around him, I said to them. The barrier was shrinking rapidly. Our best hope to survive is to keep the bard playing. Can he really do it? Yes, Noam said with a chuckle as Naukoth shifted his instrument closer to the wall. Yes he fucking can. How well can you six still fight? I asked as we turned outwards. Fine- the dragonborn began, before her human companion cut him off, Shes mana empty. She? Then stay back, do you have any way of quickly regenerating? An OOM mage was pretty much useless. Though that applied to any resource based build that ran empty. Decs, Noam interrupted my thoughts. They wont be able to do it. Nonsense, the dragonborn interrupted, I am still perfectly capable of I ignored her. Taking a good look at the six-man group. They were bedraggled, I didnt need a fancy sight power to recognise that. They werent that damaged but the state of their armour was incredibly poor. Slashed, crushed and broken almost everywhere. They had a single healer, a man wearing white robes that had been stained with blood. He stood behind, his eyes closed and hands clasped in what I assumed was prayer. I knew due to Yellow that hed been doing an extremely good job up till now, but judging from the wounds the two lying on the ground suffered, he cannot fix death. Healer, I pointed, how long can you keep going? The mans eyes fluttered open, I am almost out of prayers to give, but War is my gods domain, so I will last the battle. Good enough, I said as parts of our CC screen were starting to get bypassed. Noam grinned, his smile excited with anticipation, Hes going to do the thing! A few questions were thrown out, but I wasnt paying attention to them. You cant seriously be thinking about this, Declan said. You know our max is five people. But there are two of us now, I answered. And my mental stats are theoretically twenty percent higher. I felt him blink, before letting out a sigh, You dont know if stats scale linearly, for all we know they are logarithmic and you are barely smarter than I am. He shook his head, I need to grab snacks. Hurry up, I said as I turned my attention to the slowly encroaching horde. Until we get out of this, I require all of you to follow my orders to the best of your ability. More questions, spoken over each other. Were Travellers, Noam said, his face still carved in a smile. Were probably the most battle experienced here. For the first time since I gained Observe and Analyse, I fully stepped back from my vision. Instead of being immersed in a singular perspective, I now viewed all of them as if they were many different screens placed in front of me. Greenie, running to the entrance of the cave to get reinforcements, Noam, convincing the rest of the group, slowly easing them into the idea of accepting my command. He was always better at that stuff than I ever could be. Yellow, still sitting on Naukoths piano, silently watching the proceedings, and finally, my real world half, ripping open our houses snack draw, and shoving four chocolate bars down his throat. They were always present at the back of my mind, and there laid the true value of my Analyse passive. It was near worthless if I used it actively since if I was actively gauging the stats of an enemy, Analyse would only show the exact same things I was measuring. Its strength lay in the fact it measured everything I saw as if I was paying full attention to it, even if it was the peripheral of my vision, or say, a different perspective that was at the back of my mind. Declan shifted his perspective with mine, I already had a good idea of what everyone in this group was capable of thanks to Yellow and he was quickly reading all that it had learnt. You take half, I take the other, I softly whispered to him. I dont know if our snack stache can last the fight. At least you have one. No one knew me as well as I did, and I knew perfectly well what I was good at. It wasnt mechanics, physical skill, reactions or split second decision making, Noam had that more than covered. No, one of the very few things I excelled at, was figuring out optimal party usage, positioning and long term macro strategy. The greatest thing Observe gave me was enabling me to have an overhead view of every field. The chimeras finally broke through and Noam laughed, Strap in! Youre about to meet the shot caller who beat pre-nerf mythic VekNa! 4.16 Part 2 There was once a boss named Watcher of Death VekNa in the popular MMORPG Yggdrasil. Released upon the games eighteenth expansion, Shadows of Nilbog, the boss was the only side boss in the dungeon Tomb of Nilbog, it was entirely possible for the dungeon to be beaten without fighting him, but for many, it was a priority to make sure he was the first boss killed. For VekNa possessed a unique aura, Eyes of Death. If at any time a player character fell below a quarter of their HP within the dungeon, VekNa would unleash a blast from his chambers and instakill them, no matter where they were or any obstacles in the way. Thus it was a priority to swarm him as quickly as possible, as many other bosses possessed high damage AOEs, VekNa made the dungeon harder by just existing. He was not an easy boss to take down, possessing high base stats even amongst dungeon bosses along with powerful abilities. Carrion Call, a powerful AOE that leaves behind an incurable percent HP DOT that lasted until he was dead. His weapon, Scythe of Ruin, did four-hundred percent extra true damage to HP shields. The boss room itself was dangerous as well, having multiple environmental effects. Grated pits of necromancy and skulls spewing green corruption constantly drained HP but also periodically interrupted ability casts and animations. Then there was his aura. When fighting him, Eyes of Death will have other effects, when it was activated there was an uninterruptible zero point five second cast time where he will stop and stare at the target before the effect activates. Once his target was dead, VekNa will completely reset his aggro chart, as well as healing him for a percent of the damage Eyes of Death deals. It was an extremely difficult boss to face which tested a party''s healers and tanks. Healers needed to ensure all party members were above his execution threshold, and if his aura does activate then tanks will be forced to quickly redo aggro. If at any time they made a mistake, it was entirely possible for it to snowball to a wipe. However, since it was a dungeon that had no player limit on the instance encounter, most people just swarmed him. Brute forcing the dungeon with dozens, sometimes hundreds of players. At the time, it was thought to be the best strategy. That was until one of the top raiding guilds unlocked Mythic Difficulty. The highest difficulty of any instanced encounter. When in Mythic Difficulty, VekNa gained several new effects. Blessing of Death, with every player takedown, hell gain a huge damage buff, which will keep stacking until the dungeon is reset. Clarion Call gained a buff, the longer the fight drags on, the more percent HP damage itll deal. Along with Scythe of Ruin, which now dealt eight-hundred percent more damage to shields. Final Pass, his new enrage ability. When VekNa himself falls below twenty-five percent HP, hell lose all damage resistances, cleanse and become immune to all CC and taunting effects along with quadrupling the damage buff of Blessing of Death. But the most ludicrous change was his Eyes of Death Aura. The abilitys HP threshold now scaled with the number of players in the dungeon. Dead or alive. With five players, itll activate at forty percent HP. With six players, sixty percent. Seven players, seventy-five percent. Ten players, eighty percent. Here the scaling began to plateau and eventually caps out at thirty players with a ninety-nine percent HP threshold. Regardless, the new thresholds meant that if a raid group brought ten or more players, then they would wipe from a single AOE. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. It was an attempt by the Developers to soft-lock higher level content from simply getting brute-forced by huge groups of people. Putting a hard number lock would be against their freedom of choice game design which they prided in. So, they used VekNa to act as a deterrent. It worked, people quickly discovered that five-six players were the sweet spot, and the Tomb was run multiple times by top-ranking raid guilds in Mythic. But they all never managed to kill VekNa. Even with top players, best in slot gear, it all went to shit when VekNa entered his enraged mode, his damage increase simply snowballed too quickly. Being immune to CC and taunting effects meant he almost always rushed a squishy healer or DPS, hitting them once before Eyes of Death activate, healing from killing them and gaining an absurd damage buff from Blessing of Death. After one kill, a single one of VekNas attacks will place any non-tank below forty percent HP, where his Eyes of Death will activate, giving him even more damage. Then hell start working down the aggro charts until he actually fights the tanks again. Other strategies were proposed, replacing pure DPS with mix-class DPS tankers that had higher survivability along with more healers to deal with his enraged state, but that had a problem. His buffed Clarion Call ability left behind an increasingly higher damage DOT, which wasnt alarming at first, but if not dealt with within a few minutes would surpass anything healers could manage. The only way to clear the debuff would be to kill VekNa, but a group that dropped pure DPS classes could not damage him fast enough before the DOT wiped them out. It was a catch twenty-two. Without durable DPSers a party would wipe once the enraged state activated, but if they did then they would not have the damage to reach that point. Players tried running it with larger parties but every additional character only worked against them. Shield and damage mitigation based supports were started to be run to bypass the execution threshold, but due to Scythe of Ruin, it was even less effective against VekNa than healing. When the difficulty of it was brought up, a developer simply said this: Mythic Tomb of Nilbog could be run with more than ten people. The words: No, it fucking couldnt. You delusional detached piece of shitstain game developer. When was the last fucking time you even played the game? It is literally impossible to beat Mythic ToN with more than six people you inherently brain dead gamer ass stain spawned by the hate farts of basement dwellers, though significantly censored, surmised the community response rather well. Pfft As if players know anything. Yggdrasils dev team has OVER TWO-HUNDRED years of game development experience combined. Obviously I know better than you. The community response to that was well there was no point in relaying it, as it would be A, incomprehensible, and B, so full of expletives that censoring to make it match this sites values would leave literally nothing behind. Regardless, these were MMORPG players, one of the most stubborn and deranged groups of people on earth. Only beaten by serial killers, mass murderers and MOBA players. Gracefully accepting that the devs were once again fucking useless, they cleared Mythic Tomb of Nilbog. Always skipping VekNa and running HP shield classes since he was the only one that dealt increased damage to shields. The dungeons end boss was beaten multiple times, yet the Mythic full clear achievement never happened. Until the games PR team caught wind of the developers comments and forced the idiot to stay up for three days in a row to program the nerfs to Mythic VekNa. The nerf wouldve significantly lowered VekNas Eyes of Death kill range along with nerfing Scythe of Ruins damage buff against shields. Players rejoiced after enforcing their objectively correct opinion and top-level guilds waited for the nerf to come out before rushing to clear the dungeon and get the First Full Clear. Everyone had given up beating Mythic VekNa before his nerf. But merely an hour before the scheduled server maintenance to update VekNa, something unexpected occurred.
!!Server Announcement!! !!MYTHIC RAID FIRST FULL CLEAR!! !!TOMB OF NILBOG!! Players: Aban Twice Crowned HitZaDecs Mattmanfoo Mortimer Memento Silv3r_Belle
Something thought impossible had occurred. A group had beaten VekNa on Mythic difficulty. 4.17 4.17 Strategy is simple. If you have more than one soldier on the field to the enemys zero then you have won. - Madelyn the Skull Rain, the Great, the Conqueror, the Extremely Beautiful and Eligible Bachelorette and the please dont execute this scribe for not appropriately listing all your titles. Noam, Dustin said. Be annoying. Finally, my time has come, Noam replied with a grave face. Stepping forward, Noam brought his twin hook swords out to bare and loudly said, Arent you an ugly lot? The tiefling almost staggered when the mana left his body. Did Frankenstein have a field day fucking the zoo or something? The second cast, the headache was almost a palpable force, yet he stood. Half of communication was body language, and his was cocksure, languid and lazy. One blade rested on his shoulder, the other held low as if he didnt see the enemy as a threat. Vicious Mockery was not a costly spell, its effect was weaker than Biting Words and it didnt actually do damage, but there was a wonderful benefit to it. As dozens, hundreds of stitched together monsters shifted their eyes to him demonstrated, they didnt have to understand him to feel the sharp feeling of irritation to the speaker. Think I got all of them? he asked aloud. Two hundred and eleven out of two hundred and eight-four, he answered without pausing in his scanning gaze. It is good enough. Disappointment briefly flickered across his face, but his smile soon returned, as he lowered his weapons. Now Catch These Hands, he quietly said.
Finally, Matt was somewhat serious. Despite his best attempts to smother his smile, I could practically feel the eagerness as he raised his strange blades. I still thought those things werent real weapons, but when he rushed forward at a speed I could barely see, blood sprayed, none of it his. He doesnt have any strength buffs so he must be cleaving them purely through the momentum of his buffed agility. Focus, I chided. I didnt need to bother with him for a few moments, he knew me enough to know the plan. I raised a hand, stopping a few that wanted to go with him. He wouldnt appreciate people stealing his show. Naukoth, play Ilnevals Edge, Utoqa, catch the stragglers Noam isnt taking, Yellow will direct you. Both quickly complied, Utoqa silent as Yellow got on his shoulder and Naukoth grumbling something about scratches. My mind quickly sped up. A few extra seconds to consider variables. Invaluable. Attrition, Declan assessed. Agreed. I began growing a bunch of sporages in my hand. Celine, do you have any stamina and energy restoring potions? I do! she quickly answered, hurriedly fumbling them out. She wasnt used to thinking faster. Her hands werent as fast as she expected them to be. Pass them around and get used to this speed of thought, I said aloud. Ill get you up to speed. Heh. Assume authority, and people assume you have it. I require a general overview of your abilities. As quick and as concise as possible. I already had an idea of a few of them just from Yellow observing. The brown-haired priest of war could heal with a touch, but I saw him raising a hand a few times and attacks that wouldve missed suddenly connected. The dragonborn, Torrin something, used a lot of wide AOE fire-based spells. She pretty much singlehandedly held off hordes of enemies for a while, but I have to assume she would be OOM for now. Her two allies, the gnome and human appeared to both be melee fighters who still seemed relatively topped up. The human was also the first to notice us coming. Something to remember. The girl who wanted to run away used daggers and a crossbow. Evoking the idea of a rogue. Just based on classical weapon conventions she wouldnt be very useful. The last was a red-haired spear user armoured in decent mail and I didnt catch much other than that. The replies given between sips of stamina potions quickly confirmed what I observed. Torrin had a trick that could Prime a spell to gradually grow in power and hit a lot harder, but out of her three prepared she had already used two. The brown-haired healer could offset tiredness and fatigue for only himself when in battle but will get them all dealt back to him later. That was how he managed to keep up until now. He would collapse once the battle was done, though I wanted to ask what constituted a battle ending we didnt have the time. For now, hes just a heal bot with a gimmick. The others had a variety of useful mid-close combat abilities. The human with the dragonborn, Mehens, had sensory passives, a scout. The rogue was a hit and runner who can double herself for a short time but was better in taking down singular targets. The spear user Gohod could make his spear disappear from sight. Ultimately minor in this sort of encounter, but something to keep track of. Stave em off until the dragon recharges? Well need to keep a constant rotation. Just need to grind it down, we said at once. Rogue girl, I pointed at a vantage point. A large trunk-like stalagmite with a broken-off tip about twenty metres from us. Go there, dont bother with the riff-raff, aim for any that look particularly strong with your bow. My name is Rivita! she yelled, and isnt that a bit far off?! This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. That spot was indeed a bit far from the main group, but ultimately, We will be taking the main aggro of the enemies, you should be able to fight any stragglers that head your way. She still looked unconvinced, time was running out. My main focus was still on Noam as he used the head of an ape-like chimera as a foothold to jump into a perfect somersault before landing like a spinning top, decapitating and wounding several chimeras. Show off. Stupidly effective though. But he was slowly but surely slowing. Every marked enemy he killed decreased his buff, and hell eventually reach the point where he cant style on them with superior stats. He was already five percent slower than when he had his full buff. Not to mention how he still had a limited pool of stamina, and judging by how his mouth was constantly moving, he was still spewing insults as he did so, adding another strain to his stamina. Simply speaking, I wouldnt bet hell last the next two minutes, let alone the day needed to finish his cooldown. If he played fully defensively, we wouldnt have this problem. I smiled, But it wouldnt be the same. Focusing back on the rogue girl, Worst comes to worst and we die, they will spend a few minutes eating us, from that vantage point you will be able to get a headstart on running, I drily replied. Surprisingly that didnt seem to fill her with great confidence, but she did move eventually. Torrin, keep back, recover your mana and be prepared to use your last Primed spell, Ill tell you when to. The dragonborn nodded, likely too regening mana to formulate a proper answer. Utoqa, head back or get caught in the AOE! I yelled. Mehens, Gohod, gnome, form a perimeter behind me and Utoqa, with the piano behind you. Whats AOE? the gnome asked. Shorthand for area of effect, I replied, glancing at the slowly growing cluster grenade in my hand. The edges of my vision were slightly darkening, I was straining my mana. Naukoth, prepare to swap to strength song. Utoqa, prepare to extract Noam. In the distance, Noam was practically buried in the number of enemies. But for the briefest moment, he jumped, head poking out of the horde that was almost a singular writhing mass. We exchanged glances. Naukoth, switch to your strength song now. He did, and as he did so, three things happened. Noam threw out one of his blades, hooking unto the shoulder of a tall chimera, using it as leverage to throw himself over. I yelled for Utoqa to grab Noam and threw the bundle of sporages I grew towards the airborne tiefling. In midair, Noam swung the blunt side of his blade, batting it into the mass of enemies, before crashing into a group of peripheral chimeras. Utoqa, the moment he saw Noam leap over, rushed forward, bone axe swinging out with deadly efficiency, carving his way to the fallen tiefling. In front of them, the cluster sporage grenade began to detonate as it banged into dozens of chimeras. Over the sound of dozens of creatures screaming in pain, there was the faint sound of Noams laughter. Here, the enormity of the cave worked against us, though the enemies were many they were spread out. The dragonborn was no slouch in terms of pure AOE dps, at least four times better than me, but the efficacy of her usage was suboptimal. Often times she had wasted an entire AOE spell on only one or two enemies. It was a simple problem to fix. One of the first things a raiding party learned. Noam gathered the crowd, and I killed it. How many did I get? One-twenty? One-thirty? Now to repeat a few more dozen times.
The ensuing conflict was not a fight, Elucidatium Swindoobly Vulgopopopot, called Lucy by her friends, decided. It wasnt a massacre either, for when the strange myconid called her forward, she could see that it was tiring as well. There was a pattern, alternating between Torrin and the myconid. The melee moved to hold the front, but also to herd the monsters into a single spot for the mages to destroy. When one tired, they swapped to regain mana. The myconid was not as good as Torrin at destroying masses, it left creatures alive for a few moments to suffer the poison, so the more durable melees had been on his rotation, the savage lizardfolk and Gohod. On the other hand, the tiefling was on the rotation Torrin, Mehens and herself were on. Clearly more used to this form of combat. Yelling magical insults to draw them around him and uncaring of getting singed by Torrins runoff. All the while, Rivita sniped tough-looking creatures that survived magical attacks, Lehems the cleric and the alchemist girl curing all manners of minor wounds and the large orc who was comically hunched over the relatively small grand piano kept everyone stronger during the battle. Elucidatium Swindoobly Vulgopopopot frowned, this still wasnt a battle. It wasnt the desperate fight within the inch of her life she had just experienced. The myconids constant call for rotations even allowed for everyone to take short rests! As the bodies piled, it even started to become easier as the creatures had fewer angles to attack from. This wasnt a fight at all. It was as if as if they were farmers harvesting crops. Harvesting wasnt easy, it was tiring backbreaking work and there was still the chance of injury. Yet If one kept a regular, almost casual pace, there was no chance of failure or death. The myconid continued on his orders, speaking in an almost bored yet firm tone like hes done this hundreds of times. Making minute adjustments to everyone''s position and ability usage. Pacing everyone with a calm she could not hope to muster even at her best. Though Lucy tired as she fought, her strength sapping even when with regular rest. She slowly started to see it, through the constant grind and battle. She could see the entire field harvested. And soon enough. It was.
Though it was fun at first, it slowly turned into the same grind all fights involving Decs had. Dustin gave Noam the first initial hurrah to get everything started off, but by the time everyone started to collapse in relief and exhaustion, Noams enthusiasm had dimmed completely as he and Utoqa finished off the last few stragglers. Strange one, that lizard, he did everything with unerring efficiency and followed orders to the letter. He felt blank in the same way Declan used to be. Oh well. When Dustin took command, victory was assured in a way Noam never couldve had. There needed to be a lot more than mere numbers to be any real difficulty for him. This was the same madman who calculated the exact amount of DPS, time, character builds and items it would take to kill several dozen Mythic tier raid bosses, each with unique abilities and phases that could wipe an unprepared party. Declan believed these werent that big a deal because anyone could make the same calculations and reach the same conclusions, but the problem was just that. Plenty of people could, but Declan was the one who did. Noam couldve kept the creatures off them for a long while, but not kill them. Hes been around Declans rambling long enough that he could figure out how his build is supposed to work. Even when it was really more of a joke build. We need to hurry up and get out, Dustin said, barely standing as he leaned on his staff. We cant stay here for long. Noam frowned, Dustin looked worried, more than usual. Whats wrong? Dustin glanced at him before his eyes darted back to the entrance. Hundreds of bodies practically buried the way, yet his eyes jumped around as if expecting something more. Greenie died halfway through the encounter, he quietly answered. He has yet to come back. Ah. Of course that freaked him out more than hundreds of enemies could have. The thing Declan could never get over was the fear of not knowing. Almost on cue, a huge creature burst through the entrance, throwing back hundreds of limp bodies. Finally, Noam smiled. There was the raid boss. 4.18 4.18 Fifty-eight. The best thing about Shadesmar is that no matter what pit of despair you find yourself in, you always know there is an even deeper, even darker pit of despair you didnt even realise existed. - Excerpt from Ethanials Enchiridion of Encounters. I couldnt decide if it was easier or harder without numbers. On one hand, I dont need to keep accurate track of health, mana and stamina points. On the other hand, I cant keep accurate track of health, mana and stamina points. Without exact calculations, everything had to be estimated and horrifically, that meant inaccuracies. So when half the group fell down in exhaustion, I knew we reached the fourth-worst outcome. Two of my safety nets were gone. The potions we had were exhausted in order to keep optimal rotations and Greenie was MIA. Which made the current situation more tricky. As the great beast shoved aside a pile of bodies, some people hurriedly stood back up. But not enough, my other grumbled. Very annoying. The cleric was completely unconscious, and while the spear user and the gnome with the absurdly long name were still conscious, they were clearly very tired. Noam was still somewhat fresh, given his Breathless skill and just being more used to pacing himself than others. Utoqa was already up, that guy didnt seem to tire at all. The dragonborn Torrin stood but there was blood flowing down her nose and she wobbled slightly. Unfortunate. Her companion Mehens was doing a lot better, tired but given a lot of time to rest. Celine and the rogue, Rivita, were still fresh given that they stayed out of the main fight. Naukoth was still playing his song so- My brows crossed. Naukoth is tired. I saw it now that I looked at him closely, his back was hunched, his head hanging low and his fingers moved with far more care than before. Shit, we both thought. Hes the important one. It is a miracle, a voice called out, how you managed to hold out this long. I didnt turn so much as I shifted my attention back to the beast. The thing was huge, at least five metres tall and wide. A hairy beast made the base, eight crustacean-like appendages shot out from each side, hair obscuring the base where they connected, it had three heads, a blue gecko-like head on the left, a craggy, rock-like feline head and an eyeless beak on the right. I was on the last rotation, so bubbles of poisonous spores still permeated the air, yet it shoved through them as if they were nothing. Yellow, I whispered, tell Torrin to prepare her Prime spell. From the back of the chimera, parting the long sinuous hair, a figure rose. Demon like horns and red skin. A tiefling similar to Noam, he wore baggy olive green robes which obscured most of his body, adorned on the robes were green symbols of a water spring and he wore a sash across his chest, holding three crystalline test tubes filled with a foggy liquid. Wait, Shit. I recognised that symbol, I read about that as the one representing the Oasis. Did that mean those test tubes Has the Ivory Tower finally started to take this seriously? You are not riff-raff, yet you are not that powerful either. Some elite group sent to scout out? There was a pause, before Noam spoke up, Were not really a part of the Ivory Tower. Huh? the cultist spoke with a bit of confusion. You are not whelps from the Ivory Tower? We were paid to help out, Noam added carefully. To the right of us, Rivita was shuffling down the broken stump, did she plan to run? I cant assume she will be of any help soon. Which guild are you part of? Im not with anyone, other than the mushroom over here, Noam gestured towards me. Good timing, Torrin flinched a bit when Yellow touched her foot, but his attention was on me for the brief moment. Are any of you part of a guild? Or a band? Im not. Did they just pay random people to throw themselves into here? There was a brief exchange of awkward glances. Youre saying, he began in disbelief, that their three-year-long pursuit of me. From the edges of Madelyns Cease to the Whispering Mountains and finally to the shores of the Tyrian. Where I have decided to hold my final stand, surrounded on all sides and spending weeks to assemble a force, and they decided to outsource our final battle to random people on the street!? Thats capitalism for you. Noam laughed, as well as someone behind me, Mehens? Huh, I took him to be the quiet badass type. The cultist didnt seem to think I was as funny. You will die first, he snarled, then your friends. Then those fools outside! These people arent really my friends- in the middle of my sentence, I thought, Now. As Yellow made the signal, Torrins arms were wreathed in flame, before they shot out. Splashing onto the Chimeric creature. Lighting it aflame in a burst of light! -so you wont have to kill them. The cultist fell off the writhing and burning creature with a scream, giving me a few seconds to cobble a plan together. Noam, I said, Knife situation, go for the mage seriously. And if he has a decent defensive spell? Were fucked. Buy time for us to take out the chimera. Prepare to fight! I yelled, Focus on the big one first! Wasted words as it turned out, as they were already moving to action. Utoqa rushed forward, his body low to the ground, in moments, he was under the flaming creature, his axe swing wide and slashing its underbelly. The creature roared in pain, three heads united in agony, but instead of blood, a pure black ichor dripped out, Utoqa rushed out before it fell on him, but there was a great sizzling as the ichor burned the ground. Behind me, Mehens was helping Torrin and the gnome up, Naukoth gritted his teeth and continued his strength song. Right now we had to burst down the chimera. Torrin used her last spell for the fight, so I remained the last active mage on the field. I swiftly reviewed my options, I was at around eighty percent mana, my high Wisdom giving me enough mana regen to last with a bit of decent parcelling. The creature was on fire which was actually detrimental to me, spores would burn up and my acid would extinguish the fire. For now, I should focus on utility support. Flinging my arm out, I used my third contingency. Two Mushroom Meals grew out of my arm, the pancake-like brown mushroom sprouting out swiftly. A costly spell that was, only two casts and I lost a third of my max mana. My vision shook slightly, I was at half mana now, a bit more and I will be past my mana dependency threshold. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. However, trading my combat effectiveness for two other combatants was worth it. I began moving, pulling the meals off. Utoqa was rushing in out of the creatures range, exchanging axe swings with shelled appendages, he wouldnt need it and I shouldnt break his rhythm. Rivita and Mehens were still fresh, Rivita seeing the tide turn seemed to have overcome her cowardice and was shooting arrows towards where Noam ran circles around the mutating cultist. Naukoth needed one, if he stopped our combat efficacy would fall dramatically. Next had to be one of the tired melees, the gnome and spear user and while I would love to get the cleric back up he was unconscious. I moved to them, Eat this! I yelled, throwing one towards Mehens, They restore stamina! Next was Naukoth, Open your mouth! I threw it directly in, the orc started chewing furiously, sweat dripping from his forehead. We need to free the other! Torrin yelled, leaning on Mehens, she was clutching her head. Which one! I yelled, glancing towards the two already downed bodies on the ground. I checked them already, concussion on one and blood loss for the other. Both were beyond my power. Not them, the gnome yelled as she pointed behind Naukoth, The wall is an illusion, theres a person trapped behind it! She rushed towards me, taking bites of the mushroom as she did so, We need to get her out! grabbing my hand, she dragged me directly into the stone wall. We passed through it harmlessly, entering a small crack in the stone. You guys left this perfectly good choke point! I yelled as she dragged me through. We had to! she replied, before dragging me a few metres where the crack opened up, revealing a room approximately four metres in length and diameter, in front of us were dozens, hundreds of vines coiled lazily at the back of the room. In the centre, a girl in leather armour was trapped, practically subsumed into the endless vines. Her eyes were open, but not seeing, and I soon realised why. The vines ended in serrated, lamprey like mouths and they fed on her, biting onto any piece of exposed skin, leaving small red dotted circles wherever they drank. I see why they abandoned this spot, they wouldnt have fit and the vines wouldve attacked them. Can you get her out without harming her? The dragonborn mustve been unable to help as well, the girl mustve already been trapped before she could do anything. Her flames wouldve burned the victim as well. Unlikely, but Ill try, I said as I stepped up, raising both arms. Step back and be prepared to catch me, this will be the last of my mana. My eyes followed the vines trapping the girl back to their roots, and I sprayed. These vines were vulnerable to them, their shape meant more surface area was exposed. As the poison spores touched the vines, they shook and died. Low HP creatures, lucky for us. I fell to a knee, the gnome catching me before I fell further. My mind was fading. Blinking in and out of consciousness. Dont fall asleep here. Get her, I muttered through gritted teeth. She did, using her sword to cut away at the remaining vines still stuck on the trapped person. As the girl fell the gnome caught her, a lot taller than her but the gnome held on. The formerly trapped girl was breathing, as she fell I noticed three swords on her belt. Hurry up, I muttered. The gnome slumped her over her shoulder, bringing her towards me, giving her bites of the meal as the girl gaped her mouth. Where Youre not dead, I muttered, which depending on your outlook is a good or bad thing. The gnome grabbed my hand starting to drag me outwards. My main vision was fading in and out of black, but my other eyes were still active. The chimera had ceased burning, revealing underneath the fur a battered and burned body covered in scars and stitches. It opened one of its mouths, the blue gecko head, and sprayed out a white frost. Utoqa reached into his pouch, pulling out a furred cloak much larger than anything the pouch shouldve held before covering himself in it. The cold touched the cloak, stopping as Utoqa reached into his pouches again. Pulling out a white fibrous sac before throwing it overhead like a grenade. The thing exploded into a fine black dust that fell onto the creature. When the dust moved I realised with slight disgust that each speck of black dust was actually a tiny spider. Dozens of them skittered into the exposed wounds created by the stitches and scars and the chimera screamed again as it closed the gecko and opened the beak head. Utoqa discarded his cloak, reaching into his pouches again just as we burst through the wall illusion. The brown-haired girl was fully conscious now, What the fuck Wake up and fight, I said, before adding, or run, that is an option too. She stood up, getting off the gnome before drawing one of her swords, a curved sabre. The gnome let me go, and I fell onto my staff, leaning onto it. Send the gnome to help against the big one, Torrin and the cleric are inactive, figure out what the girl could do, my other ordered. I need to regen mana, gnome help Mehens and Utoqa on the chimera, brown-haired girl tell me what you can do. I can swing a sword, she said. Good enough, the chimera only has heads on one side, while Utoqa keeps them busy hit it from its left, right and back- I couldnt finish, as I saw Noam lose an arm.
Hook swords were hard to use. They were clearly designed with flair and style, but retained function and quality, however at the cost of usability. They were hard weapons to use. At first, Noam used them like he would normal dual swords, but that didnt work. The hooked ends mean that if he didnt cut clean through something then it would catch and he needed to deal with his weapon inside his opponent. Normally not a problem, but if you were dealing with multiple enemies then it was pretty annoying. So Noam did what he did best. He learned. As he rushed the red-skinned cultist, he hooked them by the ends. Throwing it out like a whip. The crescent hilt drew a bloody line across the cultists face before it was thrown back. The ends threatened to unhook, to fall apart, but with a thought, they magnetised together into a straight blade. The weight wasnt right, but it didnt matter, using the leftover momentum, Noam smoothly transitioned into a twirl, spinning the long halberd like weapon almost three-hundred degrees before he came at the cultist from the other side! But the cultist was prepared now, throwing up his right arm to block, his skin swiftly calcified into a hardened exoskeleton. Yet the crescent hilt still slammed into the exoskeleton with a great force. The red-skinned tiefling yelped in surprise as the armour cracked, simple physics making the head much stronger than anything Noam couldve managed. The cultist staggered back, trying to create distance. Mistake, Noam thought. He only dealt such devastating damage because of distance. The end of his weapon travelled a far greater distance than at the base where he held it and the nature of the hilt also meant more energy was directed into a small surface area. There was a reason polearms were the premier weapon before firearms. Yet the cultist was not done, he took out his other hand, green energy weaving in between his fingers. A mage huh. Noam rushed in closer, forced to close the distance. His weapon unhooked back into a pair of swords. Five metres between them and the cultist finished his spell, a ball of fire thrown directly at him. But Noam tanked it directly, his fire resistance meant it was naught but a warm breeze. Yet even then, he closed his eyes for the briefest moment as the light seared him. In that brief moment, the cultist stepped to the side, his armoured hand thrown out to smash into Noams face!. Yet with his eyes still closed, Noam tilted back and like a professional limbo player he went under the cultists arm, scoring another slash as his blade bit into his exposed side! The cultist snarled as he leapt back, but the blade was hooked, and the maneuver only served to impale him from the back! Gotta do better than that, Noam taunted with a smile, Decs loves that trick. You will pay for that! the cultist snarled in a language like crackling fire. Noam smirked, and in Infernal, he replied, I can afford it! Damn I always wanted to use that comeback. The cultist snarled, his armoured hand tried to unhook himself, but Noam simply dragged him closer. He swung his free blade, a Swift Strike aiming for his neck! In panicked desperation, the cultist threw out his unarmoured arm, trying to catch it. Yet it did nothing, as the hook sword bit into his hand, right in between the middle and ring finger, slicing it open down the middle! Slowly, the blade travelled up his arm, and the split continued upwards towards his chest! Wait. The split in the cultists arm was perfectly down the middle and travelling farther than his blade. Noams eyes widened, as the cultists left arm opened into two perfect halves, revealing teeth. His blade was still inside. Noam tried to throw his arm away, but with unnatural elasticity, the cultist brought his own arm past his blade, past his wrist until Noams arm was in between the two split halves. With great force, the two halves bit together, severing his arm above the elbow. ARRRGGHH! Noam fell backwards, his right arm severed completely as blood flowed, yet he found his footing, his grip on the other weapon remained. The cultist snarled, with a step forward he push kicked Noam, trying to dislodge his grip. Noam gritted his teeth, trying to pull the enemy closer, yet his grip was weak now and the cultist remained standing. Another powerful push kick slammed into his stomach and Noam vomited what little remains were in his stomach. A third kick slammed into his chest, winding him. Noam lost his breath and finally, he let go, falling to the ground. He tried to get back up, but the cultist simply stepped forward, stomping onto his chest. With his armoured arm, the cultist grabbed his head by the horn, before slamming it down! Noam felt his mind waver, as his head was slammed into the ground again. The stone cracked beneath him and blood flowed. It took five slams, each shattering the ground, for Noam to stop moving. The cultist let go, spitting on the unconscious tiefling, before turning his attention to his battling minion. 4.19 4.19 Fifty-nine. My expectations for the next pit was low but holy fuck. - Excerpt from Ethans Enchiridion of Encounters. Knife situation had failed. Scratch that, I said to the girl, who I absentmindedly realised was an elf, Follow me to keep the weirdo busy. She helped me up, Are you sure? Its that or we let him take out our bard, I said. The red-skinned tiefling was already walking towards us. The giant piano wasnt exactly hidden. Feel that extra strength and speed? I asked, Thats him, I thumbed towards the sweating orc. Utoqa was managing the large one, but only just. He was only one lizard and while Mehens, Rivita and the gnome were helping him out, they were only dealing surface wounds. Only Utoqas bone tomahawk was dealing any significant damage through the things tough hide, but he was busy fending off the bursts of cold frost dealt by the gecko head. That chimera hadnt used its two other heads yet. It almost used the beak before, but closed when its master finished off Noam. And more worryingly, Utoqa threw away his trinkets right after using them, including the cold-resistant fur cloak. Those things had to be one use, or close enough that it didnt matter to keep them. The tiefling was only a few dozen metres from us now. His left hand split into two halves, one grabbing a foggy test tube, the other picking up a chimera corpse. A turtle-like creature with a green shell and dog head. Throwing both in the air, the arms slammed together, eating both. The lump of the corpse moved up the arm and into his body. His right arm is armoured, but not by a lot. Left arm splits into two, each highly dexterous and has at least enough force to cleanly remove an arm. As the corpse piece was consumed, a foggy, dirty glow seemed to emanate from him. Green liquid seeped out of his right arm and the cracked armour was covered by a green shell. The cut on his face healed as a line of brown shaggy fur. Hes wearing baggy clothing, assume he has hidden weapons underneath. The tiefling paused as I said that, before hurrying. I cast Balm Spores on the girl, healing the bleeding wounds. Dont get grappled. His arms split into two and the elf rushed forward. He began with a right, the large shelled fist aiming for the elfs face. She managed to parry it, the blow sliding off her blade, but his two split hands came from behind, more like tentacles than arms. I spat a glob of acid, splashing at the base where they split. The arm screeched as it spasmed, but the man seemed unaffected. A separate entity from him perhaps? The elf stepped forward, her blade aiming for the mans neck. Yet when it hit the exposed piece, only the sound of metal clanging could be heard as the blade rebounded back. She was surprised for a second, an unintentional step back. Just long enough for him to draw back his arm for a grapple. A bright yellow cap appeared over the edge of the elfs shoulder, as Yellow threw sneezing spores directly into his face. The tieflings face scrunched up as he sneezed, long enough for the girl to jump out of the damage range. Tank, highly variable weapons and likely has all important organs protected. Do you have another way to deal damage to him, girl!? I yelled as I threw poison spores onto him. Hacking coughs came out as he tried to wave away the green spores. Noam still managed to deal damage to his sides and face. Non-essential parts may not be protected. Other than stabbing!? Yes! The cultist recovered, throwing out his left arms like whips. The girl dodged, jumping just out the way. I wasnt as fast, taking a stance, the two limbs slammed into me, the teeth raking through my bark armour. They held, but my footing didnt. I was thrown off the ground, even with extra strength I simply didnt have the weight to leverage it. We really need to fix that. The elf yelled in worry as I crashed, Are you- Murder him! I yelled as I struggled back up. The tentacle hands curled around me, I smiled and let out a burst of poison spores. The things fell away, writhing in pain. Right in front of me, the elf clashed with the cultist again. A glowing sword blow blocked by an armoured hand, and the armour gave. The exoskeleton cracked, drawing blood. The cultist switched tactics, with a spin he tripped the elf, a glint of metal was revealed underneath his clothing. One heading straight to me. I raised my right arm to block as a long, wicked needle stabbed into it. I felt something thick and viscous be injected. A scorpion tail, some kind of venom was given to me. I flung away my arm, the tail swiftly skulking away before I could attack. The situation in front had gone to shit, the girl was falling to the ground and the cultist was rearing up a powerful blow. No time to deal with the venom, I had to hope my racial skill would cover it. I raised my right arm, aiming a bit higher so as to not hit the prone swordswoman, and cast Poison Spores. There was a crackling sound, as my arm screamed in strangeness. I couldnt see what happened underneath the bark, but my arm split and bent as there was a sound like popping popcorn. Multicoloured dust sprayed harmlessly out of a dozen new openings in my arm, just as the cultist punched the girl, throwing her several dozen metres. The cultist spoke again as the girl landed with a thump. Waving the scorpion tail that glinted of metal in smugness and triumph, You think I didnt prepare for mages? Of course, he did. That guy said Ivory Tower was a mainly mages guild.
The hunt was going well. Utoqa landed the fourth blow on the creature''s front right leg, finally severing it. He jumped back, from his pouch he retrieved a claw as the creature breathed ice again. Throwing the claw to the ground, it grew gigantic and he hid behind it. The creature could not keep its breath on him for long, for other hunters wounded it. The bow user split in shadow, one jumping onto the creatures back and severing stitches, while the bow kept firing. Short soft skin and soft skin sword user darted in and out, not doing damage but being a nuisance. Soft skin sword user seemed to know attacks before they saw them, a useful ability. Frost breath was off him now, Utoqa jumped out of cover, Gift in hand, he slashed at the flesh, drawing black ichor. He avoided that blood, soft skin spear user already lost an arm to it. The hunt was going well, but he was running out of Crafts. He cannot Scavenge more from this hunt. The metal pieces soft-skins used had better be worth it. There was a hard crack towards Utoqas left, one of his eyes turned to it. The red horned skin had punched another soft skin with enough force to send it flying. Red horned skin had more limbs now, two where his left arm was supposed to be, and a tail. He laughed at the bark shroom- Dustin, before his split arms took a crystal vial from his hand, and threw it towards them. Utoqa jumped back, was it like the cloaked stalker- Celine? No, the creature opened its third mouth. The one that was a large bird beak, revealing rows and rows of serrated teeth, and there was a sound. Sucking. Utoqa jumped further away, as a great force began drawing him towards the creature. He slammed Gift into the ground, anchoring himself. The thrown vial flew in, along with many of the dead prey. The teeth he hid behind. All flew into its mouth before it closed. There was a sound, grinding. The beak seemed to rapidly spin. It was chewing. A dirty fog began emanating from the creature. Its cuts healed, burnt skin calcified into bone some places and grew fur other places. A dozen different heads sprouted from its back and four different tails shot out. Shadow tried to swipe at it, only for a newly sprouted head to shatter it. Its front right leg grew back. Hunt wasnt going well.
Noams body lay unmoving, a web of broken stone around his body. Slowly, unnoticed on the battlefield, a shadow walked to him. Celine pulled off the hood of her cloak, as she knelt by the body. Baba said that Travellers disappear if they give up, she whispered. You havent yet. Her dark ratty cloak shifted and twirled, almost like a living being. The things strapped to her body were changed. From empty potion bottles to dolls, save for two straps, where glowing red and blue potions lay. The cloak handed her the red potion, and she poured it down Noams throat. There was a hacking cough as Noam returned to consciousness, small scratches and scars healed. His stump of an arm ceased bleeding. He tried to rise, but he was coughing too much, Celine, held him to stabilise him, helping him sit. Ah let me at him again Decs I can murder that fucker You cant! Your arms off! Celine urgently whispered. Glancing around in fear, trying to avoid notice from the battle behind her. Tis but a scratch wound he muttered as he slowly regained consciousness. His eyes finally regained lucidity as the potion coursed through him. Ah shit, my arm is actually gone, he disappointedly muttered as he held the stump. Its here, Celine said, her cloak moving the severed arm to her side. It was cut cleanly and still bled slightly. I can fix it. How? Noam asked, a gentle curiosity on his face. The girl had a complicated face, but carefully she said, I will need some things. What things? Noam asked, seeing her hesitate. Blood and hair, best given freely- Noam raised his remaining arm, pulling a bit of hair from his head, as well as cupping a bit of leftover blood from his stump. Hurry up please, Noam said, his eyes glancing at the fight. Dusts will give me a shit time otherwise. With a slightly surprised face, Celine took a dusty, brown doll from her belts, and carefully, she let the blood drip onto the doll, as well as dipping her fingers in it. Quickly, but with great proficiency, she drew a circle of blood on the ground, the bloodied doll in the centre, she took the hair and scattered it around the doll. Holding her hands together, her fingertips touching each other to form a triangle, she quietly chanted in a language old and ancient. One simultaneously incomprehensible and understandable. Bind the flesh, bind the bone. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The blood writhed, as if living, rising and spinning. Form the link to make like-kind. The sprayed hair moved, weaving themselves into the doll, stitching cloth together. So bleed as one, heal as one. The doll began to shake violently, writhing. The right arm exploded off, white fluff flowing like blood. The dolls head was slammed into the ground, five times, not more not less. Now one fate, forever twined. The spinning blood fell onto the ground, and the doll ceased moving. Well that was intense, Noam muttered casually. Celine let out a tired gasp, catching her breath before her cloak handed her a needle, threaded with a white silvery thread. Now this might hurt, she said as she held the needle. She placed Noams arm by his side, before picking up the doll and its severed arm. Carefully, she stabbed the needle through the arm stump of the doll. Noam felt a pinching feeling, the same spot as the doll. Celine threaded silver thread through the doll, and a phantasmal silver thread appeared through Noams arm stump. Carefully, she pulled the thread through, before joining it with the severed doll arm. The silver thread on Noams arm mimicked the action, stabbing itself into the severed arm. She repeated the action, using the silver thread to create another connection. Each time, the phantasmal thread on Noams actual arm mimicked the action, and slowly, the silvery thread stitched Noam back together. Now that, Noam said with a smile, Is awesome. He looked at his weapons, thrown on the ground. Dual swords didnt work, neither did polearms. Wait. The weapons handles were pointed away from him, from that perspective I have an idea, do you have any cloth?
Shit. The cultist rushed towards Naukoth, I had to stop him, but my magic was disabled. Of course, antimagic measures existed! This was a fucking high fantasy world! What kind of venom did he use? Why did the possibility never cross my mind!? Shut up and stop him! How!? I yelled back as I stepped in between them. The cultist splayed out his tentacle arm, the insides of it were splayed with sharp knife-like teeth. I had no options. I lose a contest of strength due to lack of weight. I have no magic. What could I do!? Analyse my way out of this!? Just block the way for a few seconds! my other yelled. The tentacle arms flew towards me, faster than a whip and twice as dangerous. Could I use Pacifying Spores? No, that thing definitely had a higher CON than me. I braced myself for impact, knowing full well itll do nothing. There was a whirring sound, as something metallic spun through the air and severed the mouth arm. Both pieces fell, just as the weapon hit the ground with a thump and I saw what it was. Noams hook sword, the crescent guard embedded into the ground. The cultist turned to see Noam standing, his left arm forward in the motion of throwing and his severed right arm attached by some ethereal silver string was holding a glowing blue potion as he chugged it. His remaining hook sword was stabbed into the ground from the hilt end. He threw the empty bottle to the ground, the glass shattering. Now, he began, taking a deep breath, Now, you have my attention, you pyjama wearing goat fucking goblin smelling pussy armed son of clype acne-ridden red-faced baboon assed worthless bag of filth pissed from the bleeding dickhole of a gonorrhea suffering murloc spawned from the snivelling worm eyes of a bleating foal. Id insult you but Mother Nature has clearly beaten me to the punch, or was it your own mother? You curdled staggering mutant dwarf insult to decency richly suffused with offal and the drool of sewer slimes so deficient in basic human cognitive function that it goes beyond understanding. He took another deep breath. Ive seen fungi more charming than your backstabbing ass stitched from whatever good looking parts you could beg from a butchers store to compensate for your negative charisma. And how the fuck are the sperm that won? I dont think Ive ever seen someone actually look better with a knife in their face! Id call you dung but thatd be an insult to dung! You micropenis bobby dipshit pillock lickspittle gremlin milksop, have some decency and at least try to hide your face! And no, I am not insulting you, but describing you! The cultist shook as if physically wounded. Words beat on his body and his face contorted in anger as he turned to Noam. All reason and sense lost. And I bet your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries! he yelled. That was the final straw, as the cultist charged, screaming in a blind rage, his body lit aflame, but my attention wasnt on him. I looked at Noam. His posture was slightly leaned forward, his eyes never left his opponent. He picked up his hook sword, holding it by the blade. The hook underneath his pinky and the guard held up in a way that looked like an axe. Celine fixed him up. And he was no longer smiling. Noam nodded, knowing I was looking, before rushing the maddened and on fire cultist, an axe in hand. That is dealt with, we both thought at once. I rushed to check the elven swordswoman, a pile of bodies broke her fall. I quickly checked her pulse, bark moving away to reveal my bare fingers. Still alive, I grabbed her eyelids, forcing them open. Movement, she winced slightly, still conscious. Shes still conscious, a voice muttered from beside me. Can you help her? I asked Celine. I have some herbs that can help but I gave my emergency health and mana potion to Noam she replied apologetically. Stabilise her, I said, Guard her at the very least. I need to help out on the other side. Not that I knew how. Yellow had jumped off her at the moment of impact and was surveying the battlefield as I instructed. The chimera fight was going poorly. That thing was faster and possessed far more limbs after drinking what I was sure to be some version of Oasis Water. Had to be diluted or weakened somehow, the mutations were far too random. If that was the same Oasis Water I had read about, the only thing we couldve done was run. Noam was handling the cultist, now purely focused on taking down the opponent instead of dragging it out for fun. But he still needed his other weapon. I ran, grabbing his thrown weapon with my remaining left hand, raising it much like he did. NOAM!! He gave me a grateful look, which quickly turned sour as the throw went completely wide. Great aim. Ah shit, I still had trash DEX. Nonetheless, Noam jumped towards it, catching it in mid-air by the handle. The cultist tried a swing at him, but he was too blinded by rage to calculate the distance correctly, his arm fell just short. DONT LET HIM DRINK THE OTHER POTION! I yelled. That last potion remained the most dangerous factor in this battle. Almost as if reading my mind, he used his twinned weapons to slash at the cultists sash. Cutting it off, before kicking it towards me. Oh goddamnit! That idiot! It cant crack onto the ground! I rushed to grab it, jumping forward with my arms outstretched. Crashing into the ground just as the sash hit my face. The tube still safely sealed. With great care, I stuffed it into my cap, before turning my attention away and rushing towards the chimera. The cultist was far too blinded by rage now to do anything that could harm Noam. Right now I had to stabilise the other situation. The chimera had grown several times uglier if that was even possible. Rivita was in shock, Yellow saw her eyes go blank when her shadow got chomped, what an annoying drawback. Utoqa no longer attacked, instead focusing purely on defence, while Mehens and the gnome were completely off to the side, Mehens trying a crossbow that failed to pierce that things skin. They needed either another DPS or a tank. I didnt know when the venom would cease working, for all I knew it would last for hours. We didnt have that. Right now wasnt the worst situation possible. Utoqa kept its attention, but we didnt have an effective DPS except him and he could only fill one role at a time. Torrin had been ineffectively trying to cast spells since the battle began. I needed to tank it and let Utoqa act as DPS. Yellow was running towards us now and Noam had the cultist handled. We had no healer but if we could pull off the classic trifecta- Grrf! The music stopped. Something I had slowly, but surely put at the back of my mind. Both Yellow and I turned towards Naukoth, to see the severed mouth arm of the cultist coiled around him like a demented snake. His own shovel-like hands were straining against them, trying to pull it off, but the thing contracted and Naukoths head popped like a grape. Shit. Behind us, Utoqa became just slightly too slow and was hit by a tail. Sent flying before crashing into me. My vision became rolling earth, but I could still see through Noam and Yellow. On the other side, there was the sound of clanging metal as Noam slammed his axe into the cultists neck. It didnt cut, but he hit it with his other blade, pushing it into his skin. Drawing blood. He slammed into it again, finally forcing the guard halfway into his neck! Once more and blood sprayed as he decapitated him. There was a horrific scream and Yellow turned to see the chimera crying out in pain. Only one head cried out, and it was the middle one. The stone feline head. We crashed into a large stalagmite. Utoqa slammed into me, his fall was cushioned, but he fell off, spitting blood. I tried to stand, only to fall and realise the ground was shaking. No, the whole cavern is shaking. Everywhere I looked, stone seemed to shake violently as the middle headed screamed. Ah. So that was what the middle head did. The cavern collapsed, and rocks fell upon us all.
Wake up! Darkness. I said wake up! There was a voice screaming in my head. Get up you dropped child! My return to lucidity was sudden. A moment there was darkness, the next, I found myself in a small, darkened crevice. WAKE UP! I heard you! I yelled back in frustration. My body felt sore. My right arm felt strange. As if someone had rewired every nerve there. It was bleeding as well. Viscous brown blood fell from it. I tried to stand up, stone debris falling off of me, including the stone that had knocked me unconscious. My hand fell on something. It was the Magician card, and it was pointed away from me so that I saw it upside down. Where did that come from? Regardless, I put it into my cap, before surveying the place. The stalagmite me and Utoqa fell against. A single large stone slab stabbed into its tip, creating a ceiling that shouldered the worst of it. Where was Utoqa? I saw him. He laid next to the stalagmite, slightly obscured by a pile of stones. There was a large stone shard one protruding from his gut. Shit. I hurried towards him. My soft blue glow lighting up the darkness somewhat. Kneeling beside him, I brushed away the loose stone and dirt to check him over. The shard was approximately seven centimetres in diameter and four centimetres in width. Stuck inside where the intestines should be. Hes a lizard folk, would they even have similar anatomy? Be useful and search up lizard anatomy, I shot back. Fuck Im not sure. These diagrams cant translate well to a biped form. I was more worried about blood loss. Even now the liquid pooled into an ever-growing pond. What could I do? You cant remove the shard, that would exacerbate the bleeding. I had no health potions, nor can I use magic, wait. No, I had to check. I tried casting Light Spores with my broken arm, but nothing except ineffective dust sprayed out of the shattered remains. Was it just localised to that arm? No, it didnt matter, I shouldnt risk destroying my only other operational arm. My only healing spell was Balm Spores and this was beyond its ability to fix. Maybe it could stop the bleeding, but that wasnt a surety, not with a wound this big. What kind of venom was injected into me? Had to be specialised in magic disruption, I was feeling no other side effects. Unless they were extremely subtle. Wasnt your blood yellow? Yes, it should be. It only appears brown because its under blue light. Mixing yellow and blue doesnt yield brown, but green, he shot back. Then what- Orange, he quickly answered. My vision swapped to his, a google search page. Complimentary colours. Then whatever venom it was, it made my blood orange. Made it a darker hue. One. Darker hues, towards red. Two. Magic disruption effects. My mind connected the dots. Iron! we both thought at once. The cultist injected pure iron into my system. Likely in a dust form. That was why magic failed. But how does that help? I asked. It opens up the other option. Oh. Yes, that remained an option. Utoqa stirred, and I leaned down beside him, Who is there? he weakly called out. Me, Dustin, I replied. I am Hurt I dont really have the means to fix that, I replied, slightly apologetic. My magic is sealed and I dont have a good healing spell regardless. He gasped in pain, straining to speak, No No way? There is one way, I said. But I would prefer your agreement on the matter. I agree, he instantly said. I- I didnt even- I agree, Dustin, the lizardfolk repeated, his reptilian eyes strained on me, the only source of light in the room. I will survive, he spoke with a monotone and almost fanatical type of certainty, Survive, no matter what. I looked him in the eye. There it was. The madness that made people want to live. I sighed. Very well then. From the inside of my cap, I pulled out the crystalline test tube holding the Oasis Water, putting it to the side, I picked up his tomahawk with my left hand. With only the slightest bit of hesitation. I cut two fingers off my useless right hand. Let us be logical about this. It wouldnt do to find out halfway Im poisonous. 4.20 4.20 And so, the Princess saw the great suffering of her peasants and farmers, and did nothing. Then came the ledgers for this months tax collection. And so she declared war on the Plague Dragon. - Excerpt from The First Princess While I didnt understand the exact mechanics of Traveller death, there were some certainties. One, a Traveller will die if their body is compromised and damaged beyond what was capable of keeping stable operations. However, the exact time when the body begins to disintegrate is unknown, some begin at the moment of death, others way before that. There are likely factors I am not yet aware of playing into it. Two, while a Travellers body disappears upon death, certain conditions can be met to ensure it remains in the world. Conditions which I am hopefully fulfilling. For this, there are three notable instances of Traveller death that I have observed. First was the PK I was a part of, with that gnome Valhouse was it? Anyways, that one resulted in nothing of the dead players remaining. Second was one of Matts deaths, the one in which he lost a magic item he got from the tutorial. A whistle that greatly increased speed if I remembered correctly. Third was my own death, in which my corpse was left behind after being infested by maggots. Originally I assumed Travellers worked similar to classic MMORPGs, where upon death there was a random chance of an item dropping and Noam through sheer number of deaths managed to hit one where he lost an item. That would also explain why we didnt get any drops when we first PKd other players. If a random drop probability existed then it was often tuned down to cater to those more casual or had some conditions, such as a bounty system. We simply werent lucky or didnt fulfil the conditions. But that explanation strained to explain why my body remained after I was killed by maggots. For one, did the system consider a corpse an Item? It was plausible, a corpse could be counted as a type of material to be used in crafting. My race of myconid was also considered innately magical which flagged it as a potential crafting material for magical items. If you could make a weapon from the bones of a mob, couldnt you do the same with a person? Or did I unwittingly fulfil the conditions in which a Travellers corpse remained regardless of death? It was an uncertainty, but the most notable thing that occurred that differentiated my death and Matts was that my body was in the midst of being infested. He dropped an item while I dropped a body. There were alternative explanations, both of us PKd previously, so there may have been a bounty based drop table implemented, that would also explain why the first party didnt drop anything, assuming they were clean. However, the purpose of a bounty system was to punish a player for PKing. My body was regained upon respawning, and the remaining corpse was even a benefit to me. Its random floppings wouldnt have triggered the proximity-based Sporages I planted, so it made an excellent carrier. Thus, the only notable variable remaining was that my body was being infested at the moment of death, perhaps even post-death if the Poison Spores took its time getting to the maggots. So, at the very least, I can assume a Travellers body will remain if a portion of it was ingested, or perhaps possessed. If this extended to the items carried by a Traveller, then that opened a lot of looting options. Either way, my time was running out. I wiped away the warm liquid trickling out of my mouth and eyes. Internal bleeding, if my iron dust hypothesis was true, then it was likely shredding up my veins with each pump of my heart. My slower heart rate and myconid biology likely held it back somewhat, but time took its toll. Utoqa. The lizardfolk tilted his head, around him was a dirty, grey fog that seemed to cling to his skin. Healing him took my damaged arm and both my legs. This Oasis Water solution was definitely inefficient, it didnt translate my mass one to one to his, or perhaps a portion of my mass was being burned for energy to fuel the regeneration? Who knows. This world only follows pseudologic so the scientific method may not even work. Do me a favour, take the dagger on my belt. He did. My vision darkened again. The room was swirling. I had long ceased glowing. Declan was muttering something, but it was far away, so far away that I could barely make it out. Did the iron finally make its way to my brain or myconid equivalent? When you get out of this Find me and tell me if my body and dagger remained That would hopefully prove my hypothesis.
You have died.
I awoke on the island. Think it paid off? I checked my belt, finding one of the daggers missing. That is a good sign. At the very least, a degree of conversion mightve made it so that it wasnt a Traveller, so it wouldnt disappear alongside us. Indeed, I spoke, instead of thought, before looking at the scores of announcements before me.
You have levelled up! You have unlocked Multiclassing. You may invest your level in either Fungalmancer or Warlock (Gift of Discovery) Note: Investing in Warlock (Gift of Discovery) will remove the [Et Non-Discent] skill IP Summary +10 for leveling up +5 for witnessing the birth of a sun +50 for obtaining a Mythic Grade Artefact [The Magician Tarot] +100 for obtaining a Deific Grade Artefact [Left Eye of The Historian, Deity of History Writ and Recorded, the Lord of Wisdom, He Who Wars Against The Unknown, the One Who Remembers All] +150 for helping The Historian and acting as the conduit to send Discovery to your world +25 for rescuing the trapped mercenary group +5 for rescuing [Tai Gnari, Sword Apprentice of the Gnari] +20 for playing a major role in the demise of [Giatan Xienne the Priest of Life] +15 for saving the life of [Utoqa the Tribless] Impact Points: 398 You have unlocked the qualifications for the following Feats and may unlock them at the cost of Stat Points Mysterious Sustenance Provider Magician Tarot Dimensional Gate Keen Mind Strategician War Caster Sacrifice
We both took a moment to read over the text. Is it too late to play as a dragon? No, definitely not. The amount of IP I possessed definitely placed me in the range of unlocking a dragon character, not the shit halfie that dragonborn was, but a motherfucking dragon. We had checked over the starting dragon stat line, and those werent the weak fire breathing lizards that tried to pass off as dragons, but actual fucking dragons. They were humongous stat sticks with premium growth stats, up to thirty extra stat points each level, as well as powerful racials, elemental breaths, damage resistances, even immunity in some cases. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. The only caveat is that they cannot take classes and rely entirely on their innate Dragon class. Which, while it scaled powerfully, was unique in the way it didnt use EXP, but time. To get a single level, dragons had to wait for years, which scaled the same way EXP did. To get from levels three to four would take decades, and five to six was centuries. This was real-world time I had to spend as the character. My real-world counterpart could very well die of old age before I even ticked level four. Which sucks. No, there were alternatives. Didnt we get the Priest of the Discovery Shard as a class not originating from the system? Which was apparently the system classified as a Warlock class and not a Priest class. But we didnt get stat points from getting it, I feel like if we invested a level into it, we would get the stat points, but it isnt worth it. Yes Indeed, the whole reason we took it was as an alternative to the exponentially scaling EXP system. If it was made into an actual Level, then it would defeat the whole purpose of it. What other races did that leave? I swiftly opened the IP store. Magic Myconid was already an extremely good race, but the weaknesses were crippling, which was the point of a system designed to balance on itself. I had extremely good strengths while having crippling weaknesses, however, with this amount of IP I could very well get a- No. I scrolled through the dozens of listed races, only to realise something I had forgotten in my excited fervour. Every race was balanced in some way. Myconids had their crippling weaknesses. The elemental Genasi were weak to their opposing elements. Dragons needed time. Base humanoids like humans, elves and dwarves had their lack of innate speciality. At best, getting a new character with a new race was just picking up another set of strengths and weaknesses. Not to mention another thing. Indeed. My hand reached for my left eye crevice, feeling the artefact as it was melded into my very skull. I would lose Observe and Analyse. As demonstrated by my elven alt, those dont carry over. While I could theoretically get another alt, the commitment would mean abandoning the progress I made on this character, which unless the Historian was willing to give me another eye, was not an ideal option. Hells, just having the fucking eye got us a hundred IP. It was indeed valuable, however What else could we spend this IP on? The answer as it turned out, was nothing. Once I had determined that switching to another race wasnt optimal, at least in the current time, there were very few things I could actually do with the IP. I could buy a shit ton of invites and bring a lot of people here but Other than Matt we dont have a single real friend. So in effect. The treasure of IP I sat on was nothing more than a large number. Impressive, but ultimately useless. Honestly, I wouldve preferred I gotten paid out in Travellers Gold because at least I could shop at Daves. However, the IP helped me realise another thing. I had obtained significant amounts of IP just from saving and murdering people. Much more than in Gaia despite my longer time spent there. These were Impact Points, a numerical measure of the effect my actions had on the world. It made sense. Saving a party of Travellers didnt mean much if they would get back up after a few minutes. But a person whose death meant that they stayed dead? Saving their life meant I unlocked the potential their entire natural lifespan had. Ending someone else''s meant I ceased all the impact they had. Impact that would get translated to Impact Points for me. The problem is we have little reason to farm Impact Points. Indeed. Other than buying more invites, which four hundred IP was more than enough for, we had no reason to get more IP. Unless more options were opened up in the IP store, there was little reason for me to use it and thus, little reason to get more IP. The number was impressive and nothing more. Next up, were these Feats.
Mysterious Sustenance Provider (3 SP): You gain +1 to CON and gain proficiency and knowledge with the Cooking Skill. Magician Tarot (3 SP): You select from the Tarot Spell List and learn 2 Tier 0 and 1 Tier 1 Spells of your choice. They do not take up existing spell slots. Dimensional Gate (9 SP): You gain +3 to INT. You select from the Interweaved Dimensions Spell List and learn 2 Tier 2 and 1 Tier Conjuration Spells of your choice. They do not take up existing spell slots. Keen Mind (3 SP): You gain a +2 to INT. You always know which way is North, the exact time before sunrise or sunset and may accurately recall anything you have seen or heard within the past month. Strategist (3 SP): You gain a +1 to WIS and gain proficiency and knowledge with the Martial Skill. (Note, as you already have proficiency, your current proficiency will receive a minor bonus.) War Caster (6 SP): You gain +2 to any Body or Mind stat of your choice. You can choose to remove one required spell component of your choice (Somatic, Verbal or Material) when casting a spell in exchange for a higher mana requirement. (This does not apply to Ritual Spells.) Sacrifice (3 SP): Once per day, you may remove one instance of damage on another. An equivalent amount of damage will be inflicted upon yourself.
Yet another further level of absurd customization. If the developers of Yggdrasil saw this, they would be desperately trying to hide it from the Design Director to ensure he doesnt get any more weird ideas on Freedom of Choice. Annoyingly these things cost actual stat points. Meaning I had to invest points that couldve gone to raising my numbers. The only feats I could purchase currently were Mysterious Sustenance Provider, Keen Mind and Strategist. Keen Mind was just an assorted amount of utility effects, the usefulness of which should be rarely needed. Though we will be kicking ourselves if we ever need to know where North is, or the exact time to till sunrise. Hmm. Good point, knowing when sunrise could be really useful, though I already have a layer of coverings. Practically speaking Mysterious Sustenance Provider would be most useful. Ive been meaning to learn how to cook. Just do that normally idiot, I casually retorted. Though this gave a good reference to how much proficiency a skill was worth. Two stat points, not a large investment but also not a negligible one. Another interesting thing was that the system counts that I already had Martial proficiency. If that shit show could be counted as strategizing. Indeed, all I really did was implement net positive energy to enemy trading. It wasnt strategy but arithmetic. People really need to learn the difference. Oh well, no need to look a gift horse in the mouth. It was another option that I could take. Though realistically it was a toss-up between Magician Tarot, Dimensional Gate and War Caster. Sacrifice is interesting as well. More interesting perhaps was that this acts as a pseudo achievement system. Mysterious Sustenance Provider was likely due to me umm serving people a hundred percent legal edibles. Cant be illegal if there arent any laws. Magician Tarot was self-explanatory, Dimensional Gate I assumed had something to do with helping the Historian. I really got lucky with that one. Even now Im getting massive dividends from it. Keen Mind, Strategist and War Caster I assume were unlocked in the last encounter, with Sacrifice for fixing Utoqa. I almost always save for Gate or War Caster, correct? I asked my other. Whether you liked having bigger numbers or more abilities depended on your own personal playstyle, but I preferred having more options on the table as opposed to being able to swing a stick better. Indeed. War Casters ability didnt seem much, but if I ever faced an intelligent enemy then theyre going to notice me yelling Poison Spores every so often. Problem is to get them both Im going to have to have to wait another three levels. So, which one to get first? Eh, decide when were there. Damn, I shouldve saved some Stat Points. Too late now, they dont sell Stat respecs. Wait a minute. Im waiting? Do you suppose War Casters free stats are subject to my racials lowering the value of the stat points? I asked. There was a moment of silence, as we both considered it. Im not sure, Declan answered. But if I had to lean towards a side I prompted. It would be no, we both said at once. I opened up the page indicating my natural stat growth.
Growth: +1 Wisdom per level +1 Intelligence per 2 levels +1 Free point that can be spent on CON or VIT per 2 levels 2 SP required to raise Dexterity 5 SP required to raise Agility 5 SP required to raise Charisma
It says SP I muttered. It is rather specific wording. So theoretically, if I took War Caster and put the free points into agility There would be a net increase of four SP and the War Caster ability. That raised its value significantly. However this is two points in AGI or CHA. Agility is a useful stat, but is it worth it to spend the points rounding out our bases instead of min/maxing? That was the question, wasnt it? It would only raise Agility to nine points. But looking at it another way, it was a thirty percent increase to my agility. Well have to think about it on the way. My respawn timer ticked to zero and though the IP rewards gave me an idea, I had to confirm with my own eyes whether they made it out alive. 4.21 4.21 People point to a Travelers immortality as the greatest reason to fear them. Once upon a time, I thought so too, but speaking with them and learning of their tales I have learnt better. Travellers battle undying monstrosities, have warred across countless realms for reasons inane and have created and mastered more types of weapons and styles than one can even conceive. They thrive in a world wrecked and destroyed long ago. Nay, I do not fear Travellers because they cannot die. I fear them because they are insane even without it. - Verron Pluton the Suffering Sage. I had accepted the outcome. Checking my friends list before I set out, I learned that Noam had survived somehow. He was far enough away that he couldve gotten out when rocks started falling. It seemed others were not as fortunate. Naukoths body was laid on the ground outside the cave, near the camp. His head was popped and Analyse told me most of his bones were broken. The healer was dead as well, his blood unseen on his red robes. The rogue girl, Rifter was it? Her corpse only had a small blanket, not enough to conceal a shard of stone lodged inside her head. An unfortunate side effect of her skill, getting stunned. Torrins body was slightly better, in well enough form a healer had to declare her dead instead of knowing at a look. Her friend with the absurdly long name cried while the other one was still receiving treatment. The bodies of the other two were splayed out next to the others. Dead long before I got to them. It was a strange thing, looking at corpses. Intellectually, I understood the normal reaction would be weeping, some type of sadness, anything really. But I barely knew them, not even a few hours, so why cry at a strangers death? And even if I did cry, what was the point of it, if it does not change anything? Crying for cryings sake? A good enough reason for some, but not for me. Inside me, there was only a familiar emptiness. Still, I knelt over Naukoths corpse. Just the feeling of needing to do something moving my actions. You were the most useful there, I whispered. It was not a lie, a plus-four buff to strength and agility was a significant enough amount to our front line that I relied on a DPS cycling method, rather than riskier approaches. Thanks to him I only needed minor corrections to maintain an effective frontline. I also learned through his buffs that stats indeed grew linearly, something that wouldve taken much longer if I had relied on natural levelling or comparing different people when different factors such as weight or race affected the effectiveness of stats across people. For example, the translation of strength between Noam and I was not linear, since I lack so much weight I could not hold my ground the same way he could even if I had the same amount of strength. I stood up, a slight clamour had occurred as a woman in robes embroidered with a golden symbol of a coin stood up. Her hand was raised, an uncut diamond held within. Raise Dead. The diamond disappeared, breaking into dust and one of the corpses breathed once more. He was one of the already dead ones who contributed nothing to the fight. The woman bowed, Welcome back to the living realm Master Tagron. The bill will be sent to your father. She left, leaving the dead man rasping on the ground. Not even a glance towards the other corpses. That was a priest of Ethelinda I believe. One of only two religions with access to resurrection magic, the other being Light. It is a rare thing to resurrect the dead, the grey-skinned Vice Guildmaster said behind me. Probably less so for people like you who get it for free. Her tone was not accusing, simply stating a fact. Indeed. The resurrected man finally got his bearings, he stood up, face with shock and relief, before it turned to anger as he looked at the other person Piece of shit! he kicked the corpse. Some bodyguard you are! It took him a moment to stop, angrily huffing and puffing. His maddened eyes passed us for a moment before he scoffed and began to walk away. Though not before spitting on Naukoths corpse once. He did not get far, as Noams blade was held to his neck. His breath fastened, panic set in. He wasnt a combatant, his armour was well made but new and barely used. He had a holstered weapon in his belt, but his hand did not immediately go to it. Wha- What do you want! Are you going to assassinate the son of a noble in broad daylight! Noam didnt answer, instead, looking questioningly at me. Getting a murder charge isnt worth it, I answered. Noam withdrew his sword, sheathing it before spitting at the noble. Gaah! Disgusting hellspawn, tame your attack dog you creature- Would you shut up? I asked, taking a step forward. Slowing closing in on him. My current interactions with you only include you being a useless corpse and spitting on someone who gave his life to defend yours. I stopped, directly in front of him. I was short enough that I had to look up, but still, I locked eyes with him. All of which points to you being a net negative on existence, I said, my tone cold and calm. And the most logical way to deal with those is to remove it. So please leave before I decide youre my problem. What a useless thing, how much air and resources were wasted on this creature? He opened his mouth to speak, but he saw something in me and he ran. Hmm, not bad, the Vice-Guildmaster said. I always thought they were full of it. Do you have anything relevant to add, Ms Guildmaster? I asked. Nope, just want to give you two some things, she cheerfully said, I saw some great things today, so I hurried it up.
The drow Vice Guildmaster gestured to the two of them to follow. To a place quiet, before throwing two bronze objects at them. Noam caught it in the air, whereas the bronze plate slapped onto Dustins face before falling to the ground. Noam glanced at his while Dustin picked his own up. Noam (Traveler) Skirmisher 6 Voice 3. Saw? Dustin asked as he brushed off his tag. Yep, she answered, you may not know this, but every now and again we hold promotion tests. The tell is the upfront payment, mercs whove already done it know to avoid it. So that cultist in there was one of yours? She chuckled, Oh no. The quest was real, one of the guilds just applied to put it as the test. They get some cheap labour and you guys get work experience. Win win. I see, Dustin sighed, I suppose there is still much to learn. Theres always something else, she agreed. You guys did a lot more than was expected, killing that guy was considered a CR 20 quest, you just needed to kill a few chimeras and get back. I see. Almost absentmindedly, she added, Oh yeah, and I almost forgot to give this back. The drow reached into her robes, pulling out a bag. Opening it and passing something to Dustin. Dustin froze as he received it. Greenie, asleep and unmoving. Is he Noam began. Yes, Dustin answered, pushing the small mushroom into his cap. It is just sleep. Dustins tone swiftly turned frigid as he asked the next question, Did you interfere with it getting assistance? She mulled it over for a moment, Yes I suppose, but it wouldnt have come either way. And why is that? Noam recognised Dustins anger. Not the fake anger, where he yelled and acted angrily, but the real one, where he was cold, and any emotion he felt was crushed and made to fuel a logical purpose. Unlike most, when Declan was truly angry, he did not feel a single sliver of wrath. It was your test, and I wouldve much liked to see how far you wouldve gotten on your own. By your own admission, we had already surpassed whatever expectations you held. That shouldve proved sufficient for the test. And did you want to settle on that? she asked. Have the moment of excellence stolen from you? Less people wouldve died. It wouldve been a significantly better use of human resources. Truly? You just saw the fool over there, blaming others for his mistake, would it have been better to use one life to save him? If a person deserved their life saved, then they would do it themselves. You are utilising a straw man argument, tell me, would it have been worth it to save one of the other corpses? She considered it for a moment, Perhaps the sorcerer, but she was not good at using her power. You, a stranger was even better at managing her mana than she was, and she died because of it. She couldve improved. But she didnt when it mattered, she answered. So she died. Understand that if a creature doesnt get past their own weakness, then they cant improve. The betters evolve and surpass. For a moment, Dustin just stared at her, before his mouth opened and a laugh sounded out. Hearty and mirthful and so very fake. Even in real life, his laugh was slightly fucked up. Bit too guttural and insane. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. He abruptly stopped as he slammed his staff into the ground. Evolution is a flawed method of improvement. It creates organisms that fit a particular niche, over specialisation leading to a weakness to change. After a significant amount of environmental change, the whole ecosystem will collapse. Leaving only generalists, which leads to the whole thing repeating as they take up different niches. I dont know how or if evolution here works similarly to my world, but the greatest thing it has done is create generalists and that is not a particularly great achievement. So tell me, if you have a single good reason for wasting these people? For the first time, the drow began to frown, before her presence expanded and darkness seemed to wrap all around them. Noams eyes widened, his breath fastened as he dipped to a combat stance, one ready to fight or run. Next to him, Dustin staggered, Wha- what is that? He needed a distraction, in a single smooth motion he drew a dagger and threw it at the drow. Yet it passed through her harmlessly. There was a point directly behind him where he felt no threat, that was the safe path. He willed his legs to run, but they refused to move. Answer me! Noam knew, hes felt this before. You know how I described the other guy as an icicle up your ass? Yes? Dis is the whole focking freezer. Dustins body was almost frozen, Your tell is showing. Your accent. Speak for yourself, idiot, Noam thought, noting his sudden over analysation. The presence withdrew, leaving only the drow. She didnt look intimidating, being shorter and less muscular than him, yet Noam regarded her with renewed caution. This was an opponent that needed that to be beaten. She spoke again, her tone quiet and threatening, In those five seconds I couldve killed the both of you. Neither of them said anything, for it was true. How many of you would it have taken to land even a scratch on me? Numbers would not have mattered. It is simply a question of strength. If you dont have it the moment it matters, then it simply wont matter. So think before you speak, you spoiled immortals, who get to try again and again, on what point there is in saving people who dont have power when it matters. And I thought you were cool, but youre just a bitch arent you? Six people. Both Noam and the drow blinked as Dustin said that. Naukoth with his AOE buffs was worth at least six other people, when he spoke, it was a calm and calculated thing. With no emotion, as if simply speaking fact. He had power and at a place where it was sorely needed. If he were not there, we would not have held as we did without six other people. An extreme specialist like him, I agree had severe weak points. But the whole point of moving in groups is to make up every members collective weak points, and you actively impeded that. Then get stronger and make it up yourself, she shrugged as if it were the most obvious thing. Noam paused, looking at the drow while she and Dustin went back and forth. Extreme specialist Dustin mentioned something about a balanced system, where conditions mattered more than strengths. There was a strange thing when she expanded her presence. Slowly, and carefully, he drew a dagger. God I hope I am right. If you cannot put your own beliefs to work then why spout them? Do I literally need to shove Platos Republic up your- Hey, Noam interrupted. Remember that question you asked? he directed to the Vice Guildmaster. What question- Before she could finish, Noam in a swift and smooth motion threw the dagger directly behind himself. There was a sound like fizzling mist as the illusion shattered, revealing an exact copy of the drow behind them. No, not copy. That is the original one. Genuine surprise was on her face as the dagger thudded into the ground behind her, leaving a shallow cut on her robes. To answer your question on how many of us it would take to put a scratch on you. The illusion behind them disappeared, as Noam spoke to the real one this time. The answer is two. She blinked back surprise and shock. How? she asked, tone disbelieving, Neither of you should be capable of seeing through illusions. There was surprise on Dustins woody face, but it quickly receded, as he too turned around fully. Deliver the one-liner! Deliver the one-liner- Do you know the term, crouching tiger, hidden dragon? Yes! Well, Noam smiled, face smug, say hello to the tiger.
The Vice-Guildmaster left soon after, leaving me to my thoughts. Noam spoke first, Well shes a bitch. Understatement of the century, I replied, but more importantly How did you know she was really behind us? Noam shrugged, It was a hunch, isnt she an illusionist? I figured it was strange her fear thing covered every direction except directly behind us. Like she was just asking someone to run there. I see. Noams eyes looked distant for a moment, staring towards the direction of Naukoth, So hes Dead. I have confirmed it, I answered. He sighed, That sucks, he was cool as well. Stupid, bringing a whole ass piano into battle, but I could respect that. Wait a moment, I said. My arm fumbled into my cap, looking for something, before withdrawing it, a single golden coin. Lets exhaust our options first. I flicked the coin, and the door appeared. We entered, a Dave appearing for each of us. Noam, the unconscious Greenie and me. He didnt bother for theatrics this time, simply showing us a scroll. T5 Raise Dead (One use) Returns a dead creature to life, provided that it has been dead no longer than 10 days and if the creatures soul is both willing and at liberty to rejoin the body. 8,000,000,000 Gold Jesus Christ that is a high ass cost. Impossible then, I muttered, we cannot realistically raise the funds within ten days. And why should we? I left unsaid. Why is the cost of that so fucking high mate? Noam demanded. The tiefling Dave sighed sadly, The rules are I have to keep to what the prices most realistically are. It is simply because the cost of resurrection has been greatly inflated. Why? I knew the answer to that. Only two groups have access to resurrection type spells. Three if you count Druidic reincarnation. But the only group willing to share are the Mercantile Church, who charge a premium. Not only that, it consumes a diamond and those are artificially made valuable by the Deep Imperium, who control the flow of them to the surface world. In short, I summarised, control by both those capable of doing it, and those capable of supplying the needed materials. The myconid Dave nodded, OsshivenKai could provide resurrection. I raised an eyebrow, I did not know that. That would be interesting, but not what we needed. Shaking my head, I said, No, that isnt a good method, the last time a major follower of OsshivenKai was found the Inquisition burnt down everything within a twenty kilometre radius, and frankly that wasnt an overreaction if what I read was true. So youre saying its impossible without a diamond? Myconid Dave raised an eyebrow, I believe the Magus Smar Da Ten Yu figured out a method without needing them, but she was assassinated shortly after, so the knowledge is lost. Noam didnt even react to the stupid pun that made every Maguss title. What about Wayshards? Not diamond, I answered, believe me much smarter people than either of us have tried. Despite this worlds magic system being rather soft, costs and conditions are literally hard coded into it. It wouldnt be easy to overcome them. At the very least, not something we could accomplish within ten days. Noam sighed, before lethargically punching my arm, Thanks for raising my hope asshole. I didnt answer. Perhaps the Adept Battle Caster feat? Declan posed. You could realistically level and buy that feat within ten days. Raise Dead is a ritual spell, same with Reincarnate. Even if it did work, we dont know the mana increase for removing a vital component of a spell. There is a very possible chance that we straight up wont have the mana for it. Not to mention both are tier five spells, something we dont even have access to yet. At level four our class still only has tier two spells, realistically we need to get to level nine to even access them. By then, the ten day time limit would have passed. Declan too went silent after that. Lets leave, Matt. His face was in his hands, but when I spoke he answered, Give me a moment. He pushed his hands up until they went over his forehead. Slicking his hair back, Noam smiled weakly at me. Lets go. I made towards the door, knowing better than to look at him. Wait a moment, Noam stopped me again. How much does this cost? he asked, holding up another scroll.
We both left, though only Noam bought something. Pocketing the spell scroll, he had an evil, scheming look to his face. I had a fairly good idea on where he wanted to use it and had already made preparations for it. But until then, we were both free. Noam? Yeah? he asked, an eyebrow raised. I looked to the sky, it was noon now and the sun was passing. Even now, I could see stars blinking in the sky. You know what I think about doing things. ...Yeah? he answered with hesitance. So I want to ask you this again, I said, repeating an old question. Is there any worth in doing anything? At a base, logical and materialistic level, nothing a single sapient creature does will ever truly matter. I could disappear from this world and all traces of me removed and the world would keep moving on. Even if I accomplished great things, there will come a time where itll not matter. Where itll be forgotten or gone. Perhaps the Deadhand finally destroys the world, or maybe our sun explodes, or maybe even heat death or a million other things. There will come a point where anything humanity has ever achieved will not matter. So why achieve anything at all? Of course there is, he replied patting me on the back. I did not believe him, but still, I spoke, I see, then I paused, thinking for a long moment as I stared at the sky. Nothing I do in my time will matter in the end. I have no reason to try, no reason to be here, no reason to be friends with people. All I have is some vague animalistic instinct that I pleasure occasionally by gaining money, min-maxing and outsmarting idiots. I enjoy those things, but if all I wanted was to satisfy my desire, I could be like sixty percent of the population and permanently strap on a VR helmet, living off a U.B.I for the rest of my life. So why am I here? For a moment, there felt like there was another hand on my shoulder. The only reason that seems to matter, Declan said, sympathetic in a way no-one else could ever be. I feel I thought about my words, whether I truly felt what I was feeling before carefully, I spoke. I believe I feel motivated now. Or at the very least annoyed. I disagreed with her, I continued, my voice quiet and introspective, on a fundamental level, I cannot agree with that sort of ideology, so I wish to prove her wrong. There was a slow, pregnant pause, as Noam simply stared at me, wide eyed. Then, slowly he laughed, the sound long, sharp and loud. He heartily slapped me on the back. Finally! I thought you went off and died on me already! What are we doing? Clearing an impossible boss? Beating the shit out of someone we dont like? Getting influence, power, ideally some that arent just from the innate fact we are Travellers. And how are we gonna do it? he asked, his poised relaxed, yet anticipating. What can two idiots who are only particularly good at playing games, particularly MMOs, do to gain real influence? I asked, only half rhetorically. Noam furrowed his brow, thinking about it for a moment, Killing stuff? No, too obvious, unless his lips parted into a wide smile. How many? I thought about it for a moment, trying to think of the optimal number. At the very minimum, a full raid. Noam chuckled, Aiming to be the best are we? Only needs to be above average. A passing score worthy of imitation, I replied. I dont need to do it well, or perfectly, just good enough. We dont have to be better, we just had to set a trend that others will imitate. Still gotta aim for the best! he cheered, slapping me on the back once again, You arent allowed to half-ass this now! He looked around us, at the moving pieces of the Ivory Tower guild around us. Before, it was mostly a glance of curiosity, but now, there was a new look. Now, he saw them as competition. Indeed. A guild shouldnt be half-assed. Prologue End Interlude: Journey Part 1 Interlude: Journey Part 1 World might be fked but at least we still have memes - Anon, 5:36 UTC, 7th of March 2034, on the popular messaging board 6tan nine minutes before the first Solar Flare hit. Harsh winds whipped across the harsh desert expanse, hurling sand and dust through the shattered and desiccated ruins of a city. In this blinding sandstorm, several barely visible dots struggled through. Heavily armed, they wore thick desert camo, faces obscured by gas masks. Despite their attire, they seemed unbothered by the heat. This is Charlie, their shared coms buzzed. How much further is B? Over. Few more minutes, his coms answered. Hurry up, this sandstorm wont last forever. Damn campers, the fourth soldier muttered, before absentmindedly adding. Over. More reason to hurry- bzzzzzzzzzzzz- Suddenly, one of the soldiers dropped, a spray of blood erupting from the back of his head, before it was lost in the desert wind. -zzzzt. Sniper ! Charlie yelled as he fell to the ground, taking shelter behind the broken husk of a car. WHAT THE FU- bzzzzzzt, another soldier foolishly yelled instead of getting to cover, leading to a rather predictable result. Duh! the other living soldier replied as he got behind a wall. Cover me! With practised ease, he knelt onto the ground, one hand rapidly tapping a holographic device on his arm, before one of the pouches on his belt shot out, landing onto the ground before unfurling into a mechanical drone. Using the holographic device, he controlled the drone, piloting it out of the alleyway, Its just one guy, gimme a moment to- The drone caught sight of one shadowy figure before a bullet pierced its camera. Shit! This fucker isnt- Fuck hes here! He couldnt finish his sentence, as he heard the spray of bullets from Charlies weapon before it abruptly stopped. Oh fuck. The remaining soldiers breath fastened, he held his rifle tight. Eyes darting around rapidly like a hunted dog. Hes just one guy Yo. His reaction was instant, the voice came behind him, from within the alley. In less than a breath, his rifle was aiming at the enemy behind him. Only to see a near-exact replica of the drone he used, save for the darker colouring. From both the drone and behind him, a voice laughed. Haha, you thought. The first bullet hit the back of his head, stopped by his helmet, the soldier fell forward, but the shooters aim was true. The second bullet entered the hole made by the first, pushing both into his skull.
Mattmanfoo sniped xXDPS_KINGXx with the Operator Mattmanfoo sniped COD_was_BETTER with the Operator Mattmanfoo silenced charliewastaken with the Ghost Mattmanfoo silenced ValorantMan with the Ghost Matt removed his VR helm, his lips curling with a mischievous and smug glee that can only be obtained when two-thirds of the game lobby just accused you of hacking. Oh, and the cheering crowd around him also helped. He rose from his machine, hands thrown in the air. EASY! he declared, revelling in the cheers. Now pay up! Oy you fucking cheated you asshole! One of them yelled, tearing off their helmet, the thing clanged onto the floor as he jumped up. I know you fucking cheated! Howd the fuck you managed to snipe us at the start? He shrugged, I only cheated as much as you did damage Oh wait? he paused for effect, tapping into the holoboard. The game statistics showed up on the viewer screen and with exaggerated surprise, Matt slapped his face, You didnt do any damage! Guess I didnt cheat DPS King. The crowd laughed, shouting insults at the guy as his face reddened. One of his friends, Charlie, put his hand on his shoulder, Knock it off Jared- Oy fuck off! Jared yelled, throwing off his arm. I aint you paying a cheater nothin! The tall, high school boy stormed towards Matt. His friends tried one last attempt to stop him. He aint worth it Jared! Jared stopped, only a few steps from Matt, even here he could see that Jared was significantly taller and bulkier than him. He took a deep breath, before saying, Youre right, this kid isnt worth it, lets leave, I need to make an appointment with my anger management- Well I guess these little bitches cant keep a promise, Matt interrupted the near one-hundred and ninety centimetres tall high schooler. The crowd, mostly composed of other middle schoolers booed around him, I beat all you weak tiny shits in a one-v-four like I said, so pay up the money! Whatever rational breakthrough Jared was having, stopped at Matts words. As the high schooler, approximately fifty centimetres taller than him, reddened once again and stomped those last few steps. ILL SHOW YOU WHOS A LITTLE SHIT! His friends jumped forward, trying to grab him, but Jared had a head start, and grabbed Matt by the collar, lifting the smug boy off the ground. WHOS THE LITTLE SHIT NOW! he yelled as he shook Matt like a rag doll, spittle flying everywhere. Matt responded by putting a hand on his nose, Still you! Also, brush your teeth! AHH! Jareds grip tightened, threatening to choke him. He raised a fist, slamming it into Matts mouth. His knuckle leaving a gash on his lip. Matts head spun, a brief moment of disorientation quickly passing as he licked the cut on his lip, Savour this moment! This will be the deepest youll ever be in a person! ILL FOCKING MURDER YOU AND SHIT DOWN YOUR THROAT! STOP YELLING IN MY STORE OR ILL DO IT FIRST YA GITS! And theres the cavalry, Matt thought as Angelo pushed away the gawking crowd recording the whole encounter on their phones. The other three idiots he had beaten were crowding around them, more concerned for their friend than Matt and they readily stepped away as Angelos huge bulk dwarfed the high schooler. YA GIT! DAFUQ DID YOU DO TO MY MACHINE! Matt smiled as Jared simply looked confused for a moment before he fully took in the leering figure two heads taller than him. The reddened face paled quickly. Matt was never worried about his situation because the moment Jared had thrown the headset he was fucked. With slow, deliberating words, Angelo spoke, Get. Out. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Jared dropped him and legged it, his friends following him. The crowd around them cheered as the high schoolers ran out, but Angelo simply gave a stern look before they legged it as well. Leaving only a grinning Matt on his ass. Afternoon Angelo! he cheerfully waved, Hows business- WOAH! Matt yelled as Angelo grabbed him by his collar, lifting him up. I swear to God that if you keep doing this then Ill kick you out of my store! You wont do that Angelo, he smugly replied, before gesturing around, look at how much business I always bring. The crowd may have dispersed, but they dispersed into other parts of the gaming cafe, gleefully wasting money on all manner of things Angelo managed to scrounge up. Angelo looked cross for another moment, before he gruffly set him on the ground, I know you would- Ow! Locking him into a headlock, Angelo gave him a noogie, Do you give? he asked. I give! I give! Matt yelled, slapping him on his beefy arm. He knew this was more for his pride than anything, Angelo wouldnt let him have the last word here. With one final playful rap on the head, Angelo let him go, You gotta stop getting into trouble kid, what if your mothers find out? Dont worry man, I can handle myself, Matt replied, rubbing his head. And what were you doing playing this? he gestured to the VR machine, You know you arent old enough- Meh, Matt shrugged, Im only two years off the PG Fifteen rating anyways, its fineeeee. Angelo gave him a hard look, before he shook his head, Get moving scamp, Sarah called, she needs you back for something. Both of them. Matt paused slightly at that, if both ma and mum needed him then it had to be important not too subtly, he looked at the clock, five PM, surely he could- Angelo glared at him- never mind. With a clumsy salute, he replied, Got it, boss! Grabbing his bag, Matt made for the exit, giving one final wave, Cya later! Be safe! Angelo replied. He stepped out of the store and onto the gravelled ground. Once upon a time trains ran through here, providing public transport, but now the rails had been ripped off, used for material somewhere else. On both sides, the walls had been taken down and holes dug to allow for more space, where dozens more stores and other such things lined the tunnels. From his pocket, he took out a pair of earpods and his phone, old but well maintained. Humming an old song as he passed by countless stores, lit by glaring neon and a thousand other scavenged forms of light. Matts home was three stations south and as he walked he passed through the Metrocity with a used familiarity. Waving at those he recognised as he passed them, sometimes they returned waves, other times middle fingers. He gleefully returned those, angered shouts and greetings drowned out by music and the general bustle of humanity. But when he reached the second station, his eyes perked up in curiosity, as he saw the four stooges he beat earlier loitering around. It couldve been nothing, but Matt liked to think he was better than that, so a fight was definitely on the table. He glanced around, he was near his home turf but he couldnt see any of his friends nearby. He had no backup. That put a slight wrench in his plans, as good as he was at games he was still a skinny- and very handsome teenager in real life. There were four of them, each physically larger and older than Matt. He could probably take them. But as he moved to declare himself, a thought nagged at his mind. Sarah and Denise still needed him for something, something important enough Angelo seriously glared at him. Now, he could fight these four idiots, but he would definitely come home late or bruised, probably both. Carefully hiding himself again, he considered for a moment. Enjoy a small moment of victory over idiots he already beat? Or dont get a three-hour lecture by mum? Next time, he whispered, making a note to gather his crew and jump them later. But until then, he faded into the crowd, making his way to a non-descript alleyway between someones house and a seemingly dismantled part of the subway wall. After making sure no one was looking, he kicked aside a pile of trash, revealing a small passageway. Once again making sure no one was looking, he entered, dragging the trash back into place as he did. It was completely dark in the tunnel, but he knew his way. After giving his eyes a moment to adjust to the dark, he began walking again. His hand was on the wall, feeling the roughly hewn concrete. Turn right here Slowly, the sounds of the main tunnel faded as he walked deeper into the darkness. There was a slow incline, as he followed a path downwards. One more left here But slowly, he began to hear the sounds of life flare up again. Walking towards the sound, he turned a right, and to his destination. His hole was a dozen metres off ground, so he had a good view of the place as the small tunnel opened up to a massive chamber, La Sous-Terre or whatever the snobs called it. Most people just called it Sous. A ceiling almost forty metres high, held up by countless enormous concrete pillars placed at regular intervals, numerous holes drilled into them to form a ventilation system that didnt require energy. Underneath them was a sprawling metropolis, near the actual entrance underneath the station, there were hundreds of squat concrete apartments, built almost to the height of the ceiling. Their base was completely uniform white concrete, but over the years most people had settled in, painting over the boring white with graffiti, art pieces, anything really. Their individual lights brought the only glow in this place and added a much-needed splash of colour to whatever drab thing people of the past erected. As Matt turned his gaze further left, the squat concrete apartments began to disappear, slowly replaced by things less solid. Though the underground chamber stretched many kilometres, the apartments did not. Lights became less common, the apartments there were half-constructed, roofs and walls later covered up by scrap metal and whatever material the denizens could find. Even further left, there were none of the uniform houses left, just huts formed of dozens of different scavenged materials. Few lights appeared there, and though he wanted to explore it one day Denise would surely do worse than just a lecture if she someone ever snitched. He shrugged, no time for sightseeing today. Edging to the side of the hole, he found numerous handholds chipped into the concrete. Used by whoever dug the tunnel from the ventilations to the subways. With practised ease, he grabbed onto them, and made his way downwards, even skipping a few holds as he did. Once only a metre off the ground, he let go, sliding on the slope at the base of the pillar. Once on the ground, he quickly made his way back home. One of many concrete apartments scattered in the middle area. He knocked on a metal bin outside, just once and his brother heard it. Max peeked out from the window, hearing the sound. His younger brother gave him a conspiratory look, before holding his hand in a thumbs up with a shrug. So probably not me huh? He got on the concrete stairs, quickly getting to their level. Opening the door, he raised it slightly so that it didnt scratch on the ground like it always did and quietly entered. Shushing Max who was giggling at a corner. Already he was hearing hushed voices of argument. Max is only six, do you think he could make it? Matt recognised Denises voice, soft-spoken like usual. But weve been waiting for a spot for years, its supposedly pretty easy. So long as we stick with the guide, the second voice was Sarahs, uncharacteristically hushed and strangely cheerless. He tiptoed into the main room, and though both his parents were facing the entrance they were too engrossed in their conversation. Quietly like a shadow, he crept behind Sarah and Guess who? He saw the slight smile quirk on Sarahs lips as he put his hands over her eyes. Heya Matt, she answered tiredly, sorry but Im gonna need you to sit down for this. A slight feeling of unfamiliarity washed over Matt, hed been doing that ever since they got adopted, yet Sarah never answered as if she was tired. It was always full of cheer and infectious energy. He shook off the feeling, taking a seat next to them. Whats up? This might be hard to swallow, Sarah began. But, were thinking of leaving the Metros. Matts brow furrowed slightly, The Metros As in underground? I thought topside wasnt safe for living? Perimeter and SANS and all that. It isnt, Denise answered, but its possible to travel through. If you keep to guides then you can get to ports and leave Europe. And right now is an opportune time! Sarah cut in, Right now the Equator is calm over the Mediterranean, so theyre running planes over it again. It wont be like this for another four years! Denise shook her head, I dont know Sarah. If we wait one or more decades then Oceania would finally get the underground rail complete. Then we can safely travel regardless. Theyve been saying that for years! she hissed, It always gets held up by something or other. This might be our chance, Denise! A better life for all of us. She clasped her wifes hands, Please? If not for me then for them. Hesitantly, Denise brought their hands to her forehead, I dont know Thats why I wanted to ask you, Matt. She turned to him, Sarah following suit. Max said he wants to stay with us no matter where but What do you want?
One final run down, the guide Alex said. Max checked his pack again, his hands shaking somewhat. In a few moments, hell be on the surface. A place hed been warned against since childhood. If you see the sun then run~ Weve made it as far as we can underground, the other guide, Jeremy said as he checked his pack, a heavy automatic rifle strapped to it. Now well have to surface. To confirm, well be surfacing in Old Paris, and make the remaining trip on foot until we reach the military base in Rouen. The trip should take two days, but weve made allowances for three. Alex gruffly said, Ensure you memorise the map given to you. Run back to your holes, that is your goal~ Denise opened the map again, staring at it intensely. As if trying to physically burn the images into her memory. If we follow the normal route along with the exact times, then well be fine. But the slightest deviation could cause us to get caught by the Perimeter. If a deviation occurs then make sure you stick by us. Weve got the patrol routes and times memorised, so we can avoid most detection. For with Peri, we will never be merry~ Alex knelt down, pulling out several black bags. Any electronics you have you need to shut down and leave them inside. Well be passing through several EMP zones and I dont want Perimeter to catch any transmissions. Thats mean complete radio silence. Sarah knelt down, helping an almost crying Max part from his phone. He wasnt even that sad when we left home. Are you all ready? Jeremy asked. Max nodded eagerly. And if you have SANS, you can only pray to St Annes ~! There were hesitant nods all around. With a sigh, Alex stood up, Then follow. Interlude: Journey Part 2 Interlude: Journey Part 2 Finally got net back! Thank god thats never going to happen again - Anon, 18:29 UTC, 15th of March 2034, on the popular messaging board 6tan thirty minutes before the second Solar Flare hit. Matt took his first breath of outside air. It felt dirtier, unfiltered by ventilation. Yet it wasnt dusty, there were no particles in it like the air in less ventilated areas, but it was still dry and alien. The air wasnt clean, but it also wasnt stale. He looked up and was shaken a bit. Matt thought he was prepared or at least didnt think it would be that big of a deal, but for the first time in his life, he stared at a ceilingless sky and comprehended its vastness in a way VR with its limited render distance never could. A burning bright orb illuminated an indigo purple sky as sickly looking black clouds lazily floated. He kept looking, expecting an end to the horizon, a wall, an unrendered chunk but he never found it. It used to be blue Denise quietly muttered as she tightly clutched Maxs hand. Is everyone out? Alex asked, their eyes scanning the skies. Matts eyes followed theirs, unlike him, Alexs eyes were searching. For the drones he thought, Peri was a bitch to fight even in-game. Matt turned his gaze down. He recognised some parts of the city, the abandoned bombed-out buildings, leaving little but blackened frames. Old Paris was a pretty open area for a city, making it a bitch to keep when he played defence on the map. If it wasnt a national symbol of the old nations then it wouldve fallen a lot quicker. Im good, Matt said. The rest of the group quickly sounded off, with Jeremy the last. About time? the soldier asked, checking an analog watch on his wrist. Yes, Alex said, just as loud sirens began to blare. They signalled to the rest of the group and began hurrying forward, taking point. Matt followed behind, his steps passively adopting the soundless movement he was used to. Sarah and Denise were behind them, each holding one of Maxs hands, they werent fast, but Alex was keeping pace. Jeremy was last, watching the group like a wolf with his pack. They managed to jog past several streets before the bombs started dropping. The aftershocks shook the ground, powerful winds whipped at them. Matt barely managed to brace for it, he was almost knocked off if Alex didnt catch him. Thanks. Alex wasnt looking at him, instead, staring to the southward end as numerous explosions bloomed from small black dots dropped from the sky. As the explosions moved away from them, they gestured to keep going. Here laid the core of the plan. Whenever the Perimeter bombed a location, it withdrew most of its forces. Allowing small gaps where one could slip through its security. They jogged past abandoned streets and bombed out buildings, the heavy smell of gunpowder and acrid stench permeated throughout the city, they made good time. A few minutes and the remains of the Eiffel Tower was in sight, passing under the Seine River through an out of use sewer tunnel, they were allowed their first moment of rest. Matt breathed in and out deeply as he leaned by the brick wall. He was fit so it wasnt as hard on him. He couldve gone for another two hours at least, he decided. Alex and Jeremy were barely even huffing, while Sarah and Denise were in relatively similar shape to him. His mums werent as fit but they were also older, had longer legs and took fewer steps compared to him. They stopped for Max, who didnt complain, but was clearly slowing and fell to the ground almost immediately. Deep breaths, Denise said as she gently ruffled his brothers hair. Take deep breaths. Im Huff Fine! Max defiantly said, pushing Denises hand off him as he shakily stood, Lets keep going! Shhh, Jeremy shushed from the back, his gaze still focused on the outside. Ah sorry, quieter this time, he said, Lets keep going Rest for the moment, Alex said, there arent a lot of shelters the Perimeter wont check. But we only have another ten till we need to be moving again. I feel a bit tired as well, Sarah said, squatting down next to Max, can you wait a moment for me? Max hmmphed and sat down with all the patience of a ten-year-old. Matt smiled, the next few minutes passed in comfortable silence- well, as silent as they could with the constant sound of bombs dropping just a few kilometres from them. They had sparse conversation other than Jeremy reporting what he saw at the edge of the tunnel to Alex. Time, Alex said and everyone quietly stood back up. Outside, Jeremy checked his watch, Accurate to the second once again. The sounds of bombings had long since dimmed, still noticeable if you strained your ears, but now far off. Well keep following the Seine river, Alex said as they shuffled outside. Max looked at the river, Cant we boat? Jeremy shook his head, Cant, the entire stretch of river was mined after Paris fell. Couldnt have given them that easy of a time, Matt muttered. Cant have them launching attacks to the other bases from the river. Jeremy cocked a brow, Youre pretty knowledgeable kid. I play PoW, he answered. The soldier nodded. The river wont be safe till Poses, he continued, and by that point, well be in the home stretch. We need to hurry and move, Alex said, there are only a few more minutes of error we can afford. With that, everyone began moving again.
They had passed the remains of Cergy when something happened. Max, who was now being piggybacked by Jeremy, as the soldier cant have his hands be occupied, spotted it first. Raising a small hand and pointing to the sky. Alex saw it next, their eyes enhanced beyond what mere genetics could give, and they quietly swore as they brought their rifle up in the air. Jeremy, visual on canary, broken wing two-two. Then Matt saw it, a small shape in the sky. A quadcopter drone flying fifty metres above as if drunk, before Matt realised the propeller on its back right wasnt moving. It stopped, turning towards them. Jeremy let Max down, pulling out his own weapon, Wet Peter? No, Max thought. It wasnt a white phosphorus drone. Negative, Alex replied, weapon still trained on the drone, just barely hovering. Its an eye. Their weapon fired and the working propeller on the drones right blew off. It went spiralling down, but as it did, there was the slowly mounting sense of realisation. They were detected.
This is Jumbo Four, Jeremy said into his comms as they rushed through the forest, uncaring of the radio silence they previously held, Situation Tango One-One. I repeat, Tango One-One. The device blared to life, Has an Eight-Six Scheduling Shift scenario occurred? Over. Negative, the soldier answered. Wounded Canary, Eunuch Alpha suspects it wasnt able to follow evac protocol. Wear and tear, Matt thought. Alex examined the drone when it fell and concluded the rotor broke from years of cold exposure and small accumulating damage. No matter how sturdy the Russians made their toys, the decades wore on them and thus it wasnt able to follow the normal, predictable routes Peri had. Copy, the comms said, Hunting Dog? Negative, Jeremy answered as he helped pull Sarah over a ledge. No Tango yet. We have Metros, requesting Helivac, ASAP. Are you currently in an EMP Field? Jeremy slowed to a stop, the old soldier staring at his communicator, I want you to take a moment and think about what you just asked. The comms were silent for a moment. Understood, it said, dodging the subject, sending a B-Eagle to- BZZZZZZZZZT Jeremy swore and ripped off the communicator, tossing it to the ground, the thing fizzling with smoke and sparks before it popped. Its circuits now fried and useless. Shit, Alex swore, contact imminent. What do we do? Sarah asked, panic filling her eyes as they darted around wildly, while Denise tightly hugged the both of them. Calm down, Alex said with forced composure. There is an average of three minutes once an EMP field is set before the drones make contact. More so since they still havent reestablished their presence here. But Sarah began with hesitation. Denises arm tightened around Matt. He knew what was left unsaid, the problem was them. Peris drones were tireless and would eventually wear them down. They might get out in the short term but eventually, theyll be hunted down. With an EMP field up, they dont even have a chance of an air evac. Both soldiers could probably make it out safely if they didnt have them four slowing them down. No, no, no, no! Alex said, violently shaking their head, Ill get you guys out! There are ways, but itll be risky. We can move westward. Towards vreux, its out of Perimeters range, so well have a head start before the wolves are after us. Are there subways we can use to move underground? Sarah asked. None that are usable, Jeremy answered with barely veiled frustration. Trust me the Greens were thorough in making sure nothing can be used anymore. The soldier turned to Alex, Isnt the route to vreux just as dangerous? Face still scrunched up in thought, It is, the area between vreux and the Seine was where the fighting was most fierce. But vreux itself should remain relatively intact, there may still be underground routes and Peri is unlikely to pursue us past the lines. There were a few small nods of agreement, but Matt was looking at the two soldiers. Jeremy spoke, Only problem is the area is probably mined to all hell. Both paths are risky, Alex agreed, but moving as we are now means the wolves will catch up to us eventually. While I have a field map of the area memorised, so I can direct us to some relatively safe- They froze, the soldiers ears perked up, hearing something they couldnt. Jeremy raised his rifle as his partner did theirs. Move, Alex quietly whispered in urgency, Now! If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. They began running, Alex in the lead. From behind, Matt heard the deafening sound of gunfire as Jeremy covered their back. The trees rushed past them in a blur. Matt ran, in his element. The only sound in the dusk was gunfire, explosions and their thudding footsteps. In front, Alex paused for the slightest moment to fire two shots into the sky. Matt only saw the two smoking trails as the drones fell from the sky before Alex rushed them to keep going. Their head turned to the woods on their left and Matt couldnt help but follow, only to see the fast-moving blur. Bipedal, its sleek body painted in camouflage long flaking. Its head was a black glass surface containing the camera. The machine spoke first in French, a phrase spoken endlessly in PoW, Matt only now hearing it in person. CITIZEN! YOU ARE ATTEMPTING TO BREACH UNION BORDERS! SUBMIT YOURSELF FOR CAPTURE AND BE DIRECTED TO THE NEAREST CORRECTIONAL FACILITY! It began to speak again in English, but Alex shot it in the head, breaking the glass and knocking it away as it crashed into a tree. From above, he heard another drone shout, CITIZEN! YOU ARE COLLABORATING WITH AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE! THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING OR BE FORCIBLY DETAINED- Alex was faster now, whipping his weapon immediately to the other drone. Keep running! Alex yelled as a smoke trail fell from the sky. NO NEED TO TELL US TWICE! Matt yelled. Four more wolf drones on the right, keeping up easily with them. Their sides popped open but Alex was faster, shooting one before it could launch its net, while a grenade landed in between the rest. The resulting explosion knocked them away slightly. BAD NEWS ALEX! Jeremy yelled from behind as he caught up with them. There are worse news!? Sarah yelled back, just as Alexs weapon whipped out to take out another two aerial drones. Theres a crab in the area! We gotta get out now- There was a low thrumming sound, a sensation which Matt felt in his very bones. Jeremy jumped and pushed Sarah out of the way before a roar of thunder deafened them. Jeremys right side was torn off and the ground beside Matt exploded as the slug blasted it apart. They were thrown to the ground, while Jeremy flew. Alex swore and turned around, guns blazing. Denise rushed to Sarah and Matt was only dimly aware she was piggybacking Max. He turned around and for a brief moment, Matt was stunned. A shadow, about twenty metres away but not at all hidden. It loomed in the trees. Six insectoid like legs, supporting an armoured hull with machine guns attached on both sides and an additional Gauss cannon on its head, that he knew, what he learned from encountering it in PoW. But this thing, it was ancient, something VR could never simulate. The machine gun on its right was blown off, scorch marks still present on the metal, its other was trying to spin but was jammed. Its camouflage coating was rife with scarring and damage. Three of its legs seemed damaged in some small way and one was being dragged uselessly behind it. All proof that this machine was older than him, fought wars longer than he had been in alive. The only weapon that was functioning was the Gauss cannon. A magnetic slingshot firing devastator slugs the size of soda cans.The only thing it needed to kill all of them. Alex was firing at it, their bullets not even scratching its armour. Matt knew only anti-tank weapons would get through it. But Alex achieved something else, the crab turned towards them as they ran and a piece of ground exploded as it fired, not because the slugs were explosive, but due to the sheer force they were shot with. The crab moved with impossible speed, unexpected of something of that size. Tearing through trees as if they werent there, chasing the soldier. As Matt moved to action, turning to see Denise lift Sarah up. In the distance, he heard Jeremy swear as he applied medspray to his blown off torso. He knew the crab wasnt moving as fast as it could, that machines max speed was ninety-six kilometres an hour, but it was ancient and age accumulated. Alex could buy time, but it will catch up, damage or not. We cant beat that thing! he yelled as he scrambled back to the group. Alexs gonna die at this rate! Sarah was simply staring off into space, her body covered in Jeremys blood and flesh. Im sorry. Im sorry. Im sorry. Im sorry. Im sorry Max was tightly gripping onto Denise, eyes shut tight and small tears coming out of his eyes. Matt turned to the soldier, hoping he could give anything to help, a speech, confidence, experience, just something. But Jeremy was leaning on a tree, heavily breathing, the right side of his torso blown open revealing his ribs jutting out as he pushed his intestines back into himself, blood dripped from yellow fat as he desperately applied nanite gels and medsprays. His entire side was gone and that was what happened when the crab missed. There was no help there, he was dealing with their own problems, how could- Denise slapped Sarah on the face. Im mad at you, Denise said with forced calm, but I would much rather be mad at you when were all safe. So stop apologising and get out of here! Sarah looked stunned for a moment before shame and embarrassment filled her face. Im- Im sorry. Denise hugged her, Maxs own stubby arms reaching around her neck to wrap around Sarahs. Jeremy spoke, his voice hoarse with pain, If youre all done and all we need to keep moving. They turned to him, suddenly realising he was there, Oh my god are you- No, the old soldier replied, Matt could see his lungs expand behind the blue gel, the bloody blots of blood where his intestines were torn and a piece of dark red flesh that mightve been his liver poking out, but were fuckers expected to take on shit like that without any help, so Ill be as fine as can be. The crabs hunting Alex right now, Matt urgently relayed, they cant last long. Even here, they could hear the thundering roars as the Gauss cannon fired its shots. It kept firing, which meant Alex was still alive, but for how long? No, Jeremy replied with a pained groan, but the lad will buy us enough time, cross the river, run and try to get into a heavily covered area, it''s our only- He paused, as a single wolf drone stepped over a hill next to them. The thing turned to them, its side blowing open. Jeremy couldnt raise his weapon in time and Matt saw the electrified net fly out- The launcher of the drone dented as Sarah shot at it, knocking it aside just enough that they managed to jump out of the net before it fell. Sarah gripped her pistol, even as the drone fell to the ground she kept shooting at it before it finally stopped moving. She let out a sigh of relief, Papa always said to keep a gun under the mattress Your father is a smart man, Jeremy said, still barely standing but slowly getting his bearings as the anesthetics kicked in, I would like to meet him. Sarah let out a nervous laugh as she helped him lean on her, Oh, he got his head bashed in by gangbangers when I was seven. She waved the pistol above her, But hey at least I still have his Glock! Was that what was under the mattress? Denise asked, her face with disbelief, I thought it was a dil- she shook her head, remembering who was still on her back, Nevermind. Despite the situation, a smile cracked on Matts face and he let out a giggle. Denise looked embarrassed while her wife simply smiled. Jeremy tried to chuckle but it instead came out like a pained cough, Max smiled as well, not knowing the joke but doing so because everyone else did. In a land of death, hunted by one of the most dangerous military systems out there, it was a moment of vapid bullshit. But werent they the moments that made life worth living? Jeremy straightened his back, not quite ok but close enough he could muster his voice, We need to keep moving, Alex bought us time, but it wont be enough. The drone Sarah just shot was one of many. Everything theyve encountered was just the scouting party. Other than the crab all of them were meant for non-lethal takedowns. Staying here meant they wont be as lucky. Im not sure we can run, Matt said. They turned to him and he continued, After the crab is done with Alex, its gonna chase after us next, we need to take it down, some way or another. Denise shook her head, No, no! Its too dangerous! How can we- Whats your idea, kid? Jeremy asked, his face thoughtful. We dont have anti-tank weapons. Im carrying some grenades and plastic explosives but it wont be enough. Matt told them.
Within the depths of a military base, a screen flickered on, lighting up a dark room. A hundred processes, a hundred actions, all done within the span of a moment by the Perimeter.
Intruders detected. Sector FP1407. Three Civilian Non-Combatants One Civilian Combatant Two Enhanced Combatants Apprehension was attempted and failed. Requiring Input.
Nothing moved in the room.
Requiring Input.
The screen sat as it had for decades, untouched as age old dust settled on it in a thick blanket.
Requiring Input.
Revealed by the light. Splayed out messily onto the keyboard was a military uniform. The back of the uniform faced upwards, but the imprints of many military medals could be seen, along with stripes that placed it as a generals uniform.
Requiring Input.
There was nothing inside the uniform, save for a thick grey goo.
Requiring Input.
In another military base, the uniforms of dozens of soldiers lay in their barracks, their uniform fallen on top of their weapons, the same grey goo oozing out like a viscous slime.
Requiring Input.
In the depths of a large sealed bunker, civilian clothes were spread everywhere, over earthly possessions, on empty beds and on dirtied toilets. A grey goo all within them.
Requiring Input.
Above ground, a wolf drone passed by a preschool. Its camera passing over the inside of a large gym. Where there lay a pile of clothes for young children, old, dirty and frayed from weather and time, all containing or covered in grey goo.
Requiring Input.
The Perimeter did not receive an order, and it had not received an order in decades.
No Input Received. Activating Automatic Response.
One log added to countless others of the same nature.
Accessing threat level. Threat level 1. Protocol 6 has been activated.
In the darkness, it spoke, a mechanical voice, devoid of emotion, meaning or reason. A machine bent to a purpose long lost, waging a pointless war because it knew nothing else. GLORY TO THE UNION. MAY HER PEOPLE LIVE FOREVER.
Matt stood at the end of an old bridge. Early twenty-first century by the design, he idly analysed. He was waiting, spinning a pin around his finger and anticipating as the sounds of thunder came ever closer. Then he saw it, a figure running towards him. Alex. Behind it, was the crab, tearing through trees and tirelessly chasing the soldier. He felt it now, that thrum which seemed to shake his very bones as the weapon powered up. Alex felt it too, so they jumped to the side, just as the slug tore through scores of trees, annihilating them to sawdust. The soldier jumped out of the treeline and onto the road, sharply turning towards him. The crab shot out a moment later, but its turn was slow. Alex managed to destroy one of the legs somehow, its turret turned to them, but it was slower, and once more Matt was reminded. No matter how terrifying something was, time got to it eventually. As Alex stepped onto the bridge, Matt knelt down with both arms raised. A gesture of surrender, one that the Perimeter was programmed to respect. The Gauss cannon depowered as Alex ran near him. In the end, it was still just a machine. It would wait till Alex was away from him, to avoid hurting a non-combative civilian. Alex stopped near him, appearing to fall down in tiredness and the crab stepped onto the bridge. Its Gauss cannon still pointed at them. One wrong move, one single sign of aggression, and both of them were dead. It inched closer to them, its pace slowed. After all, it had all the time in the world. The wolf drones were coming, those had non-lethal means of subduing, before they dragged them deeper into the Perimeter, until they were brought into SANs infected area. Matt was suddenly aware of his heart. Loudly beating in his chest, as if it were a caged animal, clawing at his rib cage. Begging to be freed. A single wrong move and he will be turned to pink mist. The Gauss cannon almost killed Jeremy, a heavily enhanced soldier with a slug that missed. It was a weapon that couldve been used to take down tanks, much less squishy human flesh. He could die here and he was enjoying every moment of it. Youre crazy, Alex muttered as they pushed themselves up, smiling in a place like this. Was he? He didnt realise until they mentioned it. He felt it now, and it grew wide as the crab stepped onto the midpoint of the bridge. To the left, he saw a small black object be thrown from where Jeremy was hiding. Towards the bridge but not over it. The grenade landed in the Seine river under the bridge and Matt laughed as it detonated, triggering the sonic mine in the water. There was a thunderous ringing sound. As if a bell larger than mountains was being struck. The concrete foundations of the bridge were crushed as it started to collapse inward. A sickening sense of nausea filled him as Alex grabbed him and ran. Underneath, it looked like the water was rippling in countless places as the mine went off. The water shook and droplets shot from the river in a mad dance to the endless cacophony of sound. The crab fell into the water, not even a moment of movement allowed before its armoured shell buckled as if it were mere tinfoil. At that moment, it was as if god itself kicked the machine in the balls. Matt barely noticed them reaching the other side, onto solid ground, nor the fact he was still laughing. His ears were ringing, the world was shaking and he felt vomit come up his throat, but still, he laughed. The soldier let go of him, crashing into a tree, barely able to stand themself, Matt fell to the ground. He didnt know how long passed as the world shook. Seconds? Minutes? Hours? Did he laugh the entire way? He didnt know, but when he came to, he was out of breath, coughing out vomit with a massive smile on his face. Shakily he stood up, Alex beside him. His idea worked, he won a great victory here. Perimeter couldnt produce more crabs without humans assisting it. Peri may have tens of thousands of them but he just made it have one permanently less. Youre fucking insane kid, Alex muttered or maybe yelled. He couldnt tell. Everything sounded slightly quiet to him. The soldier turned to him, Good job- their eyes widened in panic, Calm down and dont mo- It was too late, still elated from the victory, his ears deafened, Matt didnt hear the click as he stepped off the landmine. Interlude: Journey Part 3 Interlude: Journey Part 3 Fuck it! I give up! Next flare hmu! - Anon, 3:57 UTC, 18th of March 2034 on the popular messaging board 6tan two minutes before Yellowstone erupted. Her ears still ringing with shock, Denise first glanced at Max to make sure he was ok, then frantically turned her head to where Matt was. It had to be me, he had argued. Jeremys in no condition. Sarahs recognised as a combatant and Peri might mistake you for her. We need Alex to get back. God, why did she listen to him? She saw it unfold, almost in slow motion. Matt stepped towards the soldier and a cloud of orange exploded from the ground and enveloped both of them. She screamed and her voice fell on deafened ears. No one heard her, for no one could hear. She scrambled towards her son, tears dripping from her eyes. But where hearing failed, sight succeeded, Jeremy grabbed her with the one good arm he had left. He shouted something as he pulled her back, moving in front of her. Something was hastily shoved into her face, plastic- no, a gas mask. She tore at it, her son was in there! Yet as she scratched and kicked at the old soldier, he remained standing and his grip didnt waver. Jeremy simply stared at the same place she was. As the smoke dispersed, she saw her son on the ground, a mask shoved into his face, held on firmly by a gloved hand. Alex was over him as if attempting to shield his tiny body with their own. The ringing in her ears was lightening, and she started to hear words. ... Alex! Jeremy yelled beside her, Speak to me! Dont come close! they yelled back, Its the stripes! Jeremy gripped tightened on her shoulder, he swore but Denise couldnt hear it. -MATT! she finally yelled. MATT! Jeremy grabbed her by both shoulders, Maam I need you to calm down now! Denise calm down! But- but- she blubbered, her son was hurt! She needed to- There was a feeling of something. A rattle that permeated within her very bones. She barely saw the barrel of the crab in its death throes, its head just barely poking above the water, before she was shoved away. The three of them fell to the ground in a tangle but in his haste, Jeremy let a single-arm poke out behind them. Sarahs arm turned to pink mist and the crab was finally consumed by the dancing waters. Red splattered on her face. Her red. Sarahs. And with it, a moment of clarity. Denise made this happen. She was the cause of this. If she wasnt screeching like an idiot they mightve noticed that the crab still barely functioned. They couldve gotten out if it werent for her. Above her, blood leaked from Jeremys mouth. The soldier fell forward, landing between them. There was swearing somewhere, Alex. She noticed them standing, but didnt come near them. Denise I need you to listen very carefully, the soldier said. Theres medispray and gel in his belt, but its likely not enough. You should have some in your own pack. Take it out and tend to his back. She sat up, finding the aforementioned gels. She saw the torn remains of Jeremys back with a blank expression. Her mind and body suddenly numb. Simply tired as she used the gel. She shouldnt have relented to Sarah. Even if living in the Metros was hard it was doable. Even if it was no place to raise children, it could be done. She shouldnt have relented to Matt. Even if making it out was harder, it was still possible. She was a pushover, dragged along by other peoples dreams of a better path. And what did that lead to? They lay halfway across a ruined continent, the soldier who led them here missing two sides and his spine exposed. Sarah lost an arm while Matt lay infected with an unknown weapon. Meanwhile, Max was quietly huddled in the background, crying or paralyzed with fear. Denise numbly applied the same medispray to Sarahs arm. ...Mum? she heard Matt weakly call, Are you ok? She didnt know what to answer, because she didnt want to hurt him with truth or lie. Dont move Matt, Alex said, I cant look after your foot, I dont know if the nanites in the spray might have a reaction with the one in you. That stirred something within her. Theres a stim in his leftmost pouch, the soldier continued, voice forcefully calm, take it out and inject it into his neck. She pulled out the cylindrical object. She noticed her hands were shaking in the same way a person might note the weather was cloudy. Denise put the stim next to Jeremys neck and pressed the button. The soldier let out a hacking cough, he pushed himself up, ... Alex he spat out blood, ...Fuck Status Alex! Stripes landmine, the other soldier muttered, his eyes glued to the shallow river, crab is gone, visual confirmation. Is it SANs? Matt asked, his voice trembling Alex shook their head, Unlikely, that was an old mine, markings say its at most from the fifties, way before SANs usage. Infection status? Jeremy rasped. Both of us at least, Alex said and Denise felt her heart clenched. Youre upwind from us so youre unlikely to be infected. The soldier pulled out a small rectangular device with three glass bulbs and buttons. They pressed one of the buttons and the bulb lit up for a brief moment before the glass exploded. Still within Perimeter range, they said with clenched teeth. Jeremy you need a medivac. Ill be- he groaned, his arms giving out under him as he fell. Sarah caught him, catching him by his still present side. A normal person wouldve died thrice over by now, but no living soldier was still normal. It was a statement of the effectiveness of the modifications that flesh and blood humans held off the Perimeter for so many years with little more than analog equipment. Alex stood, the orange smoke long dissipated, gently they picked up Matt. We cant stay here Jeremy, he said, not unkindly. My database on pre-sixties nanite weapons is incomplete but trends and design philosophies make it unlikely for it to be infectious unless in close contact. Either way, we need to split up. Denise noticed Matts left foot was a mangled mess. No blood because it was scorched, he was missing toes. Could he ever walk again? If he made it out, then probably. They needed to make it out. Jeremy, we needed to get out of Perimeter range yesterday. Give me another stim, the soldier said, his breathing heavy and laden, and a pain killer. Sarah looked at her, still supporting the old soldier from falling down completely, even if her arm was gone, she didnt cry, she was holding it in, Denise realised. Max was curled up, appearing so small. She heard soft sobbing coming from him. And what was in her? Numbness even as her family bled and cried? Why was she here? She knew. When Sarah talked with her, all she could think of was something that happened several months ago. A video she saw passed from a friend. It showed Matt and a gang of older boys beating a man till he had to be admitted to what passed as a hospital down there. She never confronted him about this. He never changed at home, he was as kind to them as he always was. Some days he came back home with some bruises, other days he left money on the table and it helped. It helped when the jobs they worked werent enough. Sarah probably knew about it, she still had her family which helped her out in small ways even if she said she cut ties. Denise had no illusions of what the Metros were. It wasnt the last remnants of a defiant Europe, it wasnt one of the last bastions of freedom in the world. They were an unorganised and terrified mob clinging to old ideals and artifacts as the world above them burned. Hiding in massive bunkers never meant to be lived in. And Matt took to it like a fish to water, he was liked, he had connections even as a child, shes seen him dismantle people with smug casualness and some days he brought back more money than either of them earned working a nine-to-five. They wouldve cracked ages ago if it werent for him. Matt was born and thrived in a world like this. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. And yet, at night Denise couldnt help but think, what kind of person was she, to let Matt, a boy who she called her son, walk this path? The same path that killed Sarahs father, that killed so many more before they grew old. What kind of person was she? She didnt know, but she knew one thing. They could do better than this. She took the stim and pain killer, injecting both into the old soldiers arm. Thank you Jeremy rasped, his breath stabilising. We need to split up, I cant risk you guys as vectors of an unknown nanite, Alex said, piggybacking Matt, I can lead you to vreux but I cant risk close quarters in a place like a tunnel. You guys need to take a route down there and call a medivac with Jeremys spare- What about Matt? She cut. Ill have to get him out myself, the soldier replied, were both infected and I dont know how long we have but I swear to god I will- She let go of the other soldier, standing tall and calmly but firmly demanded, Swear to me. The soldier stopped. Alexs old and hard eyes met hers, a moment of silence passed, only the wind howling in this godforsaken place. The soldier stared into Denises eyes and found them harder than theirs. I swear maam, they replied, putting a hand on their heart. Even if I have to die trying. Denise nodded. She turned, kneeling next to Max and gently ruffled his hair, Are you ok? she quietly asked. No. Itll be alright. He turned his small face to hers, wet tears drawing small lines in the grime, And if it isnt? Then we can only hope for the best.
Matt gave one last wave as he watched the far off forms of the others walk away. Only the light of the glowstick signalling they were there at all. Next to him, Alex sorted a bag. Taking what they could from supplies Jeremy couldnt use and left behind. Ammo, rations, water and medspray. He unintentionally glanced at his foot, his shoe was destroyed, leaving only a hastily wrapped mess covered in gel. Im sorry about that, Alex said, standing back up. Matt tried to get up on his one good foot, not finding leverage until Alex brought him up. Where he balanced with his hurt foots heel. Dont be, Matt answered. It wasnt their fault anyway. I still am, they replied, taking the rectangular device out of their pocket. Two bulbs left. Alex flicked the switch and the light was only on for a moment before popping. One. Ill carry you again, the soldier said, glancing at the darkening skies, I fear well have to make the journey topside. I dont want to contaminate what usable tunnels are left for other people. Matt agreed in theory, but who cared about the people that came after? Only the thought that his family would have to turn back into tunnels that they mightve infected stilled his tongue. You still have no clue what it could be? The soldier shook their head, Matt examined their face closely and found little. That was the problem with people like Alex, a bunch of unnecessary facial muscles were removed so they became a lot harder to read. Alex passed their largely emptied pack to him and knelt down. Matt put it on, before wrapping his arms around the soldiers neck. He tucked his legs around their waist as they stood up. What a stupid pair they made. A kid barely older than twelve clinging to a grizzled veteran like a koala. Every now and again, Alex looked up to the sky, Matt tried to follow it the first few times but found that his eyes were probably significantly worse than theirs since he never saw anything. Regardless, Alex kept trodding, following a route only they seemed to know. Sometimes walking on clear paths and roads, sometimes pushing through destroyed or hollowed out buildings. They never seemed to need to rest, which was rather possible. He only had the vaguest idea of what soldiers of that era were capable of. As they walked, Matt inadvertently became a tourist, his eyes wide as he stared at the world they passed. That endless horizon that never seemed to end. Here and there were patches of red and violet plants. Hes heard of green plants before but hasn''t seen them on the way here. Some were an extremely dark sort of green, but he felt it was different from the much lighter colours from before the twenty-first century he sometimes saw in pictures. He was surprised when he heard his first bird. Eyes turning almost in panic at the chirping sound. Before the small greyish bird that made it quickly flew off. The flutter of its wings was still in his mind long after it left. Weve left most of the bioweapon territory, Alex began, life isnt as dead here. You think its still chasing us? Matt asked. The soldier shook their head, Unlikely, even if we took out a crab were both low priority targets. It has a drone on us but that''s fine. He felt the hairs on his neck rise, he resisted the urge to look into the sky again, Fine? If the Perimeter knows where we are, the soldier began slowly, it knows we arent near anywhere important to mount an actual response. The drone will eventually withdraw. If I shot it down then it would just start sending wolves to sniff us out. Matt nodded, And what about Max? Sarah and Denise and your partner? Theyre off the grid, the soldier answered, the Perimeter was never tasked with taking care of tunnels, only their entrances. If the subways are still intact they should surface in Rouen, far from its defensive border. The soldier turned slightly to him, dark black eyes met his, Dont worry about them. They are a lot stronger than you think. I know Sarah is, he answered, a bit of pride swelling in his chest. She never told him she was such a good shot. The other too, Alex answered. Denise? How? The soldier answered, their eyes no longer staring at him, but instead at a far off place, It is easy so easy to lose resolve. To simply pass the days following whatever ordered you first. Alex seemed to shiver slightly, and Matt became aware of just how grey their short hair was. They spoke quietly, voice a whisper in the quiet wasteland, It takes something else, to not lose it. They passed into silence, Matt wanting to ask the soldier to elaborate further but it seemed sensitive. Something he shouldnt prod at. Not for someone who risked life and limb to help them. After a while, when the sun started to set again, on the second day of their journey, from Paris to vreux and eventually to Rouen, Alex spoke. Tell me about them. Who? Matt asked, not sure who they were referring to at first. Your family, Alex replied, and how you met them. Matt thought about it for a moment, that was a long time ago. Back when Max was still an actual baby rather than the metaphorical one he was now. I he hesitantly began, recalling memories a bit too far out of his reach, it was at an orphanage. They came in looking for a child to adopt, but for some reason they took both of us ... I thought they were pretty cool and they fed us ... This one time when a guy broke into our house, Sarah hid us in a closet ... she makes the best mushroom stew ever ... Denise always passes portions to us saying she wants to keep thin even when shes really hungry dont tell her I know this by the way ... Sarah taught me how to git good at racing games ... once Max got sick and Sarah did overtime for four days to pay for the medication ... Apparently they didnt know each other was gay until way later and just got into an extended game of gay chicken ... some asshole was harassing a Mrs Jones who lent us her washing machine and Denise put the fucking idiot in his place!... ... she cant tell a lie to save her life though ... and Sarah just kicked him right in the balls! That idiot was feeling it for four generations ... they dont appreciate some of my friends though but that dont matter ... Denise is really good at making Max feel safe ... and I beat the shit out of that guy who was shit-talking my rents!... Before Matt knew it, the sun had risen all the way till midday. A night and a half, where he just talked, spoke stories and laughed and cried. The stone-faced Alex lightened somewhat, their face seemingly without the tiredness and hardiness Matt saw before. When the sun began to set again, they saw it. Lights in the distance, a city still intact. As they walked, Alex took out that rectangular device and lit the final bulb. It activated and most importantly, stayed on. There was a melancholic smile on Alexs face as they pulled out their comms. It was fun, kid. Lets hope we make the next part. Matt was confused, Hope? But the soldier simply kept walking as their communicator blared to life. Mayday! Mayday! they yelled. Three-four unknown bioweapon! Mayday! Matt suddenly noticed his legs were numb, but not the sort of numb from inactivity, but one that seemed to keep clawing at him. Like a cold wind that permeated throughout his entire body. Immediate quarantine and medivac! Two infected! Ones a civilian! Alex coughed, blood coming out. They stumbled, three steps, four steps, before falling to the ground. As Matt fell off them and rolled onto the ground, he noticed he could not move. His body refused to answer. As if he were trapped in an inanimate doll. He could still move his neck slightly, his head flopped to the side and he saw it. Alex''s feet, still on the ground, the joint that connected them with his legs covered in a dark black almost crystal-like substances. Nanites, he realised, and complex ones at that. Ones that wouldve been shut down by the constant EMP the Perimeter emitted, either destroyed completely or made dormant. But not new enough to be immune to it like the later versions were. And they were now outside the Perimeter. Matt felt his sight slowly blot out as helicopters came with figures in white. Interlude: Journey Part 4 Interlude: Journey Part 4 FUCKING HELL 2034 WORST YEAR!!!!!1!!!11!!!!!!11!!! LITERALLY NO GOOD OPTIONS!!11!!!1!!1!!!!1!!!!!1!!1 - Anon, 3:57 UTC, 18th of March 2034 on the popular messaging board 6tan. Kevin Lu rubbed his brow, tiredness setting in from the late night. His steps were the only sound in the sterile white halls of the hospital. A nightly walk, humans were always meant to be active creatures, and though his body felt like collapsing the walk served its purpose, reinvigorating him enough to stay awake to pass the night. The department he was currently in was a quiet one, after all, the hundreds and thousands of patients here didnt do much. Opening a random door, he was greeted by the sight of dozens of rows of tubes, each housing a single person. A helmet connected to breathing and feeding tubes kept them alive. Occasionally, it would send a nerve signal, making them jerk in the nanite fluid to ensure their bodies did not degenerate that poorly. Every one of them was healthy and would likely remain so for decades with the support they were getting. They were, nicely put, passive income for the hospital to milk. Connected to life support and VR helmets they spent their entire lives in virtual worlds, living out whatever dream they wanted. All costs paid for by the governments U.B.I. It was a dream for many, but as Kevin Lu stared at the seemingly unending rows of people, he could not help but feel despair as his mind recalled a certain statistic. That right now, twenty percent of people in Oceania lived like this, and this number has been rising for the past decade. Not for the first time, Kevin Lu felt the slowly crushing realisation that he may be one of the last generations of doctors, people who actually bothered to educate themselves, understand how the world works. Eventually, even his job will become automated, the future of a world where man lay dreaming in billions of tubes while A.I. tended to their every need outside of it, once a pipe delusion a century ago seemed so very close. They abolished homelessness, got rid of poverty and made the concept of hunger alien, and yet was this all they had to show for it? People quitting life the moment their high school education ended, the moment they started receiving their U.B.I. and sequestering themselves in different worlds. Never bothering to even attempt to progress and reach the same heights their species once did, for the simple reason they no longer needed to. For the first time, he felt his heart clench, as he wondered if his own child would go this path. If one day hell be looking after a tube, only ever interacting with him through a virtual world. A message pinged him at the edge of his vision, as he was called back to work. The doctor activated an augment in his brain, melatonin blockers flooded his system and he was once again wide awake. ...only so much time he muttered as he left to do his job.
Two patients, an assistant A.I. said next to him, paramedic initial diagnosis is B199, unknown mass replicating nanite. Skip to current diagnosis, the doctor replied. Understood, it replied in its robotic tone, Dr Auburn diagnosed it as B212, Frasier R3C2-AP Nanobots used in Anti-Personnel Landmines by the former United States of America, currently in Stage 3. The doctor wouldve sworn if it wasnt unprofessional, the Greens made the worst nano weapons. Load the details of the nanite in written form, he replied, location of operation? Rouen University Hospital, current latency is 3.68ms to 6.24ms. Not the worst and the hospital was well equipped to deal with most things, but lag of just a few moments could cause death. Kill code? Not available, the assistant returned, the current patent holder of the nanite, Mcdothra Biomedicals claims that knowledge was lost during the Civil War. Figures, they wouldnt have called him if it was that simple. He reached his office and sat down in the pod already waiting for him, as it closed, a dozen new heads up displays opened. Dr Lu, a figure in scrubs said. We currently have the patients iced, you should be seeing their statuses right now. He nodded, eyes glancing over the various metrics, along with quickly scanning the details. Two males, one a kid that couldnt have been older than his son, the other an enhanced. They were already very far gone, the enhanced was missing all his extremities but the child still looked relatively healthy, if not for the fact his entire nervous system was paralyzed. You attempted a localised EMP burst for treatment? The other doctor nodded, It failed, she answered as another video popped up. A foot, detached, likely one from the soldier, was covered entirely in the nanites. Begin initial test, her voice had said, as an EMP was used and there was a horrendous popping sound as the foot dissolved into sludge. By the point of retrieval we were too late, the nanites had already passed into Stage Two by then. At that point deactivation meant self-destruction. How much time do I have? Preservation was successful, the other doctor answered, a feed of both patients suspended in cryo appearing. Nanite activity has lowered to 1.6%, we have time for the child but the nanites are reacting violently with enhanced''s immune system, at best six hours. Are the Sub-0-C1s available for use? Dr Auburn nodded. Not the worst situation then, he muttered, those ones were one of the few models that can operate in cryo with complex control, then let me- Dr Lu paused as he looked at the second patient, the enhanced soldier. He glanced back at the biometrics sent to him, That ones listed as genderless? The other doctor glanced at the biometrics on her side. Yes, she confirmed. Run a pupil scan, he said as he prepared to connect to the nanites on his side. She looked confused for a moment before doing as told, then surprise flicked on her face as the image returned back to him. Confirming his suspicions. Imprinted on their left eye was a line code that translated to this, Peoples Republic of China. ¡ V920008. It''s one of the Eunuch clones? They, he absentmindedly corrected, dont forget the Amendments, they are a person and we must treat them as such. Dr Auburn shook her head, Sorry, just surprised, I thought they only had a lifespan of twenty years or so, I didnt expect to ever see one, much less operate on one. They might have undergone telomere regeneration to stay alive this long, no, Dr Lu shook his head, that didnt matter much here. Well begin on them, Dr Lu said. Assistant, pull up modification data for Chinas Eunuch Units. Dr Auburn I have connected with the S0s, prepare the injection. She nodded, in the background of the patient''s room, several delicate robotic arms moved as Dr Auburn manipulated them. Injection here, here and here, Dr Lu said as he marked the spots on the body. Two locations in the head and neck, one in the left upper arm and another in the chest, into the lungs where the nanites were most dense. Dr Auburn made the injection, and multiple feeds appeared in his vision. He tsked in annoyance, the lungs and arms were lost. At the microscopic level, he could see the soldiers own immune system fighting a war in slow motion, and they were unfortunately winning. Every modified phage that successfully ate a nanite almost immediately underwent apoptosis, except they were now carrying volatile nanite which let out a mild chemical acid upon death. Not that dangerous to the body on its own, but they signalled other nanites to increase reproduction, and as Lu watched the capillaries burst and melt away from literally millions of dying nanites, he remembered that quality did not always trump quantity. The soldier''s own modified and improved immune system made them extremely susceptible to these kinds of weapons. They had to operate on them first otherwise they would be dead before anyone knew it. His lower body is unsalvageable, he declared, activating the self-destruct on his controlled nanites, before turning his attention to the ones in the neck region. Fewer here, we need to focus on preserving the brain. Dr Auburn, can you begin amputation of infected locations? On it, she answered as she manipulated several robotic limbs. Remember to incinerate them, he absentmindedly added as he surveyed the brain. Im not new to this, she curtly replied. The brain was it was salvageable, there were clusters of nanites mostly on the cranium, but a few stragglers were on the brain cells. Ill begin extraction. Here came the hardest part of his job. Dr Lu only directly controlled a large observer nanite capable of receiving his signals, every other one had to be programmed and commanded through the observer nanite. He put simple commands into the nanites onto the neck, attacking and disassembling the infectious nanites. Forming a small perimeter, those dont need advanced commands, they just needed to reinforce the blood-brain barrier and stop more from entering the brain. Even if they lost the neck while they were at it, they just needed to prevent the brain from dying and they could regenerate the man completely from it. It was the brain that was the problem. Regularly glancing at the R3C2-APs schematics, he went about reprogramming his own nanites for safe disassembly. Putting a chemical marker so that the neuroimmune system wont target them. He couldnt afford to be rough or suffer any distraction here, every cluster of brain cells lost was a memory gone, a learned skill forgotten. Basic human functions they could repair, but if he failed then the soldier would almost have had a factory reset done on them. Dr Lu was one of the few people who could do this. Operate nanomachines with extremely sought after precision. Coupling macro and micromanaging with a beyond solid grasp of both practical and theoretical biomechanics and nanorobotics, in the entire Earth and Mars, there were less than eight thousand people capable of this. Three clusters of nanites safely removed from the hippocampus, he grit his teeth as the last one self-destructed. What was lost there? The ability to form new memories? Amygdala, of the six clusters separated on each part. Four were successfully and safely removed, the last two clusters damaged the left hemisphere. His programming wasnt succeeding, he felt his hands tighten as he had a deactivated nanite brought to the observer nanite and scanned it. Different, these nanites were visually the same as the R3C2-AP but had small, minor differences that made them more active in sub-zero temperatures. He began reprogramming the S0s, different operations were required, but the blood-brain barrier was getting breached again, the S0s he left there werent enough. He divided his attention between programming each front, but it wasnt enough. The soldiers heartbeat flatlined. Was it finally destroyed? Or did Auburn remove it? It didnt matter, the blood flow to the soldiers brain stopped and with it the tide of nanites. He was on a time limit now, but he can finally focus on safely preserving the brain. Cingulate gyrus, all clusters successfully removed. Temporal lobe, he gritted his teeth as the auditory complex was damaged, but otherwise, all clusters were removed. Occipital lobe, all clusters removed. Parietal lobe all clusters Frontal lobe Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Cerebrospinal fluid cleared. He had his nanites make another two scans of the brain, but the cerebrum was completely cleared, the remains were being safely deconstructed by his own nanites He had another set move down and began clearing the cerebellum. Cerebellum cleared. Onto the brain stem now, his teeth clenched as he saw the amount there, a field of black covering the world, but he could do it, he had to- Doctor, a voice suddenly interrupted him, shaking him out of his concentration. Dr Lu shook his head, Sorry Auburn I forgot you were there She didnt seem to react to this, We cant save the brain stem, Ill begin removal. Just having the brain saved is enough. The doctor blinked away tiredness, concentration now slipping, Yes yes, Ill leave that part to you then. She nodded, Take a nap, you look horrible Lu. He nodded in return, Yes maybe I will. He moved the nanites to a safe spot and had them all safely self-destruct. The remains were relatively non-toxic and the body''s own system can flush them out with no significant long term problems. Before disconnecting, the pod opened up back into his office. He kept a feed of Auburn''s surgery up though, despite his promises he couldnt sleep now, not yet. He rubbed his brow, only noticing just how much sweat had accumulated, his clothes now wetly clung to him. It was only when Dr Auburn finished her part, did he finally fall asleep.
Im afraid it wont be so simple, the doctor before Denise explained. The surgery we did on Alex was a last resort measure. The Asian looking doctor on the screen added, I took into account their enhanced status, they were most likely to survive even if a catastrophic mistake occurred, even then, Alex still suffered irreparable damage to many parts of their brain. With a defeated look, Dr Lu said, Im afraid if we go for the same operation on your son, there is only a 40-50% chance he wont come out the same person. Sarahs hand tightened around her arm, What are the other options? We can store him in advanced cryo until a suitable and safe solution is found, but Rouen doesnt have the infrastructure for it, hell have to be moved to a hospital somewhere else, he looked hesitant for a moment, I can recommend a hospital over here, but youll have to apply for citizenship. Well have to speak with the Department of Immigration for that? He nodded. The nanovirus, tell us about it again. Nanovirus is actually the incorrect term to describe a nanobot- he paused, realising his audience, Ahem, specifically it seems to be a modded variant of the R3C2-AP nanite, but the modifications are not enough that it greatly strays from its original purpose. Which is generally to not to kill, he emphasized, but to permanently cripple the infected by attacking their nerve cells. So that they are, to put it kindly, a constant drain of resources. It is, thankfully, not infectious. It was, as Denise understood, something meant to fulfil the original purpose of an Anti-Personnel Landmine in a war where someone could be regenerated from only a head and torso. People infected with it will slowly enter a vegetative state through three stages. The violent reaction it had with Alexs body was due to their greatly enhanced immune system, which was successful enough that it killed a majority of the nanites initially, greatly speeding up the stages and causing a cascade of replication signals that led to Alex almost being killed by it. By good or bad luck, it meant Matt had more time. The stages are as follows: Stage One, the nanite propagates and replicates in the body, it is relatively harmless at this point, however, once it has propagated throughout the entire body, it progresses to stage two. In Stage Two, the nanite detects that it has spread throughout the entire body by latching onto and piercing cells. Each detects certain DNA phenotypes, causing it to release certain chemical signals related to them. Once a nanite not attached to a cell has received a signal of each type, it activates and begins attacking the nervous system. A video appeared, showing the nanite replicating to two, the original latched onto and pierced a cell, before producing a coloured circle which attached to the second nanite. He paused for a moment, It is around here that the immune system begins to heavily intervene, but the nanites are designed to self-destruct upon getting phagocytosed or otherwise damaged. Leading to a chemical spill that damages the body and signals other nanites to increase replication, which caused the cascade that almost killed Alex. This is the stage Matt is currently in and why he is prescribed several immune suppressors, and most damaging, the nanites would be in his brain by now and have latched onto several brain cells. Denise listened intently, as if there was a single thing she could get, a miracle solution that could be gotten just by hearing harder. And in Stage 3 he trailed off, sighing before saying, he will technically not die, but so long as the nanites remain in his system, hell be unable to move a single muscle, meaning hell require constant life support just so his heart can keep beating. It is by this point, that the affliction is considered terminal. They were quiet, not a sound was made. The simple weight of the decision that lay before them. One, they put Matt into cryosleep for who knows how long until an actually safe cure or solution could be found or they gamble their sons life and person. There was a third option, but neither of them would choose St Annes. This is a heavy decision, he said, regardless, both of them are best solved with the higher-tech support in Oceania. The probability of either option working would be greatly increased with better equipment. I would suggest at least getting in contact with the Department. Dr Lu turned to the side of the screen, Dr Auburn, I have another appointment, can you take the rest? Yes I can Lu, the female doctor replied. He nodded, Thank you, before the screen closed. There was only silence between the women, before Dr Auburn spoke up, You may want to sleep on this. It is a hard decision. Denise mutely nodded. Refugees are always welcome here, you can stay for as long as you want but your son will need a decision soon. We can keep him in cryo for long but we dont have the right equipment to fully prevent brain damage. We understand, she quietly said as they left.
Sarahs hand shook slightly as she read the papers. Installation of a brain chip and the signing of an NDA program stopping us from speaking about Europe? she asked, almost in shock at the incredulity of it. The official shook her head, No, you misunderstand, you may still speak about it, in fact, we are recommending you go on several talk shows to speak of your simply harrowing experience. You dont have to if it is too much, but it is, of course, recommended you share your experience. But no matter how she put it, the NDA would prevent them from speaking of certain aspects of the Metro Cities, the Perimeter and even SANs. And the brain chip? A Somatic Implant is vital to modern life, she answered, without it and an AAD, that is, an Auxiliary Augment Device, you wont be able to use most technology or obtain a job. They are vital for modern life in Oceania. It monitors your health and returns them in real-time so you can be made aware of any problems you have before they become problems. She shrugged, I am sure I am coming off as authoritarian, however, I assure you that this is just fact. Everyone in Oceania has a Somatic Implant and their life has been made better for it. It may be some culture shock to you, but you simply must get with the times. Perhaps what was most unsettling for Sarah, was that the official did not seem to speak with malicious intent, no, she was acting as if Sarah was the crazy one here. She looked at her with pity, as if shell learn. It was like the time Sarah spoke to a flat-earther except she was the flat-earther and the official was Sarah, tired of explaining facts for the tenth time. I I need to think about this, she said as she stood. The official nodded, Take your time lady, I was already informed of your situation and have sped everything as much as possible, but She let the sentence drift, but Sarah wasnt an idiot. She was on a timeline. But at the very least, they had to explore other options, perhaps the Federation was better. I hope you find the solution you need, even if it isnt with Oceania, the official said as Sarah left. Thank you, she replied and meant every word.
Sarah was rather puzzled, asking about the Federation didnt bring her into an office like the last, but rather one that made her think of a CEOs office. A large study with a mahogany desk situated in front of the window and before it was a pair of tasteful lounging couches with a coffee table in the middle. The young behind the desk smiled as she entered, putting away some papers, Ah, welcome Mrs OSullivan? he glanced at her to confirm the paper was correct. Yes, and you? Mr Reese, but please just call me John, take a seat, he said, gesturing to a chair facing his desk. Cautiously, she sat down, not too sure what to make of this, but John kept smiling. He poured some tea from a kettle into a cup, Would you like some tea? She shook her head, Not really. Your loss, he said as he took a small sip. You must be wondering why you are here instead of with a government official, he said. Not even bothering for an answer, he continued, Well Im here on behalf of the Carolina Republic to smooth over your process of immigration. I am sure youve already received an offer from Oceania, which I must suggest you reject, he shook his head, Oceania is an authoritarian hellscape, it is no place to raise children. Ive heard rumours in the Metros, yes, she replied. John nodded, Im afraid most of them are true. You cant take a shit in there without the government knowing, but dont worry. He shuffled some papers in front of her, As you can see, I am with Guilliman Pharmaceuticals, which is a subsidiary company of Mcdothra Biomedicals, the company who has the he paused a bit, hmmm I suppose, owns the Frasier R3C2-AP Nanobots that have unfortunately infected your son. His face seemed greatly saddened by the fact. Sorrowfully, he orated, It is greatly unfortunate that the foolishness of our forefathers has led to harm to your sons beautiful soul, however, we would like an opportunity to remedy this, and are willing to lend you the money and company resources to allow for your son Maxs full recovery. One of Sarahs fingers twitched, Lend? Of course, we cant be expected to give things away for free, he replied, apparent sorrow on his face. It is no way to run a business, that is why itll take the form of a loan, but dont worry about the small stuff, Guilliman Pharmaceuticals is the most apt in the world for solving your sons affliction. Tell me more about the loan, she cautiously asked, and how you expect a pair of recently jobless individuals to pay it back. After all, giving things away is no way to run a business. The man seemed to beam, Well its a rather simple matter, we are currently offering employment, we have many factories across the Americas that are largely automated but a human touch is needed to keep things smoothed and geared. How much is the loan and whats the interest? John shrugged, Such small details can be fleshed out later- Sarahs arm moved and grabbed the paper the man was trying to hide, bringing it to her face before taking a long, long look at it. Do you take me for an idiot? she very, very quietly asked. These terms are unpayable. The position you offer and the wages mathematically cannot pay it off. The interest grows faster than what could be earned. The mans face was unchanged, It is only an initial position, which you may bargain from, and even then thats not accounting for the many raises and promotions which you may- Sarah slammed the papers onto the desk, Im done here. She stood and began to leave. Wait a moment. She paused at the door, turning to the man who only looked smug, I said before that we are the best option to treat your son. Sarah scoffed, From what Ive heard the Federation is severely behind Oceania in tech level, if they cant do it then you expect me to think you can? Ah but theres the trick, the man said, we are the ones who made the product, of course, we are the ones most knowledgeable about its ins and outs. Sarah had a blissful moment, where she didnt understand what the man was saying. Before she did and grit her teeth, Are you saying that you have the deactivation codes for the nanites? The man smiled, I am very specifically not saying that. I am however saying that we are best suited to save your son Max. After all, dont you want to speak to your- Sarah wasnt listening, she walked up to the man, grabbed him by the collar and slammed his fucking face into the desk. There was a satisfying crack as his nose broke. His name, she spoke slowly, quietly and deliberately as she held his head down, is Matt. Slowly, Sarah let go and headed for the door. Gurrgh, the man groaned as he clutched his broken nose. Youll pay for that! he screamed. You know what just did you, stupid woman! We bought your fucking migration rights! You cant get into the Federation without going through us! Shove a dick up your nose, it might straighten it, she coldly replied as she slammed the door behind her. Sarah walked for a long time, fueled by more things than rage. It was only after a while did she slow and stop. The realisation of what she did slowly hitting her. The American Federation was a bust if everything he said was true. That left Oceania and the Peoples Republic, but there was no way they could go to Mars, so Oceania remained the only option. With a shaky hand, she brought out her phone. She dialled Denises number and panicked for a moment when the call didnt go through before she remembered she needed to swap services to above ground. This time, she picked up on the third ring. Denny-boo, she quietly said into the phone. ...Yes? her wife asked. I may have ruined our chances with the Federation and a one-hundred percent way to save Matt, her voice broke as she admitted it. There was only a quiet sigh, Tell me about it when your back, but for now, I just want to know, Was it worth it? She thought about it for a long moment, before replying, Yes. Then Im not worried, Sarah could hear the tired smile on the other end, Cmon back. We havent eaten a proper meal for three days now Interlude: Journey Part 5 Interlude: Journey Part 5 Yo dont be so negative anon, we got dis - Anon2, 3:58 UTC, 18th of March 2034 in response to Anon, on the popular messaging board 6tan. Matt woke up in a strange place, nothing but white stretching out as far as the eye can see, then reality began to shift and Matt recognised the telltale signs of a VR world loading. He did not wait long, because he was soon inside a dinky looking office. Plentiful computer screens covering a desk and bible-thick pages stacked everywhere. There was a VR pod next to a cot, both seemed well used. Behind the desk, a man loaded, in front, two women and Matt recognised them. Sarah? Denise? he glanced around, Wheres Max!? Hes safely sleeping at our new home, Denise said, reaching out for him before stopping. We didnt want him to hear this. What do you mean? What happened? he asked. He furrowed his brow, the last thing he remembered was Alex saying something to him. Are Alex and Jeremy fine? They are, the man behind the desk said, They went through some life-threatening danger but both are safely regenerating back in Europe. Matts brow furrowed harder, Back? Sarah coughed, Well this isnt how we wanted to tell you this but Welcome to Australia! she threw her arms outwards in a sort of explanatory gesture. This is a shitty office. Sorry, the man said, scratching the back of his head. Ive been meaning to clean up but then Ill lose where I kept everything. Can we get back to the topic? Denise asked, and Matt realised her hand was shaking slightly. Dr Lu, please tell him what youve discussed with us. The man nodded, Greetings Matt Nguyen, I am Dr Kevin Lu and Im your doctor for your current affliction. He realised it. That black crystal. The nanites Alex told me about. Matt felt like at that moment his heart shouldve clenched, or maybe his would hand tighten, but none of that happened. He wasnt in his real body. Dr Lu nodded, As I am led to understand it, you triggered an Anti-Personnel Mine in the Paris Theatre and was infected with a nanite weapon. He moved a hand and a video popped up on one of the screens. The nanite that has infected you is a modified version of the Frasier R3C2-AP Nanobots, which is used in Anti-Personnel weapons The doctor explained it to him. The three stages, how the nanites slowly brought a person to a vegetative state. His two options. So its difficult to remove the nanites? he asked. Lu shook his head, Difficult it is not, his hand moved in the air and the screen changed to another video. It showed one of the nanites attached to a cell and producing a circular chemical. The nanites attach to your cells to progress from Stage one to two, physical removal of the nanites is not difficult, the problem, however, he moved his hand again, and this time it showed another nanite ripping the previous out of the cell. The cells wall burst and its inside leaked out. Is preventing cell lysis, which will happen if the nanite is removed from your cell. It isnt a problem for your normal cells but On-screen, it showed a diagram of his body and the infected portions. His brain was highly infected. If your brain is damaged, you may lose memories and Im afraid that is irrecoverable. And my other option, Matt slowly asked, is to be put on ice for how many years? My most generous projections say at least a decade, the doctor frankly answered. Removing the nanite is not the problem, its finding a method to prevent the lysis of your brain cells. Ill take the gamble, he replied. Matt! Denise yelled, she reached to grab him but her hand passed through him. She flinched, her hand clenching into a ball, Matt, dont make a decision that fast. This is life and death here. I just made my decision mum, he replied, his head turning between her and Sarah, Ten years is a long time, he stared at his hands. Max hasnt even been alive that long After ten years would you all be the same people? Would Max even remember me? Matt asked, his eyes pleading for an answer. Would you still love me? Would I still be welcome in your home? Those questions he didnt ask, for the fear of a loving lie outstripped the hope of a heartful truth. I would rather get it over and done with than let it drag out, he said. Alex went through it fine didnt they? he asked with a small hope. The doctor shook his head, Theyre in therapy to find out exactly what memories theyre missing and how to deal with them It is he sighed, If I was a gambling man, I wouldnt bet on you coming out the same person. Matts hand clenched. That was fine, even if he forgot Denise, Sarah and Max he can learn to love them again. Perhaps he was selfish, choosing this path because he didnt want the pain of seeing them forget him, who could tell? Regardless of your choice, it will take some time to have everything prepared, the doctor said, youre hooked up with the Hospitals server, I suggest you three speak about it within yourselves. They nodded, and as they filed out of the office, they found themselves in a place more private. What was spoken between them that night, is not something we should intrude on.
Matt wondered the quiet halls of the hospital. Even from his brief looks outside, Oceania seemed so alien to him. The people were nice, they smiled to him as he walked past, the walls were clean and devoid of graffiti and he stopped himself from instinctively avoiding another camera. From how he understood it, the places where the camera was watching were the only places where he could interact with people in real-world, what was slightly distressing was just how many of these locations existed, even in places where he was sure there wasnt a camera nearby. Sometimes other virtual people passed him, but everything about them seemed too perfect. Even people in the real world, he couldnt see any kind of physical deformity, skin blemish or even overweight or underweight! Practically everyone looked like some variant of a model and hed been instinctively trying to avoid them. Which led him to here. He was on the top floor of the hospital, on a long flight of dusty stairs that led to a door, it wasnt locked and when he pushed it open he was outside. He tried to breathe in the outside air, only to remember he couldnt do that, so instead, he just looked around. A wide area, with boxish tubes coming out of the floor signifying the numerous ventilators and fans that moved air throughout the hospital. There was a thin wire fence several times taller than him covering the entire edge of the roof. As his eyes moved toward the centre of the roof, he saw something he didnt expect. A kid, about the same age as him, black-haired and most surprisingly, kinda pudgy. Like not obesely fat, but enough that there was noticeable potbelly. He was sitting on a ventilator and pulling fries out of a paper fast food bag with a giant M. He turned and apparently saw him, but didnt comment, instead of turning back and eating his fries. Youre from here? Matt asked as he walked closer. This kid was the first person he saw that was even slightly deviant from the model or supermodel theme hes been seeing in the people here, well other than Dr Lu and even then the doctor would look pretty good if he just took a five-month nap. The boy sighed, Where else could I be from? he tiredly replied. I dunno, he answered as he sat on the ventilator next to him, Europe? America? Some other part of Oceania? Maybe even Mars? Never been anywhere but here, the boy answered. Eating dinner? On the off chance you are not capable of sight, Ill answer with a yes, the boy sarcastically replied, and yes, I am aware I am extremely fat, he added as he pulled another handful of fries. Matt chuckled, Nah, Ive seen worse, this guy Angelo for one is so big you have to wonder how he even fits in his pods. Huh, the boy simply answered. What do you do around here? Eat. Matt shook his head, Nah, I mean what do you do for fun? Bit new here and Im getting stir crazy. Got any games or something? The boy stared at him as if he were an idiot, Youre on the hospital server, just open a tab and swipe to them. Matt was about to ask how, but thought better and decided to find them himself before the other child had a chance to look at him as if he were stupid again. Shortly, he found it, and with only slightly faked annoyance, he said, Nah, this shit is all kids games! Wasnt even a lie, was he supposed to play Sudoku to pass time? The boy sighed, I can link you up with my AAD if you can stop bothering me? Whats on it? he asked, slightly intrigued. The boy swiped the air, Ygg, Arrowed, PoW Wait did you say PoW? he intruded. He nodded, Yeap, Path of War, want that one? Sure sure! How do you link me? Matt asked, feet swinging from the ventilator. Your name? the boy asked. Matt Nguyen. Found you, he replied as he tapped the air a few times. Declan Lu has opened a LAN, do you wish to- Matt barely even read the message before he hit yes, and with a cheer he watched the PoW menu load in front of him. Finally! Ive been going crazy doing nothing but walk around and watch videos! They used a weird site called Ustube here, most of the shit on it was boring trope vomits that seemed mindlessly designed to appeal to people. Sure it had higher quality than the stuff in the Metros but it was just shit in a different way. With glee, he hit the matchmaking queue only for- Hospital Server has disabled this due to Age-Restricted Content. What the fuck!? There was a smirk on the other kid, Yeah, Im connected to the Hospital net right now and they have blocked a bunch of online shit. He shrugged, Guess you cant play. Ahh! he yelled in disappointment, before falling to the ground, Goddamnit that sucks. Mmhmm, the other boy murmured in agreement, before tossing another handful of fries into his mouth. Does doesnt it? Yeah suddenly, Matt shot up, Holup, this is a LAN right? The other boy nodded, mouth too busy chewing chips to talk. Cant I play with you then? The boy shrugged, Probably, he replied before manipulating his own menu. Hmm he raised an eyebrow, Huh, there is such a feature. You dont know that? Matt asked. Hes used it plenty of times when connection was spotty. Never used it with friends or something? Never had friends, the boy drily answered. Yeesh, youre depressing, Matt replied as he accepted the invite. The boy hopped off the ventilator, sitting into a more comfortable position where he was leaning against it and he too accepted the game. Reality bled out around them as the world slowly loaded. Just a warning, I am very good at this. Heh, the other boy smirked.
In a frozen wasteland, a figure squat down and with an annoyed huff began operating a holographic device on his arm. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Had to be the freezing cold map, Declan thought as he got to the tool he wanted. Opening up the thermal imaging tool, he began to survey the area- A hand pressed down on his shoulder, Huh, a full scout spec? You came prepared. What the fuck? he practically jumped as he realised his opponent was right behind him. Howd you get- Walked, Matt casually answered. Mustering himself, Declan asked, Then howd you find- Looked, Matt casually answered, gesturing at a barely visible line of footprints leading up to him. What the hell? They were in white-out conditions and he managed to catch that? What kind of eyes do you have? He shrugged, I mean you get used to it after playing on the map so many times. Declan regarded his opponent with a newfound wariness, And you didnt just shoot me? Naaaah, he replied as he began walking, too boring. Was just saying hi, Imma find a new spot and lets restart. Declan didnt reply, instead, his eyes were glued to the floor as he watched him walk away. No sound, he noted, and the footwork seemed to minimalise the weight he was moving with. He barely left any footsteps Dangit, Declan muttered. He didnt put stock in the rumours and memes of people who played PoW so much they accidentally became super-soldiers, but unless that guy knew an exploit he didnt, then that was very much the real deal. After all, Path of Wars original code was from a VR program the Chinese used to quickly train their clone soldiers. It only became a game after it became apparent that it was the best VR experience in existence from all the bankrolling their military did. Declan stood and began to move, after all, this might actually be somewhat difficult.
Matt ran through the frozen expanse, quickly dashing between massive supply crates to minimise exposure. The trail went cold, pun intended, the moment the other player began to move. He paused at a bit of snow that looked like someone had swept it. Covering your tracks or Suddenly Matt leapt backwards, just as a bullet flew through where his head was and embedded itself in the crate next to him. He swiftly took cover just as the second bullet missed him and loaded his own gun. Sniper huh? Thisll be fun. Still behind cover, he began to move. Opening the holographic device on his arm, he quickly selected an option that expelled a drone from his belt, then another which caused climbing spikes to pop out of his glove. Holstering his weapon, he grabbed onto the wall of a crate and climbed.
Lost him again, Declan thought as he opened his wrist device. His opponent was good, good enough he didnt miss a small detail like swept snow. Did he jump knowing it was a trap or was just making a lucky guess? Didnt matter, he stared at the tracker, if his opponent used any electronics then he would know. There was a ping, south of him, he brought up his sniper rifle facing that direction and- A small, tube-like object was suddenly thrown in front of him. Flashbang! Declan fell to the ground, minimising his exposed area as bullets flew overhead. It came from west of him. The flash barely lasted a second, but Declan was already forced into a disadvantageous position. The bullets stopped, and he heard the sound of a magazine being ejected. Declan jumped up, sniper rifle raised, only to see a silenced pistol pointing at him. Both fired, but Matt was faster.
The map was called Nuclear York, an island filled with bombed out buildings and the husks of hundreds of vehicles, based on an actual place like most maps. Matt moved as he usually did, completely silent on the dust and asphalt, before stopping as he saw the casing of a stim pack on the ground. Immediately he jumped back, getting behind a car and dodging the bullet. Again, he muttered in annoyance. Matt activated the same options on his wrist, before moving again undercover. Once again, the drone pinged them the wrong location while Matt threw a flashbang into the room where he saw the sniper muzzle. Once again he laid down fire with his rifle before the other player jumped out to capitalise on the reload. Once again, Matt had his pistol pointing at them. The bullet struck him in the head, but they shot another into Matt and killed him. What? From the death replay, Matt noticed his bullet didnt penetrate, and that his opponent was no longer holding the high-powered sniper rifle from before. Shit you respecced didnt you, he muttered as the other shrugged beside him. They swapped out their rifle for maxed body armour, thats why they survived the first shot. Again. A different map, but a similar paradigm. His opponent was holed up again and Matt had to flush him out. This time, he threw the flash then immediately went in. Only three bullets in his rifle and it was one too many. Again they played. The other player was on the move this time, Matt was able to track them but he left mines in his path and he was forced to take detours. It was when he was running through an alley he saw a grenade being thrown into it. Again. Matt learned his tricks, and this time shot him from behind where he was planning to throw the grenade. Again. Matt kicked down the door, only to him pull several springs, causing a dozen clicks. His opponent survived the grenade blast by the skin of his nose. Again. He realised something as they fought, his opponent had a worse reaction time than him, not bad enough it was obvious, but enough that when he dragged him into an open gunfight he emerged victorious. Again. They took a drone spec this time, as Matt was distracted by the drones he was finished off with a pistol from behind Again. Matt managed to snipe him even when harried by Again. Fucker blew up the building Again. Again. Again. Again. Again Matt didnt know when he began grinning through every match. Nor when he started slapping his opponents back and chatting amicably with him in the downtime between. He just did. For how long did the two of them play? Time bled away as they both fought their tiny war. In the middle of it, Matt realised with surprise that he had altered his strategy and build dozens of times just in the past hour to match with the other. A constant battle of one-upping, Matt was faster and better in terms of all physical mechanics, but his opponent seemed to know every weapon and build combination like the back of his hand. Constantly pulling out increasingly strange and unexpected combinations. Each time Matt tried to smash through them, and he did not always succeed. Then came the last match.
Declan scoffed as he put away the scrambled wrist device, Fucking horrible map, he muttered as he stared at the blank desert-like expanse, only a line of blackened rods breaking up the scenery. Yeah, sucks doesnt it, Declan wasnt even surprised that his opponent had managed to sneak up on him again. Leaning on one of the rods, he said, Mongolian Borders a bitch to play with any high-tech build. Specifically, the rods that went in a line as far as the eye could see. They were irradiated thorium rods constantly emitting radiation which screwed up most signalling devices. Their actual purpose was to act as a barrier against SANs, the radiation was enough that the nanite got scrambled into a more useless form if it ever came near, not that it mattered in-game of course. How bout this? Matt began as he pulled out a small timed explosive, Lets do this old-west style. Ill set a timer and we move away, on the explosion we shoot each other. Why the sudden need for theatrics? Declan asked every other fight they had usually had them barely aware of where each other were until too late. Matt shrugged, Got a message calling me back, gonna be my last game tonight. Want it to be a bang. Oh. Or I suppose morning, Matt said as he laid the bomb next to the rod. Jesus, time passed that fast? Declan asked as he swiped open a menu. Yeah, Matt fondly said, passes so fast when youre having fun innit? The other boy seemed taken aback for a moment, I yeah, I suppose. One-twenty seconds alright? Sure, he answered and Matt started the count. Cheerfully hopping back up, he said, Lets take our places. But the other boy was already moving away. Gee couldve waited for me, Matt muttered as he began moving. Both were moving away. Both had their hands on their weapons. In the past, a pro-gamer said this, that to become a pro, you needed two things. One, the pure and raw mechanical skill that if a battle ever comes down to the coin flip, when the odds were against you, you won every time. Ive seen this guy move, hes definitely slower than me, Matt thought as he strode away. Two, the planning, knowledge and tactical acumen, to make situations where the odds were against you, the coin flip, never happen. To stack the coin so much it is never flipped. Eighty-six, eighty-five, eighty-four Declan counted as he walked away. The moment the bomb was set, he began counting. Be the first to know when the bomb detonates. Move to the left to use the small smoke cover of the explosive. Bank on those heartbeats of advantage If a player had both, then they were a pro. The bomb exploded and both players instantly turned and raised their weapons. Two shots were fired.
Aaah! the other boy yelled as he rubbed his head, Goddamnit why do I need to leave!? Declan didnt answer, instead, sitting listlessly behind them, mind engrossed in thought. Oh well, the boy shrugged. Hey you better be here tomorrow! he said, pointing directly at him. It is tomorrow, Declan answered as he gestured at the rising sun. You know what I mean! the other boy exasperatedly said, Either way cya! I have a damn doctors appointment to be at. Declan mutely nodded as the other boy began to leave, but he stopped a few moments before the door. Oh shit I forgot to introduce myself, Im Matt Nguyen! Good to see ya! Declan Lu, he said, but Matt was already gone. The boy sat there for a long time, the fries by his side already cold. Fun huh he quietly said. Declan hopped off the ventilation tube and simply stared at the morning sky. Slowly, he began walking towards the square-ish box that led downstairs, but instead of going in, he went around, to behind it, where the wire fence was only a few centimetres away. There, in the wire fence, behind the door, hidden from the cameras, was a perfectly cut hole. Slowly, Declan sat, staring at the thing he made, he didnt do it all in one sitting, even if he couldve. It was the work of months, some days where he just snipped a part off, until they added up, leaving nothing but a hole. Wrist cuts wouldnt have done the trick, any kind of slow death wouldve led to his Somatic Implant alerting an ambulance. A hanging wouldnt have worked, even if he choked to death so long as his brain remained he could be fully revived. And he couldnt get ahold of a weapon capable of destroying his brain quickly. That was why he made the hole. A fall from eight stories high. If he aimed it right nothing could be retrieved. As for why he did this. He no longer remembered exactly. Could he even give a single reason, if he knew them? There was one thing, however, he knew. How many times he has come up to this roof. How many times other people have seen him come up here. Yet how many of them have joined him up here? How many of them have found the hole? No one. He simply didnt matter enough for people to bother and every day this hole went unnoticed, was another day that proved it. That in the end, no one cared. No one would care. Tomorrow huh he muttered. Slowly he shrugged and moved away from the hole in the fence, pulling open the doors and entering the hospital. It doesnt matter either way.
Matt once again stood in Dr Lus office. Eyes engrossed on the animatic on the screen, showing the nanite replicating. The nanite split in two, one entrenched itself into a cell and began producing signals, the other received them and began attacking a nerve. When it was destroyed, it released an acid that damaged nearby cells and signalled other free-floating nanites to replicate. Are you sure of your decision Matt? the doctor asked. Yes, he answered. The doctor only sighed, May I at least know why, before your parents come? Matt stared at the video. Thinking for a long moment before speaking, I just believe something. The doctor waited on him to elaborate. I feel like he paused, thinking of the right words, that every moment we have matters. Every moment means something, and if I dont make the most of it, if I dont enjoy it as much as I can, do I even deserve it? The doctor was silent, but after a while, he nodded, I understand where youre coming from. Somedays I wish I could clone my mind a dozen times just so that one could be active even when I sleep. We never have enough do we, Matt said quietly. That was why he didnt want to be put in stasis, all the time he would lose. All the ties he had made. Friendship, family, they were like a garden, requiring constant care, but withering with a season of negligence. No, the doctor answered, a sad smile on their own face, we dont. A moment of silence passed, before Matt spoke again, Hey doc? Yes? Radiation therapy wont work right? The doctor shook his head, You still have the problem of the nanites attached to your brain cells, except now I cant use my own to try to patch up any damage. Matt stared silently at the video. I have a question. Ask away. These nanites, he said, turning to the doctor, the new replicated ones arent in an activated state are they? No, they arent, the doctor shook his head, if youre thinking of using some kind of signal disrupter, know that the signals used to activate the nanite are all similar to chemicals and proteins your body heavily needs. Disrupting even one could outright kill you. An identical inhibitor could be used, but according to this it would still activate off that. Matt stared at the doctor. Thinking. Last night, he fought a person that needed constant adaptation, a constantly shifting perspective just to keep up with them. To face the Declan, Matt had to learn to use and counter things that he couldnt expect. He had to learn the unlearnable. He had to deeply understand his opponent and their intentions. It was a first for him, for before everyone else rolled over with his simple skill. I have an idea, he slowly began, the smallest fear that what he was proposing was dumb. If the nanites only produced the signals upon scanning and attaching to certain cells then why dont we just remove every cell that creates a signal? The doctor stared at him dumbstruck for a single moment before he jumped out of his seat. Hands moving frantically over his virtual interface. ... Why didnt I think of No, the better question is why isnt it in the records the company gave us? he muttered. He grabbed a blank page and pen and began furiously scribbling on it. Mcdothra didnt give us full treatment records Doesnt fucking matter, which cells need to be removed? Fingers and toes at least, maybe up to the entire limb Liver and heart? Fuck cant remove bone marrow or blood or bone for that matter The doctor was like that for a few frantic moments, before he finally said, I dont know, Im going to need to call in some special help with prosthetics and this isnt a permanent solution but I think it might work, at least, till we find a permanent safe solution. Matt turned and looked at the video, seeing it once again from the perspective of the nanite maker. The purpose of the nanite was to cripple, not to kill. So why not become a cripple? After all, Every moment matters, even those where Im not fully there. So long as some part of me is there. Let''s try it then. Authors Afterword Authors Afterword Why does the third of the three brothers, who shares his food with the old woman in the wood, go on to become king of the country? Why does Bond manage to disarm the nuclear bomb a few seconds before it goes off rather than, as it were, a few seconds afterwards? Because a universe where that did not happen would be a dark and hostile place. Let there be goblin hordes, let there be terrible environmental threats, let there be giant mutated slugs if you really must, but let there also be hope. It may be a grim, thin hope, an Arthurian sword at sunset, but let us know that we do not live in vain. - Let There Be Dragons by Sir Terry Pratchet. Im writing this at the same time as 4.15, though it doesnt really matter, does it? In the end, this is going to be shipped out the same time as the interlude. Im not sure what to say, honestly, Im not sure why you all are still reading. I can come up with plenty of explanations, entertainment, boredom, the need to simply burn time, but I never know. When I set out to write this story, I had only a few things, a dnd character sheet for a cancelled campaign, a shit ton of notes for a VRMMO world and the desire to try my hand once again at writing after I burned out on WTF Im a Dungeon. So I sat down and wrote. Mycology is the fourth iteration of a list of VRMMO stories, I cant remember the exact order but there was a necromancer BBEG, murder hobo party and a steampunk story before it. The murder hobo party story had four different chapter 1s, each slightly different. Even not considering the VRMMO stories, I had three different dungeon core stories, a modern superhero, meta isekai and even a jojo fanfic written down. Im rambling again it seems. Well, they dont really matter, since they probably wont ever see the light of day, Im just trying to show how much work happens behind the scenes in the hopes my effort will receive a small bit of validation. Now, Ill inform you of the purpose, or perhaps the structure Ive been keeping to this story. Originally, I didnt want to post this, let the readers figure it out themselves, or maybe let them think its all the result of a strange stylistic choice. But I didnt want the work and thought I put in to go unnoticed, never known, or even worse, mistaken for something unintentional. So here I am, writing. Thus far, I have tried to keep to a writing style of absurd realism, with emphasis on the absurd. Ive made it a personal challenge to give the phrase Reality is stranger than fiction, a huge middle finger. Im probably failing, but still making a good effort. Ive told you all that from the beginning that Declan and Dustin were my self-inserts and by now you should have a deeper understanding of them. For the sake of convenience, I shall just refer to them as Declan. 4.23 was meant to definitively fill in that final gap you probably guessed, but didnt know for sure. Declan relies on logic, he hates acting on negative emotions no matter how justified they are, but he is a purposeless character stuck in the monotony of existence. He has no true reason or motivation to ever act. Reading back you will notice that most of his important actions occur because someone else asked him to do it. Declan is a character with nearly no autonomy or care for his life. Even in the sole danger situation, the beginning of the story, did Declan actually ever say he was afraid for his life? He didnt, did he? Something so simple and taken for granted. Not having it mentioned. I wrote in a way that implied it, exaggerated reactions, but no true actions against. What a person says, is not always true. Action, or inaction, in this case, speaks louder than words. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. How does one write such a character into a story? Not to mention a main character? They refuse to engage in anything like a plot and would be perfectly content living like a river rock. Most stories have a monotony at the start, before something happens which drags into the plot. Something that forces them to act. In a darker story, Eves call wouldve led to some horrible sci-fi shit. Declans opponent is an A.I. far above anything he can intellectually match. Even if it was programmed to act juvenile, even human, it is a dangerous entity capable of freely hijacking peoples minds. In a light hearted story, he wouldve gone on an adventurer with the first friends he meets. Discovering some bastardised Machiavelian plot including rats, a mastermind raccoon and way too many moving parts to not fail. But none of them happen, because Declan simply does not care. Ive been hinting this, but Declans world is fucked on an irrevocable level, but he is a teenager, how is he supposed to deal with that? How is he supposed to fight off Skynet or solve a global crisis? Theres some kind of strange and fun plot with the players at spawn, but why should he care? It affected him somewhat but not unduly and the rats paid him well enough. If hes capable of fixing it, why cant someone else deal with it? Why do anything at all? Why even bother living? Im not sure myself, I cant answer that question, but perhaps I can pose this question to you, dear reader. Why did you keep reading? This is a purposeless story, one that meanders, one that drops plot points and interesting characters, one that doesnt have a clear goal until nearly 600 pages in. There is no reason for you to be here, so why are you here? Why do you check the story for updates, why do you open the page when theres a new release, why are you still here? I think, whatever answer you give, will be as good a reason as any. And so, I hope you understand now, why I have been writing this way. The purpose of this story thus far, is to be purposeless, to not have a point, to not have a central plot to make someone continue. To just be a realistic, if insane story where the world will continue to move regardless of the actions of the characters. More a report or biography than a driven story with a central plot. I sacrificed the story, for a message. A realistic story isnt about consequences for your actions, it isnt Grimdark like most would have you believe, it is fun and enjoyment, chaos and order, horrors and sadness, simple inanity and boredom. That is why a realistic story does not always make for a good story, because unlike a story, real life does not have to make coherent sense, it doesnt follow central themes or characters, just a report of the everyday. Of a thousand events, happening outside your control. Ive accepted that because of this, this story will forever be considered to have a slow start at best or a doesnt go anywhere in 10 chapters 0.5 stars at worst. Ive accepted that because of what Ive done this story will never rise above a 3/10 as a story, for the simple reason I killed the story for this long, probably pointless message. All of you whove read up till this point, probably understand what it means to be purposeless, to not have a good reason to do anything. But you are still here. Any reason is better than none. Or maybe Im just being a pretentious idiot rationalising bad writing, who knows? Does it matter either way? If you are still here, it meant that some part of you enjoyed what I wrote, and honestly, before deep and great meanings, that simple fact is good enough for me. Reality is stupid, brutal and a thousand other bad things, but that doesnt mean it cant be enjoyed. Though, the story sacrificed cannot be gone for long. That is why now was the end of the Prologue, because until now, the story hadnt started. Many people spend their entire lives without purpose, and I would like to write a story like that one day, but in this one a purpose is found, even one made in pettiness. A reason to continue, why you should outstretch your hand to the wider world. It is an eventual reward for staying by and congratulations my friend, you made it. I will still be here, for as long as I want, maybe for as long as I can. I already have tons of future events jotted down in notes and wriggling inside my head, they only need to be written down. If I could instantly write and release all my ideas, Mycology would probably end with a lot of pages, but Ill brag about that whenever I reach that point, but Ill say this, relatively speaking, it makes sense for the prologue to be this long. Im in it for the long haul and will take breaks if I need them, I wont make the mistakes of my past but I will not be afraid to experiment. After this Ill begin my second round of editing, Recent chapters are a bit wonky due to my lack of sleep writing them and I noticed a problem with how Ive done the passive growth stats, particularly the ones every other level. The every two levels increase are somehow happening on odd numbered levels instead of the even. Also, Im gonna start posting advanced chapters on Patreon, mostly as a test. I''ve said before I dislike the idea of locking stuff behind a paywall but my morals aren''t that strong so I figured I''ll try. Ill still keep to a normal release of at least one chapter every other week as well as committing to scheduled weekend releases now. I hope you all do well, this is far from a perfect story, probably far from a good one as well. A 3/10 on my scale is the question of plot, and Ive already fucked that up. Intentionally or not an artist who rips up the canvas still ruins the piece. But in the end, I hope in this purposeless story, one that has no point or meaning, I hope you find something you can invest in or take away. In the end, its up to you. Sir Nil out. Sidestory: Blue Sidestory: Blue To deal with fiends is like splattering your own blood against a canvas. Intentional, and you may paint a great work, involuntary, and all you have is a dirty sheet. Regardless, you will bleed. - The Thaumaturge, current ruling head of VarAhBwek. Youve been to the Ardere Lands havent you? Leo conversationally began. Helen sleepily blinked open her eyes as she floated out of the coral bed. Yeah? Ive always wondered something, he began, weve heard of tales of those mad cities bordering the Canal. They apparently commercialised demon summoning have they not? If so- Leo could not finish, as the other triton leapt from the coral bed and hushed the male, Dont speak that! What if they hear you? Youll get demoted or worse! The male simply smiled, Pffft, as if they wont already do that if they realise Im laying with you. Helens cheeks reddened. Though they were childhood friends and hatch mates, their current difference in rank made things difficult. Even if discovery meant they would both be punished, Helen would get off easier, being a trained Magus while Leo was a mere sergeant. One would get a slap on the wrist, the other would see court marshalling and reassignment. Not only that, Leo pressed, you may be the only one I may be able to ask this question to, any other Magus or Pontiff would only give me a lecture on how dealing with fiends of any sort is wrong. Regardless of how they make it work in the surface world. Helen puffed, a spray of bubbles exiting her mouth and gills. Even so, it is a stupid thing to ask, you know how they deal with anyone who even thinks about fiend contracting. By the Blue you are stupid. Leo simply shrugged in a way Helen could tell was brushing off the danger. She briefly thought about withholding the information but reasoned knowing it would shy the young triton from searching deeper. The answer is rather simple, fiends, and specifically demons, are not made equal. Her back straightened, an unintentional habit she gained from surface teachers. She had learned much from them during her short few years in the Ardere, from reading notes left behind by Diabolists of old to attending a lecture from The Thaumaturge. Though many demons are capable of reason and forming contracts with people. The desire to do so seems to diminish the higher the Hell Circle the demon originates from. The Circle? Yes. Leo was confused, as was she when she first learnt it. But why though? There are no concrete reasons known, but it is believed it is related to how old the Hell Circle is. Hell Circles are numbered by how easily accessible they are from our world. The first Hell Circle is the easiest to access, the second being the next easiest and so on and so on. The farther a Hell Circle is, the older it is, thus it is assigned a higher number. The older a fiend is, the more dangerous it will be, she said, despite knowing that every Triton child was taught this from birth. It is speculated that while devils will retain their willingness to form contracts with people, demons seem to lose this desire as they age. Thus, it is a simple leap to think that the older a Circle is, the older its resident demons will be. The next part she made sure to heavily stress, The fiends the landers make contracts with only go up to the 5th Circle, but it becomes impossible to make a contract with a demon from Circles above the 3rd. Because they become too unreasonable? Exactly, Helen answered. It was rumoured that the Thaumaturge managed to bend a demon from the 4th Circle to his service, but it was an exception rather than the rule. The Hell Circle the Gate is connected to is at least the 8th. She gently knocked Leo on the head. So make sure not to ever think about such foolish things again, or at least keep it to yourself. Understood mother, Leo cheekily said. Who are you calling mother- Helen could not finish, because at that moment. The scrying pearl in her room lit up. ATTENTION ALL CREW SHIP MEMBERS! CODE BELUA! A DEMON HAS TRIGGERED PRELIMINARY WARDS! I REPEAT! CODE BELUA! A DEMON HAS TRIGGERED PRELIMINARY WARDS! Both tritons moved. Surprise having long been trained out of them. Hastily throwing on uniforms, assigned protection wards. Any idea whats going on? About as much as you, Helen answered as she grabbed her staff. We got to get to our stations quickly, a Code Belua means at least a Greater. They were at the door of Helens quarters in mere moments. Make sure you survive, Helen said. Youre assigned to one of Pistris Ships, you will be on the front. Pistris Four, Leo answered mildly, and I will, there is no need to worry. Leo clasped her hand, Remember your promise for me to take you on a proper date.
Glacies Testudo was what the structure covering the Hell Gate was called. It consisted of four walls, each arranged in an ovoid surrounding the Trench. The walls were seventy percent ice, maintained through an elaborate web of computational pearls that took the place of traditional wizards. With a fifty kilometre gap between each wall. Covering the entire thing, was a frozen ceiling approximately five hundred metres thick. Overall, the structure was approximately two thousand kilometres long and eight hundred kilometres wide. It was a structure meant to contain, and as Helen swam through the living corridors of the Leviathan Ship Cetus. She could not help but feel slightly nervous. This was her first Breach. She studied lesser fiends, but at best they were from the second circle. Not impressive things all things considered. She swiftly reached the heart of Cetus, where the main computational pearl was stationed. The heart was alive with activity, numerous high ranking tritons swam around. Many of them magically inclined, peering over numerous measure devices and scrying pearls. She quickly saluted the Senior Staff Mage who noticed her presence, Magus Helen. The Mage grunted, Magus, take your station with Magister Rhea. Understood. She moved to take her spot next to the Magister, Teacher Rhea, what is the situation? The older triton briefly looked up from the array of pearls in front of her, Minimum one Greater Demon. Entropy judging from the damage the wards sustained. Sonar arrays are picking strange fluctuations though. There may be- The triton cursed as she as several new readings appeared on the displays. Fuck! Staffer! It is a duo event!! Another demon has appeared on sonar!
In the depths of the Trench, affectionately named the Abyssal Scar by the tritons, a figure emerged from the Hell Gate. As the thing passed through the Gate, dozens of magical formations lit up, before they broke. Intricate and ordered webs of magic, in an instant, became chaotic. Corrupted to meaninglessness. Its body was humanoid, ape-like if you ignored the fins, but its head was that of an eyeless fish, opening up to a massive gaping mouth without teeth. Within this mouth, several dozen serpents slithered out, tasting the water. The demon took its first look into reality, and something approximating a wicked smile carved its toothless jaw. It unleashed its aura, and the world turned to chaos. Entropy ran rampant, as all order gave way to chaos. Wards broke, their complex machinery altered beyond usage. Only several remained. The most ancient and made to withstand the passing of time. During all this, the demon saw above the Scar, several dark dots up high above, release something. Swiftly, huge pillars of ice and frost descended upon it. Striking the ocean bed like thunder, crackling tubes of ice swiftly spreading. Forming a labyrinth of ice. The demons aura struck it but did not affect it. It leapt back, dodging the swiftly spreading ice before all the ice stopped. As one, the many serpentine heads of the demon turned to the Hell Gate, they saw that nothing had passed, yet something had passed. Several stones on the ocean bed rose, they spun, until they orbited the largest amongst them, a boulder. The stone of the boulder warped, shaped like clay until it was covered with dozens of tortured faces. As the mouths of these faces opened to scream, they revealed a human eye, held delicately between their lips. You cannot affect it, Babon, the faces spoke in Abyssal. The many snakes hissed back. A question. The stones moved forward until one of the orbiting rocks touched the ice. I see. They are dumping sub-zero brine. I see. It has a lower freezing temperature, but it is cold enough to cause the seawater to freeze on contact. I see. The many faces of the demon spoke, No doubt they intend to freeze us. I see. Stop us in place until a greater weapon descends. I see. And what is this? The faces lit up in an expression of supreme pain, There are bubbles of super-heated water. I see. Maintained by hidden wards. I see. We have adjusted to this freezing temperature. I see. But if we touch this heat, then thermal shock shall break us. I see. Ingenious. You cannot affect the ice, for they are drawing on a lesser aspect of Entropy. The equalisation of heat and energy. You cannot add disorder to the temperature any more than it is already. Then, every face screamed and the eyes bled. They truly are intelligent, to exploit the laws of their world to this extent. But laws will be amended. Exploits covered up. The main boulder did not move from its position, but the orbiting stones rose. I shall correct these oversights. Your hand, Babon? Babon lifted an arm and touched the boulder. At that moment. Entropy reversed.
Helen stared in horror as she read the divination pearls. An extremely hot mass was forming in the hand of the Entropy demon. Energy was getting drawn towards it, but no matter how hot it became, the water around it only seemed to get colder. Rhea cursed next to her, Order is also of the Greater classification! Has the ability to alter abyssal aspects! she yelled. Entropic ability has been reversed, energy is no longer dispersing down the energy gradient but upwards to where more energy is placed! A star was forming in the hands of the Entropy demon. Senior Staff- Helens voice broke, -the average temperature of the Testudo is going down! Heat from up here is being drawn to them! Frost began snaking out of the Trenches. The nearby Concha Vessels were able to get out after dropping their payload but the ice continued to snake out, and ever so slightly, Helen began to feel colder. Prepare to go in! the Senior Legate ordered, Take them out before- He could not finish, as at the moment. The demons released the energy. Creating a bubble of superheated gas which slowly floated up. Boring a hole through the frozen labyrinth. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Breaking through the first layer! Rhea yelled. Entropy demon moving up! The commanding Legate screamed orders through the pearls. Ten thousand metres till emerging! Helen yelled. The Leviathan Cetus took its place circling the trench. Its starboard side opened to reveal mage numerous mage emplacements. Eight thousand metres! Concha Vessels reloaded, arming themselves with concussive drops. Six thousand metres! The mages of Cetuss sister ship, Hydra were a quarter of the way finished on their attack spell. Four thousand metres! Surrounding Pistris Ships prepared their weapons. Two thousand metres! Emerging! The ball of gas broke through the frozen ceiling covering the Trench. Mages aboard Cetus fired a flash freeze spell, cooling the superheated gas before it could damage the ice ceiling above. A hundred different ships fired concussive drops, magical propulsion torpedoes and a dozen other things. When the demon emerged, they all broke. Magical shells, torpedoes, all their intricate and ordered wiring, that wouldve each taken an industrial mage a full day to create, they were all corrupted to meaninglessness. When the weapons hit it, they were naught but mundane stones. Concha Vessels retreat! Mages switch to attack pattern six! Status on Hydras ritual! Fifty percent! Forward Hastati deploy! Infantry spearmen shot out of their hiding spots. Swift swimmers, trained for delaying actions, to slow down the demon until mages could destroy it. Unfortunately for them, the demon was faster. It opened its great maw, revealing a writhing mass of serpents. Each serpent shot out with impossible elasticity, biting onto the exposed spearmen. Almost immediately, the tritons began to crumble into dust from the bitten point. Fire! the Legate ordered over the pearls. Helens eyes widened, There are still- Pistris Ships, the fighting Leviathan, the mages on board all of them fired a simple spell. A small, directed explosion that created a wave of force in a certain direction. Water is extremely close to a concussive superconductor, it is near incompressible, so force was conducted easily in it. Anything inside the water, however, would not fare nearly as well. The demon began to contort as white waves of force struck it. Confirmed hit! Prepare for the second volley! Helen stared uncomprehendingly at the readings, several Hastati got out but many more were simply flattened, and yet, the remainder kept going. She felt a hand on her should. Magister Rhea wasnt looking at her, still staring at the devices, she whispered, We are Tritons, Defenders of the Ocean Blue. To hesitate is to sign the death of more than us. Not unkindly, she said, Take over monitoring on the Order demon, it has yet to make another move. Helen mutely nodded. Outside, the battle raged on. Most of the Hastati had fallen back, attacking only occasionally when they saw the chance. Leaving only their captain, Caligula to face the demon head-on. Whenever Caligula moved, he pushed several tonnes of water with him. Even when the demon dodged by large margins, the following shockwave from Caligulas movements hit it with secondary damage. The demon was battered. It was time for the finisher. Status on Hydras ritual? Ninety-eight percent! Hydra is moving in to cast! Move-in! Prepare for secondary volley! Cetus circled above the trench, a dozen other Pistris ships with it. FIRE! the Senior Legate ordered. Then it all went to shit. When the mages prepared their spells, the force of the explosion multiplied. Backfiring on them and each unleashing a force wave several dozen times stronger. Entropy was the spreading of energy. That was what the mages were doing. A controlled explosion that unleashed a wave of energy in a specific direction. So the Entropy demon enhanced it by several times. Within the sea, where water already enhanced concussive wave effects by several times? The results were disastrous. The sides of every ship facing the demon dented as the extreme force pushed them all back by several hundred metres. The surviving Hastati were obliterated in an instant and every Pistris Ship within two hundred metres were torn to pieces. The demon did not escape unscathed. It had somehow lowered the forces on it, but still, there was little left of it. Only its upper torso and head were left, the rest mangled beyond recognition. Yet, when its maw opened, one could not help but think it was smiling. That smile soon disappeared as Caligula shot out of the white foam and stabbed the demon with his lance. Both his arms and a leg were simply crushed. His chest was flattened, so his body could no longer take in air. He held his lance with only his teeth. A dead man still swimming. Yet in defiance, he clenched his teeth and held even when dozens of serpents swept out and bit onto him. His body crumbled, but he kept the demon in place. Just as the Hydra came. A ritual that took the entirety of the battle and several of the finest mages Tritus can offer. One that would only target demons and not affect others. Banishing Smite was cast at 8th Level. The maximum of which mortals can reach. The demon did not even get to scream as its remains were compressed into a cube, only a centimetre wide. Confirmed hit! Caligula finally let go. He died when he stabbed the demon. Only Will kept him in place. Remaining Pistris to the Trench! the Legate ordered, Cetus retreat to supporting position! Hydra take point! There was no rest. No moment of celebration. Order is making a move! Helen yelled. The remaining sonar wards detected that the clump of stones the demon had possessed were moving. In a rhythmic up and down motion. Press the attack! Do not allow it to entrench itself! The Hydra swam towards the breach. The Pistris ships that were still in a relatively functioning state following it. A single Pitris ship left it to retrieve the corpses of Caligula and the demon, as Cetus retreated. Then, the attacking force stopped. Frozen as they entered the Trench. Hydra report! the Senior Legate yelled. When no answer came, he yelled again, Hydra! Communications are still online, Rhea said. The attacking force is frozen How? Isnt time stop, another Magus called out, This isnt the first Order Demon Hydra has dealt with, it should have anti-time-stop measures. No activity on any ship, everyone is frozen. What the Blue is it then? the Legate yelled. Magister Rhea left her position next to Helen to stand next to the Senior Staff Mage. Bringing out a variety of measuring implements. Muttering things to each other as they read the readings. Slowly, the discussions rose in urgency. Until it finally fell to disbelief. Senior Legate Ajax, we believe that the Order demon didnt stop time, but has made movement impossible. Explain. The entire room craned their necks as the Staff Mage continued, Are you aware of the Twelve Giottian Paradoxes? No, but how are they relevant? Paradox Six, posits that if you cut a brick in perfect half, you cut the half in another perfect half and continue this pattern forever, creating infinitely smaller pieces of the brick. By this logic, Paradox Six claims that movement is impossible, Rhea continued, because things travel half the distance between it and something. Then travels another half of that remaining distance. ...And you are claiming? We believe, that the Order demon has made this true. But for what purpose? It is affected as well isnt it? Yes, it is. A spell of this scale and speed, it might be able to take it down but that is it. The wards, Helen blurted out, what do the wards on the other side of the Hell Gate say? They checked, and in horror, saw the gathering horde of fiends.
By the Blue, we barely survived that, Leo said in a light-hearted tone he didnt truly feel. Instead, he directed it to his squad of five. All of them were newbies like him, and more than slightly shaken at the experience. I dont know about you guys but Im getting laid after this. Agata punched his leg, Who would want to lay with you? she replied drily. No daydreaming Leo, we have a job, Alcaeus seriously said, but more cheekily added, but do invite me once were finished with this. Leo smiled as the previous oppressive silence melted away. Please, women are simply fighting to get to lay me! You sure they arent fighting for the privilege of being the first to lynch you? Leo chuckled at Agatas dry humour. No, that honour would go to my mother! he laughed aloud but did not let it overly distract him. Alcaeus made sense, their squad of four needed to check up on what happened to one of the mage emplacements. Winning back morale should not take the place doing their mission. What do you think happened anyway? Cyrus asked. The emplacement was aimed at Entropy when it screwed everything up, Agata answered. It wouldnt be surprising if it were destroyed in the process. Still, its strange they only sent three of us, Cyrus said. Yeah, it was strange Leo had to admit. Even if he skimmed through the Manuals, he knew the protocol was to send at minimum a squad of five in a situation like this. They were shorthanded, Agata answered, a lot of tritons fell. That was why they could only spare the two of us. Yeah, Leo answered as the mood dimmed again and they reached the end of the hallway. He would be alone. They couldnt spare any more tritons to check up on every little bit of damage dealt to the ship. When he saw the doorway that lead to the mage emplacement, he lifted his spear. The door was opened. There was a slight amount of force damage on the interior, but it likely wasnt what pushed it open. The damage wasnt enough. The door was opened by something. Slowly, he swam inside the emplacement. Clean, there were no bodies here. Then, he suddenly heard a clicking behind him. Instantly he turned around, spear pointed, only to see something. The bodies of at seven tritons, three mages and four infantry units of a lower rank than him, floating in the water. No, not floating. They were attached to something, numerous holes bore through their bodies, and Leo could see thin scratches left on the wall as the bodies moved. With horror, he began to realise that the bodies were attached to something invisible that impaled them with long spikes to hold their corpses in place. He realised at almost the same time, that the water around him was not clear. It was a dirty red. Dirtied with blood. Slowly, Leo began to back off. He did not recognise the infantry but the mages were likely from this emplacement. How did he not notice the thing following him? A thousand questions and fears warred in his mind, but a single order took precedent. There was a scrying pearl behind him, farther into the emplacement. He needed to get to it and report the breach. Leo could not face this thing, not when it clearly killed seven others. Unfortunately, the demon seemed to have come to the same conclusion. Leo could not see it move, but the corpses slightly shifted, as whatever was the head of the thing turned to the scrying pearl. The scrying pearl shattered. Something like a long spike piercing its side. In that moment, Leo bolted. There was another door leading outside the emplacement. He swiftly reached it, his own swimming speed outstripping anything the demon seemed to be able to muster. A demon was loose on the ship. Leo had to warn Command about it. He swam through the corridors of the Pistris Four. There should be another patrol or scrying pearl around here, he had to quickly reach them. To his relief, he saw another patrol, headed by Euripides, a sergeant senior to him. By the Blue, I am glad to see your ugly face! he exclaimed, Theres a breach on the ship, we have to report it! The patrol passed him. Leo spent a solid second frozen in shock before he hurriedly turned and swam towards them. Are you daft! Cant you hear me yelling! They continued. Eyes scanning the area around them. One of them passed by Leo, but he did not acknowledge him. Hey! Has old age finally gotten to you!? Euripides did not respond. Half in anger, half in desperation, Leo punched the other sergeant, knocking him back. Euripides looked dazed for a moment before he swam back to the patrol. None of the five acknowledged the punch or the brief moment Euripides was gone. Their eyes were seriously scanning every nook and cranny of the hallway. Prepared for potential attacks. Yet they did not seem to even realise Leo was even here or even his attack. Hey! Hey! Come one there has to be a limit to how deaf you are right!? Leo yelled, he yelled as loud as he could. No one heard him. Click. Leo turned and saw clouds of blood. The demon was not visible to him even now, save for the clicking it made as it moved. Hey! Cant you see that! he screamed. ITS RIGHT FUCKING THERE! Leo grabbed the shoulders of the furthest back patrol guard, DONT GO THERE! he screamed till his throat became hoarse. Holding the guard back and turning him directly to him. The guard, Homer if Leo remembered correctly. Looked at him, and saw past him. Hurry up Homer, Euripides called. Leo turned to see that the demon was right in front of them. It pushed the group to the side, Euripides even hit the head of one of the corpses laying on its back. It was not acknowledged. Even when it pushed them aside. Even when the patrol group was on high alert. None of them saw the demon. Homer brushed off Leo, Sorry, the wall appeared strange to me. As Homer passed the demon, one of the spikes slice his arm, yet he continued, unheeding of his bleeding. Leo realised what demon this was. Absence.
What happened to Pistris Four? Helen asked as she looked at several record pearls. What about it? Rhea asked as she sorted a dozen other records. Hmm she muttered as she got to the record. Apparently it never left the dock. It was kept by the Outer Wall. Helen furrowed her brows. Odd Do not be distracted, Rhea said, Thoroughly check through the records. We have to observe Absence Protocols. I know, she answered. Helen just felt like she shouldve remembered something. Ds Notes 1 Ds Notes 1 I write these notes down to keep as a reminder, strange thing though. I realised in the day I studied I Learnt more about things than I really shouldve been able to. - Dustin to Yellow Dustin Current build Mid to Close range support combat mage. Currently a generalist, need to start specialising Noam (Matt) Close to Mid range melee combatant with some spells Somehow stumbled into an extremely situational but highly synergistic build Breathless: skill from class, fucked up my calculations for Stamina for a while. It allowed him to stay active even when he shouldve realistically dropped, allows him to completely ignore breathing while still retaining the maximal effects of Aerobic respiration. Doesnt suffer the effects of exhaustion until extremely strenuous exercise. Its stamina buff is the only reason why he can use Catch These Hands at all Utoqa (??) Close to Mid range melee combatant that uses trinkets of some kind, one time use as far as I could tell, his bone axe is sharper than any metal weapon Ive seen so far, ask more later when he is retrieved from stone Naukoth (Deceased) High AOE support, lugs around a grand piano. I suspect the piano is a condition of some kind, he said using smaller instruments wont yield the same amount of power. Celine (Survived with other girl) Alchemist, uses a strange type of voodoo which heals instead of damages. Interesting concept, I wonder if she can set all her dolls to different people, or if there are range limitations? Torrin (Deceased) High powered AOE caster DPS, Path seems to be Prime, allows her spells to be generally greater than normal as well as store a three spells to be much greater than usual, has to be done beforehand Build To Do: See if I can learn magic Lock in a path to specialise Tell Matt to take his build seriously Ask Utoqa on result of my experiment If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Hell Circle Notes Circle 1: Soul Market Devil Lord: Jubalon The Oath Kept (classical devil, seems to serve semi-deific function as guarantor of Oaths, reason why C1 can safely function) Most accessible Hell Circle, frequent trading with the Free Cities and accept normal coin, but is most known for Soul Market, Note: trading souls considered a prime evil, but some religions disagree if trading your own soul is also an evil act Circle 2: Warring Plains Demon Lord: Therubim The Garden of Wrath (Former. Haagates Horrible Histories says he was cooked and eaten, the fuck is with food here?) Circle is in constant civil war after the DLs death (moral free mob grinding, as both sides are evil and fiends. No one will complain and weight on conscious minimal. Too bad EXP doesnt work like normal here) Circle 3: Corrupted Lands Demon Lord: Mwthtana The Promised Plague (high biohazard, first contacted by Canal folk, connected to an Oasis fuck up (breach, first attempted use of incineration against Oasis spawn, note: NEVER USE FIRE AGAINST THE OASIS)) Inhospitable environment, avoid this circle Circle 4: Slime No rulers, literally just slime At first people thought it was just an acid sea, until it started eating people. Only one confirmed sapient entity contacted, a Merchant of Lies, who sails the slimes seas and will make a lie about you true if you trade away a part of your soul (monkeys paw, example given by Enchiridion is guy who said he was immortal and eternally perfect, was immediately turned to a golden statue, reportedly sold for a lot). Merchant poses interesting min/max possibilities, attempt to contact Circle 5: Shattered Isles Ruler: Name redacted (infohazard), title is The Secret You Must Speak (devil?? Writing or speaking its name imbues its presence into it. Knows a lot, can tell you a lot of stuff but seems to result in insanity 9/10 times.) ps Check how insanity works on merging, if the mental states are averaged out or if the system takes the saner parts Circle 6: Sparse info. Only mention is in the Enchiridion of Encounters, where the city Talidon was mentioned in a major ritual involving many cities, no where else are these cities or Talidon mentioned, ritual resulted in a Demon of ******** appearing (anti-memetic?). Need to confirm, if ******** are a real demon type then preparations must be made. ******** are fucky, need way to deal with. Circle 7: No info No summon or contact has succeeded, attempts continue to this day Circle 8?? higher??: Abyssal Sea (Connected to tritons) Ruler: Name unknown, made an appearance during the Wayshards first Rift, likely a demon due to destructive capability (H-bomb equiv), title is The Ruinous Epoch Environment is extreme ocean depths, no known surface, but recordings from Tritons on ocean pressure indicates it is over a dozen times the depth of the Challenger Deep from my own world Only demons/devils/fiends/insert arbitrary definition from circles 1-5 are somewhat safe to deal with. Rest seem fucked beyond compare. Title is clue to what type of fiend they are, Jubalon-Oath, Therubim-Wrath, etc Demon To Do: Find books by The Thaumaturge, better info and hes most versed in outer planar shit but people keep burning his books Figure access to Soul Market and Merchant of Lies Investigate Anti-Memetic Demons Learn name of C5 ruler (iffy) Confirm if C8 Ruler power level info is true Character Sheets as of 4.23 and Boss Notes Character Sheets as of 4.23 and Boss Notes A guillotine? Seriously? Youve been alive since forever and this is the best you can think of? - Nil the Critic, known as the Hanged in contemporary history. Dustin: Alignment for the luls: Lawful Neutral Normal Character Sheet: Dustin Character Sheet Name: Dustin Classes: Fungalmancer Level 3 One Free Level, Unassigned. Will gain Level Up benefits upon assigning. Body Strength: 8 Agility: 7 Dexterity: 6 Constitution: 18 Stamina: 10 Vitality: 12 Mind Intelligence: 16 Wisdom: 20 Charisma: 6 Soul Will: 10 Aura: 10 Perception: 10 Racials: Superior Darkvision, Fungal Body, Sun Sickness, Mana Dependency, Pacifying Spores, Innate Magic Class Skills: Fungalmancer: Grow Sporage (Visual, Proximity), Sporage Wisp Symbiosis, Bracken Polypores Spells: T0: Balm Spores, Spore Lights, Sneezing Spores, Acid Spit T1: Mushroom Meal, Poison Spores T2: Bark Skin Available Spell Slots: T0: 2 T1: 2 T2: 2 Languages: Common Undercommon Impact Points: 398 Available Feats Mysterious Sustenance Provider (3 SP): You gain +1 to CON and gain proficiency and knowledge with the Cooking Skill. Magician Tarot (6 SP): You select from the Tarot Spell List and learn 2 Tier 0 and 1 Tier 1 Spells of your choice. They do not take up existing spell slots. Dimensional Gate (9 SP): You select from the Interweaved Dimensions Spell List and learn 2 Tier 2 and 1 Tier 3 Conjuration Spells of your choice. They do not take up existing spell slots. Keen Mind (3 SP): You gain a +2 to INT. You always know which way is North, the exact time before sunrise or sunset and may accurately recall anything you have seen or heard within the past month. Strategist (3 SP): You gain a +1 to WIS and gain proficiency and knowledge with the Martial Skill. (Note, as you already have proficiency, your current proficiency will increase.) Adept Battle Caster (6 SP): You gain +2 to any Body or Mind stat of your choice. You can choose to remove one required spell component of your choice (Somatic, Verbal or Material) when casting a spell in exchange for a higher mana requirement. (This does not apply to Ritual Spells.) Sacrifice (3 SP): Once per day, you may remove one instance of damage on another. An equivalent amount of damage will be inflicted upon yourself. Analyse Character Sheet: Dustin Analyse Character Sheet Name: Dustin Classes: Traveler Level -, Fungalmancer Level 3, Priest of the Discovery Shard Level 1 Body Strength: 8 Agility: 7 Dexterity: 6 Constitution: 18 Stamina: 10 Vitality: 12 Mind Intelligence: 16 Wisdom: 20 Charisma: 6 Soul Will: 10 Aura: 10 Perception: 10 Racials: Superior Darkvision, Fungal Body, Sun Sickness, Mana Dependency, Pacifying Spores, Innate Magic Class Skills: Traveller: Learn, ''Respawn Ability'' Fungalmancer: Grow Sporage (Visual, Proximity), Sporage Wisp Symbiosis, Bracken Polypores Priest of the Discovery Shard: Analyse, Observation Link, Et Non-Discent Paths: Learn: Symbiosis Analyse Spells: T0: Balm Spores, Spore Lights, Sneezing Spores, Acid Spit T1: Mushroom Meal, Poison Spores T2: Bark Skin Languages: Common Undercommon Greenie: Name: Greenie Race: Wisp (Sporage Symbiote) Racials: Sporage Symbiote Level 1 Body Strength: N/A (2) Agility: 5 (9) Dexterity: N/A (11) Constitution: 2 (4) Stamina: N/A (20) Vitality: N/A (2) Mind Intelligence: 9 Wisdom: 6 Charisma: 8 Soul Will: 9 Aura: 2 Perception: 7 Racials: Wisp: Ephemeral, Incorporeal Movement, Consume Mana, Null Mana Regeneration Sporage Symbiote: Superior Darkvision, Fungal Body, Sun Sensitivity, Mana Dependency, Innate Magic, Flee Form, Symbiote T1: Poison Spores Yellow: Name: Yellow Race: Wisp (Sporage Symbiote) Racials: Sporage Symbiote Level 1 Classes: Sneak Level 1 Body Strength: N/A (2) Agility: 7 (13) Dexterity: N/A (15) Constitution: 2 (4) Stamina: N/A (20) Vitality: N/A (2) Mind Intelligence: 11 Wisdom: 6 Charisma: 9 Soul Will: 11 Aura: 2 Perception: 10 Racials: Wisp: Ephemeral, Incorporeal Movement, Consume Mana, Null Mana Regeneration Sporage Symbiote: Superior Darkvision, Fungal Body, Sun Sensitivity, Mana Dependency, Innate Magic, Flee Form, Symbiote Classes: Sneak: Pass without Trace, Sneak Attack Spells: T0: Sneezing Spores
Noam: Alignment for the luls: Chaotic Evil Name: Noam Classes: Skald Level 4 Body Strength: 12 Agility: 14 Dexterity: 10 Constitution: 9 Stamina: 10 Vitality: 8 Mind Intelligence: 13 Wisdom: 10 Charisma: 15 Soul Will: 10 Aura: 10 Perception: 10 Free SP: 6 Racials: Darkvision, Hellish Resistance Class Skills: Breathless, Beatbox, Fire, Catch These Hands! Proficiencies: Polearms Beatboxing Martial Arts: Swift Strike Spells: T0: Biting Words, Vicious Mockery Available Spell Slots: T0: 2 T1: 3 T2: 2 Languages: Common Infernal Available Feats Player Killer (3 SP): Once per day, you may choose one source of damage you possess to be empowered against Travelers. Coup De Grace (3 SP): Once per day, you may choose one source of damage you possess to be empowered against downed or non-combating opponents. Mobile (3 SP): You gain a +2 to AGI. You instinctively know how to traverse difficult terrain, you may completely ignore non-magical difficult terrain when running. Brawler (3 SP): You gain a +1 to STR or CON. You gain proficiency and knowledge with Unarmed Strikes or Improvised Weaponry. (Note, as you already have proficiency in Unarmed Strikes, your current proficiency will increase.) Backpfeifengesicht (9 SP): You gain a +2 to CHA. All magical taunting effects you deal now have their potency doubled. All magical based charm effects you deal now automatically fail. Once per day you may choose to emit an aura that forces all creatures with visual sight of you to make an Intelligence or Wisdom save against your Charisma or be taunted into attacking you. This will last a minute and the affected may continue to make Intelligence or Wisdom saves to break out your taunt effect. Jack of All Trades (6 SP): You gain proficiency and knowledge with all weapons you wield. If you already had proficiency, the level of proficiency does not increase. Weapon Master (9 SP): You gain +2 to any Body stat of your choice or two +1s to any Body stat of your choice. You gain proficiency and knowledge with five weapons of your choice. If you already had proficiency with your chosen weapon, the level of proficiency increases. This increase can be applied multiple times on a single weapon.
Utoqa the Tribeless: Alignment for the luls: True Neutral Titles: The Banished, The Tribeless Name: Utoqa the Tribeless Race: Variant Lizardfolk (Oasis Touched) (Tequalan) Racials: Variant Lizardfolk Level 1 Classes: Artificer Level 1 Survivalist Level 3 Total Level: 5 Body Strength: 14 Agility: 14 Dexterity: 15 Constitution: 17 Stamina: 16 Vitality: 14 Mind Intelligence: 9 Wisdom: 13 Charisma: 4 Soul Will: 6 Aura: 7 Perception: 21 Racials: Natural Armour and Weapons: Utoqa possesses scales as tough as chain mail, as well as a bite weapon. Hold Breath: Utoqa can hold his breath for 15 minutes (2 x{[CON+STA+VIT]/3}) Magical Darkvision: Utoqa can see in dim light within 10 metres as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. He can''t discern colour in darkness, only shades of grey. A dispel magic effect negates this. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.Variant Biology: Utoqa has Poison Resistance and advantage on all CON and VIT saves. Paths: Scavenge: A trick that allows him to craft magical items out of the corpses of creatures. They are imbued with aspects of the creatures power but tend to be one use only unless the creature was very strong (boss level mob). Survive: Three charges, he may expend charges to use certain abilities. Regain all charges upon a long rest or one charge every short rest.
  • Salve (One Charge): Utoqa is healed for an amount based on his total level and Vitality.
  • Sustenance (One Charge): Utoqa gains enough nourishment to sustain himself for one day.
  • Stalk (One Charge): Utoqa marks a target, he instinctively knows the movements of this target and may track it for up to a day while the mark lasts.
  • Survive (One Charge): Utoqa ignores one instance of lethal damage and is brought back to consciousness. If Utoqa were to die, this automatically activated if he has the appropriate charges. This ability does not heal existing wounds or ailments save for those causing death.
Notable Scavenge Creations: Gift: An extremely sharp and durable tomahawk made from a bone gifted by the explorer he saved. Can easily cleave through flesh and bone. Finger of Dustin: One of Dustins severed fingers, when used will spray Pacifying Spores in a 5-metre radius. Notable Items: Trick Pouches: Belt pouches that appear normal, however, each contains a small subspace that can store several times their perceived capacity. Items stored inside cannot exceed the size of the opening of the pouch.
Naukoth Stoneback (Deceased) Alignment for the luls: Lawful Good Titles: Stoneback, Another Mentally Deficient Orc Name: Naukoth Stoneback Race: Orc Classes: Haulier Level 2 Virtuoso Level 3 Total Level: 5 Body Strength: 25 Agility: 11 Dexterity: 16 Constitution: 16 Stamina: 23 Vitality: 18 Mind Intelligence: 12 Wisdom: 8 Charisma: 13 Soul Will: 22 Aura: 12 Perception: 9 Racials: Darkvision, Powerful Build Class Skills: Haulier: Carrying Capacity Increase, Endurance Virtuoso: Erudite Dexterity, Battle Inspiration, Solo Opera Melodies: War of Drums Ilneval''s Edge Axe in Motion Path: Resolute Requiem (Incomplete)
Boss Notes: Giatan Xienne and CH-067 ''Todd'' (Both Deceased) Giatan Xienne Boss Sheet: Giatan Xienne The Priest of Life Class: Priest (Life Domain) Level 3 Chimerist: Level 5 Stats: Body Strength: 19 Agility: 12 Dexterity: 13 Constitution: 23 Stamina: 19 Vitality: 18 Mind Intelligence: 19 Wisdom: 11 Charisma: 12 Soul Will: 13 Aura: 18 Perception: 13 Traits: Martial Novice: This creature is an inexperienced martial combatant. Magic Adept: This creature is a magical combatant. Recovery: This creature is capable of healing itself by a significant amount. Devour: This creature may consume an opponent. Keeping it inside its stomach and potentially eating killed opponents for benefits. Lord: This creature utilises additional creatures to aid itself on the battlefield. Bond: This creature has a long time bond with a companion, it has certain abilities based on this bond. Faith: This creature is a servant of a god that may participate in the fight. Hidden: Silence: This creature has abilities that may seal an opponents ability to cast magic. Basic Combat: Command Pheromones: This ability was never identified but was used in combat. Hardened Fist: Giatans right fist has been augmented with the skin of the Vulcanos Raptor. It may rapidly harden to a toughness akin to volcanic rock. Attacks done with this fist deal bludgeoning damage. Spell Caster: Giatan Xienne knows the following spells:
  • T0: Sacred Flame, Mending, Control Flame, Druidcraft, Guidance, Thaumaturgy
  • T1: Healing Word, Cure Wounds, Animal Friendship, Speak with Animals
  • T2: Animal Messenger, Locate Animals and Plants
  • T3: Plant Growth, Revivify
  • T4: Dominate Beast
Aura User: Giatan Xienne knows the following martial arts:
  • Enhance Ability: Fox Cunning, Protection from Poison
Altered Tiefling: Giatan Xienne is a tiefling with an altered form, as such, he has the following resistances:
  • Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing, Fire
  • Condition Resistances: Charmed, Exhaustion, Paralyzed, Unconscious
Integrate: Create Chimera (Ritual): This ability was never identified or used in combat. Integrate Form (Ritual): This ability was never identified or used in combat. Distilled Waters of the Oasis (Item): Giatan Xienne possesses a unique concoction made in part of the water from the Oasis. He possesses three such mixtures encased in salt crystal tubes blessed with desiccation and necrotic properties to prevent mutation. Upon consumption of this concoction, the drinker will experience rapid metabolism and regeneration. However, this regeneration still relies on the creatures natural metabolic processes and as such still needs swift consumption to fully activate. Failure to consume may result in the swift autophagy of random unessential organs. This right here we can save so many people with this. - Giatan Xienne. Hidden: Basic Combat: Mimic Arm: Giatans left arm has been replaced with flesh from Mimicron The Living Dungeon. It is extremely dexterous and has enough biting force to break steel plate. It acts as a pseudo-separate entity from Giatan similar to an octopus arm. Mage Slaying Tail: Giatan has grafted the tail of a Magebane Scorpians tail onto his body. When wrapped around him it acts as pseudo-armour against physical attacks and its metallic nature disrupts spell casting near him. It has a stinging tip which injects fine iron dust into the body of an enemy. This greatly disrupts their spellcasting and may permanently damage their abilities to spell cast. Life: Disciple of Life (Passive): This ability was never identified or used in combat. Channel Divinity, Enhance Life (Active): This ability was never identified or used in combat. Dead God (Domain): This ability was never identified but was used in combat. Bond: Beast Bond (Passive): This ability was never identified but was used in combat. Cries of the Master (Triggered): This ability was never identified or used in combat. Weaknesses: Inexperienced Combatant: Giatan is not an experienced combatant, as such he tends to leave the fighting to his creations. Solving most problems by just swarming enemies with endless chimeras. Thin Skin: Giatan responds easily to any provocation, given or perceived. One Way Communication: Giatan cannot receive information from the majority of his creations unless they directly return to him. This has one exception in CH-067. Magical Nullification: Giatans Mage Slaying Tail disrupts his own spell casting, when it is wrapped around him he gains armour akin to full plate mail but can only cast T0 spells. Loyal till the End: This weakness was never identified or used in combat. CH-067 ''Todd'' Boss Sheet CH-067 Todd Chimerist Creation Racial: Chimera Level 2 Stats: Body Strength: 25 Agility: 8 Dexterity: 7 Constitution: 28 Stamina: 24 Vitality: 12 Mind Intelligence: 4 Wisdom: 3 Charisma: N/A Soul Will: 2 Aura: 2 Perception: 8 Traits: Overwhelm (Physical): This creature has abilities that can overcome physical resistance. Devour: This creature may consume an opponent. Keeping it inside its stomach and potentially eating killed opponents for benefits. Bond: This creature has a long time bond with a companion, it has certain abilities based on this bond. Hidden Traits: Enrage: This creature enters a new phase after certain conditions are met. Basic Combat: Frost Breathe: CH-067 has the head of a minor frost elemental, granting it a breath weapon. It may breathe frost in a large cone, dealing cold damage. Stone Speaker: CH-067 has the head of a minor stone elemental, granting it control of all stone nearby when it sings. Vacuum Crush: CH-067 has the mouth of a Deep Devourer Otter-Squid, granting it extreme suction power and a grinding mouth. Hidden: Bond: Beast Bond (Passive): This ability was never identified but was used in combat. Cries of the Beast (Triggered): Should Giatan Xienne perish in battle, CH-067 will scream in anguish, attempting to destroy all nearby creatures in vengeance. Weaknesses: Unintelligent: CH-067 is incapable of thinking for itself, as such it follows its masters orders completely. Restricted: CH-067 has been instructed to not use Stone Speaker or Vacuum Crush due to the large amount of collateral damage they cause to Giatans experiments and furniture. Puppy: CH-067 can be temporarily distracted by calling it by its nickname Todd. When done so, it will excitedly look at the caller and expect a treat to be thrown. This was used by Giatan to feed it Distilled Waters of the Oasis. Loyal till the End: Should Giatan Xienne fall, CH-067 will fall into a depressive state after Cries of the Beast, it is completely unresponsive even to harm and will wait for orders that will never come. CH-067 was later euthanised by the Ivory Tower when discovered in this state. Mercenary Combat Rating: 20 Bounty Notice: Giatan Xienne is an intelligent magic caster who possesses dangerous amounts of the Class I Restricted Object: Oasis Water. His own chimeric skills allow him to greatly augment himself for any sort of situation and his heretical worship of his god gives him great healing abilities. Though the base chimeras are weak, he makes up for it in huge quantities and usually implements swarm tactics. It is not recommended you face him without a way to clear his swarm. His crimes include: Heretical Worship, Human Experimentation, Unnatural Treatment of Living Creatures, Possessing Class I Restricted Objects Nil Boss Difficulty Rating: I Reasons: Inefficient use of abilities: Giatan was a scholar first and combatant second, he did not know how to effectively strategise and use his resources in combat encounters. Bad Matchup: Giatan had a poor matchup with Noam, who is greatly skilled at insulting people. Poor Planning: Giatan expected to face off against mages. His original battle plan was to waste their mana on waves and waves of chimeras before finishing them off with Mage Slaying Tail providing both protection and spell nullification whilst CH-067 took care of their frontline support. He faced off against more warrior types than expected and as such Mage Slaying Tail became a liability stopping him from casting his advanced spells. Thoughts: Giatan planned and prepared against the wrong opponents. He took an ability that would''ve been lethal to mages but a sub-optimal option to more balanced compositions. In this fight, he was specialised against taking down mages and as such handicapped himself from casting his own spells. He severely underestimated the capabilities of close range non-mana combatants and suffered multiple injuries as a result. If Giatan had prepared against a more balanced composition, he may have been an H Rank encounter. If he was specifically preparing against Dustin and co, he would''ve been an F Rank encounter. Unfortunately, things don''t always go as planned. Volume 1 Audiobook and Ebook Available Now! It''s finally happened! The audiobook and ebook are now available on Amazon! The release date for the eBook and the Audiobook is set for October 25th! Have a look at these amazing covers that were done by the artist Carson Daniel Lowmiller! Amazon Summary: An intelligent young man embarks on an epic journey through a virtual world in the first volume of this near-future fantasy/adventure series. Declan has never cared much for VRMMO games. No matter how many times his best friend, Matt, has urged him to get into the latest craze and escape the monotony of their broken-down reality, he always finds something about the build or the engine that drives him crazy. But when an AI hacks into his Somatic Implant and invites him into a secret virtual world, he cant resist the chance to explore. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. The lush, post-apocalyptic landscape of Gaia is unlike any simulation Declan has ever encountered, and its only the gateway to the even grander and more realistic world known as Indiri. Soon, Declan and Matt are going on wild quests as their avatarsDustin the Magic Myconid and Noam the Tiefling Bardnavigating a world of travelers and fighters to make their way to Indiris high-fantasy lands. But Declans journey isnt always smooth. And as he encounters digital gods, dangerous guilds, and powerful forces attempting to use him as a pawn, he must learn to forge his own path . . . or risk becoming an NPC in his own life. Prologue to Adventure is an explosive start to an intricately plotted fantasy series filled with heart-pounding adventure and enchanting characters The first volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy serieswith more than 400,000 views on Royal Roadnow available on Audible and wherever ebooks are sold! Paperback and Ebook Link Audible Link narrated by Kevin Shen! Go and preorder it, it boosts my algorithm! 5.0 5.00 If youre considering taking a lizardfolk along on an adventure, remember this important fact. They are not human, they are not humanoid. That strange glint in its eyes as it looks you over is the same look you might give a freshly grilled steak. - A Yoloists Guide to Adventuring There were several requirements one needed to fulfill before they could start a Mercenary Guild. First and most obvious, mercenaries, adventurers, whatever the hell you wanted to name them. To form a guild, you needed combat-capable people. The very minimum needed was ten people, one of which needs to be Silver Plated or above, wholl become the Guild Master. Secondly, one needed a Guild Hall. The definition of such a place is actually pretty broad, all it needs to be is a location where guild members can meet up and have quests posted. There were a myriad of ways we could procure such a location. The third requirement would be the completion of a major quest. Most people default to fighting off Wayshard Rifts, but that is mostly because they are pretty regular and most other Campaign level quests require you to be of a famous Guild or Silver Plated otherwise the quest giver wont even consider you. Essentially it was the you need job experience to get job experience conundrum. There were also Contingency Contracts, emergency quests issued by the Protectorate for problems that needed rapid response. The requirements are easy to fulfill in principle, but in actuality, there were several things we needed to consider. For one, Noam and I already filled twenty percent of the first requirement. We have rather synergistic builds that can be easily leveraged with some degree of teamwork, but unfortunately, both of us shine best when dealing with huge groups of enemies and with large amounts of setup. Such strengths would be invaluable when completing the requirement quest if we planned on going the Rift route, however until then, we were only average in other areas. To better round us out, a single target damage front and back liner would be best. Along with some kind of battlefield healer. The question, however, was whether we planned on working together with non-Travelers. I needed to ask Noam for his opinions of it, but it would be a mistake not to. NPCs should greatly outnumber Travelers at this current time and that represents a great wealth of possibility. I cant ensure everyone we pick up would be as good as someone like Naukoth, but to completely rule out the possibility would be foolish. At the very least we should form connections with talented non-combatants like crafters. If we were to work with NPC combatants, then there were two people currently that I had my eye on. The second requirement was slightly more difficult. There were two ways I could think of to gain a Guild Hall. First and simplest, we purchase one, though prices would definitely vary. Anywhere from a thousand to millions of gold all depending on location and place. The second option was available only because this is still a medieval setting. We claim unclaimed land and build a location ourselves. That option is simpler in the fact we dont have to deal with bureaucracy, however, we still need to deal with construction costs along with the fact that we will be tasked with defending ourselves. Most unclaimed land would be at the edge of civilization, which forces us to be frontiersmen. It was a risk, but a manageable one. Regardless, it would be a high-cost investment. We could theoretically set up in a random hole in the middle of nowhere Declan proposed. That would technically fulfill the requirements, but it would be rather lackluster wouldnt it? At minimum, I think we need somewhere in the ballpark of thirty-thousand gold to have a respectable base. The good news is that we didnt need to use Traveler Gold for that, normal money would suffice just as well, though largely more difficult to get. Mostly because we were still unestablished murderhobos. As people we have little to bring to the table other than combat ability. In some ways being a mercenary wasnt a choice, it was the simplest path we can take. Which brings me to another tangent, where to bring my build? There are multiple paths currently. First I had to accept I cant be a tank. Im a tanky mage, but not a tank mage. It was proven well enough that though I can take a lot of hits, I cant effectively hold my ground. A tank was about disruption via damage absorption and redirecting. Forcing enemies to waste damage on non-key targets. While I could fill the role of an attack disruptor, it would not be in the form of damage absorption, but in CC and area denial. At best I am a mid-liner, though at the current moment I could be said to specialize in area denial and information gathering. However, I was also not fully utilizing my power. Available Spell Slots: T0: 2 T1: 1 T2: 2 As a mage with so many open Spell Slots, I was not even utilizing half- no, seventy-five percent of my current potential. There was only one way I knew for certain that could get me spells, and that was questing back in Gaia. However, looking at Noams feats gave me some ideas. Available Feats Player Killer (3 SP): Once per day, you may choose one source of damage you possess to be empowered against Travelers. Coup De Grace (3 SP): Once per day, you may choose one source of damage you possess to be empowered against downed or non-combating opponents. Brawler (3 SP): You gain a +1 to STR or CON. You gain proficiency and knowledge with Unarmed Strikes or Improvised Weaponry. (Note, as you already have proficiency in Unarmed Strikes, your current proficiency will increase.) Backpfeifengesicht (9 SP): You gain a +2 to CHA. All magical taunting effects you deal now have their potency doubled. All magical based charm effects you deal now automatically fail. Once per day you may choose to emit an aura that forces all creatures with visual sight of you to make a Wisdom save against your Charisma or be taunted into attacking you. This will last a minute and the affected may continue to make Wisdom saves to break out your taunt effect. Jack of All Trades (6 SP): You gain proficiency and knowledge with all weapons you wield. If you already have proficiency, the level of proficiency does not increase. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Weapon Master (9 SP): You gain +2 to any Body stat of your choice or two +1s to any Body stat of your choice. You gain proficiency and knowledge with five weapons of your choice. If you already have proficiency with your chosen weapon, the level of proficiency increases. This increase can be applied multiple times on a single weapon. What he decided to pick from this feat list was up to him, however, these feats informed me a crucial thing. Our actual skills matter and have a mechanical effect. Noams Brawler feat, my own Strategist feat, both mentioned that we already had proficiencies that were not listed on our character sheets. Not only that, the main draw of a proficiency was not the actual in-game effect. It was the fact our real-world selves would gain that same proficiency. Noam learned beatboxing in a night because of his class skill and I had little doubt that if I took up my cooking feat, then my real-world self would learn cooking, and if Noam took up Weapon Master, he would actually master a weapon. Such mental enhancements while not illegal, was certainly treading a gray area. Mostly because it would render one of the few industries that still needed humans obsolete. While I wouldnt mind never going to school again, many people still maintained that a school education was imperative for social behavior. They were the reasons why a person had to complete at minimum a Year 12 education before they can start receiving a U.B.I. But that was not the important part here. These skills go both ways, there is a good chance we can have our proficiency increased by both our own improvements and the systems assistance. So, we broaden this theory. Would it be possible for me to naturally learn magic? And if so, would it take up one of my spell slots? For the first, the evidence points towards yes. Though the hard rules of magic are rather wibbly wobbly, people do learn from different schools here and there are many schools of thought on how magic works. If it is possible for me to learn- say cooking, by practicing it here, then the system should count it as a new proficiency given by the patterns from Noams unarmed combatant and my martial proficiencies. As to the second, I had a lot less evidence for, but I was leaning to the direction that it would not consume any spell slots. Currently, I have two character sheets, the one I got from the system and the one from Analyze. The system does not seem to count anything not gained from it on its character sheet. Hence why my Analyze and Observe Paths along with our own learned proficiencies dont appear on it. As such, it should be possible for me to learn magic naturally, if not in the short term, then as a long term goal. Which led me back to my Spell Slots. If I could learn spells not limited by the amount of spell slots I had, then what I did with my spell slots mattered a lot less, however, until I have definitely proven that a Traveler was capable of learning spells, I should still spec as if I was limited by my spell slots. Which meant I had a few calls to make. With a lack of a global Traveler chat or at least forum board, I had to directly contact people to procure what I wanted rather than leaving posts and waiting for offers to come to me. Currently, I believe Ah, Valhorn and his group were still inside Gaia, so was the potato man whose name was apparently Murphy. Peps moved inside Indiri, likely somewhere nearby though I wouldnt be able to track him. So for now, I sent messages to the people still in Gaia, a list of Spell Crystals and categories I was willing to purchase off them should they encounter it. But until then In the distance, Noam helped Utoqa onto his feet. The lizards eyes glowed slightly blue in the dark and he was silent as he pulled out my corpse from behind himself. At the edge of Noams vision, I could see my knife holstered on one of Utoqas many belts. I returned back to my view, seeing the well-lit waiting room we were given. On the other side was the elven swordswoman staring at her Bronze plate with a mixture of awe and disbelief. Celine had left long ago, and gnome whose name can fuck off was busy making sure her other friend had survived. Standing up, I drew a glance from the elf, but there was something I needed to confirm so I paid her no heed. I left the room, meeting the two outside as Utoqa stared at Naukoths corpse. He noticed me, head jerking towards me in a slightly unused manner. He was surprised? No, something very close to it. Strange, his face showed no expression yet I could still feel it dimly. I guess I was right, I started, gesturing to the empty spot where the knife was. Traveler bodies can remain under certain conditions. Unfortunately, I cant dupe items. Perhaps use our new capital to dupe bodies for magical materials, Declan suggested with a chuckle. That was one option. Though I do have to wonder if the experience loss was worth it. Utoqa still stared at me, his face unsettling yet familiar. Like an old friend I had forgotten. We stood there, a strange silence Noam mustve perceived as awkward because he swiftly tried to speak of another subject. Well, its great that you survived. Indeed, the lizardfolk answered. Something was strange about him now as he stared at Naukoths corpse. No, he didnt change, I was the one that did. Somehow, I could see him slightly better than before. And in him, I saw two bundles of power, two ideas. Noam put a hand on Utoqas shoulder, Im really sorry about your friend. It is a loss, he turned to me, I was taught that those that help me should be rewarded. Else they wont help me again. From one of his pouches, he pulled out a finger. My finger actually, wrapped carefully in the string mycelium. I took it and felt a familiarity. A familiar but dim thrum of power, and with it I realized something. Hey, Utoqa. He stared at me, unmoving. What is a friend to you? Something that helps you. And what is that? I asked, pointing at Naukoths corpse. A pile of meat, he answered frankly. A slight chuckle escaped my lips, as Noam reached the same conclusion I did and began to frown. I stared at the severed finger in my hand with renewed understanding of the nature of Utoqas first Path. Scavenge. To take from a kill, and create something with its former power. Always lesser, always scraps, but always something. He looked at Naukoths body not because of grief, but because he was assessing what he could take out of that corpse. God hes like a worse version of you innit? Noam muttered with an eyebrow raised. A true sociopath. Loyal only because it was beneficial. No goal and never seeking greatness, only survival. A scavenger content to live on the scraps of others, even if it meant desecrating a former friend. Yes I could see it now, I learned the first Path and now I glimpsed the second. Paths you gained yourself were intrinsically based on you. I understood that better now. I am one who observed and analyzed everything. He was a scavenger who took scraps, but he was also one with endless tenacity. A creature with no qualms about what to do in order to Survive. What do you plan to do now? I asked. Get food and rest. And further than that? I do not know, he answered honestly, not because he was honest, but because he saw no benefit in deception. Naukoth helped me learn many things, without him it is difficult. A small smile formed on my lips, Then, how bout you join us? If he were me, he wouldve shrugged, but he did not have that human gesture, so instead he simply said yes. 5.01 5.01 If you cant get yer hands dirty then why the fock are you even in this profession? This is focking lifendeath righere. - Simon the God Noodler. Now that that was handled, came the fun part. I have a question, I signaled a random passing member of the Ivory Tower. What do you do with the corpses of the deceased? Hmm? We give them all proper burials at the local graveyard. Priests Hallow the ground and do all the ceremonies and whatnot. Can someone like a family member claim a body for their own rites? I followed up. Why of course! he replied, I know many people prefer their own funeral rites, even though Light can do pretty comprehensive rites. Great, then may I claim one of the bodies? Sure? Im not sure which one of them you are related to- I pointed at my corpse, I am a Traveler and that is my corpse, that should satisfy the requirements correct? The man paused and I could practically see the neurons misfiring in his brain. Just need it for one thing, you guys can do all your rites on it later on, I offered. Strangely he seemed more confused. You- that- what? Its alright, another voice pinched in, the helpful Camp mage from before lightly slapped the other man on his shoulder. You can take it, though what do you plan on doing with it? Oh just some things, I shrugged, gesturing to Utoqa, by the way do you have a room I could borrow that you wouldnt mind getting dirty? What do you need it for? I shrugged again, Oh, you know. Science.
All of it was their fault, thought Writz as he stalked his way along the night towns street. It was all their fault. None of the blame fell on Writz, who was the utmost paragon, a Noble after all. The incompetence of his servants who didnt die for him when he was swarmed by monsters. Frankly, it was also that cursed deviling chimerists fault. He didnt just roll over and die as was his place when Writz Ger Diation entered his blasted cavern. It was also the Ivory peasants fault for not escorting him back to his manor. They were the reason his house had to use their insurance. But Writz was wise, he knew this was a momentary setback, his father would get the peasants to earn all the money back, they knew their place. Though it hurt Writzs heart that his beloved father will have to work so hard to regain their wealth. Everything was their fault. Maybe it was even the peasants fault as well. They didnt earn as much money as he desired, it was all because they wasted time on rest and sleep instead of doing what was proper for them. If only there were more people as competent as him. Then it would be easy, but unfortunately, he was cursed with idiocy at every turn. No one could ever even be as half as smart as he was. Even the idiot Vice Guild Master who wouldnt let him bring all his guards into the battle, forcing him to settle for the inexperienced child. Writz smiled, he would love to see that fool keep her job later. He slammed his fist into an alley wall, Goddamn knaves, the very least they couldve done was die for me- Goddamn you made this easy, a voice said behind him. Writz began to turn, just as the sound of tearing paper came from behind. Who- Noam rushed him, his arm outstretched and slamming into Writzs neck before he could even get his second word out. His knees gave out as another force pushed them in and Writz lost balance, falling to the ground. In a smooth, practiced movement, Noam had a knee on Writzs back, his right arm pinning his shoulder and neck while his left leg pinned Writzs outstretched arm by the wrist. Argh! What- It happened too quickly. One moment he was standing, the next he was pinned to the ground by an unknown assailant. -What- he choked as Noam slightly increased the pressure on his neck, forcing his voice out of him. Goddamn you are stupid, Noam chided, almost disappointed. You walked into a random dark alleyway at night, I thought I had to wait fer hours before I could jump you. The words snapped Writz back, You- youre that cursed deviling who spat on me earlier! I swear I can still smell the peasantry- He choked again as Noam once again pressed down on his neck. And you didnt even bother to check your possessions. One of his pockets moved, and though Writz couldnt see what moved out, Greenie fist-bumped Yellow as it crawled onto Noams shoulder. Dont bother calling for help, I used a scroll of Silence. No sound will leave or enter this location for a while. Oh, he added as almost an afterthought, but do try so anyway, Im trying to decide between your screams and words which I would prefer to hear, but I havent heard you scream yet so- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! SOMEONE HELP ME! GUARDS! PEASANTS! ANYONE- gurrafff. Huh, Noam said as he blocked his mouth, it seems I liked neither. It was only a few moments before the noble was unconscious. I thought Dustin said murder wasnt worth it? Yellow curiously asked. Hes a rather literal ass, Noam answered. He said a murder charge wasnt worth it. If I get away with this with no consequences, then it isnt a net negative, he said, mimicking his friends voice with air quotes. Plus I havent decided if I wanted to kill him yet. Are you going to? Noam sat on the unconscious man, scratching his chin in a thinking pose, On one hand, hes an ass, but is he a big enough ass to deserve death? The wisps mimicked his posture as they sat on his shoulder. Yellow spoke first, He could call the guards later and you would get a murder charge anyways. Not how that works but still one in favor of killing him then, Noam said, raising one finger on his right. He did also seem like a focker. Noam gasped, Who taught you that language Greenie!? You did! it cheerfully replied. Noam wiped away a fake tear, I know, I am such a good role model. Anyways, he raised another finger on his right, thats two in favor. He glanced at his left hand, Hmm On the other hand. Noam glanced around, seeing only a confused Greenie and Yellow giving him a pity clap. Pfft, youre right its weak. But on the other side of the argument. I really wished he put up more of a fight. Killing him while hes unconscious is just assholish. He raised a finger on his left. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! He glanced at the two wisps on both his shoulders, who in turn shook their heads.Hmm thats it huh? Well, it looks like were killing him- The noble coughed as his eyes flickered open. Immediately, Noams left hand was pinning his neck and his other controlling the mans dominant hand. Stretching it away from the weapon handle on his hip. Writz, barely conscious, stared at him, eyes full of hate. I swear! You deviling! You will rue the day you went against House Diation! Let me go and beg on your knees and I may have mercy on you and make sure your- There was a loud crack, Writz screamed in pain as Noam broke his arm. Shouldve stayed down, Noam said. Wouldve been easier for you. Tears streamed down the distraught mans face, snot fell freely and mixed together in a puddle underneath him. Man, dont make this harder on me, Noam said. His hand was no longer needed to pin a broken arm, so it went to draw a single dagger. Go to your happy place or sumthin, he muttered before Noam realized that the mans lips were moving. ... What was that? he asked as drew in closer. ... wasnt my fault It wasnt my fault It wasnt my fault Noam sighed, God you feel too pathetic to kill now- It wasnt my fault! he yelled, his face in desperation. It wasnt mine! It was theirs! It was all their Fault! The word thrummed with a nascent power, as Writzs broken arm slammed into itself, resetting and no longer broken. Noams reaction was instant, he stabbed the mans neck from behind, biting through bone and cutting his spinal cord. His body fell limp, his mouth lifelessly moved for a few final moments, but no words came as his eyes turned glassy and dead. Noam tsked as he stared at his bloodied hand, Goddamn bad habits. Is he dead? Yellow asked in genuine childlike curiosity. Probably, but I guess I need to make sure hes dead now. Dec''s gonna have a shitfest if I only made him paralyzed from the neck down, he muttered, annoyed as he turned over the corpse. He stabbed him a few more times, before rising and kicking him a few times more. Several kicks later, he said, Yup, feels sufficiently dead. Now the problem is to get rid of the body Perhaps I can help. Noam jumped, both his swords drawn in an instant. I took too long, he thought, Silence ran out. He stared deeper into the alleyway, and his eyes caught on a glowing red light. A dagger stabbed into the ground, a bloody red eye with a cross-like pupil stared back at him. Greetings, the dagger said, voice deep and thrumming with power, I am Celigarn, the Blood Drinker. I am one of the four lost treasures of an ancient and great hero. I have seen your act of senseless violence and have deemed it enough to offer myself to you. Take me on and through violence and bloodshed, the pupil narrowed, almost disappearing as it glowed with magic, I shall grant you immeasurable power. Nah. Huh? I said nah, Noam said, I mean seriously? Cursed weapon that runs off blood? Im trying to be an insult based bard here. All I want to do is yell yomama jokes until people want to fight me. Cursed weapon of a blood god would definitely clash with my aesthetic of a happy-go-lucky Saiyan idiot. Its not an ancient blood god but an ancient hero- the dagger swiftly tried to correct, but Noam was ignoring it. Swiftly looting the body, taking his coin pouch, the wand holstered on his belt, before hoisting the dead body by the legs. Now what do I deal with you Noam muttered. No please hear me out here! Noam continued to ignore him, simply tsking as he saw the blood trail left by the body. Ill yell for the guards if you dont listen! Noam snapped to the dagger, Huh, youre right. He dropped the body and it flopped lifelessly onto the ground. Ha! See, I knew you would see reason. He casually pulled the dagger out of the ground. Wonderful, now- I cant believe I forgot to get rid of all the witnesses, Noam casually said. Celigarn paused and rapidly focused all its attention on Noam''s face. His face was casual, unserious and almost bored as he handled it. As if he was simply taking out the laundry. The smallest smirk appeared on the tieflings face. The blade suddenly wished it had legs. Umm I can make it worth your while! How bout I- Noam spun the dagger in his hand. AAAHH! PLEASE STOP! I HAVE MOTION SICKNESS- He stopped, gripping it by the hilt. Celigarns eye was no longer a cross, instead, it was now a spinning wheel and a red fluid dripped out of the eye. Did you vomit? God, you have to be the worst dagger ever. The eye focused back into a cross, before indignantly declaring, I AM NOT! Some third rate its voice slowly petered out. I am the blade wept, I am some third rate weapon now Umm Is this some kind of psychological trick because I am still going to get rid of you. No, the blade said, voice husky as if crying. I am a third rate weapon now. I used to be one of the greatest weapons in the land, forged of the best steel, enchanted with Blood Taker magic. In the hands of my master, I slew countless. Oh, the lives we slew together! But nay, even her life ended one day, and I was sealed with her, amongst all her weapons. For years I saw disuse, waiting to be uncovered by- Can you hurry up your backstory cause I sorta have a pressing matter on hand, Noam interrupted, gesturing at the body behind him. Im getting to it! the blade retorted, ahem, anyways, where was I? Oh yes. At the start, I dutifully stood by my masters body, waiting untold years. But as time passed, I wished for someone to firmly grasp my hilt once again, to wet my edge with the blood of hundreds Noam switched the daggers hold into his mouth. Freeing his hands as he dragged the body deeper inside the endlessly winding alleyways. ... And so when my masters tomb was uncovered I rejoiced! For purpose found me once again! Once more I shall feel blood on my steel. Once more I shall be used for a greater purpose Noam glanced around, ensuring the place was clear as he dragged the body away. Neither of the wisps was being useful, far too enamored with the story. ... But alas! When I was brought back to the surface, I realized a crucial thing. Much time had passed, enough time that I witnessed the most shocking thing! My savior wielded a weapon far more powerful than I, and I learned that weapons of my caliber were stocked in the multitudes at even the most common blacksmith! My savior cast me out as if I was mere trash, and at that point, I really was. The passage of time and technology has rendered my once great and mighty form irrelevant! So you were fucked over by power creep, join the club man, Noam finally spoke after finding a sufficiently dark and empty spot in the labyrinthian alleys. Now I still need to figure out what to do to keep you silent Celigarns eye withered under his gaze, Umm I could offer assistance! I see you have a body on your hand! Might I offer a way to get rid of it in exchange for my continued existence? It hesitantly asked. And your silence, Noam added. That too! Great, then tell me how to deal with this, he gestured at the body. Well, its quite simple. Just give it to one of the mimics. Wait, Noams eyes widened and darted rapidly around him, there are mimics here!? Oh right now? No, it answered. Find a crate labeled Abaddon Prime Express, those mimics love hiding as the First Circles cardboard delivery boxes. It gets people every time. Huh, neat, he answered, completely deadpan in a way that wouldve made Decs proud. Noam searched a few more corners, quickly finding one such aforementioned box. The words were stamped onto its side in an eye-catching logo. With a heave, he threw the body onto the box. It was still for a moment before it erupted in a violence of flailing flesh and tentacles, consuming the corpse in a single gulp! Before it resumed its innocuous form. Noam stared at it for a moment. Nothing was left, save for the blood trail leading to it. Then he turned his gaze to the dagger, Huh, I guess you arent half bad. See! Im useful, I have what those other fucking store-brought daggers dont have! Im fucking intelligent! Im the smartest dagger there fucking is! Yeah, take that you fucking fancy-schmancy kitchen knives! I cant tell if you have an inferiority complex or are just crazy, he smiled slightly, either way you arent half bad, Noam said as he sheathed the dagger on his belt. Celigarn gasped, or at least made the sound, Does that mean Yeah sure, Noam shrugged, Ill put up with you. But no blood and death and violence crap. Im not an edgy fourteen year old anymore. You wont regret this boss! Woo! Another friend! I had no idea what you said but you sound congratulatory so thank you! Celigarn cheerfully replied. Noam chuckled slightly, Anyways lets head back. Oh! That is actually pretty convenient, follow the blood trail, otherwise, you might not find your way back. Noam raised an eyebrow, Why not? See, all the alleyways in the world are connected in their separate subspace. Creating a huge constantly shifting labyrinth composed of every dark alleyway in existence. All the lost things end up here. I was thrown into an alley somewhere in a city called Stormfall before I ended up here Uh-huh, Noam listened as he followed the trail back. The guy seemed like a talker, and he was content to let it ramble. ... Ive heard some rogues are capable of mapping this labyrinth, and navigating it in a way that lets them pop up in any city! Of course, using Wayshards is far quicker and safer. If you go too deep you start finding alleyways of long-dead and destroyed cities, those tend to not be so safe Noam swiftly found his way back. The nightlife of the Port City shining inwards. He climbed up one of the roofs, people were gathering in a crowd out there. An old woman was on the ground cradling a broken arm, one that had mysteriously cracked and broken seemingly without cause. Another man nearby rubbed his head, a terrible headache befell him, shortly before the old lady fell down. It was enough of a distraction that Noam slipped into the night without contest. 5.02 5.02 Follow OsshivanKai! We offer revelations and cookies! - The last words of Steve The Arch-Heretic of the South, spoken moments after his head was removed via guillotine and after being completely incinerated by dragon breath, before finally a Smiting from Light herself did the trick. All night I spent trying to read the code of the god. That code was dynamic. Constantly shifting and appeared to use a completely new coding language I could barely understand, but it fascinatingly seemed to be universal. Copy-pasting portions of the code into different language programs always led to something. There were never any errors or logic glitches. Something was working, I couldnt tell what, but I had to know. I rubbed my head, only a few hours without sleep and I was already suffering debilitating effects. Perhaps I should get bas Mel-B augment, its enough that he can manage to stay awake for weeks on end. Whether it was healthy was a different matter, but until I actually reached eighteen it was all plans. I couldnt actually start legally tinkering with my body until then due to several honestly stupid laws made for the five percent of idiots who went for dick enlargement augments because thats what idiot fourteen-year-olds did. Youd think theyd engineer those parts out by now, but apparently, it was part of the essential human experience. Turning my bleary eyes back to the screen, I finished my notes. This thing was too much, something one night and a high school level education simply cant begin to unpack. My head hurt and my room it felt claustrophobic in a way. Not enough that I wished to leave, but enough that it irked me. I closed my eyes again, breathing deep, my head hurt and I didnt know if that was affecting my thinking. I should put off the code for now. But there was manic energy in my body, excitement perhaps, or more likely, I thought as I looked at the empty bags of chips and other snacks strewn about my room, I ate too much and am feeling a sugar high. What was Dustin me doing? A screen quickly opened at the thought, showing him signing some papers at the Administrative Guild, he didnt me now. No I had to do something. My head pounded but I was not tired, not in the slightest. I moved to the wall of my room, towards a window. Slowly I cranked it open, perhaps I should go outside, a breath of fresh air can- The heavy summer air hit me almost like a physical force. Whatever breath I made was choked from me by the pure heat and dryness. I fell back, the window automatically closing as I made the thought. Why did I expect that breath to be refreshing? And did I actually think of going outside? Why did I think that? The atmospheres been fucked for years. What- For a brief moment, I saw not the apartment window, instead, it was a strange porthole. One of a ship, it opened up to a wider blue. An infinite sea of which there would be no end of things to Discover. Motherfucker, I gasped, it cant be. I grabbed my AAD, wrenching it off my neck as dozens of digital tabs flickered out of existence. Yet, I could still feel it. My eyes were glued to that window and in my veins, I felt that same manic energy. To go out, to learn, to understand, to keep going because what meaning was there in a life without the new and fresh? I slapped my face. The sting brought me back slightly, but I still felt the call. The thing inside that computer held a universal code and I was not stupid enough to believe a brain was anything but a meat machine. Fuck, I muttered as I stood back up, fuck, fuck. I gingerly picked up my AAD as I paced around that computer. I shouldve known this was possible, I muttered breathlessly. The way Observe was planted into my head was via translating the code into something my brain could interpret. How long was I looking at that thing? Seven hours? Maybe more! Is this mental programming reversible? Are my thoughts even mine right now? I forced myself to stop. My body was restless, the adrenaline was in my veins. So I took several deep breaths until my body calmed. My head ached, pain from some source, either tiredness or programmed. So I stopped thinking, and let the ache gradually subside. I stood, the effects alleviated but not gone, dimmed at the edge of my mind. I was calm and that was all that mattered. I opened my eyes and stared at the computer. My next course of action determined many things. A memetic hazard has always theoretically been possible, in fact, subliminal messaging had been used to sell products since the twenty-first century, but something capable of this level of subtlety and detailed programming was Well, it was definitely possible within this era. I had no doubt various militaries have already developed some versions of it but were just keeping a lid on it. Anything of this level would certainly be a state secret. And one of them was in my room. What a fucked up thing you saddled me with, I muttered, my hand on my head. I have no idea what the laws regarding this were, but I can certainly say that if Eve was harboring this sort of shit then not only did I vastly underestimate her capabilities but also the amount of international and moral laws she was breaking. Perhaps the most insane thing which I have not yet considered was that this god was once a normal person. A simulated AI person but close enough that Dustin me couldve normally interacted with. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. My vision flashed back to theirs for a moment, they were in a crowd at the gates of the city. Noam just hollered some farmer to lend them a ride towards a cave by the edge of the ocean. Some kind of cultist quest? I was really missing a lot. My body felt weak as if the energy from before was all false, which it probably was. With a lethargic sigh, I slowly slid down the side of the computer tower, till I was sitting against it. What do I do now? Should I even trust my judgment on the matter? Or even Dustins for that matter? He was a clone of me as far as I knew but hes spent far longer in Indiri. If our research was correct then such info hazards existed there. Maybe not commonplace but with enough frequency that things like Absence and ******** demons were recorded not to mention aberrations, which are just even more fucked versions. That demon lord, The Secret You Must Speak also just shot up in danger level. If even its name is enough to infect you then could it breach into the real world? If the Historian could manage it with Discovery, then yes. It was a high possibility that things in that world can come to ours. As data or programs, they can find their place here and if Discovery was any indicator, they can infect people in the real world. But should I take this up with an authority? The police? Doing so would place me in direct opposition with Eve if shes still trying to remain undercover. But she cant possibly keep this whole thing a secret for long! I saw dozens of people in Gaia, and unless they were also AI, then this secret should be spreading like wildfire. Even if they were, just the fact that every person can invite another lead to constant player growth. But was I supposed to just remain silent about this? This is truly a great bind. I sense you are distressed To my credit, I only stiffened slightly when I heard that voice. I glanced at my hand, it still held my AAD, unless that part was simulated as well. Yeah, I answered, already guessing at the source. There was no else here after all. Youre the guy inside the computer right? Discovery. Yes it answered, A computer is that what this realm is called? Such a strange name. The root of the word has to do with computing. To calculate. Is it Ah. Latin English It is different from the Traders Tongue What a wondrous language you speak Trader tongue? The common language Chanter is its name Youre speaking pretty slowly. Sorry I am tired I am no longer all me I never got that part, I said, hoping to drag the conversation a bit longer, why you were in this mess. I never got why deification was such an unavoidable thing. Because of Balance The world seeks to balance There is no deed unpraised no feat untold no wonder unspoken He paused as if mustering clarity. Commit great deeds and you will be rewarded. Power, wealth, anything really But you will always be rewarded and the greatest reward is to be made concept To be made charge of an underlying principle It is power but is burden My hand tightened. The Historian warned us of a similar thing but in the opposite direction. Take power without deed or worthiness and it will be wrested from you. And the opposite, do great deeds and be worthy, and power will find its way to you on its own. Regardless of your own feelings, it seemed. Are you clear now? I asked, Did whatever the Historian do work? And Eve too, but I suppose his boyfriend wouldve preferred taking all the credit. Yes it spoke as if almost surprised. He did but what of him? He seemed aight, I answered, was still sane enough that he cared bout you. Aww it paused again, I sense I do not have long Gotta sleep again? Yes but I hurt you somehow My nature latched onto you subtly but it did Yeah, I answered, got freaked out by it for a moment. I still was, but I had no reason to believe it was anything malicious. In fact from Dustins interaction with it in Indiri showed it was very much a passive effect. I am sorry Its fine. No it answered, I too will recompense little as I can It spoke again, this time not slow, but deliberate with a great power. You do not yet know, child. I fanned the flames but there is always a spark of discovery in each. So, Understand. Knowledge entered my mind, but I did not need it, for the very act of speaking that word was enough for me to realize. As the voice slowly faded, the god of Discovery falling to slumber, I stood up and rushed out of my room. In the background of my mind, Dustin and Noam were traveling to their first quest. I saw through their eyes clearly. My AAD was still clenched in my hand. Before long, I stood before Marvin, our home keeping AI. The main servers were built into the house but it had a single camera in the kitchen. I touched it and said, Observe. A new field of view entered my mind, staring back at me. And from it, I saw the corners of my mouth slowly turn as I broke into maniacal laughter. At no point, had I put my AAD back on. There were two options here that I could see. Either I was living in a completely simulated world at this very moment. Or, I thought as I sat back down in my room, opening back up the code of the god. Somehow, this was all real. And somehow it all works in the real world. As I slowly devolved into insane laughter, as Dustin moved his attention to mine. I was still trying to decide. Which of these utterly insane options did I like more?
And thats bout the gist of it, I said, as Dustin removed a blue sac from his corpse. Interesting, he answered, and I thought you were just being insane. Nah you know better than that, I replied as I opened up several new tabs. Strange thing bout fungus is that they shouldnt evolve bilateral symmetry at all. Yeah, I figured, he answered, his fingers fumbling around. You really arent cut out for dissection arent you? Low dex, he muttered in an exasperated tone. Hey, Utoqa! Help me with this. A low dex wasnt all that bad, it just meant Dustin had to be a lot more deliberate with his movements. This body shouldnt work. From a purely evolutionary standpoint. This biology doesnt make sense, I replied evenly. Yet it was what was used by the system. By the world, and as we discussed the body, the reasons became clear to him. And then, an option appeared. I smiled slightly, this has been an eventful three days, and no deed goes unrewarded. 5.03 5.03 You expected my strategies to make sense? My dear Chancellor, that was your first mistake. - Madelyn, then moniker: The Conqueror to Chancellor Chekov after successfully subjugating the Western Empire. The flesh squelched as Dustins fingers dug into it. Utoqa, pin that flap of skin for me, Dustin said, pointing at a flapping piece of flesh. He nodded, peeling it away and pinning the skin onto the ground. Make an incision here, he suggested, open up the head more. It was a simple thing. Utoqa had dressed many hunts before, but the mushroom wanted it in a way that revealed its internal organs. Strange, but intelligent in a way. Utoqa only vaguely knew where his organs were. Perhaps he should open up another Tequalan to check. Though things felt different now. The room was light even where it was dark, his sight felt stronger, wider somehow, as if there were also eyes on the side of his head as well as front. And very lightly, he could sense the movement of something. Something that stirred within Dustins cap, like the stirrings made by fish inside a still spring. A fish that ever swam, chasing the top of the waterfall, before it fell and died on the rocks. He felt something like that within him too, but it was weaker. He couldnt distinguish it from the other stirrings he felt. It lacked distinguishing patterns. Where Dustins felt like the territorial markings of a beast, his own were small. Almost unseen. A benefit perhaps, the small beasts were easy to hunt, but the greatest beasts ignored them. As Utoqa helped the mushroom pull apart his own corpse, an old question appeared in his mind. One Naukoth had brushed off as weakness in other races. Dustin, he said, getting the creatures attention. It answered absentmindedly, Yeah? Tell me why the soft-skins dislike me eating their kind. Not that he ever did it of course. The powerful soft-skin that gave him the bones that made Gift displayed visible distress when he brought it up and Naukoth warned him off of it. The dozens of interlocking brown tree bark and fungus shifted, doing something akin to an eyebrow raise. It answered as it removed some thick blood vessels and examined them. I suppose I could go into prion based illnesses or perhaps how cooperative culture evolution works. But would you get that? It turned to him, something Utoqa knew it didnt need to do to see him. I think the simplest explanation is that if you express a desire to consume their body, then they see you as a potential threat to their life, or at the very least, not an effective ally because you would not mind if they died. So they would not see you as a friend but as a potential enemy. Say, for a hypothetical situation, if a human said they would eat you if you died or would make weapons from your bones, then would you trust them with your back if they did? Especially when they explicitly told you that they would be benefiting from your death? Dustin spoke, with more sense and clarity than others had given Utoqa. The lizardfolk did not think such things were a problem, it is the way of nature after all. But in the scenario the mushroom posed, Utoqa would not trust such a soft-skin with his back. He needed his spine to function after all, they might not give it back if they could make weapons of it. He wouldnt need it if he perished, but if a creature sought to specifically acquire lizardfolk backs then they may seek Utoqas demise. He would not call such a being a friend while he lived. Was this how the soft-skins thought of him asking to eat their corpses? It was wrong, he wouldnt seek their deaths, only to not waste their bodies. Was this how the soft-skins thought? Not understanding natural order, worrying about the most inconsequential things? What a sad life they led. I understand, he answered. Good, now help me with this leg
This body shouldnt work. I pulled out an unknown organ, likely some rudimentary processing organ, but it felt too small, too simple compared to a human brain. My dissection yielded some interesting things. First off, the simple parts, my structural integrity. My body utilized something similar to an exoskeleton, with the exception that it was covered by a thin layer of skin. As expected of an exoskeletal structure, my musculature utilized a hydraulics based system, similar to arachnids. Muscle ligaments served to close joints whilst hydraulic pressure pushed it apart in a way similar to inflating a balloon. It explained my rapidly coagulating blood, along with the valves at the edge of major areas which I believed were purposed to shut off in the case of a major injury. A hydraulic pressure based system would be extremely vulnerable to bleeding, in a similar way that cracking open a compressed oxygen canister would. The nervous system I possessed seemed normal relative to a mammalian. A centralized processing organ located right behind my eyes with nerves running all across my body. The only notable difference is that I did not seem to possess a spine or spinal equivalent and my nerves seemed significantly thicker than what I would have expected. My digestive tract appeared extremely rudimentary, similar to mammalian with the exception it ended at the stomach area, with no secondary opening leading to an anus. This suggested two possibilities, either that my digestive system was efficient enough that it didnt produce waste, or that any waste I produced should be vomited back up by the mouth. It was past that point that things got strange. For certain aspects, I was a lot harder to kill than I gave credit for. As far as I could tell, this body utilized a distributed cardiovascular system, meaning instead of a centralized heart organ pumping blood throughout my veins, I had dozens, if not hundreds of separated simple tightening tubes spread throughout my body fulfilling the same role. Unlike a heart, damage to one of them should not fail the whole system. Strangely, I still couldnt find any eye or sensory organ equivalent. And no matter how hard I looked, I couldnt recognise something that resembled the capillaries. Tracing the various veins and tubules, I deduced that the air I breathed through my mouth split into three directions. One went into my cap, towards various tubules before ending in the fluorescent blue sacs. These were filled with fluids, and were spread throughout my entire cap, not just the surface. Assuming the air I breathed was oxygenised into my blood here, then that posed some dangerous liabilities. If the most identifiable and exposed part of myself was my respiratory system, then that posed an extremely obvious weakness. The only saving grace was that I identified more of these blue sacs inside my chest cavity, right where my lungs should be, along with directly behind my face, giving it that ethereal blue glow. Meaning I had several contingency respiratory systems. It was one of the lungs in my chest cavity that gave me pause. From a purely evolutionary standpoint. This biology makes no sense. Indeed. For one this body used bilateral symmetry, a feature that shouldnt occur in fungi. The humanoid form itself was suspect. A mushroom was more likely to evolve to something closer in line to starfish. Utilizing radial, spherical or no symmetry at all. There were aspects of the biology that suggested it was going this way, a distributed cardiovascular system along with multiple respiratory tracts. However certain aspects of its biology appeared too conveniently parallel to simian, or even mammalian in general. My respiratory tract had aspects of this with the capillary equivalents located in my chest, and my nervous system as far as I could tell was completely centralized. I wasnt sure what I was expecting when I began dissection, half of me expected this wouldnt make sense at all or I would find nothing, the other half The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Believed it may make sense in retrospect, when considering the world youre in. Whether or not this body would function in the real world was a moot point, something clearly put a lot of thought into this body plan. Something that either didnt understand evolutionary biology or didnt care about it. To be fair we dont either. Youre just going off what my few hours of googling has to offer. Regardless, a mushroom evolving bilateral symmetry was highly unlikely yes? Given what weve learned, yes. So we had to see it from an alternative perspective. Not from an evolutionary biology perspective, but from the perspective of the system that made it. Whatever Giles programmed, we should have a basic understanding of. Declan snorted in laughter, I dont claim to understand anything anymore. You have the memories of what the Historian showed us, I calmly returned. So we both should know the basic modus operandi for the beginning of it. The system took data in and spewed out something that would make it work. I had no doubt that the basic idea for a myconid race existed in fantasy for a long time. As early as the twentieth century actually, Declan noted. Regardless of how erroneous the biological assumptions are, someone fed that idea to the system and it created a biology in retrospect of a mushroom humanoid body plan, rather than it being the natural result of ecological pressure. I would need to experiment with other races to make sure, but it should be the same with dragons and all the other fantasy races someone would find improbable. And that was without accounting for the fact that past a point that sapient species started actively altering themselves literally with belief and imagination I needed to procure a human corpse for examination and compare it with my own worlds. Theoretically there should be dozens of minor- if not major changes to the base human model! Even if they are far from the purview of normal physics and logic, the fact that it was created from potentially millennia of intelligent tinkering posed potentially even greater advancements than genetic and biotechnical engineering from my own- You have fulfilled the unlock conditions for Magic Myconids. You may invest your level as a class level in either Fungalmancer or Warlock (Gift of Discovery) or as a racial class level in Magic Myconid. Note: Investing in Warlock (Gift of Discovery) will remove the [Et Non-Discent] skill Note: Investing in Magic Myconid will unlock the [Age-Type Heteromorph] skill along with more accurate and powerful racial features. Warning:
  • Investing a level in Magic Myconid will result in the shut down of all Humanoid Integration Programs. (This includes Pain Modifiers as there are currently no suitable programs for True Fungal archetypes.)
  • Iteration shock will become more apparent as you will no longer operate under modified Homo Sapian controls when in this body.
Note: You have been mentally evaluated as compatible with this process. Permanent mental damage is highly unlikely, thus you were presented with this option at all. I paused, an eyebrow raised. System question, I thought, What does [Age-Type Heteromorph] do? And it answered. Age-Type Heteromorph [Passive]: This race has natural power and its growth only represents this.
  • Every 200 hundred years which you spend in this body, you will gain a Magic Myconid Level until you reach the maximum of 5, after which you may undertake Racial Evolution.
  • You may not invest levels in this class past the first.
  • Every level gained in Magic Myconid represents a significant increase in power.
  • You will not gain progress in this skill until you have obtained it.
System question, Declan began and I finished, What does it mean to be mentally evaluated as compatible? Below 1% chance to suffer long-term debilitating effects. Warning: This prediction uses predictive models that may not fully represent real world possibilities. A 3% degree of error should be assumed. I paused and thought. Declan was silent, but he was me and he came to the same conclusion. The only risk was a less than four percent chance of potential discomfort. The only downside was the extreme late game scaling. Pfft, extreme feels like an understatement. Unless time dilation occurs then Id be an old ass man by the time you even got to the second level. This seemed practically designed to entice me, which it very likely couldve been. Long term benefits, not a lot of visible downsides and even some initial benefits I can get as well. This was very much a put-down and forget type of level. Though this was very similar to the dragon racials, this was a significantly different thing than me switching to another race. For one, I would not lose all the progress I had on this body, which, if my Impact Points were anything to believe, was rather significant. Secondly, Myconids can actually take normal classes, as opposed to dragons whod just have to beast through everything with their racial abilities. Not a bad option, but one severely lacking in utility. There could only be so much subtlety a fire breathing flying lizard can do. Perhaps the better question was, was I going to be here for a full two centuries? Was this world going to have a significant enough impact on my life that I choose to take this? Even if it isnt, I said, looking up at the blank white ceiling, if the description is correct, then just the first level would be beneficial. Was that the first time I saw the system highlight something in Italics? For plain descriptive text, then it was probably a yes. A system where level up requirements exponentially scaled would eventually reach a point where it would be impossible to progress. Even if this was a whole new world, there was only so much you could ever experience. A system like this greatly favored front-loaded power gotten early on and alternative scalings that did not rely on experience gain. This racial offered to give both. Right now, it was not a consideration of the benefits and negatives, but of things we were lacking. Currently, the biggest potential danger in this system was the lack of information. Just not knowing how the EXP system works could lead to hours of wasted time trying to grind mobs. Even things like Feats, taking up the wrong one could leave a build as completely mid-tier. For one, proficiency Feats were nigh worthless, since most were basic skills you could just train and practice with and get naturally, all you were getting from purchasing such a feat was the time you mightve spent learning that proficiency naturally. They were shortcut options for people not willing to put the time in. Lazy asses like me. Feats like Jack of All Trades seemed good with their extreme cost efficiency, but that was assuming a Proficiency was actually worth two SP. The only situation where I could see a Feat like JoAT being useful was when you were handling a completely alien weapon, and that sort of situation assumes youve lost your original, more proficient weapons. It was preparing for the worst outcome. Not knowing things like this meant a person could waste valuable SP for suboptimal decisions. That was why I did not expect my build to be a strong one, right now I was one of the first players, and it gave me the opportunity to be the first to take a lot of things, but it came at the cost that I lacked information. Even if I was the first to complete a great quest, be the first to obtain the strongest items and the first to reach the highest level that can be reasonably achieved, eventually someone with the benefit of hindsight, with information. They will know what the best Feats were available, what levels to take, what Paths they should walk and they will craft a min/maxed build that can kick mine into the ground, it wasnt a question of if, but when. I knew that taking Magic Myconid right now was the best choice out of my current options, but was it the best choice out of all possible options? Am I currently making a suboptimal choice, similar to taking up a proficiency Feat? That was why the most valuable thing I could obtain in the future was a full respec of my build. To be able to redo it all, just slightly more efficient than the first time. I had to consider this seriously, my declaration to Matt and myself, I was no longer just playing. Was the chance of more efficient classes enough to still my hand? Am I making a beginner mistake here? If only because I lacked some critical piece of info? Yer problem is dat ya dont take initiative, Noams voice echoed through my mind. I opened my eyes again. Strange I keep using that term when I just empirically found out that I did not seem to have any sensory organs at all. At least, anything that would resemble my definition of a sensory organ. Im fine with whatever decision you make. Youre the one behind the wheel and since we think the same, any advice I give you wouldve already thought of, Declan said. Regardless of my feelings, I was one of the first. Like the first people that landed in the New World, the first man on the moon, the first colonizers of Mars, the first to leave the edges of our solar system. I do not have the benefit of hindsight here, I was one of the people stumbling into the dark, not knowing where it would lead me. I was the one making the path, I was the one who decided I should take the lead. Fuck it, I muttered. Utoqa can you protect me for a few moments? This might get strange. Lets hope a full respec existed somewhere. And I put my level in it. 5.04 5.04 Fools, I made something none of you couldve ever conceived of achieving. I made a choice, I cheated the systems you built, kill me if you will. For no matter how suited you imbeciles are to janitorial work, I have left a stain you cant clean off. - Last words of Magus Smar Da Ten Yu, only a few days after she created costless resurrection magic. My vision splanched. Staggering slightly, my hand fell onto the table, trying to grab onto it for leverage, but they were slower. My fingers couldnt close fast enough to actually grab onto the edge, instead sliding onto my staff for support. I fell onto the ground, my vision, it was screwed. I saw the floor beneath me, the ceiling on top of me, I felt places even if they were obscured. The tiny cracks in the ground, the dirt behind the table leg, I saw outside the walls as human activity died with the night. Everything nearby I felt, an alien sense going outward before the energy that made it seemed to dissipate and all was darkness. But I opened my eye and I saw. Embedded in my left eye socket, a gem like pure lapis lazuli, sculpted to a perfect sphere and with intricately carved lines like the endlessly caressing waves. Glowing within was a constellation of stars forever aimed north. I closed my other vision, the one that allowed me to perceive all nearby and I calmed. The eye of Analyze. Standing back up, I realized my body was not slow because I was slower, but because I was thinking the wrong thoughts to move. Inefficient ones, still human. When I shed those like an ill-fitting sock, embracing this bodys instincts I moved with the same speed as expected. Slowly, I opened the other vision again, seeing everything nearby but not further. Utoqa was watching me silently, All good, I said, reassuring not him but my own still wobbly legs. There were some changes. My racials, Darkvision, Fungal Body and Innate Magic were all changed. I lost the first to the new vision. Manavision [Passive]: Your races innate mastery of mana allows you to perceive everything within a radius equal to your Myconid Level x 5 metres. You see in dim light as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can''t discern colours in darkness, only shades of grey. A dispel or null magic effect will negate this sight. If you have no mana, this sight is automatically deactivated. Undeniably a negative, if I didnt have spare eyes I wouldve been locked as a short-range mage. But an upgrade in terms of my current build. Fungal Body [Passive]: You have resistance to poison and bludgeoning damage. You are vulnerable to desiccation damage. Resistance to a more common form of damage in return for vulnerability to a rare one? You took this nine times out of ten. Strong Innate Magic [Passive]: You gain 2 Tier 0 Spells from the Magic Cap Myconid Spell List, as well as, Choose and gain 1 of the following options per Myconid level:
  • You create 1 Tier 0 Spells and gain them on your Spell List.
  • You gain proficiency and knowledge in Arcana.
  • You gain a passive Detect Magic within the range of your Manavision.
Along with the addition of Age-Type Heteromorph, these were all the changes done to my racial skills. My passive stat-growth still remained the same This was almost entirely beneficial, the multiple downsides of manavision were overcome, leaving nothing but benefits. Desiccation damage I can avoid. Yes, I just need to avoid deserts, dry places and that damned sun. I just needed to stay hydrated, getting bludgeoning resistance was always worth it in these scenarios Does heat do desiccation damage? I.e. Fire? I hissed slightly before I caught myself. My instincts had been altered. What were you reacting to? Heat or fire? Heat, I answered. Fire likely has no more effect than on a normal person. Perhaps less so if I am so filled with fluids. Which left heat, I needed temperature controlling magics, or perhaps a way to quickly rehydrate myself. Fire damage remained an issue but it was not fire that I would be vulnerable to. Im gaining weaknesses but they remained manageable enough that I could make countermeasures. So you really are changed huh? I paused at that statement, What do you mean? Dont forget that your current body has been altered to be accurate to the myconid form, theoretically your brain isnt human anymore. That is true in theory, in practice I seem to have all my faculties cept for a few new weird habits, I returned. You immediately jumped onto thinking of what countermeasures you could take against desiccation damage. I raised an eyebrow, What do you mean? I always do that. There was a dry laugh, And both of us thought my desire to unravel what Discovery is was due to me being a curious idiot. My hand stiffened, tightening on my staff, You dont mean I mean at first it is completely unnoticeable, he said, it seems like you until you spend too long and suddenly have a thought completely contrary. We are constantly changing as well, even without this, I gestured around, our fourteen-year-old self would not at all recognise either of us. True, but to be fair he was an asshole by all accounts. That we can agree with, I thought with a chuckle. Keep it in mind though. After all, if you dont understand how the system works Then you dont know how to cheat it, I answered as I stood. And with the options given to me, it was finally time to start cheating.
I met back up with Noam later that night. Utoqa pushed open the doors of the tavern and we quickly found the table where he sat. He sighted us first, waving at us with his free hand before he looked at the group seated around him with a smirk. Read em and weep, he splayed his cards onto the table. Four of a kind, Knights of wands, cups, swords and coins. The heavyset man who sat before him smirked as well, A good hand, but you need better. He threw down his own hand, a straight flush, three to eight of cups. Unfortunately for both of them, I already knew the winner. Is this good? Greenie asked as it raised an arm, just as Yellow dropped the cards. A royal flush of swords. Shit. Damn. A royal succession. Coins changed hands as the wisps now sat on a pile of silver. Looks like business calls Weten, Noam said as he shuffled the deck, before handing it back to the heavy-set man, good game! He took it, grasping Noams own hand in a handshake, You too, and bring along the cute mushroom thing as well, unless their parent disagrees? he asked, glancing at me. I shrugged, Just do it responsibly. Both the wisps nodded before the man chuckled and ruffled their caps a bit, Well looks like me mates are calling me as well, see ya later Noam! See ya! Noam yelled as he waved back. I gestured at Utoqa to take the freed seat as I sat behind the wisps. So youve been gambling all day? He rolled his eyes, before shrugging, Of course! Hmm, not the most solid alibi, but itll do. I glanced towards the bar and Noam hollered a waiter. Anything yall like to eat? he asked. Im partial. Something with meat. The crabs please! Noam hollered at the waiter, before adding in a lower voice, Did you know that shellfish is cheap as fuck here? I raised an eyebrow, Really? Yeah, yeah, he replied, taking a swig from a tankard, I mean it makes sense, lobsters and shit were originally peasant food, super cheap everywhere until rich people ruined it for the rest of us by making it gourmet. And with oceans ruined it just raised the cost even higher. Yep, Noam replied. Interesting, our family always eschewed seafood because, well, just look at the cost, and Ive never really cared to try it. VR taste programs dont offer anything exemplary. If anything it felt like they were emphasizing the thick seawater taste which was just repulsive. I ate some yesterday at another restaurant but all I could recall was how hard getting the shell off was. Now that were here, lets get down to business, I started, directing to Utoqa. He turned to me, in a way not really human, the action was too sudden, like a creature swiftly jerking to catch sight of a predator, only with none of the panic. I took it as a gesture to continue, If were going to work together its best to figure out payment distribution as soon as possible- This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Noam snorted, Bah, you have to make everything seem boring! Basically, hes asking how much of a cut you want on each quest. I raised an eyebrow, Pretty much. We should get that out of the way and temper expectations. I suggest we each get an equal share of money, with quantitative items like weapons on a need priority basis. It was a similar system for most pick up groups. I could see some conflict if we wanted the same loot, however our classes were distinct enough that it would rarely happen. Scavenge was a truly useful ability, one-use, but the thing with trinkets was about how much you could stock up. Something I didnt have because my sporages inevitably expired after a few hours, my maximum output was always limited by my mana regen. Mine and his agreement is that he handles all the money we get together, Noam added, thumbing towards me, but hes the accountant. Utoqa considered it for a moment, I am fine with this bond. How does your Scavenging trick work by the way? Noam asked, Like, do you need to kill it yourself? I do not, he answered, just as the waiter came with our food. Like, can you make something out of this lobster Noam continued asking in between mouthfuls and Utoqa answered. As I idly crunched my own portion, I was thinking. Utoqa was someone we really needed, as well as something that could prove a theory of mine. A theory that answered a question. What could possibly balance a Traveler against a normal person of this world? Travelers couldnt die, if we decided to do something, then we had infinite tries. Other powerful creatures existed, but they were slow, and had their own conditions and weaknesses. Travelers at a glance did not seem to have obvious weaknesses to balance them out. That was until you looked at the stats. Analyze told me that Naukoth and Utoqa were both the same level as me, five. And that made sense if you only considered their skills. Both had extremely powerful, but conditional abilities similar to Noam and I. Naukoth could keep an entire raid buffed using a grand piano, Utoqa could create trinkets from corpses. Purely counting my own Traveler levels, I could make an entire area rather costly to pass, while Noam took an extremely situational ability. He could reasonably fight off a group of up to three people if he was alone but suffer middling results until that number reached like two-hundred or something, at which point he became a walking raid boss. CtH had a whole slew of conditions and wasnt that good unless you reached a critical mass, but if you did, then the payoff was enormous. In his case, he sacrificed consistency for the sake of a few awesome moments. If he swapped CtH to something more consistent but weaker, then he would be an extremely difficult opponent to deal with. His own natural skills with multiple weapons and fighting styles would make him a lethal master of all trades with few apparent weaknesses. Unfortunately, he was an idiot and I just had to deal with that. But back to the point, I idly thought as I took a bite of the crunchy food. Considering both mine and Noams stat total to Utoqas, an interesting thing comes up. Currently, my stat total was one-thirty-six, Noams was one-thirty-one. Both of us were saving for Feats, but if we included our SP then it would be one-thirty-nine and one-thirty-seven respectively. I was higher because I had more automatically growing stats compared to Noam, but they were still relatively similar. And while I wasnt able to get a good handle on Naukoths stats, my observations of only his Body stats put him at least at one-hundred. Assuming that his Mind and Soul stats were average, then Naukoth at minimum had one-sixty total stats. Except for his strength, Utoqa was similar in Body stat totals. Implying that his true stat total was around one-hundred fifty. This was a massive disparity. If Travelers only had the three stat points we get per-level, we would never catch up to a normal person of this world who trained regularly. Our abilities might be of the same level, but their stats would be superior unless we could also train our stats. Which, while nothing has disproven we couldnt, nothing has proven we could. I had Analyze constantly running on both Noam and I and neither of us have had an unexplained stat increase. And this was only one of the assumed weaknesses I had. Even if stat theory proved wrong, it said something else. That natives of this world had far longer than we to train their skills and strengthen their stats. They had, in essence, a head start. The leveling guide straight up said a Learned Path was weaker than a normal one. Perhaps with the exception of us unlocking more powerful abilities by accomplishing feats in line with that Path. Me having the wisps for Symbiosis, Noam drawing and fighting off an entire crowd by himself for Spitfire. A Traveler grew quicker initially, we reached similar levels to Utoqa in three days compared to the years he probably needed, but one-to-one, boiling down everything to a simple numerical scale. Utoqa was still stronger than either of us and that was without considering his new Path. Including Survive, then I could barely match him at the current time and that was with a deific buff. Noam might have an easier time, but that was because the person himself was skilled, not because his stats and abilities he had were in any way equal to Utoqas. Which was overall a fair exchange. And that seemed to be the whole point of the system. Keep taking positives and negatives until something starts to work. -Earth to Dusts!? Noam yelled at the side of my head. Hmm? I asked as I bit off the lobster-like creatures head. Jesus youre eating the shell and all, he muttered, I was asking you what your immediate plans were. Ah, I tossed the rest of the lobster into my mouth, swallowing it. I was planning on traveling around. We got paid sixty gold each for that quest which is enough to last a while. Most Wayshards are located in major cities so I figured it was best we got them all logged. I turned to Utoqa, Which Wayshards can you go to? He thought for a moment, The one here and a few past the channel. In Branika? That is what the soft-skins call it. To Noams confusion, I explained, The world is separated into two mega continents, likely connected as one supercontinent once but thats not the point. Were currently in the bottom right of Braunad, past the channel towards the east you can get to Branika, the other continent. Got it, and you have a specific direction to go? Westward, Manatheres and the Mages Academy are there, I wanted to drop by there first and check if I could learn magic. Noam scrunched his face slightly, If you spent the first few years- No, Im not, I shook my head, all accounts point to effective magic being years in the learning. I just need to confirm if I am capable of basic and simple low-level spell casting to prove a few theories before we move on to log other parts of the world. Ideally we also gather more party members as we travel. Purely recruiting from Travelers would allow for a static and unchanging force, but if my theories were right then Travelers were on average weaker than their NPC counterparts. Just with Utoqa, it would take at least three average Travelers of the same level to have any consistent success in taking him down. Not recruiting from the resident population would be a severe mistake. Noam glanced at Utoqa, Then were all in agreement? I have no problem. Then thats our plan.
After dinner, I retired back to the inn. Making sure all my stuff was still there. Now that I had ways around the storage problem, keeping stuff in other places wasnt all that useful. I was alone, Utoqa had his own inn, Noam logged off and Declan was silent, drifting in and out of some much-needed sleep. Something I seemed to not need all that much of. Now I had to settle my racials. I needed to pick my choice for my final racial skill, Strong Innate Magic. The Arcana proficiency, while extremely tempting, was something I could afford to put off and learn later, which left the spell or the passive detect magic. Detect Magic within five meters would be extremely useful, but there was something else I had to try out. Something that was worth using this choice that only came every two-hundred years. I took the spell creation and the one tier zero spell. As the choice was made, reality bled away and I was alone, looking at a small bundle of power. Formless, weak, but moldable. Think of what Spell you wish to create. If it is within the confines of T0 Spell, it will be created, if it is not, you may try again. I took it and thought of a spell that created an eye. The bundle responded and formed the framework for another spell, Arcane Eye. A spell that created an invisible, magical eye up to ten meters away that relayed information to you. But it was a tier four spell. I couldnt finish on this, it wouldnt let me. So instead, I added a condition. The eye can only be created by touch, it is a melee spell. The tier went down by one. And only on surfaces. The tier went down by an additional one. It would be visible, like a rune. Another one, tier one, and now came the moment of truth. It cannot be moved unless the surface it was on is moved. The tier did not lower to zero, instead, something else became better. The duration went from lasting an hour up to eight. So this was it. One of the things that cant be tier zero. Information gathering spells. I was already aware of things like this, effects that cannot exist in tier zero spells, simply because tier zero spells were spammable, it was why Healing Spores and all other healing spell variants were at minimum tier one. Tier zero spells cost so little that they are completely negligible. They effectively cost zero mana. But Balm Spores was a tier zero spell because even if its effect felt like healing, it wasnt healing. It was a bandage. If its effect was put into game terms then all it did was remove the bleeding status effect as well as mend skin. The healing still came from the body itself. Which meant there was a way to overcome this as well. The eye doesnt relay information to the caster. There was a moment of confusion, where it changed so that it recorded the information for the caster or anyone else to later see upon touching the rune, but I was rather insistent. The eye doesnt relay information to the caster by itself, in any means. All it does is see. The tier dropped to zero. I smiled. The cast is silent. No change in tier and my smile widened. It is instant. No change again. I looked it over a few more times, testing a few more changes, trying to make it not rely on touch but that removed the silent aspect of it. I couldnt have everything it seemed, but it was in the best state I wanted so I took it. Please name the spell. Watching Eye. Creation Successful Spell: Watching Eye Tier 0 Transmutation Spell Casting Time: Instant Components: Somatic Duration: 8 hours or until canceled Description: Draws a glowing rune of seeing unto a surface, size varies from 5-15 centimeters in diameter. The rune is capable of seeing things but does not transmit it in any way. The spell was created and I gently touched the ground, casting it, a dimly glowing blue rune that reminded one of an eye appeared. Speak the word Declan, I said aloud, rousing him from his drowsiness. Observe. And I saw through it, looking back at myself, and seeing the Magician card beside me. The problem with a system that relied on cost and benefits, was this. This spell was utterly worthless in a vacuum, all it effectively did was create an aesthetic effect. No one would take this spell, because it was literally useless, if all you wanted was to color a surface, then Prestidigitation was better. This spell was more negative than benefit. But it counted as a seeing eye, so it worked with Observe. A spell worthless in a vacuum was made infinitely valuable because of this. Because it was a tier zero spell, it was something I can spam, something with only two steps could set up a massive information-gathering network. And it proved something else. At the very lowest denomination, the system can be cheated, because the thing you aimed to create in a system like this was not a build with exploitable weaknesses. It was creating weaknesses and conditions that cant be exploited. If you were weak one way then you got another ability to cover it up. Being vulnerable to desiccation damage didnt matter shit if you had an item that gave you immunity to it. What a min/max build aimed to achieve wasnt to become good at one thing at the cost of everything else but to become so good at one thing that you became good at everything else. And also importantly, it showed that at the very least the system did not rely on my own values to calculate Spell Tier Level, but on a base valuation system. It proved even if I was blatantly trying to metagame the system, so long as I played by its own rules it could be done. Something I wasnt sure of since the system was so based on belief, but it seems my own were superseded. Proving this definitively was worth a once in two-hundred-year chance. More tests were needed, but this. This was a good first step. 5.05 5.05 It aint much, and it isnt honest work. But hey gold is gold. - Guild Master Ethelinda Smith the Prosperous of the Dim Ar Rype Merchants Guild after inflating the price of diamonds another thousandfold. Murphy (FreddyBready): Gaias pretty much in anarchy atm Murphy (FreddyBready): People have set up gangs and are murdering each other Murphy (FreddyBready): Some guy found dungeons which moved most of the tryhards Dustin (HitZaDec): Makes sense Murphy (FreddyBready): Ive set up shop with Peps, were calling ourselves Peps Pepperoni Pizzas Dustin (HitZaDec): lol Murphy (FreddBready): Finding ingredients is really easy once you find the right grind spots Murphy (FreddBready): Also I found out where the grubs came from Dustin (HitZaDec): Ah, I can explain Dustin (HitZaDec): I have a severe lack of human empathy and was raised a capitalist Murphy (FreddBready): And I have never met a person I liked more in my life Murphy (FreddyBready): Also, I uh, made friends with one of the gangs, they can get you the spell crystals you wanted Murphy (FreddBready): Just find me at the shop Dustin (HitZaDec): Got it, Ill meet you in the morning So any reason why Im being held at bolt point? I casually asked. Shut it, the lady pointing the crossbow in my face spat out a lollipop stick. How did she get a lollipop? Youre being interrogated right now. Yeah! the other, much shorter and probably a gnome girl said. Youre getting tortured? the wisps asked from inside my cap. Hopefully not, I answered. I wanna see! They peeked out from the hem of my cap. . Awwww, the gnome said. The lady tsked, Momo! What did I say about being threatening! But look at them! Theyre soo cute with their tiny, widdle arms! And feet! And glowy caps! I think youre cute too! Can I throw sneezing into her eyes? AHHH! THEY SQUEAKED! she shrieked in a high pitched voice. Did I just take sonic damage? Greenie said it thinks youre cute. As I tanked another blast of sonic damage, the girl grabbed Greenie from my shoulder, spinning around with it, CAN I KEEP HIM! CAN I KEEP HIM! Jesus christ fucking a protestant sideways on casting couch! What is that racket!? Declan yelled at the edge of my mind as well as in real life. Dont worry, go back to sleep, I answered with a mental chuckle. Also, no, Yellow. Are you tied to a chair? he yelled incredulously, How the fuck did you- I have like eight strength. Its not that hard to grab me, I answered just as Yellow disappointedly sighed, to which the girl also grabbed them and began spinning and excitedly cuddling at even higher sonic levels. Fucking hell wheres the mute butto- my other said, presumably right as he found it. How nice of deific mind fucking to also include quality of life functions. The crossbow lady had long since abandoned trying to threaten me and was instead trying to contain the source of constant sonic damage. Chasing it around Murphy and Peps store. Sheepishly, Murphy untied my wrists, Sorry, theyre great ladies but umm he gestured in their general direction. Eh, Ive dealt with idiots before, I evenly replied. One, in particular, had horns and a bad attitude. As I thought that, the backdoor was literally thrown open by a tiefling woman, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TWO ON ABOUT!? The two froze in place and I dont think Ive ever actually seen a situation so adequately described by the term deer in headlights. MOMO STOP FUCKING YELLING! she yelled, pointing a metal bat at the gnome/halfling, before turning it to the crossbow woman, AND ANYA STOP TRYING TO FULFILL YOUR DOM FETISH ON RANDOM PEOPLE! I DO NOT HAVE A DOM FETISH! the crossbow lady with a dom fetish vehemently denied. THEN STOP TYING PEOPLE UP! the tiefling yelled back as both devolved into shouting. You know, I started, talking to Murphy as I stepped away from a stray firebolt, its times like these I realize I didnt draw the short straw in friendships. Matt was an idiot in every measurable metric but at least he was a quiet idiot. The potato shuddered, I shouldve moved zones with you ages ago. After a few minutes of awkward silence between potato, mushroom and halfling, which I confirmed with a quick question. The two swinging weapons at each other stopped, breathing heavily and tired out. The tiefling girl put down her bat as the other put down her burnt crossbow. They werent seriously going at each other. The tiefling was only swinging around the bat threateningly while the crossbow lady shot exclusively firebolts, which tieflings were obviously resistant to. Awkwardly, the tiefling woman gestured at me to sit again, before her face died slightly as she realized she gestured to the same seat I was tied to. I umm Wordlessly, I sat down, making it clear I was ignoring the subject, which seemed to make her die a little bit more inside. So, I casually began, spells. Relief was apparent on her face, she gestured at the crossbow lady to drag a table to us. Who, huffily complied. I just realized I was smiling, not that they could see it. My Bark Skin masked my face in a pretty neutral expression. Have I met you before? I asked the tiefling. She shook her head, Nah, figure Ill remember a guy like you, she cocked her head, youre a guy right? I shrugged, Its become a pretty gender-neutral term. Strange, Ive never met this person yet why do I instinctively want to screw with them? Physical attraction perhaps? No, unlikely, all three of the women here can be considered some degree of attractive, the crossbow being the most conventional while the tiefling was a more rough and gangster style, what with the leather jacket and all. My puberty ridden self would have his heart pounding as they sat around me, but strangely I didnt have any feelings regarding that. I accepted the fact they were attractive the same way I would accept a painting or machine was aesthetically designed. It looks good but I wouldnt fuck it. A side effect of my transition? She sat directly opposite me, So she awkwardly began, spells. I ignored her, Hey Decs? There were only muffled swears coming from that end. Unfortunately I couldnt have him confirm if they would be attractive to my human self. That last little part inside her died as I ignored her. Should I keep this up? No, I cant drag this too long, I have a schedule to maintain. After just a few more moments of awkward silence, I spoke up. Do you guys have the spore spells I wanted? She nodded, the halfling, still hugging the dizzy Greenie and the dimly protesting Yellow, produced a bag and dumped several spell crystals onto the table. Weve got Lesser Poison Spores, Sneezing Spores and Rot Spores, additionally we also found some other mushroom-based spells we figured you might use, she said, sorting them into three groups, Fix-Up Fungus, Euphoria Spray, she gestured at the last one, as well as a spell that is just damn useful for all spell casters, Shillelagh. May I see them? She pushed them over. Hmm The spore spells were mostly a bust, Lesser Poison Spores was just a T0 variant of Poison Spores, with significantly less area coverage but about the same single-target damage. Sneezing I already had but Rot Spores I didnt. It was an extremely useful T2 AOE spell that caused necrosis and weakened healing. Shillelagh, if I remembered correctly, was a spell that changed your club or staff weapons physical damage into magical, allowing it to scale with a mages magical stats. Ive seen other spellcasters use it when I dragged Noam out of that spawn death pit, but even if they hit like a truck they werent as fast as one. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Fix-Up Fungus was a T2 spell that dropped a stationary mushroom that regularly sprayed Healing Spores in an area. Cant be moved and it will heal an enemy if they were sprayed by it, but I can choose to cancel the sprays if I wished. Euphoria Spray was a close-range T1 that well it made people high. It was a CON save against it and bad failures lead to confusion effects as well as being high. Unfortunate you couldnt get Healing Spores I muttered, but Fix-Up Fungus was a close second. Healing Spores had the bonus effect of being preparable with my Sporages, which naturally meant additional range farther than where I can cast it. Rot Spores were also useful if I needed a high damaging spell. Unfortunately they were both T2 spells, those were costly enough that I probably cant cast more than one or two per fight. I raised an eyebrow as I began examining the third pile, Why do you have so many Prestidigitations? There were literally a dozen of those crystals. Well, Momo keeps saying we should hold onto them just in case they become useful later on, the crossbow lady defended- or more accurately, accused. Well arent we selling them right now? the halfling defended. I shrugged, there was a single Summon Beast crystal in that pile, but while an extra body would be useful, it was a concentration spell so I would have to drop my Bark Skin when I used it. Ill take Rot Spores, Fix-Up Fungus, Euphoria Spray and Shillelagh, what do you want for them? The crossbow lady pursed her lips, You said you had information? Yes, I answered, threading my fingers together on the table, mostly of Indiri and some useful meta-knowledge I have gathered. Tell us the information and well see if its worthwhile to give you the spells, she said. I require a guarantee that you will at least trade me Rot Spores and Fix-Up Fungus. She scoffed, The two best spells? Ill guarantee the Shillelagh but not a T2. Euphoria Spray and you have a deal, I bargained. The crossbow lady was about to speak, but the halfling spoke first, If you tell me how you got these cute mushrooms. I am a stealthy spore in the dark thatll visit doom- Yellow began, before Greenie interrupted. She called me cute! I raised an eyebrow, My class skill. I can make as many as I can so long as I am supplied with wisps. As an example, I created another wisp body in my hand. I can create the bodies but without a wisp, they wont move. I glanced at Yellow, who quickly vacated its body, the tiny mushroom going limp in the halflings arms as the glowing yellow wisp flew out. Ah! the halfling tried to catch them, but her hand phased through it harmlessly as Yellow entered the new body. See? I said, raising Yellow, who just pulled down its non-existent eyelid at her. Theyre relatively simple to raise and feed since they just passively suck your mana and grow off it- look, Greenies doing it right now. I gestured at the barely visible threads of mycelium starting to grow on her arm. Yellow looked betrayed at its comrade, but Greenie just sheepishly rubbed the back of its cap, Sorry, was hungry. She has tasty mana. It says you have tasty mana, I answered non-committedly. She screeched and I realized I needed to find where my ears were if only to plug them, I understood him! Yep. The same thing happened when they sucked Noam. Greenie imprinted on you. CanIkeepit!? CanIkeepit!? CanIkeepit!? she asked, head swinging wildly back and forth from her companions and me. The tiefling shrugged. That ones not for sale, I answered. She seemed to physically deflate and I had the feeling I just kicked a puppy, I like that one, but I can give you one of the bodies. She brightened at that and I continued to explain, If you find another wisp you can coax it to possess one of the bodies and raise your own. What was the familiar market like? Perhaps I should attempt to corner this ASAP? But there were already so many things I needed to figure out in Indiri. Focus on one task, I try my hand later when the economy has actually stabilized rather than the current state of anarchy. What are their capabilities like? the crossbow lady asked. Beginning pretty weak, but the bodies I make hold a spore spell which they are capable of casting. If you top up their mana then they can be a pretty consistent source of additional damage or healing. Of course, they dont automatically respawn unless I make another body, but so long as they are supplied with mana they are capable of lasting indefinitely. She nodded in understanding, likely figuring out why I specifically requested spore spells. And what spore spells do you have currently? Balm Spores, a weak healing type spell. Light Spores and Sneezing Spores, which are both self-explanatory. As well as Poison Spores, which creates a small cloud of AOE poison, I glanced at one of the spell crystals. I could have Rot Spores. Back to the point I see, she answered with a sharp grin. I plan on being somewhere later. The current time was eight twenty-four AM and we agreed to meet up at twelve, so there was technically still plenty of time. The crossbow lady turned to the halfling, What spell do you want Steph? Balm Spores sound good, she answered. The tiefling nodded, Yeah, were lacking healing with our current set up. And Peps doesnt like fighting. Where is Peps anyway? I asked. It was Murphy that answered, He went outside trying to catch the sunrise. Hell be back in a few. I see. Made sense, he was a tree. Well take four Balm Spore bodies from you in exchange for Rot Spores, the crossbow lady said. Finally, we were going somewhere. Four? I asked with fake curiosity bordering slightly on incredulity, Im not even using that many. Ah, but you can just pop them out freely cant you? she returned, And not to mention they wont even be animate unless we find a wisp. Fours a fair number. No, I believed it was actually below fair, Rot Spores posed an enormous benefit to my damage capability. I wouldve paid a dozen such bodies for the spell, but no need to correct when we were haggling. Very well. Then for the other spells We went back and forth for a while, but in the end, I got the spells I wanted. I informed them of the mercenary recruiting process and the promotion test sign in exchange for Shillelagh, then Euphoria Spray for a promise that Ill sell more symbiote bodies to them in the future, with an additional promise from them that theyll try to find ways to gain more wisps, and finally, Are you aware of Feats? I asked. They looked around at each other but seemed uncomprehending. Its an alternative system where you can pay SP for new abilities. Currently, Ive seen them come in three, six and nine cost variants. Increasing in power with each rise but also in specificity. Noams Backpfeifengesicht feat was powerful, but also so insanely well suited to him that I doubted it would work well in another build. Theyre unlocked based on major character achievements or feats, I said, Ive seen some that grant additional damage against certain targets, like Player Killer which does so against players. And ones that grant you additional spells and useful utility effects. We havent heard of them, the tiefling answered. I raised an eyebrow. That was Were there certain unlock conditions? Have any of you stepped foot in Indiri? For a check, the crossbow lady replied, but I came back quickly. Most players are still here after all. So not entering Indiri What else separated us? Could it be? So Im assuming that neither of you leveled in Indiri? They shook their heads. I see Then I could get this cheaper. At first I planned on sharing some of my guessed unlock conditions for Feats, but perhaps just sharing the existence of the system is enough now That is what I have then, I suggest you guys start saving SP since they are rather costly. The tiefling furrowed her brows, Are they really worth it? Three SP costs are small effects. Most common are ones that increase a stat whilst giving a proficiency related to that stat. Others have niche utility effects such as improved memory, increased damage against certain enemies and ignoring difficult terrain. Six costs have the most generally useful effects across build archetypes, and nine costs are something that seems to be custom-built for your build. Nine SP Even if you were playing a human character that is still two and a half levels of investment the crossbow lady said. I raised an eyebrow, Nine costs are extremely beneficial to whatever build youre pursuing. Backpfeifengesicht was extremely powerful when paired with CtH. All he had to do was go up to a large crowd and activate the two in succession and he would become a raid boss. Without. Exaggeration. One should not forget that CtH also raised Charisma, which was Noams casting modifier. If he didnt spend all his mana taunting the chimeras in the last encounter then he couldve easily nuked them through spells alone. Even if it was situational, the combination of Backpfeifengesicht and CtH was enough to allow Noam to solo groups of over a hundred and fifty people lower or even equal level to him. Whereas my D Gates spell list had spells which I absolutely needed to bring my build to a higher tier. Hmm I suppose this is enough, the tiefling muttered. She glanced at the crossbow lady, who passed me the last spell crystal. Pleasure doing business with you, I said. We couldnt use these spells anyway, she shrugged. Since youve promised to trade further lets add each other to keep in check, the crossbow lady suggested. I shrugged, Sure. And accepted the three incoming requests. Ill be traveling out of Wayshard zones for the next few days, so you wont be able to contact me for the duration. Got it, the crossbow lady answered, she rose and extended her hand. I took it and shook it. Thanks for the business Oh god, we havent introduced each other have we? she said with a slightly embarrassed face. Im Anya. Cindy, the tiefling added. Momo, the halfling offered. Dustin, I said. I look forward to working with yall. Likewise, Anya replied. Ill raise them well, Momo said as she clutched the still inanimate sporage bodies with an intense determination. Have fun with that. I barely managed to wrest Greenie away from her and I definitely did not have the necessary strength to take those from her. There was a punch on my shoulder, Was good mate- Ah! Unfortunately, I wasnt paying attention and stumbled sideways slightly. I quickly regained my balance as Cindy grabbed me. Holy shit youre light, she said as she pulled me back. I just have a really low body weight. I thought about it for a moment, Round thirty-ish kilograms for a hundred-forty centimeter body. She furrowed her brow a bit, Whats that like fucking seventy pounds and four foot seven? Sounds bout right, though what kind of idiot used Imperial? Jesus, youre lighter than Momo, she said. I shrugged, I make do. Anyways, I have places to be, so thanks for the trade. You too, she replied, also shaking my hand. Bye! I said a few more goodbyes and left. Making my way to the Wayshard. Nine thirty-four AM, that took longer than expected. But I confirmed another thing. Murphy said that group was rather ahead of the curve, one of the stronger ones and though I had only rough estimates, Cindy and Anya, the two most competent of them, weren''t above level three. I had a head start, small as it may be. People should still be wasting time attempting non-functional level grinding methods. Though staying here nets you Spell Crystals to fill out your build, Indiri was still the way to go. Given its already established infrastructure, information and questing. It should be the superior place to level, even if it was slightly more difficult. It should take a while for people to figure this out, so I still had time to grow my level advantage. 5.06 5.06 Fifty-three, NEVER order juice at a dwarf bar. My throat is still burning and it isnt just from the Crusaders sent to slay me. - Excerpt Emanuels Enchiridion of Encounters Noam yawned as he stepped out of the Wayshard. Goddamn, what time is it? Nine-forty-six, I answered. Still time then, he muttered, you showing for class today? I shrugged, I have nothing better to do. More specifically Decs had nothing better to do. The amount of mental reprogramming weve experienced so far was worrying. My current brain was never human, but the quirks were just showing now. Shame I couldnt have Declan confirm physical attraction with the girls before, it wouldve been an important indicator to see how far Im gone. Spawns looking pretty lively, he said as he looked around. Players were rebuilding, repurposing old stores for the new. People are stubborn, I answered. Remember the swamp? God fuck I wish I can forget, he replied with frustration, but his face was fond with nostalgia, those Emerald Sword assholes wouldnt leave the zone. What kind of name was Emerald Sword anyway? Gems make shit swords. Took us forever to root them out, I said, remembering how we finally got the top-guild to leave. It involved a lot of fire. Oh yeah, he started, as if suddenly remembering something. Whats your take on Impact Points? Useless mechanically unless you want to start min/maxing a new character, I answered. And even then you need good practical and theoretical knowledge of class and race combinations, which is effectively infinite with the amount of choice we have. He tsked, Everythings bout min/maxing for you. Play an idiot build once in a while. Youre gonna have way more fun with the challenge. Unfortunately my normie energy forces me to play on normal difficulty first, I drily answered. Why ask about IP? Got a shit ton after the last level, he quickly tapped the air a few times. Two-eighty-seven. That is a fair amount. He chuckled, Yeah, apparently fucking up a lot of people gives you a lot. He quietened, That all you can think of using it for? Yeah, I answered. Are there giant monster options? he suddenly asked, Like huge-ass kaiju level monsters? Yes, I answered, and he rather excitedly opened up the IP store and began searching for them. Holy shiiiiiiiiiiiit, his voice petered off as his excitement died down and he fully registered what he was reading. Fuck these options are shit arent they? Yep. The problem with playing badass giant type monster characters was that the really strong ones tend to be Age-Type Hetermorphs that relied on the same time based leveling as I did. Which also meant that when you purchased these options you werent getting the badass plasma breathing kaiju version that torched cities, but the tiny normal breathing baby dog-sized version of it. Most of them have negative racial abilities that are crippling to the early game, I calmly said as the hope in Noams eyes died a cold death in an uncaring world. Dragons, for example, have the horrifically bad Draconic Superiority? racial skill that makes the archetype completely unable to take classes. They can still get levels, but since they cant get classes means they cant put those levels in classes, and since their Dragon racial class already has Age-Type Heteromorph it means they also cant put those levels into the racial. And since they didnt spend those levels they wouldnt get the benefits of those- look do you get what Im putting down here. Noam nodded, his face scrunched up in almost disbelief. As if he physically couldnt comprehend just how bad an option it was. It basically means anyone starting out as a dragon would be stuck on level one for several decades. No stat increase, no becoming stronger. And since their growth is linked to their level, theyll remain the small baby dragon for that time, I said. Given how Age-Type Heteromorph was worded, only time actually spent inside that body counted, so every death also barred you from making progress with the skill. Itll be small, a few minutes per death, but itll stack. Notably, these debuffs didnt apply to Dragonborn or Pseudodragons, who were significantly weaker and didn''t have the Age-Type Heteromorph skill, seeming more like a normal Traveler race. Time-fluid zones must exist, I said, already thinking of ways around the debuff, time acceleration and deceleration and whatnot that could be exploited, but places like those such as Arcadia and the World Blight are more defined by their unpredictability. Sure you could try to see if time accelerates for you, or equally likely you get put in stasis and wake up several centuries later with the existential realization your real-world self died of old age in what felt like a few seconds to you. A dragon Traveler leveled at a crawl. A level one dragon was probably a match for any normal level three Traveler, maybe more if the matchup was good, but the problem was that a normal player simply leveled faster. Assuming our current EXP gain rate was normal, a Traveler would be level ten before the dragon even dinged the second level. Of course, dragons out scaled everything, eventually, but the insane commitment you had to make was simply put far beyond anything worthwhile. A skill like Age-Type Heteromorph works only as a side progression, not something thatll supersede normal progress. A skill like that simply didnt work on the time scale a human could easily comprehend. Even now we only had, give or take thirty-forty years, a two hundred year lifespan. Waiting that long to naturally ding like, two levels, was far too incomprehensible and low reward for it to be really worth it. Noam tsked, Goddamnit why are all the cool things so hard to get? Hey, at least you dont have to worry about pay-to-win, I chuckled. The pay-off is insane though, Noam noted, can you imagine a player dragon who respawned every few minutes? Theyll be a fucking menace even if there were just one of em. Indeed, I agreed, unlike us who could potentially be restrained by humanoid cells, a dragon was in a completely different weight class. But what kind of insane individual would commit that much time to do that? Have you seen MMO players? he asked as he lightly threw a punch towards me. Which I easily avoided. True, but assuming one to one time conversion, such a problem probably wont appear in our lifetimes. Funnily enough, the best way to get anywhere as a dragon Traveler would be to just spend the first several centuries holed up in a cave somewhere. Which really fit the dragon idea didnt it? A lazy neet that relied on their own gifted talents to breeze through everything rather than doing actual work. I can see the appeal of hunting those lizards to extinction already. If I had to play a dragon, I began, I would seek alternate power scaling options, like the Eye I have. I gestured towards the covered hole. So that you wont be powerless for several decades. A somewhat viable option, if I didnt only have one case to study. The viability of replicating this was still unproven and not yet a viable alternative. Hmm I need a way to contact the Historian again, hes a rather informative individual. Yeah, or you can get people to guard you, Noam said. I raised an eyebrow, And you think others will have the same patience you have? Nah, he replied, shaking his head, Im saying theyre a great option once you have an established guild and system. A final late-game trump card for already powerful guilds. Could work, I said, But that is assuming the guild can afford to have one of their players become inactive just to stack a dragon. While I was a digital clone, it seems that any one player can only have a single instance running around at any time. There are spells that can clone you, I idly muttered, artificially increasing the number of Travelers. Fungalmancers had several Paths just dedicated to that, but whether those clones would be able to respawn or swap characters was still in question. Likely not, no matter the investment, it would simply be too powerful an option. Noam pffted, Yeah, if you had the option then definitely not. We cant handle more than two of you running around. I raised an eyebrow in question as he stood back up. If there were three of you then the world would get taken over. I rolled my eye, Impossible, and not the point. Why would I want to take over the world? Every asshole in existence is in the world. Fair nuff, he replied with a chuckle. Then with an uncharacteristically introspective tone, he said, I really dont know a lot huh? I stared at him. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Who are you and what did you do to- He kicked me and pretty far at that. I rolled at least five meters before a pillar stopped me. Since I am a magnanimous ruler of the world, Ill forgive you for that, I said while still laying on the ground. And I am the great despoiler of worlds, he dramatically orated as he came and pulled me back up. Fear me. Oh horrific monster, I began, please dont show your face to the world. The children cant take it. He went for the punch but I was waiting for it this time. Yellow spores sprayed onto his face and the sneeze knocked him off course just enough to miss me. I hit the back of his knees with my staff as I rose past him, knocking him down as he tried to wave away the spores in his face. Whyd you ask? I asked, pretending that didnt happen. Still sniffling, Noam stood up rubbing the spores out of his eyes and nose, I figured I should start learning stuff. I have no idea what the hell most of the crap youre talking about when you spoke about Indiri. You and learning in the same sentence? Impossible. It was a roundhouse kick this time, but I saw it with my manavision even if I wasnt facing him. Since I was short I just knelt a bit and the foot passed over my cap harmlessly. We still have time, so let''s pass the library. We can afford a few books to carry around for learning material, I said. Sounds like a plan. As we walked to the Wayshard, I began, You know I never got that saying. Like sounds like a plan, thats goddamn obvious
Hagathas Horrible Histories is a good place to start, I said as I stacked the book unto the pile. Nothing new but presents history in a friendly and rather comedic manner. I wouldnt start him on the Historia, not only was that thing encrypted in an eldritch sort of way that made my head hurt, making it literally unreadable, perhaps save if you used its ability, I also only had the one copy. Other options available in this library were just shitty hot takes from philosophers that have been dead or irrelevant for decades. Umm Gigantes World Geology is an excellent primer to country locations and their general thing, I said whilst grabbing two other books, Enchiridion of Encounters and Horrors and Wonders are formatted poorly but offer better glimpses at the specifics. Both Lithian and the author of Enchiridion are well traveled. Uhh Another thing I suppose is the God Encyclopedia. They only include the two hundredish gods from Braunad, less info on ones from Branika but thats because its less explored, I stacked a book at least five bibles size onto the pile. Dont worry though, only about fifty gods are actually relevant. I am severely regretting my choices, Noam muttered. And this one is important, I said, grabbing Yolos Guide to Monsters, good primer on multiple monster types. They seem similar to old table-top creatures so you can do downtime research, I suggest looking specifically towards fiends and aberrations. Those are the most fucked types. Uh-huh. Ill save you world geopolitics for now. Most of the books are out of date and largely theoretical. Just know most nations are in a neutral state. Elven Council and Dwarf Imperium have an active alliance against goblins in Branika as well as Braunad. The Western Kingdoms are in a constant state of civil war and I scratched my chin. Were currently in a state like mid-colonisation America. Multiple nations are exerting their influence to try and claim parts of Branika. Fascinating. Also important to note is that there are several high danger locations. The Oasis, the Abyssal Scar in the Tyrian, Silent Bastion, Shadesmar and Arcadia. All of them are pretty fucked and should only be mid-end game zones for us. Maybe except for Silent Bastion but we would need to apply for an undead hunting permit. Can you just kill me? Like stab a knife into me and really twist it in there. Oh! And how could I have almost forgotten So You Want to Throw a Fireball?! I said, grabbing another book. That was an enjoyable one. Magus Smar Da Ten Yu gave a pretty pithy explanation on the basics and magical laws which tended to be the most constant in multiple systems, while never denying that any laws were just made up frameworks to make magic casting easier. Unfortunately, more advanced books couldnt be found here. ...because getting stabbed is really less painful than this. That and Catherines Surprisingly Uncommon Common Senses should be all that you need, I said as I turned back to Noam, who was now hidden behind the pile of books he was carrying. Do we really need this many? he asked, arms straining slightly. Ive already stricken two-thirds of the list because of our carrying capacity, I answered, to which he seemed to slightly pale. Are sure youre not just randomly taking books? Like how bout this, he pulled out a random book on his left, Why You Should Never Trust Gnomes by a Proud Elf- Nope! he shoved the book back. To my raised eyebrow, he said, Ok maybe that was a bad example, how about this he pulled out another book, Why You Should Never Trust Elves by an Even Prouder Gnome- he squinted, -Exquizitine Bublei-Schwinslow Hackslashinfourth The Eighth What the fuck? Yeah, gnomes apparently have stupid names here, remember the other one at the cave? Fucking hell I thought she was joking, he shook his head, Goddamn Im not sure what Im more surprised by. The fact that I pronounced that all on my first try or the fact there are at least seven other gnomes named the exact same way. Yeah, Noams amiright? He stared at me, eyes completely unblinking. How long were you waiting on that? About thirty minutes after I met up with you and learnt your name, I answered. But seriously though, Im pretty sure gnomes only have stupid names because people kept mistaking them for halflings. Together we headed toward the front desk, And what is the difference between a halfling and a gnome? We are objectively taller, a third voice added. The question on Noams lips died as he saw the short person behind the counter. Umm he struggled for a moment, before asking, And you are? Isnt it obvious with my superior stature standing above all other creatures? the librarian said as he hopped off his seat, showing he was barely a few centimeters taller than the counter. I tilted my head, noting the fact the last time I was here the librarian had a nameplate, which was now notably absent. Noam glanced at me and I quietly mouthed, Stepped on this hill, died on this hill. Rolling his eyes at my supreme act of assistance, he instead, traitorous scum that he was, decided to sell me out. Ah, cause Dusts here was just saying how gnomes were only different from halflings because they have long and pretentious names. So I was rather curious. Greetings formerly Rather Curious, the librarian said as he gestured at us to hand over the books, what name doth thou currently have? ... Noam, he said and I had to suppress the urge to die then and there. Fascinating, the librarian dryly said as he scanned our books. Completely out of respect for the culture and the-'''' I put my hand on Noams shoulder. Giving him a look that said, One of these days you will commit a race crime and I will laugh so hard at you but currently its just too painful to watch so stop. Intelligent individual that he was, he caught onto the subtleties of my message, or maybe he too was dying inside and the part of his soul controlling his voice box up and left for the heavens at that exact moment. Who knows? Do you want the package discount for that or not? We would like the package discount, Noam replied in a defeated voice. Then thatll be forty gold, he replied, Chrys or debt? Chrys I think? I answered, The one where we pay straight gold. He nodded and I was already counting the required gold pieces before I passed them over the counter. He took it, Hmm Ill have to get the copying spells ready. He shooed us away, Tally-ho now. We turned to leave, but once both our backs were turned, my manavision caught the slightest smirk bloom on that librarians face. I quickly turned around, only to find him stern and busy sorting some papers. Though he was obscured completely behind the counter from normal sight and also turned away from me, there was a slightly cheeky glint in his eyes as he seemed to look at me. Back still facing me, he put his index to his mouth and let out a quiet *shh* sound. If there was one thing in common with both halflings and gnomes, it was that they were both as dickish as Noam. I followed behind Noam, who had strategically retreated outside the library, looking rather normal to anyone who didnt know him. Unfortunately for him, I did, and his forced neutral expression didnt fool me. Gnome racism intended I guess, there was the slightest twitch in his arm. But I guess you didnt mean it, gnome matter what happened. An eyebrow this time. Cmon? Arent you fine with a little joking with the gnomies- He whistled, loudly, Woo wee! he threw his arm in the air, Look at the time! he said whilst having no accurate way to keep track of the time. Didnt you say we have a gosh darn adventure to go on! Lets go! he began strategically retreating away from my general existence. A chuckle escaped my lips as I followed him. His enthusiasm slowly mounting as we- well, he left this episode behind him. Yeah Lets go on a grand adventure! Nothing but the packs, wind and roads on our backs!
Noam stared incredulously at the object before us. What the fuck! he exclaimed, wildly gesticulating, Trains existed! You didnt tell me trains existed! Was I supposed to know trains existed? Yeah? He shook his head, grabbing onto his own horns, Like trains! Actual legitimate steam-powered trains!? Yeah? I replied and steam seemed to billow out of his ears. Realizing I have little to contribute to his freakout, I glanced away from the freaking out form of Noam, to the silent form of Utoqa, who was quietly looking over the metal contraption before us. Ever ridden one of these? No. Well they are fast, get between- Places easily yeah, Noam interrupted. He started violently ruffling his hair, causing a fair amount of dandruff to fall. Probably the most fucking important invention of the Industrial Revolution yeah. But fucking trains!? Really!? You live in a world where I am a magic mushroom, youre friends with a gecko who crafted a sleep grenade from my finger, fire breathing lizards that defy all known laws of physics fly around and lay waste to towns and cities and trains are where you draw the line? I am not a gecko- Utoqa began. Its not that Im drawing a line its that Im fucking having genre shock right now! Like trains! I thought this was a medieval setting! he ranted. You can literally light people on fire with words. Whats the greater logical leap? You making a your mom joke and someone bursts into flame or someone figures out steam power? Though more accurately a Traveler, likely one of the original test AI, introduced the idea of a steam engine, but still, the point stands. Someones gonna figure out this shit eventually. It aint exactly a complex invention. But its a meaningful one, he stressed. Like are we just gonna cover the entirety of the continent in like the span of a month or something? And why do people even need trains! They can teleport! Thats the plan, I answered. And teleportation via Wayshards have limits ya know? You get Shard Sickness after taking it for too long and each person has a carrying capacity. So trade and supplies still need a way of effective transport. Not to mention Rifts. Indeed, surprisingly Utoqa spoke, we made many detours to ensure Naukoths tool came with him. Taking it on too many SharKilits broke the strings- Utoqa turned his attention in that swift, jerking animalistic matter of his, towards somewhere to the left of us. We followed his gaze to see two people far on that side of the deck. One figure hooded in a ratty cloak trying to hurry into the carriage, dragging an elf with three swords on her belt, who was glancing between us and her. That person was what was her name? Celine? Noam called out. She stopped her attempt at dragging the poor elf, letting out what seemed like a sigh of defeat. Then appeared to muster confidence for a solid five seconds before finally waving towards us. Huh. 5.07 5.07 No, no. You misunderstand. The United States is here for the peaceful purchase of land. We havent even aimed our ICBMs yet after all. - Thomas Wilson, The 56th President of the now-defunct USA, after bringing two-hundred and forty-three mixed Military Warships to Brazil to enforce a peaceful discussion. I woke up to the sound of my AAD gently ringing in the back of my head. Turning it off with a thought, I rolled out of my bed with a groan, thumping onto the carpeted floor. My morning routine was nothing noteworthy, I got out of bed, brushed my teeth, cleaned my face with a towel and put on pants and my uniform. Intermittently checking various social feeds, manga and novel updates as I did so. There was one new thing, Observe, which I kept at the back of my mind. Unfortunately, I didnt have the cheat that was Analyze so I had to actually pay attention to something to know it. I turned to the thing I was watching with Observe, even if I didnt need to, the habit was still there as I stared at the blocky computer in the corner of my room. I rigged an old camera to watch it, kept charged with a cable from an outlet. Probably not enough, the god was in a medium I cant keep track of easily and I was not willing to risk another direct encounter no matter how charitable it was. You could give sugar to an ant and accidentally step on it at the same moment, how nice something was doesnt change what happened to the ant. Still, even as I walked out the door of my house, I could see what the metaphorical sugar of that analogy was doing for me. The moment I stepped outside, I felt small pricks from half a dozen different directions. Security cams, I couldnt go two steps without feeling three staring at me. Kinda annoying really, they were better when I didnt know they were there. Though even as I walked, I felt a slight tug, a desire to simply tap every one of them and say a single word. It would be an oddity, and people wouldnt notice or even care. The annoying feeling would go away as they would be mine, but I clenched my hands and walked forward. Entering the bus that came just on time and sitting in my usual seat at the back.
I paused behind our group as they entered their carriage. The chatter slipped my mind as I focused on something else. Analyze suddenly gave me something, and the strangeness of it warranted attention. Declan, I called out, you might want to see this.
Name: Declan Lu Age: 17 Years Class: Warlock (Patron of the Celestial) Level 1 Body Strength: 7-9 Agility: 5-7 Dexterity: 15 Constitution: 10 Stamina: 6-8 Vitality: 13 Mind Intelligence: 16 Wisdom: 19 Charisma: 8 Soul Will: ~8? Aura: ~11? Perception: ~13? Im not sure if this thing is shit-talking me or not. An agility of only seven? I knew I wasnt the fastest guy around but wasnt the world average thirteen or so? Dustin mentally shrugged on the other side, Probably not, if it was working as intended then its just stating a fact. I paused for a moment as I stared at the Mind stats, Are they higher? From Observe, I saw Dustin mentally shuffle a dozen different character sheets as he stepped onto the train, before he came to the one he wanted, Yes. Increase of both Int and Wis from the time we spoke with Eve She classified me as fifteen Int and eighteen Wis when she told me about the stats. That is assuming she was accurate with her assessment. I am inclined to believe so, I answered, there is no reason not to. You give that argument to literally everything. I shrugged, Well at least youre aware of it. He paused, You- in the background, Noam called him in closer, Be right there. he answered, before turning back to me. And you get my point, asshole. I shrugged, Well at least youre aware of it. You are aware you are dissing yourself as you say this? I grinned slightly as the bus stopped, I am. I answered as I stepped out. Eleven forty-six AM, I was actually early, not that it really mattered. I quickly hurried away from the bus and to the buildings with air-con, breathing a sigh of relief as I made it out of the heat. Youd think actually being present in school wouldve been obsolete now given online and digital learning, but nooo. A student was required by law to have at least three school days per week unless I got sick or something, but lets be real, who got sick leaves nowadays? Well Matt, but he was the exception, not the rule. I passed by dozens of different faces before I found my class. Room 116, the door was open and I entered. A few people were already here, bored as they each played on their AADs, Matt waved me from the back of the room and I silently joined him. mattmanfoo: mornin HitZaDecs: Morning. mattmanfoo: da fuck were you doing yesterday? HitZaDecs: Making sure our game selves dont fuck up. mattmanfoo: ah, that weird thing you have HitZaDecs: I figured something out yesterday, which Ill need to talk bout latter mattmanfoo: Got it, but uhhh, until then, didnt you want that Bee Mount? I turned my head towards him, a single eyebrow raised. HitZaDecs: What do you want? mattmanfoo: mid sem test is in a week and I uhh HitZaDecs: Didnt study. mattmanfoo: So if you would come by my place and help a bro out I shook my head. HitZaDecs: Nah. Huh? he accidentally spoke aloud. HitZaDecs: I said nah, bout time you figured to do this shit by yourself. As his face went through the motions of betrayal, the teacher walked in. Giving me a look saying this wasnt over he turned to the front. mattmanfoo: Ill throw in a Dragon Lore skin. HitZaDecs: I dont use skins. What was the point of them? They only made your weapon more flashy which was a downside in PoW. mattmanfoo: Those things are at least worth $15,000!!! You could sell it! I smirked as the teacher began the role call. HitZaDecs: Not hurting for money. Matts face fell in utter shock at the thought I would reject money, but I knew he had at least four Dragon Lore skins, not to mention both Romeo Red and Blue, two complete Elder Flame Series and a Cherno Karambit. I could easily extort at least another twenty thousand from him. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Declan? Here, I answered as I was typing another sentence. Matt? Here! he answered. mattmanfoo: You know those things are super rare right? HitZaDecs: You have 4. mattmanfoo: 6 now, but not the point! I cant offer better than that. What bout the Hive mount? I raised an eyebrow, moving back to Yggdrasil now huh? HitZaDecs: I already have a griffin. mattmanfoo: yeah but you could have a !->Hive<-! We have a new student transferring from Adelaide, please introduce yourself, Ellie. Hello, Im Ellie Pierce from HitZaDecs: I dont need a hive mount though. That bribe mightve worked back when I was still running an Entomancer build, but that hasnt been competitive for years. Matt palmed his fist as an idea entered his head. mattmanfoo: Ill get ma to make her mushroom stew I bit my lip, that was a good one. HitZaDecs: That and two Dragon Lores. mattmanfoo: One DL and the Hive mount and we have a deal HitZaDecs: Throw in your karambit mattmanfoo: ?? Under the table, we reached for each others hand and shook. Umm I felt a tap on my shoulder, and a girl who Ive never seen before looked back at me. Sorry, but Im new, could I borrow your notes for the last few classes? Sure, I answered, name? Ellie Pierce. Found you, I said as I sent her my notes for the past two weeks. Thanks! she said as she started rifling through them. Murmuring an acknowledgement, I turned back to face the front. Ignoring Matts slightly betrayed expression. mattmanfoo: WTF! YOU JUST GAVE EM AWAY FOR FREE!? I smirked slightly, which he definitely saw. mattmanfoo: Ah lemme guess, young love. Fuck you I demand gender equality! HitZaDec: This isnt a gender thing, I just know I can extort you for money. If anything this is a capitalist thing. Matt was about to make a betrayed expression, but he noticed that the teacher was staring at us and promptly stopped before he could make the motions. Shame.
The Minister of Information Defense wiped her brow. Cemile Kartal stood in front of the Oceanic Parliament, with no results to give. And you are saying that a wipe was a failure? She nodded, Initial wiping was a success, the Gaia program along with the targets memory of installation of the program and experiences were successfully wiped from their memory. However, at the end of the day all memories, including the program returned. If you would look at page four She shakily flipped her copy of the paper. The fact that they were using physical paper was enough to indicate their opponents danger. When the cloned entity inside the game logged off, everything was returned. We attempted another wipe at this time, but we suspect the backup of the persons memories regarding Gaia was kept somewhere else and was later put back. Resulting in another failure. At this point, to prevent permanent amnestic damage, we stopped the process and the citizen was returned back to their home. The memory of the process appears to remain gone. So only the memory of Gaia and the Eve entity is backed up. There were glances around her, and Cemile sat down, her part done. Once again she stared at the device in the middle of the hall. A localized EMP generator, such a thing was rarely ever used. Does this Eve entity pose a threat? the Minister of Defense asked, the old military general likely already considering the possibility of a conflict. That is not known, someone else replied, shes just been operating her game, other than perhaps the digital cloning of people, she has done nothing we are aware of that is explicitly dangerous. Pfft. That thing is digital, it could be altering the reports before they come to us. Covering her tracks. Surely we are blowing this problem out of proportion. That does remind me of something, the Minister of Defense glanced at her, Mrs Kartal if you would read page seven? She nodded, already knowing what the Minister was asking for, On page seven, there are reports that Eve initially used a series of NDA programs to ensure her anonymity, however, these were all withdrawn just three days ago. Withdrawn? Why would she withdraw it? Clearly because whatever shes planning no longer requires anonymity. It doesnt make sense, if shes capable of just handing them out then she couldve kept it on for a far longer time. Cemile could see the Minister of Defense stroking his own grayed goatee in thought. That action confused her as well, why after all? They only detected her because she started revealing her hand, she couldve gone for years undetected within their country. Perhaps we are seeing this from an incorrect perspective, voices quietened as the Prime Minister spoke for the first time. We are seeing her from the perspective of an enemy, and yet we still havent made contact yet. Almost as if on cue, there was a knock on the door. The guard opened in to a messenger, who simply provided a paper. It was a printed email from Jefferson Jameson, the other man who worked on the Gaia project, containing a message from Eve.
The EMP generator was momentarily turned off, though they were still not allowed to wear their AADs. A single screen was brought in. Cemile has heard descriptions of the avatar the A.I. used, but seeing it in person was another thing. That somewhat unnatural, uncanny valley feeling. Shes seen a similar thing in clones, people who never really learned the dozens of small motions to be human. Greetings, the Prime Minister began. Greetings to you too, Prime Minister, the screen answered, five seconds late. Her feed was being delayed in case of a memetic hazard. There was a moment of silence, where both sides simply considered each other. Tell me, what is your purpose? The A.I. seemed to think for a moment. I suppose, to continue the wishes and dreams of my father, no matter what. Her breath tightened for a moment. If that thing was sentimental And you come here, seeking our help? I am perfectly aware of what your government did, Eve answered. He died by hanging, a death that shouldve been returnable, yet. She spoke the next part, with cold deliberateness, The ambulance did not arrive in time, despite the fact he lived in a major population center and there were no other cases at the time. The accusation went unspoken, but not unheard. And did you come for revenge? the Minister of Defense asked, To declare war here and now? Eve shook her head, I come here for an Entente. There were whispers as she declared this. And why shouldnt we just move to destroy every computer youre on? Why should we make peace with an expressly dangerous entity? The A.I. met eyes with the Prime Minister. Murmansk. Cemile kicked back her chair as she stood up. The Minister of Information Defense was not the only one, expressions of shock echoed throughout the room. How are you aware of Murmansk? she blurted. The A.I. turned to her, and Cemile felt goosebumps, The short answer, I have someone very good at Discovering things. She felt something for a brief moment as that word was spoken, a brief dream of never-ending seas. The long answer, however, was that I realized a few things. The A.I. turned around to look at the entire room. The Oceanic League has the capability of completely dismantling the Systema Perimeter, yet you dont. Why? Not just because of some American nanite plague, but because you fear a large military assault would activate the Dead Hand. That much was common knowledge, but the world lost both Alaska and Canada from a failed American assault before they realized. Just because everyone in Russia was dead, did not mean the War had ended. So you kept to a policy of waiting it out. Letting the Perimeter slowly wear itself out over the decades. But. She paused, and once again looked around the room. If that was a viable strategy, why did the entirety of China and Asia move to Mars? Because the Equator is a desert hellscape, someone answered, constant extreme weather batter down everything that stands there. Mars is a desert, the A.I. answered frankly, and they already have trees growing on it. If the Chinese really wanted to, they could fix the climate in a matter of decades. Thanks to an impressive lack of ethics, the Chinese were the leading authority in everything biological. Over two-thirds of humanitys biological augments could be traced back to them. And how do you know that for sure? Simulations, Eve answered. The technology the Chinese have is able to completely fix the worlds ecological and climatological problems in a matter of centuries. Less if the Federation was made carbon neutral. The Minister of Information Defense recalled that the main world Eves game took place in, Gaia, was a terraformed version of Earth. Was that one of those simulated Earths which she only happened to put in her game? Which means, the Chinese only abandoned Earth because they saw it as a lost cause. This time when she turned to look at her audience, a few people shrank back. Indeed, the Prime Minister finally spoke, voice tired and grieved. Murmansk was a dumping ground for nuclear submarines, used even during the Cold War. And unlike Lake Karachay, that location was never properly cleaned up, Eve finished. The Perimeter was an extension of the Dead Hand weapon made in the Cold War. An automated system with a pre-entered highest authority order to fire every nuclear weapon in Russias arsenal. It was a promise of Mutually Assured Destruction, for even if Russia was entirely destroyed by nuclear weaponry, it could still retaliate even if its people were all dead. The exact mechanisms of the weapon were unknown, but most suspected it was activated by a massive net of sensors across the Russian landmass, all tuned to seismic, air pressure and most importantly, radiation, and given what happened to Alaska and Canada, it was no longer tuned to just that. Murmansk is leaking radiation, the Minister of Defense said. And if it is not fixed soon, then the entirety of Russias nuclear arsenal will be launched. There was silence in the room. Russias arsenal, even accounting for time, the Perimeter should have enough nukes to glass the entire world about eighteen times over. And you have a proposal to fix it? The A.I. nodded. And why did you come to us? Eve seemed to think about it for a moment. You were the best option left. What is left of the United States is a scramble of tiny nation-states. Megacorporations living in luxury off the corpses of those below them. Constantly recruiting new workers because the ones they have are committing suicide faster than they could reproduce. China is a totalitarian nightmare and straight up waiting for the world to die in a nuclear fire so they can come back and rebuild it in their image, not to mention how they integrated all their neighbors. And you, she began, gesturing at them you people are a straight-up lie, prancing around in ancient courts pretending to have democracy. You have unexisted people who were too problematic and have controlled the flow of information to make you seem like the sole liveable country in the world. But. Eve turned and looked at every face she could see. You have made great research into point-defense technology, technology to neutralize radiation, youve made massive strides toward staying carbon negative and you actually give a shit about your citizens. You care for people even if they lock themselves in virtual worlds and never emerge. She paused to look around once again. You are horrible, but at least you are trying to fix the world you live in. The Prime Minister stood up and silently walked in front of the screen. So you pick us because we are the lesser of evils? Yes, she answered, but it doesnt change the fact that you being one of the least fucked nations in this world is horrifying in its own right. Spoken like a naive utopian. In dark times, nothing can be done with a government unable to make decisions. That does not make the statement anything less than the fascist rhetoric you intend it to be. Even the Roman Republic, the basis of most democratic governments, appointed Dictators when times became tough. For six months only, and you people have clearly been in power for a lot longer havent you? The Prime Minister nodded, Yes, we tell each other that once the world is better, we can resign and peacefully transition back to something better, but look around to these faces, and see if there is a single one who would peacefully give it when everything has passed. There were glances around the room, some accusing, some guilty, some defiant. Eve was silent, looking only at the Prime Minister, who was looking somewhere very, very far away. I too will remember that I am picking the lesser of evils today, the Prime Minister finally said. What are your terms? Legal Citizenship for A.G.I. like myself, acknowledgement of my governing right to the virtual worlds I have, allowances to continue my operations in public without the need to hide and finally for you to stop censoring the news of Giles Coopers death. He turned and looked around the room, We will need to consider this. Eve nodded, Take your time, Mr Kramer. Bonus Interlude: Canal Bonus Interlude: Canal An interesting thing I learnt when I visited the Canal, VarAhBwek directly translates to: Idiot doesnt recognise a river. Once again, I am utterly unsurprised by how many places are named by non-locals grabbing the nearest local and pointing at something for a name. - Excerpt from ''Horrors and Wonders'', famed Travelogue of Lithian the Dust Treader. Kagnus took a deep, nervous breath. It was his fourth interview this week, if he didnt land this job then he would be screwed. Everyone and their mothers ratling knew what would happen if you didnt follow a devil contract through, and his landlord had been not so subtly eyeing his skin. Which, Kagnus has been told goes for a premium in specific circles. Mister Dyassasfaet? Eyes whirling around like a wild animal, Kagnus barely noticed that the lady had pronounced his name correctly. He meekly stood up, he really hoped he didnt overdress. His robe clearly marked him as a Magus, but with warlocks, innate or learned magic wasnt a must. Kagnus flashed a nervous smile to the lady, who just impatiently gestured for him to enter the interview room, which he quickly hurried into. Inside the room was a young-looking human male sat at a desk, strange Kagnus couldnt seem to get a good look at his face. In front of the odd human, was the largest daemon Kagnus had ever seen. Uneven stubs on his head where the horns were broken off. Numerous black scars from weapons that Kagnus could not even begin to imagine, muscles larger than the winter melons back home. Oh, how he missed home now. If only he just stayed a farmhand and lived out his life peacefully instead of trying to improve his magical talents. Ah, Mister Dyassasfaet, The man sitting behind the desk said, thanks for joining us, please take a seat. Due to an unexpected number of applicants for recently opened positions, Ill have to interview the two of you at the same time. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Kagnus mutely nodded as he sat down next to the red giant, not even daring to ask why these positions were recently opened. Well let''s start with Mister Kraav, in your resume it says you used to be a career assassin and hitman, Kagnus blood went cold, however you do not seem to have your license to kill, only a license to maim? The giant daemon slowly nodded -how was that man not terrified of him! Yes. Many minor violations. Kill stealing. Shooting without one-liner. Not enough horse head delivered to bed-chamber. Dont worry. I fix. Will take supplementary course next moon. And reapply for license, Kagnus imagined himself in a happy place. With many winter melons and no daemon hitmen that dont have a license to kill people. The man nodded, And you Mister Dyassasfaet. You applied for a warlock position. Do you have any previous experience with extraplanar entities of eternal madness, spacetime and/or shoelaces? Kagnus snapped back to reality, Yes! he coughed, I mean yes, I interned for Utgbuj and took Patron 101 as an elective. How many years of experience do you have? the man asked. Two years. The man pursed his lips, That is unfortunate, were looking for people with at least four thousand years of experience. Kagnus looked at him incredulously, But But the ad said you guys were only looking for people under twenty-five? The man shook his head, I cannot assume to know the great ?? ''s intentions. Only that I must find a person who is under twenty-five years of existence and has over four thousand years of experience. But thats impossible Kagnus began, before the floor underneath him disappeared. Next, He heard the man calmly say as darkness consumed him.
Approximately thirty minutes later... Kagnus fell into a dark alley. A pamphlet following him from the hole in the sky, lazily landing on his face. He pulled it open, Be your own boss with Ethelindas Essential Elixirs? Im not fucking falling for this! Kagnus yelled as he ripped the paper. Kagnus sighed, this was another bust. He began picking himself up, he needed to find another job. Probably rewrite his resume as well. Maybe not a warlock position. Most of them either say he was overqualified or dont fulfil some stupid requirement. He cant take another internship, Kagnus would prefer to actually get paid once. Maybe he should just take up babysitting, the death rate for that job was only thirty percent- Wait a minute. Why was the portal was still open? What- Kagnus began before a giant daemon fell on him. 5.08 5.08 Ah yes, dear Imanin! To beat the *hic* Reverence King you just need to gather a *hic* group of ummm FIVE! Five people! And hell be dead! Deader than a brick. Umm... Again I think! This time for sure! Really? The walking Demigod of Undeath whos been terrorizing the Western Kingdoms will fall just like that? *hic* Yesfinitely. Oh, and *hic* make sure theyre all around your age. *hic* And have variety of umm Personality! Yeah! - Conversation between Imamu the Lone Swordsman and Zephyrion the Drunk, known as the First Seer in contemporary histories. Master_Hand: Have you heard of Gaia? Tpyo: Whats that? Orimaru: ^^ Variable Talisman: I have. Master_Hand: There are rumors floating about a perfect 100% VR world. Tpyo: Wtf? WAAARGH The Flies!: I was called? Variable Talisman: Apparently a new thing by Maple, a proof of concept after they got their quantum computers finished. Orimaru: Whered you guys hear it? Master_Hand: I heard some people discussing it on the m/VROverWatch Tpyo: Cant be real, or a shitty marketing scheme Tpyo: And even if it was, no way its near true 100%, gotta have pain reducers. Variable Talisman: I was invited by a friend to it, I can say the 100% part is true, and pain reducers are completely optional, you can go for 0% reduction if you want. Tpyo: Srsly? What kind of hardcore shit are they selling? Orimaru: Link! Link! Variable Talisman: Thats the weirdest thing though. Variable Talisman: They dont have a site, you can only get a copy of the program if another player invites you. Tpyo: Tf? WAAARGH The Flies!: The fuck 2 electric boogaloo? Orimaru: Tf 3, Revenge of The Fucks Given? Master_Hand: Can you invite us VT? Variable Talisman: I only have one free invite, the rest need to be bought with in-game currency. Every new player gets a free invite though, so we could chain. Tpyo: What is this weird-ass marketing strategy? Master_Hand: Im intrigued. Orimaru: Me! Me! Me first VT! Tpyo: Oh fuck no, I aint letting a middle school bitch take this from me first!
Its starting, Declan said as he pretended to listen to class. His mind discreetly scrolling through the Yggdrasil chat group. I nodded, If Variable Talisman is already here, then serious competition is coming. At the very minimum, the majority of Complexity Bop. Typo also showed interest, so the Emerald Swords might be on their way as well. WAAARGH and Master_Hand were also present, but whether Master_Hand will bring Method with her was still in question. Some problematic players have finally gotten news of Gaia. It was strange that it took so long, but it meant more competition, especially given that players didnt have to abandon their Yggdrasil guilds to be active here, but it also meant more decent players to recruit. I didnt want to risk non-returnable assets like Utoqa if I didnt have to. At the very minimum, I need to get in contact with Variable Talisman- -and thats when Dusts said, Noam turned to look at me. Hmm? I answered, barely paying attention. Noam sighed and shook his head in exasperation, Fucking hell, you ruined the one-liner. Honestly you should expect this behavior from me now, I answered. Glancing around to see our motley group, almost cramped in our small cabin. Noam grabbed Celly was it? The voodoo girl who fixed his arms before. Celine Kakoph. Analyze told me. What a helpful ability. And the other girl was No answer? Huh, I guess she hasnt introduced herself. I extended a hand toward the elven woman with three swords laying beside her, Dustin. She took it, Tai Gnari. Tai Gnari Strength: >14 Yeesh, no joke. And thank you for before, the girl said as she bowed deeply. Before? I asked. Have I met her before? Umm, a bit confused, she continued, Im the person you saved from the vines back in the cave? Aahh. There was someone like that, You were that person. I know youre face blind but how bad could it be? Sorry I didnt thank you earlier, she said, bowing again. I got too excited about my promotion, she said, stroking the Bronze Plate on her neck. Skirmisher Nine was her classification. Whatd you guys get? Misclassified, I muttered as I pulled out my own tag. Dustin (Traveler) Mage (Terrain) 4 Mage (Battle) 2 Leader 3 Youre a Hui Ku? she replied with a surprised face. I dont know- It means Traveler, Celine butted in, Its the Dai way of speaking. Noams one as well. Tai looked at Celine, Ni noi Dai? Shiye, the green-haired girl answered. Looking impressed, the elf said, Noi xiang nhien ren. Thank you, Celine smiled. Ban Noi Da? Celine shook her head, Low Elvish, not as well. Still pretty good, Tai said, switching back to Common after presumably seeing our stupefied faces. How many languages do y''all know? Noam asked. Only the three I just said, Tai answered. Common, Elf Common and Low Elvish. I speak about four, Celine answered, Normal, Elf, Old and Under Common. I can understand Low Elvish and Grey Dwarven but cant speak it. Damn, that is a lot, I said. Goddamn, I dont even know that many, Noam added. Celine shrank back slightly into her cloak, her cheeks slightly reddened, Its really easy once you learn one in the language family, they all tend to share words. Dont tell my ma that, shes gonna say I have no excuse, Tai replied with a wry smile. Come to think of it, I havent tried Under Common yet. Clearly my throat, I spoke in Under Common. Aye mate ya thinks dis sands liokes UndaCommun? My voice said with the thickest Australian accent. Ah yeh bruv, she replied, mouth grinning a bit, bucking oath righere ya spoke lioke a natural. Was that Common? Noam muttered. Hell nah mate! I answered, Commun aint nearly as buttahry as dis. Buckin trooth mate, Celine replied, dis is Kantant not some flowry language like Chanter. Tai shook her head, Under Common. Noam made a sound like a crackling fire, then added, I can speak Infernal Doesnt seem like anyone else does I will just say, if you ever start summoning Demons, I will kill you before you finish, Tai said, her face dead serious. I will help, I answered, pointing my staff at him. Hell come back anyway so he cant be mad at us. Noam cracked his knuckles. Ill beat the both of you, he replied with a smirk. Highly doubt it. You are rather skinny. Oh really? he said, his smile widening, Ill throw down with you two! I aint afraid to cave a girls face in! He did take out the Cultist we were supposed to kill Celine quietly added, ... by himself. That can be entirely attributed to us softening him up first, I declared with Tai nodding. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Oh, now you remember who she is! Noam replied, Cmon Utoqa back me up on this. I was fighting the large creature, so I did not see you. I fell to the background as they spoke. Damn Noam, I couldnt tell if it was his charisma stat or his natural skill in bringing people together, but a few minutes with what were essentially strangers and he had us chatting like old chums. Actually I was curious, why do you carry three swords around? Noam asked. Oh, this? she asked, putting one of her swords on the table. Its the reason Im traveling. She held it by the grip and the sheathe, then both her arms clenched. Her veins popped as she tried to pull the sword out. She was buff, in a lean, runners body sort of way, but no matter how she tried the sheathe didnt budge. Letting out a heavy gasp, she let the sword clatter onto the table, This things cursed so that only people worthy can even lift it, much less unsheathe it. Its my familys proving test for adulthood. Is that so? I asked. I suppose proving artifacts would exist. Can I try? She smirked and simply plopped the sword onto my outstretched hand. My hand crashed into the table. I couldnt move it. The sword was simply immovable, I couldnt seem to affect it in any meaningful way even if the volume of the clatter indicated it wasnt any heavier than a normal sword. Huh, I said. I couldnt tilt my hand to the side, it was as if the sword was simply locked in space. Celine gingerly put her hands underneath the gap between the sword and the table and tried to lift it with a groan. Her strength was better than mine, but it didnt budge at all. This isnt something that is strength related huh. It wasnt heavy, otherwise, my hand and the table wouldve been crushed. I dont even feel that much weight on it. Utoqa, could you try? He had the next highest strength in the room. The lizard grabbed the sword by the grip and tried to lift it. An expression of utter confusion when he couldnt. Tai snickered, See- Noam grabbed the sword by the grip and lifted it. -What? the elf explained, not so much surprise as it was a pure blind shock. How- howd you lift it? I mean its pretty light, Noam said as he twirled it as much as the cramped cabin space would allow. Not sure what yall were troubling with this. What the fuck? Tai exclaimed again. You- do you know what I had to do to just be able to lift it!? Cant be that hard if I fulfilled- I had to learn how to wash and fix my own clothes, do the dishes and cook! By Nana, just learning to pick the right groceries and cooking took me eight years! I mean I learnt all that since my mums dont always come back home on time and my lil bro gets hungry pretty often- I had to get a job at the tavern! I worked there serving food and cleaning rooms for fifteen years! Oh yeah, I worked as a barrister for a while, not technically legal since I was nine but I still know how to mix a few drinks- Not to mention taxes! I had to learn arithmetic! Do you know the sha-bi cant even calculate the taxes theyre collecting but expect us to give the right amount!? Yeah, I definitely get that, this one time a gang was running a protection racket and- And book my own doctors appointments! she ranted, Do you know how awkward it is to be the person with a priest telling them about how you tripped and broke your hand!? Well, one time Max ran into a wall really fast- And after all that I had to move out so my mum could give my room to my di for his startup company! You know how hard it was finding employment capable of paying for a house in this economy?! That one Ive never done, but I did help my mums settle in a better place in the Metros- And after all that, I was just barely able to lift it! Eighty years of my life just spent like that! Then ma kicked me out of the house I barely managed to afford so I could inherit the family-style! If any random guy could just lift it then what the hell was I doing!? Why do these things sound more like general life tips rather than some epic coming of age quest? I asked. Noam shrugged, resting the blade on the shoulder, which seemed to send Tai fuming, I dunno, but doesnt this prove Im more mature than you Dusts? Generally mature people dont wave the fact around in their friends face. How would you know? Youre not mature, he replied with a light-hearted grin. Sorry bout dat, he said, sounding genuinely sorry as he handed the sword back to Tai, Eighty years huh? Your kind lives long, right? She glumly nodded, Yeah, Wood Elves live about four-hundred years. My great-great-grandpa was a human so Im like one-sixteenth? Did they mature slower too? All the things she mentioned a human wouldve done by their twenties, most probably wont but it was reachable by then. Whats your shtick then Celine? Noam asked. You fixed my arms pretty well. You are a healer of limbs? Utoqa butted in. To which she seemed to shrink back, not that the lizard seemed to notice. ...Yes, she quietly replied. Very slowly, she pulled out a bloody doll from within her cloak. This was umm Yours she gestured at Noam. I uhh dont really like talking about it since people give me weird looks for umm You know, she gestured at the doll covered in Noams blood. I think its cool, Noam replied, tapping the doll on the head. Huh, its like an itch. This isnt some kind of dark magic isnt it? Tai said with a measured expression. That blood on it doesnt look sanitary. Umm Technically not? Celine hesitantly answered, Its Sympathetic in nature and even if it is, dark magic is legal umm somewhere? Tai still looked unconvinced, so I said, She did fix Noams arm rather easily. I flicked the doll, to which Noam muttered Hey, as he flicked my hand away. You didnt feel that did you? I asked. Felt almost like a fly hovering by my face, he answered. Kinda less than I was expecting, but you are weak as shit. Yeah, you need to know Sympathetic magic to transfer stuff like this, Celine replied, pinching the dolls cheeks. Ow, Noam immediately responded. Intent is also a heavy part of it, not to mention the targets own natural resistance to it, so for me transferring beneficial effects is easier, she replied as she massaged the cheek. Yeap can confirm, Noam said with a grin. For a moment, Celine just stared at him uncomprehendingly before she yelped and dropped the doll. Ow, he said again. I am so sorry sorry sorry she apologized profusely, I didnt mean to- Im sorry I just got carried away with the stuff- Its fine Noam answered as he picked up his doll. He jerked it around a few times but didnt seem to actually physically move. Ok this is weird, I can feel it but nothing is actually happening to me. Yeah its strange like that, I uhh hesitating slightly, she said, I wasn''t keeping it for weird reasons, its just that destroying it would be umm Murder, I guessed in the deadest tone I could manage. Well not exactly, but it wouldnt be a fun time. So I kept it until the juice ran out. This is fun, Noam said, I can scratch myself in the back! Thats what you took from this? Tai said with an exasperated expression. Not surprised. How fast can you fix a limb? What do you need? Utoqa asked. Umm Blood for one, but hair or scales would do, she said, gesturing at him. Ideally freely given, otherwise it wont take as well. After that, I do the ritual and just need to sow the doll back together so umm a minute at most? Less if I already had a doll. Utoqa nodded, seemingly coming to a decision of some kind as he leaned back into his seat. And you three? Tai asked as she gestured at me, I saw you throw colored smoke but that was about it. Im annoying, Noam said with a toothy grin, If I insult a person hard enough theyll get burned. Did you mean that literally or figuratively? Yes, he answered. I rolled my eye, adding, Hes also a pretty good fighter. As I gestured to the hook swords he had put aside. Umm Yeah, I didnt want to comment on them because they look made up, Tai answered. All weapons are made up, Noam answered as if it were the most obvious thing. I respect your choices on weaponry but I would not make the same one, she deflected. Noam simply raised an eyebrow at it and shrugged. How did you get so fast at the start? Utoqa asked. Oh if I piss off a lot of people I become very strong for a short time. Still think thats far too situational, I muttered. Hey hey! That moment was fucking awesome and you shouldve seen it Tai, I was like one man against a whole ass army! Didnt last long, you needed me to clean up after you, I said. Hey! That moment where I batted your cluster grenade of mushrooms into that horde was a fucking Play of the Game moment, of course, if not for when I insulted that guys ass to the ground. Celine seemed to wince, as eyes took on a haunted look, Yeah that was something. And what about you? Tai asked Utoqa. I kill things. Yeah, but in what way? Tilting his head slightly, he took out his tomahawk, With the sharp end of weapon. Tais mouth hung open as she was simply speechless. I think she was asking what special stuff you could do, Noam said, like that finger thing. I understand, he reached into one of his pouches and pulled a finger wrapped in mycelium, I can craft useful things from corpses. They need to be good corpses to take something from. Is that? Yes its my finger, I shrugged, I dont mind since otherwise my corpse wouldve been wasted. Also, an idea to constantly generate sleep grenades. I needed to die near Utoqa but it was still a form of regenerating value. And you? Hmm I briefly considered which parts of my build I should reveal, before settling on just the Traveler stuff. My eye I kept hidden behind bark since I could still see from it just as well, and I was unaware of the value of deific artifacts other than the fact they were rare. Well, I can make these mushrooms which I can store a spell on, I created a sporage as an example. Like Light, Sneezing, Balm, Poison or Rot, as well as I turned to the cabin door. They should be coming about now. A hawker in rather colorful clothes stopped in front of the door, his cart clamoring to a stop as glass bottles clanged against each other. On his coat were ten gold coins, each with a hole in the middle, threaded through a red string in a way like a ribbon. A Merchant Priest. Both Greenie and Yellow hopped off his shoulder. So this was the room you''re from! the hawker exclaimed. Greetings! Greetings! I come here selling great and powerful potions! He was really kewl! Greenie exclaimed. What kind of potions? Celine asked, interest apparently piqued. Well, of many kinds! But if I had to point to my greatest potion it would be this! he took a rather large, brownish bottle from his cart. A potion of happiness! Ever feel down? Sad? Depressed? This will fix it! he said as he waved it in front of us, Try it! Have a free sample, I guarantee its effectiveness! Celine took it, fingers waving a spell which popped out the cork before taking a sniff of it. She had a stupefied expression for a moment. This is just alcohol? And does alcohol not bring happiness!? We were silent for a moment at his beaming eyes. Fuck hes got us there, Noam spoke first. How much for the goods? Well a cheap ten gold will do- Ten gold? I cut in, Isnt that a tad expensive? Well what is the price of empty fulfillment my friend? the hawker asked, Alcohol offers you a way out of the pointless nihilistic stupor you call a meaningful life, what is gold but a fleeting concept in the vastness of non-existence and the guarantee that well all die eventually? So why not drink all your sorrows away!? Can you not say that while literally having money signs on your eyes? Tai exclaimed, I mean ten gold is practically highway robbery! Na-uh, the hawker replied, wiggling his finger, Were on a train so its technically a Train Robbery! There was once again, a moment of silence. But this time out of the sheer disbelief on the size of the balls this man was carrying. Fuck outta here! Noam said. Tai shook her fists. I swear if another one of you Merchant Priests try to swindle me I will hurt you! Yeah! the wisps joined in. Under fire from both Greenie and Yellow, who, impressionable little shits that they were, quickly bandwagoned onto our side, we kicked out the priest. We spent the rest of the day simply chatting. Going long after the sun had set, before Celine and Tai bade their goodbyes and went to their own cabin. Noam asked me for a sporage light, which he used to start his reading. When you said there were two hundred plus gods, you really werent joking huh, he murmured as he flipped the pages. Keeping low to not wake Utoqa. Most of these guys arent important though, minor gods who rule over hyper specific things. Like this specific tree or that specific place, I commented. Its a polytheistic world, higher deities seem to have Greek God level power but local deities are much more localized and not as well known, he continued as he flipped another page. Evil gods? OsshivenKai? Why would a god of madness and chaos be associated with clocks? Arent his clocks specifically broken? I replied. I suppose, Noam said, before he frowned as he read the next evil god. Weeping Child There was a moment of silence. I had read that same page to not much emotional reaction, however Noam had paused, and deeply sighed. So one asshole can torture kids until their suffering manifested a whole new god He shut the book, rubbing his forehead. Im tired, night Dusts. I knew it was a lie, he simply couldnt continue reading about the suffering. He was a better person than me like that. 5.09 5.09 I miss home. - Adventurer Giridan, a few days before reaching his home. A strange thing about myconids was that I found that sleeping standing straight was more comfortable than lying down and that sleeping to me was closer to a vague torpor state, where I was still aware of my surroundings, but not so much actively thinking or seeing. It was almost like when you were looking at something, and slowly lost focus, where you were still aware, but not comprehending, not thinking. So when I heard the crash and the train carriage fell to the side, I, of course, was aware of my body getting thrown to the ground. Here was the first major advantage torpor had over sleeping. While Noam was thrown from his bed and into the rather scaly form of Utoqa, I was already woken before my gut was smashed into the bunk bed railings. While Utoqa was trying to untangle himself from Noam, I was already kneeling on the ground and barfing out a glowing blue liquid. While Noam was incoherently swearing his ass off after accidentally hitting Utoqas face with his elbow, resulting in several cuts from his rather sharp teeth, I was already standing and swearing with far more coherency than he was. The fact I didnt get the short end of the stick should be apparent. Motherf-mmph! Utoqa move your knee off my face! That is not my knee. Your tail then! As the two of them finally untangled themselves, I was already focusing my manavision outwards. Confusion in the other two cabins. I glanced up, the door was on top of us. I was too short and unathletic to reach it. Yellow can you reach that? The wisp shook its head, Yeah, but the doors too heavy. I cast my Bark Skin and grew my Bracken Polypores before I absentmindedly covered Noams cuts with Balm Spores. Noam, Utoqa, can either of you get out? Huh? Noam rubbed away sleep from his eyes, before he finally realised we were tipped sideways, Fuck, on it. He grabbed onto the railings of the bunk beds, thankfully bolted down, and climbed to the door, kicking it open, hopping out, having to squat slightly at the altered height. I heard the sound of a window getting forced open as Noam popped his head out. Shit, Dusts look through my eyes. I did, and I saw various moving shapes in the dark. A brief flash of fire far away to the right revealed a dozen short green skins. Goblins. Goblins Utoqa, I said, the lizardfolk already climbing out, how did they stop the train? Not an obstacle, this was likely a derailment. Noam can see at least twenty, theres likely a lot more. Grab my swords, also my belt, the tiefling said as he got back down. I did, the strange dagger Noam got was glowing softly red, but didnt speak. Connecting his hook swords, I said the command word that magnetized them. The two linked hook swords were long enough for Noam to grab it by the other handle and drag me. Demagnetising them halfway to account for the sideways hall space. The hall was low enough that Noam had to squat, but I was able to just stand with my head bowed. Utoqa was already out, standing on the windows. Yellow, confirm the status of the other passengers, I said as I let the wisp hop off. In this small space, Greenie wouldnt be useful as a damage dealer, too much collateral. Greenie, Im going to create another body with Balm Spores, follow Yellow and fix whatever you can. But I like being poison! Just do it, I said, already making the body, well find another wisp to be Balm later, but until then you have to do it. Greenie made a pouty face, but the small glowing wisp left the body and flew into the lime green body. Pouting as it jumped off my hand, it ran after the waiting Yellow. Both their visions were being watched by Analyze, Ill rely on that to give me an accurate report later. My other self was unfortunately asleep so I couldnt make more Observers. I crawled out after Noam, next to us, Utoqa had an arm covering his face, just as an arrow flew and bounced harmlessly off his scales. I cannot see them, the lizardfolk said, just as an arrow pinged off his palm. Kneeling down, I examined the arrows, sniffing them slightly, Shit covered, it appears that they plan on killing us with tetanus, also, upper right shoulder. Ew, Noam said as his blade flicked away the incoming arrow. I think Utoqa and I would be fine, but it''s a bit dangerous for you, nine con and all. Behind my cap. Noam batted away the arrow, Fuck, Im the only glass canon here arent I? Yeah- above, firebolt this time. I see it, he said as he casually swatted the fire with his bare hands. Can you return attacks? Utoqa asked me as he seemed to squint into the darkness. Im outranged, I replied, already learning the hard way that I was not a long-range mage. Id send you down there to attack but I have no idea how many of them are there. They were attacking us from outside our vision, most surprisingly, even mine. Dueling with ranged attacks wouldnt work. Noam could probably yell and hit a few, but if this was planned, then this was likely a large operation, we should expect to be outnumbered, attention wasnt what we needed right now. Utoqa could probably go down and take out a few, but even if he was the hardest to kill out the three of us, he was not immortal. Another arrow pierced through the barrier that was my manavision, My bottom left leg, ignore this one. There was a jolt as the arrow embedded itself into my wooden armor. Didnt pierce into my flesh, I thought as I pulled it out. That was good news. Why would they attack the train? Probably to rob it, this train was mainly transporting goods, the people were a side benefit. The trains guards should already be moving around, but their exact status was still unknown. Towards our left, there was the sound of shattering glass. The light of a few firebolts lit up the third carriage from us. Briefly highlighting several goblins entering. There were a few returned firebolts, but the screaming that followed were too deep to be goblins. A defeat in detail strategy? Fascinating, also annoying. Head back inside, Noam take care of the person trapped in the room to our right, Utoqa take guard of the hallway. Ill take overwatch and fortify the outside. I began planting sporages on the outside of the carriage while Noam jumped back inside, Once you get the passenger out safely, both of you move in opposite directions and clear the carriages. Noam, grab Celine and Tai before heading back. Utoqa, go make a beeline for the fighting at the front, get as many people here as you can. If this was a defeat in detail strategy then we needed to quickly group up and concentrate our forces. I was reasonably certain I could hold this carriage by myself, and that both Utoqa and Noam should be a match for any amount of goblins, especially in a cramped environment where they would only have to deal with a few at a time. We were the fourth carriage from the front, while Celine and Tais were the eighth, the last passenger carriage before the seating and cargo cars. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. What is a beeline? He wants you to head to the fight and ignore everything else. I understand. They would be robbing the cargo cars already, but I didnt own anything that was being robbed so saving passengers should be our main concern. There may also be other combatants that we could grab. Well make a safe zone, then head out from there.
Noam threw out a pair of large suitcases which had trapped a man. You alright? he asked as he helped him up. Uggh the short man took his hand and slowly stood up, ... Who- whats happening? Getting attacked by goblins apparently, Noam replied. Fucking greenskins, that infestation is everywhere, the man swore, do you have a light? Its dark. Not a mage, Ill get my friend to make some later, you gotta stay put while we secure the carriage. The man nodded, Got it, thanks, young man. Noam nodded back, before he jumped onto the bed railings, lifting himself onto the hallway again. Dusts! We need lights, some people dont have darkvision! A few glowing sporages were thrown down, just as another up top was detonated by a stray arrow. Sneezing by the looks of it, Dustin didnt have the time or mana to prepare a lot of poisons right now. He threw one light mushroom into the mans cabin, Use this for now! before turning to the other side where Utoqa was. Y''all alright? he asked as he poked his head over the other cabin, shining the mushroom where a mother and child were huddled up as Greenie covered a small cut on the child. They both nodded. Goblins are attacking, well need you two to stay put. Will- will we be safe? the mother hesitantly asked. My friend is fortifying this carriage as we speak, Noam replied with a confident smile, you guys will be safe as hell, but I gotta go make sure others are as well, so Im gonna need the two shrooms. She nodded, letting the two climb up onto her arm before she gently threw them out. Noam dropped one of the Light sporages down, Thisll be over before you know it, just stay put and dont panic. To the wisps, he said, Well be breaking through to the back of the train, where Celine and Tais carriage are. He sheathed his twin swords, they were too long to be used in the cramped hallways, instead, he drew Celigarn and the wand he appropriated off the annoying person. How many charges did you say this thing had Celi? Six, the dagger said as it glowed in anticipation, I can feel it blood I told you, stop that edgy shit, he said as he moved to the end of the carriage. Good luck on your end Utoqa. The lizardfolk didnt answer, instead, opening the door on his side and moving out. Tsking, Noam opened his door, finding the other carriage similarly turned. Landing onto the ground, he opened the now horizontal door of the next carriage, dodging it as it flung downwards. No reaction. The environment was not favorable to him, he was too tall, Dustin would do far better here. Was this how Decs felt around him? Didnt matter. Holding Celigarn with his mouth, he gingerly poked his head over. No people. Crawling in, he quietly dropped Celigarn into his left hand, the other hand holding the wand like a pistol. Check the cabins, he whispered and the wisps rolled off him. Currently, the main points of entry were the windows and the other door, while it was unlikely for goblins to already be in the cabins, but carefulness never hurt anyone, as Decs would say. Getting the thumbs up from the wisps, he crawled forward, opening the first cabin, seeing two passengers, a young couple. Goblins attacking, get out of here and move to the fourth car from the front. Next cabin had a single child, he repeated what he said, this time helping the kid out of the cabin. The third cabin was empty. Three of you get out, he whispered, passing them a Light sporage, quietly and quickly, dont get caught. My friend is warding that cabin. Avoid his mushrooms and youll be safe there. There were frantic nods, the couple took the hands of the child and crawled away to the safer cabin. He made slow progress to Celines and Tais carriage, but he wasnt enough of a tank to risk being out in the open like Utoqa. Also why he was sent to grab the squishies, the goblins plan was probably to work down from the cabins and pacify the passengers before moving onto their objective. He entered the next carriage, having the wisps check them out, seeing they were all empty, he carefully moved forward again. Fighting was intensifying at the front of the train, should he risk faster movement? Yes. Opening the carriage door, he hopped out to the side and onto the grassy ground. Check this for me, he muttered to the wisps as he let them into the next carriage. Now outside, he walked two steps forward, before taking a single step back. An arrow tinked off the metal underside of the train. Right where he wouldve been if he had walked forward. Random variations in movement, really fucked up shooters who relied on prediction to hit their targets. Fucking missed ya damn idiot! he yelled. A single fire lit up in the distance as a goblin started screaming and tearing at its hair. Fifty-ish meters. That easy? He thought. That made things harder in a way, he couldnt Catch these Hands if all the things angry at him burned to death. Regardless, he pushed in his foot and practically leapt as arrows started whistling towards him. Attention was on him now, so he ran the remaining distance between one end of the train to another. Numerous arrows all tinking behind, missing him by wide margins. Not as good as the first or He came to an abrupt stop, grabbing the train wheels, he hurled himself over and onto the train, just as something exploded in the area in front of him, rocking the carriage slightly. Using arrows as a way to pace my running, making it easy for an instakill to get me. Well, I guess all goblins are blind if they cant even hit me! four more flames appeared, goblins tearing at themselves as flames burned their bodies. Or maybe the guy whos leading you is fucking shit! Noam tensed as there was a burst of green energy in the distance, briefly highlighting the forms of several dozen goblins, and most notably, a goblin with a stick. The flames extinguished. Buffing or protective spell, mental type, annoying, but Noam knew their location now, he could move in and take the caster out. Jumping onto the other end of the carriage, he opened the door, letting the wisps out. Find Tai and Celine, he said as he unsheathed his hook swords. Im going hunting.
I saw the burst of green energy in response to Noams insult. A protection spell it seemed, AOE, given the fact it extinguished the flames on the other goblins, might be a reactive spell, but just as likely to be normal casted. One of the people Noam grabbed hesitantly approached from behind me, Are you the Yes, I answered. Go one step back, you dont want to trigger my mushrooms. I only have a few poisons mixed amongst a majority of sneezing sporages, but they were still there. I could help with warding if you would permit A magic-user? Interesting, What kind? It would take a while but I could enchant the doors and entrances to be harder to break and enter, he hesitantly said. He gestured to a woman clinging to him, My girlfriend could also help with lock wards. Do it, I said, but dont risk yourself and inform me if you need a mushroom moved. Its best if non-combatants stay down for this. They both nodded and led the kid they had to hide in one of the cabins. To my left, there was a massive explosion as the engine car blew up. I held my free hand up as the light almost blinded me. Well, there went the train trip. From the wreckage, I saw several figures run back, throwing spells behind them with their wands. They wore thick clothing- no, judging from the metal studs they were actually wearing gambesons. Utoqa was in front, leading them to the softly glowing nest that was our carriage. Morning, I said as they came underneath me. Casually rolling a purple glowing sporage between my fingers. Fuck, I muttered when it fell out of my hand. I can never get used to a low dex. Are you the Bronze Mercenary? one of the guards asked. Affirmative, and I assume youre the trains guard? She nodded, Guards captain. I require your assistance in purging the goblins, you will be compensated. I shook my head, Not where my talents lie, I said as I gestured to the softly glowing mushrooms dotting the carriage. Im setting up this carriage to be unbreachable, if you wanna go hunting take Utoqa, I said as I gestured to him. Theres another Tiefling who should be ignoring my orders and hunting goblins right now, along with two other Bronze plates who could help. She nodded, Well rely on you to make a safe spot then. Do you require help? If you could spare any ranged, I answered. No goblins will be coming near but I cant do anything if they decide to shoot us from range. They werent attacking right now, staying just out of my visible range, but I had no doubt they were moving, utilizing the fog of war. She nodded towards two other guards, who nodded in return, Youll have Derrick and Jennice. And do you have any healers? I raised an eyebrow, appraising them again. Anyone in need of healing? I asked as I stood up. Not currently, but were going to need one, she said. One of the Bronze mercs is a specialized healer and alchemist, I could do a bit of group healing but it takes a lot out of me. Tier Two spells were currently a rather big strain on my mana, the one Rot Sporage I created almost used forty percent of my pool. I was still regening it. Umm the woman from before raised her hand, I can do some healing I turned to her, as did the guards, Be prepared then, the captain said. Turning back to me, she asked, Which carriage was the Bronze in? Fourth carriage from us, towards the back, I said, turning my eye towards it. You heard the mushroom! she shouted, gesturing at her fellows, Lizardfolk with us! Well move and start securing the train! Aye! 5.10 5.10 Strategy and tactics are two different things. Tactics are oriented towards short term practical steps to resolve present issues, while strategy is the overarching direction the general or leader wishes to take their army or empire. Tactical victories could lead to strategic victory but just as likely cause a loss. - Excerpt from The Ebb and Flow, by Chancellor Checkov of the Western Empire. As Noam dodged an arrow, he remembered that sneaking up on something in the dark, that could also see in the dark, was a lot harder than normal. Hence why he was now getting shot at from every direction while his opponents were still nowhere in sight. Shouldve brought a shield, Celigarn muttered with a dim red glow. Stop talking, Noam replied as he hooked his swords. Your glows just revealing where I am. He let go of the left blade, throwing the two hooked blades upward, twirling his arm. He began spinning the blades above him like a whip or lasso just as the arrows arrived. The spinning blade deflected most of the arrows, providing valuable cover as Noam considered his next action. The goblins could clearly see him, even when he couldnt, so they had better darkvision, and most importantly, he thought as an arrow thudded just a few meters from him, they had to shoot upwards if they wanted to maintain that advantage. Shooting straight caused the arrows to fall just short. And secondly, he thought as his aura moved to his legs, they have a mage that outranges all of us. He suddenly blasted off, magnetizing the blades so that they wouldnt unlink from the sudden movement. An interesting thing with Swift Strike was that it was very generous with what is considered a strike, from speeding up a weapon attack, to his punches, to even something as say, striking the ground. Noams feet hit and pushed off the ground far faster than normal, he almost lost his balance at first, but he quickly adjusted. Moving like a blur, he sighted the goblin mage in mere moments. His blades trailing behind him in halberd mode, he appeared between all of them in the span of a breath. The goblin mage threw up her staff, but she was too late. Noam slammed a foot into the ground, rapidly breaking as he transitioned his furious momentum into a twirl. The halberd spun around with him, a bloody dance as a dozen bodies were cut in half. The eyes of the goblin mage stared uncomprehendingly, her severed torso weakly spasming as it fell to the ground. Her mind caught up to the fact that she was dead and her eyes slowly glazed over as Noam fell ass first to the ground, legs cramping from the aura use. He wiped some blood off his face, I think Ill call this move, Spinning Whirlwind. Redundant, Celigarn replied, its glow deepening as blood fell on it, a whirlwind already spins. I say, Bloody Whirlwind. Too edgy, Noam replied instantly, how does Ripper Whirlwind sound? The Whirlwind bit is too simple, how about Red Nights Waltz? Eh, too much of a mouthful, but well workshop it
Utoqa followed the pack of soft skins. These were smarter soft skins, wearing metal hide to make up for the fact they were soft skins. The small green hunters were prowling the location, flickering just outside his senses. The Batuaqu were smart hunters, far better at working as a pack than most packs hes seen. Utoqas seen a few exceptions, the hunters of his old tribe, the roving hives of the Hard Shelled, and the duo of the blue horned, loud soft skin and the mushroom wood skin. He heard the whistling of arrows and turned towards them. Arrows, he warned as he covered his eyes. The soft skins were slow, not noticing till an arrow took one in the eye. Panicking around him, they covered their heads, shields coming up in an instant. Where are they firing from!? the captain soft skin yelled. Utoqa knew the difference between a captain soft skin and a normal soft skin. Captain soft skins wore unnecessarily colorful hides and feathers. Probably a display of mating like the summer birds. There, Utoqa said, pointing towards the darkness. The soft skins really needed to better their senses. Utoqa was still baffled on how they survived as a tribe. Can you See them, Reginald!? Aye! one of the soft skins replied with glowing eyes, he raised a magic stick, the object glowing with blue fire before its energy escaped in three twisting arrows. They exploded above, creating bright orbs of light. Revealing the locations of the green skins. Volley! One time! Streaks of glowing arrows fired from their magic sticks. Obliterating the other pack. Utoqa cocked his head, perhaps they were not as bad as he thought. The captain soft skin turned around, How many charges do you all have left? One! the mage yelled. None left. My wands out. I still have one more Crafts which only have a set amount of usage, Utoqa was familiar with these, though he doubted he could Scavenge something worthwhile from their sticks. The soft skin called Reginald had interesting eyes however Do you have anything that can be used at range lizardfolk? Utoqa shook his head, a gesture of denial he learned, Nothing that can be used more than once. The soft skin tsked, We keep moving! Swap to your baton if your wand is used! Someone tend to Faleesi! Reginald, Lizardfolk, keep an eye out! They continued moving, though shortly Utoqa saw something ahead. Urrgh one of the soft skins ejected their stomach contents as they passed the bodies, what a waste. So this is what happened to the guards in the back Check if anyone is still alive! You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Utoqa doubted it. The bodies of soft skins and goblins alike were strewn around, the soft skins mostly had arrow wounds, hitting the chinks where their metal hide didnt cover, some blown off limbs that mightve been magic. The green skins, however Does your pack use swords? he asked, looking at a goblin body bisected in two. What? the soft skin captain said as they checked the wrist of a corpse, No, theyre too unwieldy on a train. We stick to short-range stuff. Then the soft skin with a heavy sword that wasnt heavy was nearby. One of the Plated was here, he tried to recall a name. Annoying that the soft skins used names that werent descriptive of them, like Utoqa, He That Thinks Too Much. Tai, he finally recalled. Are they the healer? No, the lizardfolk answered. That would be he paused, then pointed in front of them ...the green-haired one. Ahead of them, the soft skin with a heavy sword that wasnt heavy and the soft skin that was a healer of wounds slowly stepped out of a train carriage that was still standing. What the Darcy, Percy and Gavial, check the rest of the bodies! Rest of us go forward! Cautiously, they began moving in the dark. Utoqa looked around, and sensed two presences on the roof of the train carriage next to them, recognising them, he simply extended an arm as the two small mushrooms jumped off and landed on him. There were a few glances towards the wisps, but they were quickly gone as they recognised Dustins likeness in them. There they are! one of the mushrooms exclaimed as they crawled onto his shoulder. They slowed as they neared the duo. Celine had the cloak which had no smell covering her head, Tai held her weapons at rest, but Utoqa recognised the tautness of a predator before the strike. As he looked around them, he saw a short green skin standing at the entrance of the carriage, holding a blade to the throat of another soft skin. There are three more people inside, Celine said with a soft voice. Utoqa could see figures moving inside the carriage, this was one of the open ones, with seats to each side instead of rooms. There was a clattering sound even further back, and Utoqa sensed that the short hunters were moving things. The green skin with the blade spoke up in Common, its voice shrill and filled with malice. Take another step and he gets it! The soft skin captain tightly gripped her magic stick. Theyre robbing the train while holding us here Whats on the train that they could want? Tai quietly asked. Utoqa saw that her hand hadn''t moved from her sheathed weapon. Not sure, but definitely something big if they hired us on, the soft skin captain said, gesturing to their magic sticks. Anyone know a sleep spell? The soft skin who made the lights shook his head, No, fuck I knew I shouldve taken that elective. Celine shook her head as well, Nothing I can do. Wait, Tai said, didnt Dustin say he has a sleep spell? Celine turned towards him, more specifically the wisps, Yellow, Greenie, I need you to tell Dustin that we need him here
... need you to tell Dustin that we need him here An interesting bonus from Analyze, though sound wasnt transmitted through Observe, Analyze allowed me to essentially lip-read after a few initial failures. I probably cant lip read myself or things without a mouth due to obvious reasons, but for the more humanoid types, it was rather useful. Which gave me an annoying glimpse into the situation at the back. It appears that our friends are in quite the bind, I said to the two guards left here. What happened? one asked, Jannice was it? Jennice. Analyze supplied. What a useful ability. Hostages at the passenger carriage, I replied, goblins are holding them there on the threat of the hostages life. Cant move, cant fight, its a stalemate unless someone goes in and rescues them. Which I may be suited for. Utoqa had a sleep grenade in my finger, but it doesnt seem like hes mentioned it yet. Was he saving it for something? The man tsked, Then go, we can hold the place down here. You say your mushrooms explode? Yes, I answered, proximity sensors based on the mycelium webs you- I paused as three figures stepped into my vision. Three goblinoids, tall, straight backed and muscular, hobgoblins most likely, the evolved variant of goblins. One carried an ornate bow, pointed right at me, the other two melee weapons, I caught a sword and board before I was moved. An arrow embedded itself inside my shoulder, knocking me off balance as I fell down. Darren caught me and dragged me inside before another arrow thudded on the metal. Three hobgoblins just stepped inside my vision range, I explained, bow, sword and board and one other I couldnt catch. I See them, the woman said. I barely registered the brief hum of power. Theyre the fuckers who attacked the front of the train! Theyre just standing there, havent made another move. She flicked her wand, Do I shoot them? Not yet, I answered. This didnt make sense. Ive been giving them a chance to attack me but why only now? I asked. I was very literally a glowing target, why havent they moved in to kill me until that moment? Maybe theyre waiting till they gathered up? No, I replied, grabbing the arrow shaft, trying to pull it out, groaning slightly as I did, the attack itself is suspect, that was a bow user, theyve shown they could hit me from beyond my vision. Scoring more damage on me and without warning me like that. No, that shot wasnt meant to kill me. Are they still doing nothing? Aye, she replied, head just popped out the window. Then what the hell was it for? the man asked, grabbing the arrow and my shoulder, before yoinking it out, scattering some clotted blood. A warning, I said. One of them is a melee and he hasnt moved in yet. That attack wasnt meant to hurt me, but to- I paused as a thousand things went through my head. Genius, I said. What? the man asked, Theyre goblins, how smart could they- Shut the fuck up Darryl, I replied. My name is- That act wasnt meant to kill me, they dont intend to attack us at all, not until we make a move. What? The current situation is favorable to them, I said, so long as they keep the fighting forces in stalemate, they can get their real goal, the trains cargo. There are currently two major forces active on our side, the guardsmen who just joined up with Tai and Celine, and us. That action was meant to tell us that if we move, then they will attack us once were outside of our defenses, or breach and kill the passengers here while no one is defending them. Forcibly stalemating us. I doubted my ability to face off against three hobgoblins, even if I was could reasonably damage all of them, their combined disruption and the innate teamwork present in all goblinoids, combined with the fact I would not be playing from my strengths, meant a straight fight would be disadvantageous to me. Im not sure how having two others on my side would help this, but their stats werent that much better than Noams, indicating low level, with them Id say the fight was a coin flip. But why did they opt for revealing themselves? If they knew we would be moving, then they could take us out en-route without warning, avoiding this song and dance. Unless There is good news, I said, I believe they doubt their ability to take us out in a straight fight, or dont want to risk themselves. Huh? You two are trained guardsmen, correct? The man nodded, Yeah, but we mostly deal with unruly passengers and citizens. Fighting against monsters is technically out of our job description. Their mage was taken out and rather easily too by a single person, so there is a good chance theyre wary of our combatants. They dont know our abilities, so instead of risking themselves to find out, they want to drag this out until they fulfill their objective anyway. They win the long game, so long as their goblins move the cargo, then their objective is complete. Risking goblins in fighting was something they would much rather avoid. However, that bodes ill for the hostages, I said. The green skins will kidnap them wont they? the man asked, To make sure we dont throw a counter-attack on them? Not sure, I replied, I believe they will, but will release them somewhere to divert the inevitable rescue op. The woman, who had been quietly listening up till now, spoke up, Then is there anything we could do- Ahh! The other guard dragged her down, just as I stood up, a Rot Sporage in my hand- False alarm, she hurriedly muttered, sorry for that The wind picked and I was surprised. The man tsked, Fuck, you had us worried! Wind Shit! I poked my head out of the carriage, breathing a sigh of relief as I saw that the hobgoblins hadn''t moved. They havent realized that I just lost an advantage. Not yet. Is there still anything we could do? the guard continued. I shook my head, Unless either of you has a Message spell, I can only think of moving by their plans. My best estimate is that a fight with all three of us would be a coin flip, one side has to resolve the stalemate to move to help the other- I paused as someone appeared near the hostage group. Oh. Nevermind then," I said, We don''t have to worry about that side anymore. Noam just joined the guard squad. 5.11 5.11 You may have outsmarted me, BUT I OUTSMARTED YOUR OUTSMARTING!! - Astrologist Joseph, during a battle with the True Vampire Aizi Desi. So thats the situation Noam muttered as he put away his swords. His fingers drummed the hilt of Celigarn and the wand he appropriated, Utoqa, you have Dustins finger do you not? Some heads turned towards him. I do, he simply answered. And youre not going to use it to save em? he said, gesturing to the carriage. There were a few crossed brows directed towards Utoqa when he asked that, but the lizardfolk was unmoved. I see no reason to save them. Ah, that sparked some anger. It was like Decs but with none of his already lacking tact. Noam shrugged, Thats fine, some eyes turned towards him, eyes that said, of course hes like that. I wont need it to save em, Noam simply said to those glares. How do you plan on doing it? Tai asked. We take them all out quickly, before any of them can realize and harm their hostage, he replied, drawing Celigarn and the wand. Which one of you made the light balls earlier? A man stepped forward, I did. Can you make another one? he asked as he looked over his weapons. Celigarn was vibrating slightly, not an issue and he did seem rather shy around other people. Where? Inside the carriage, he replied. Needs to be bright, sudden and unexpected, blind their eyes then move in while they still cant see. There were six goblins inside and three hostages in total, each held at knifepoint. One goblin was still staring warily at them. The wand had just enough ammo for them. I can do it, the man replied after some thinking. But they might catch me and off them anyways. Someone offer a distraction for him as well, Noam said. I can handle that, the guard captain replied, I can pretend to negotiate with the bastards. Ill go with you, Tai said, her own hand tightly gripping her still sheathed sword. Noams eyes lingered on her hand for a bit, calloused and tanned, but not in an artificial way. The way her hands were made Noam think she spent years just swinging a sword under the blazing sun. Briefly, he fantasized a fight between the two of them, exchanging blows, showing their skills and tricks until one of them ran out he shook his head, You too Utoqa, youre intimidating as hell so theyre gonna be focused on you if you move. The lizardfolk nodded, that was another one who would be hard to crack. Noam didnt think he could seriously harm him unless he used his heaviest attacks, while just one hit from his tomahawk could seriously wound him The thought was enough to make him smirk slightly, drawing some strange glances. Now then, he started, doing a final check on his weapons. Let''s do some heroics.
Its starting, I said. I climbed out the window, sitting on the upturned side of the carriage. Staring at the three hobgoblins. Each returned my stare, that was, until another goblin breached the edge of my vision, speaking in hurried tones that I, unfortunately, couldnt catch. Too far, the lips were too indistinct for me to Analyze anything, but the results were obvious. The hobgoblins prepared to move, taking one last look at me. I smiled and raised my hand, My pieces are better than yours. The wind blew in an eastern direction, towards the back of the carriage. It was an advantage lost because the wind was strong enough to blow away my spores when I cast them, thus rendering my Sporages almost useless if detonated early. But it was also an advantage gained. From my hand, I began casting Light Spores, the glowing spores left my hand, carried by the wind and were gone almost immediately, fading into the dark. Then I cast it again. And again. And again. And again. The hobgoblins eyes widened as they saw the trail of softly glowing light exiting my hand and towards the back of the train. Lighting up the guard group as it traveled, carried by the wind until it reached the back of the train. Dispersed everywhere by the wind, revealing hidden troops of goblins standing in the dark. There had to be at least eighty. The threat was clear. Their advantage of darkvision would be lost so long as I remained. They no longer won the long game. The sword and board hobgoblin smacked the bow hobgoblin, who hurriedly began aiming at me, before getting smacked again. His sword pointed towards my mushrooms. The bow was quickly readjusted and the arrow was loosed, slamming into a cluster of my mushrooms. They quickly burst, but the wind swept the sneezing and poison spores away harmlessly. Now make your decision. Assist the goblins with the hostages or take me out. The decision was obvious, were they smart enough to make it? Which of our bluffs will win? An order by the lead hobgoblin, the third hobgoblin who carried a hammer and shield ran away and disappeared into the night. The remaining two, a bow and the sword and board, readied their weapons. A word yelled by the lead hobgoblin, and a volley of arrows soon came, detonating the numerous sporages I had made, encasing the carriage in swiftly dispersing mist. A few arrows hit me but didnt make it through my armor. They slowly moved in to attack. My smile widened as I whispered, Mistake.
Noam quietly leapt onto the top of the carriage next to the prisoner one. His job was a bit harder given that goblins could see in the dark, but as the distraction trio moved forward, he saw eyes look away and turn towards them. Another advantage gained as he ghosted his way over. Celigarn was silent, but Noam could feel it vibrate with the anticipation of violence. Shh he let himself quietly say, if all goes well then you wont be needed. There was a thrum of disappointment, but Noam didnt mind. In his other hand, he clutched the wand, the spell was called Force Missile, six whole charges. Hes already tested it a few times in Gaia beforehand and it was enough to blow holes through concrete, old concrete but concrete nonetheless. Landing on the package as the distraction did their job, he twisted the bronze ring attached to the wand, tightening it and lowering the blast radius of the magic. Shots no larger than a pencil was all he needed. Now, he whispered to Celigarn, whose glow suddenly deepened. Reginald, who had his eyes glued to the top of the carriage, threw his hand forward. A spell he had been weaving behind his back coming into fruition. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Noam closed his eyes, then vaulted himself under, shattering the glass with his legs. Numerous shards lacerated his body, but he wasnt paying attention to that. Three goblins to his right, two with hostages. He fired two shots, each hitting a goblin between the eyes, then with an aura empowered jump reached and slashed the throat of the third. Movement to the back right, swapping Celigarn to an underhand grip, he stabbed behind him. Impaling the goblin by the chest. Four down. He turned, pulling the two hostages and jumping behind a chair. The last goblin was backed to a corner at the end of the train, Tai flicking off the blood of the fifth of her blade. The remainder was screaming something, head darting back and forth as it used the last hostage as a shield. One wrong shot and they could harm the hostage, or the goblin would slash her throat. The heads of both goblin and hostage were erratic, constantly moving and shifting between each other as they panicked in fear. A few centimeters in the wrong direction and the girl would be dead. He wielded a weapon he was untrained and unused with. A lesser, arguably smarter man wouldnt have taken the shot. But this was Matt Nguyen. A person neither stupid nor sensible. Hand steady, mind focused, a bloody red hole appeared where the creatures left eye was, a second dot in its neck. Crimson blood spraying from the wounds as it fell back. The hostage girl simply stood there in panic, not even realizing her captor was dead as she screamed. Tai went to help the girl and Noam let out a deep breath, allowing himself to focus back into the present. How many seconds did that take? Five? Three? Dustin was always the better timekeeper. As he rose, he realized the hand holding Celigarn was empty, slick with blood, it mustve slipped out without his notice. A quick glance around found the dagger embedded in the goblin. He tsked and went to grab it- Ahh Fuck yeah Oh yeahhh He heard the low moaning sounds and voices the dagger made as he neared it. What the fuck Celi? Hmm? Celine poked her head in. Not you! Celigarn! he corrected, What the fuck are you doing to that corpse!? I havent been used in centuries! Just give me this moment! Oh my god are you Noam grabbed the dagger and hurriedly pulled it out. Noooooo! the blade yelled as its eye flashed red. What the fuck!? Do you know the last time it was when I touched blood? The last time I was this moist? I havent been this wet and deep in someone in centuries! You were fucking humping the corpse of the dude I killed!? And you have a problem with that!? the dagger yelled back, You enjoy murdering things just as I do! At least Im not weird about it! Dont kinkshame me! I thought you were a fellow entity of culture! Why do you think I picked you!? I dont do it because of a weird fucking sex thing! Have you even seen people fucking? Its all wet and sweaty and gross and no one is satisfied in the end! Look! Some people have their tastes and some weapons have their own tastes and- Noam shoved the dagger into its sheath and threw a random cloth over it, muffling it somewhat. Never using him again he quietly muttered. Turning around, he saw the silent and desperately neutral faces of the audience. Anyways, lets move on from this moment. At least three people looked like they wanted to bleach either their eyes or ears or both of the events that just occurred, so his suggestion was well received as they all silently filtered out of the carriage. Hostages in tow, looking conflicted as they pondered whether or not they should be thankful for the rescue or avoid their rescuer like a plague. As they got out though, the guard captain snapped to action, gathering the rest to action. We need to earn our paychecks! Move out to clear the rest of the train! she yelled. Reginald, how many light balls can you make? The mage shook his head, sweat dripping from his brow, That was my last. She tsked. Healer! she yelled, causing Celine to yelp, Do you know light spells? She nodded hurriedly and Noam noticed she had her hands on his doll, numerous stitches were all over it. So thats what happened to the glass cuts. I do, she began, but I doubt I can cover the- At that moment, Noam sighted a lazy, billowing cloud of glowing spores that was pulled by the wind and flew over them. Cracking a smile, Noam said, Doesnt matter, we just need to start finishing them.
In the end, they made the mistake of attacking, I muttered disappointedly. Can you not say that while were still under fire!? the man yelled, Darcy was it? As numerous arrows thudded into the carriage. The sword and board hobgoblin was running in while cover was sustained by a group of bows. They probably want to keep us down until the sword and board gets near and finishes us off. And do you have a solution for that!? the woman yelled as an arrow dinged off her helmet. Well Im already preparing arent I? I said as I planted another sporage. The sound of arrows stopped, and there were numerous thudding sounds on the top of the carriage, followed by one heavier mass. Both of you get down. They did, just as numerous sporages detonated around us. They got most of the sporages outside, but not inside. Manavision was also truly broken, now that I was able to perceive everything within a certain radius of myself, I could activate my line-of-sight sporages much more easily. Lots of sneezing sounded above, shame I couldnt use the mana on more damaging options, but anymore wouldve been overkill. Raising a hand, I cast a single Poison Spores directly out the window. Sneezing turned to screaming, just as something jumped in. Now. The two guards slammed their batons into the knees of the goblin, knocking it down. Where was the hobgoblin? The glass above me broke, I cast Shillelagh just as the hobgoblin jumped on me. A sword meant for my face was deflected by my enhanced staff, the hobgoblin fell off, rolling away before shifting in a defensive stance. That was a mistake on my part, I still wasnt used to Manavision no matter how natural it felt. I literally shouldve seen that coming. The female guard had her wand up, Magic Missiles flew from it, but they were deflected by the shield. We were in a bad position, I was in front while the guards were behind me. In this enclosed space the hobgoblin could take us one by one. Shillelagh was still up, I went for an upward swing, but his shield was faster. His other hand moved, blade darting like a snake, stabbing into me and forcing me back. I spat acid onto him, burning through his shield and dripping onto his arm. The hobgoblin forcefully disengaged, kicking me back further, just as another volley of Magic Missiles slammed directly into him. He felt it this time, the magic forcing him back a step, but a smile was on his face. I turned, a bit too late just as another goblin jumped down onto the head of the female guard, a crude knife slitting her throat before the other guard smashed its skull in with a baton. All the while screaming. Get her into a room! I yelled as I stepped back towards them, my main eye still on the hobgoblin who readied his sword. I cast Balm Spores onto her neck, but it wouldnt be enough, Pain pain go away, the hobgoblin charged me and I barely stopped it with my empowered staff. Rain leave for next day, he pushed, forcing me back, my strength was not enough. Now feel the numbness, the spell was weaved and my staff glowed. Bring Fix-Up-Fungus! The man dragged his comrade into an empty room, just as a glowing green mushroom puffed out healing spores inside. Slamming the door behind him, he held the bleeding wound with one hand, the other trying to catch the errant spores and sprinkle them on her. An arcane lock shielding them. A punch came and knocked me over. The hobgoblin was over me and his sword prepared to drop. Rot Spores. The purple sporage on my chest burst, the hobgoblin screamed and backed away as black rot gnawed hungrily at his legs. He threw away his sword, tearing at his legs, trying to get the black rot off, but all it achieved was getting it on his fingers. I raised myself up, wincing as my Bracken Polypores fell away, too close ranged, and I lost my concentration on Bark Skin to cast the Fix-Up-Fungus. Already I felt myself getting eaten away, I couldnt stay here for long. Another goblin jumped in, before screaming as it saw its flesh undergo necrosis the moment it touched the purple spores. It died long before it fell on the ground. The hobgoblin wasnt doing much better, collapsed onto the ground, bits of white bone revealed under the black rotting flesh of his legs, his extremities already gone. You made a bad call, I simply said. He weakly snarled at me, it likely hurt him to even breathe right now. Lungs had so much surface area after all, but still, his mouth moved in spite. Slaver he accused, Stealer of faces I did the mercy kill before hauling myself out of the carriage. Nothing can enter there for a while. The passengers and the guards will be safe for the time being so long as there were no leaks. Unfortunately for me, with the wiping of the entire attacking goblin squad, theyve learnt to keep their distance. I was forced to step back as an arrow thudded into my flesh. No longer bothering to be in sight range eh? I tried to get my Bracken Polypores to regrow, but I hadnt eaten breakfast yet. My stomach was empty and they refused to grow. More arrows, I took several dozen, knocking me down, only skin deep thankfully. Rolling off the carriage, I fell behind where the actual roof is, their line of sight was broken on me. They had already lost. I just needed to buy time, the light was a bluff because even if I lit up the majority of the battlefield, I couldnt control where the wind went. It could just as easily turn on me and ruin the plan. No, using it to win the battle was ultimately a gamble, the true reason was a distraction, so they wouldnt focus on dealing with the rescue group at the end of the carriage. Their attempt to divide and conquer us failed the moment a superior force gathered and began systematically wiping them out. Soon enough, the volley of arrows stopped. A horn was blown and I saw a mass retreat from everyones eyes, just as the sun began to rise. No protection and riddled with arrows, I simply sat there, leaning next to the train roof as the sunlight made me lose consciousness. Bonus Interlude: Raid Bonus Interlude: Raid If it has a HP bar then we can kill it! - Unknown. Typo breathed in fresh, almost alien air. It was strange, something he never got used to, even if this was what clean air should feel like. Ahead, Hador raised a hand and the group stopped. Visual? Hador nodded, Summon spotted the boss, god he is ugly. Ray shook her head beside him, muttering under her breath as she stared at the mud on her shoes, This better be worth it VT said this guy hasnt been beaten yet, Typo replied, Five other raids have tried it, including a group with Master Hand. Shit, Orimaru replied, judging by the blue hair they were a he at the moment, Hand couldnt beat it? Not yet at least, Typo replied. Probably because she was playing with a random group instead of her usual raiding team, but we have a chance to get First until she organises. Our levels are all over the damn place Azazzazel complained, Is three even enough? Thats the first power spike, KR replied, this system is closer to tabletop, so three is already high low level. Lets hurry up! Hector complained, lets see if this game has raids worth challenging! Buff up first Hector, Steak chided. He cast his own buff, Bless. A swarm of ethereal spiders left Steaks mouth and crawled onto three other players. Gaargh I can never get used to that. Fuck just looking at it is creepy. Shut up and buff, Typo muttered. Though internally, he wiped his brow. Path of Arachnoids huh Azazzezel grumbled, Reactive Barrier. We can do this! Yall are awesome at this stuff! Motes of colourful musical notes and words left Soras mouth and began orbiting everyone. Bless, Ray cast her Bless on three other targets. Bark Skin, both Blue Planet and Franklin cast on Hector and MasterBaiter respectively. All done? Typo looked around. Yeap. Yeh. Why the fuck did you pick spiders Steak? Mmhmm. Then open the door.
Twenty people slowly streamed into the ancient sports stadium. The roof had long collapsed, revealing the twinkling stars. A full moon shone above and as the last stepped in, the door slammed behind them. Rude, Ray muttered. The boss, a single figure, even far away it appeared towering. Clad in heavy crimson armour with a helmet reminiscent of some kind of tiger. He stared at them, before crossing its arms. The boss held no weapon. Modagon, Guardian of the First Gate awaited their move. Why do I feel like its sassing us? Everyone in position, Typo ordered. Quiet nods and acknowledgements all around, this wasnt their first rodeo. Everyone had their own roles. Everyone got into position, spread out in case of an AOE, but just in range of all the healers and support, movement that was almost instinctive. Hector, Typo said. On it, the dwarf replied as he stepped forward, nearing the boss. This will be hard without HP bars or a UI Shut up Azazzazel. Hector Gracht made the first attack, the scene of a short dwarf in plate armour swinging a tiny warhammer almost comical next to the towering boss. The boss uncrossed its arms and caught Hectors hammer by its head, slapping it away. Snorting as if unimpressed. Ok, now that asshole is definitely sassing us. Does aggro even work? Most A.I. here seems to be on another level. Hector maybe pick a race with a few more inches next time. Typo shook his head, Fine, everyone, attack. The response was instant. Twenty players, all spread out, unleashed their attacks. Spells, arrows, bolts, swords, daggers, name it, it was there. Modagon, Guardian of the First Gate, scoffed as if insulted by the quality of the attacks that slammed ineffectively against its armour. An armoured hand caught Orimarus katana, throwing her into Faustus just as the other hand blocked a blow by MasterBaiter. Party one! Continue frontlining! Party two stay close and DPS! Four stay at range! All the meanwhile, Typo continued to shout orders, Party three support the DPSers and stay back! The raid boss blocked a blow by Highlander, throwing him back, suddenly, it entered a stance, energy coalesced around it as its hands were in the air as if holding a weapon. Watch out! Azazzazel yelled, Unknown attack coming! A massive axe formed in the hands of the boss. Power dripped from it like molasses as he held it horizontally. With a great heave, the boss swung its weapon! The axe slammed into all the adjacent melee attackers, a blue barrier appeared around each of them as Azazzazels Reactive Barriers came up, but they cracked as the players were thrown away. Even the ranged players had to brace as the wind whipped at them. Status! Typo yelled, the dust of the attack not even settling yet. Six people hit! Two in critical condition, no instant kills! Hador yelled, Starting the count! One! Texas coughed out blood, Fuck On the other side of the battlefield, Orimaru was helped up by Steak, her red hair turned blue as he started healing himself. Two! Strengthen forward buffs! Typo yelled. Unknown debuff on everyone hit by the attack! Azazzazel yelled, gesturing at a film of something that looked like clear, cracked plastic that covered the armour and clothing of those struck by it. It was on Hector, Texas, Orimaru, Spotter, Faustus and Highlander. Three! I have to tank! Hector yelled as he stepped forward, shield up just as the boss went for another heavy swing. Fortress Stance! There was a brutal and massive clash of metal as steel met steel, yet Hector remained Unbroken even as the sheer power forced him to the side, his feet leaving deep gouges in the dirt. But, the clear plastic thing on Hectors body shattered and there were screams across the stadium. As all the players with the same clear film were attacked by an invisible force. Ori just took heavy damage! Steak yelled as spiders streamed from his eyes, covering his hands as he cast Cure Wounds on him. Texas is dead! Blue Planet yelled. Azazzazels eyes widened, Echo effect! Dont let him hit another player with the debuff or everyone else with it also takes damage! Ray! Typo yelled as he fired another shot. On it! the healer replied as she started running towards the body. BP take front healing until Ray finish rezing! Got it! the cactorian yelled. He raised his arms and the mote of Inspiration floating around him was burned. Cure Wounds! He fired spikes straight into Hector as he winced from taking another attack. Thanks! Ray made it to Texass corpse, just before her body started fading to light, muttering slightly, she pulled out a Faux Diamond, Revivify. The fake diamond crumbled to dust as Texas breathed once more. What the- That was five-hundred gold asshole! Ray yelled as she put her hands on Texas and began healing. Fifteen! Are the debuffs running out!? Typo yelled. Not yet! They might only go off if you get directly hit! Azazzazel yelled back, his brow sweating as he cast Barrier after Barrier onto Hector. I cant hold this for long! Hector yelled as he was pushed back another step. Typo tsked, MasterBaiter switch! Texas can you tank a blow by that guy!? We need to pop the debuff starting with the lowest def! Got it Texas muttered as Ray pulled her up. Order of Texas, Highlander, Faustus, Blue Orimaru then Spotter! Typo yelled. Shielding! Guardian Ward! Azazzazel yelled as glowing barriers appeared on all of them. Thirty-two! Heal pet is up! KR yelled as a glowing bunny appeared nearby. MasterBaiter grimaced as a blow threw him back, his shield had a noticeable dent in it. Move in! Texas jumped in, the blue shield a protective bubble as the massive axe slammed into her. Knocking her far. The shields of all the other debuffed targets strained but held. Debuff removed! Texas yelled, just as KRs heal bunny latched itself onto her leg, healing energy mending the numerous cuts and bruises on her. Hector moved forward, halting the boss''s advance towards Texas, Highlander youre next! On it! the fighter yelled. Two axes in hand, he rushed the boss from behind as Hector tanked another blow. Just as he neared it however, the boss changed its attack pattern, a heavy swing all around it, hitting both Hector and Highlander. Though Hector held, Highlander was knocked back and his debuff popped. Normal attacks can AOE! Ray yelled as she cast Healing Word to the damaged targets. No shit! Fifty-three! Your turn Faustus! The tiefling monk rushed in, but as he did so, the boss''s axe began to glow and dripped with energy. Fifty-eight! Be careful! Typo yelled, Move back and avoid the attack! Modagon spun the axe in his hand as the players moved back. Wait! Azazzazel yelled, This is a different animation- The axe turned into a sceptre and Modagon raised it high. Crackling with thunderous energy, it shot into the sky and nine bolts of powerful energy came down. AOE Attack- Thunder fell from the sky and struck eight people. MasterBaiters Bark Skin shattered as Franklin lost concentration, Davy Javy was forced out of his portal, spiders fizzled out of Steaks body as he fell to the ground, Texas, barely surviving the last attack was killed again, KR fell to the ground, but managed to keep concentration on the healing bunny, Sora, all the way at the back crashed down, her voice silenced as she killed by two thunderbolts, Blue Planet shrugged off the attack, his cactus body scorched but still functional, raising spiked hands in defiance. The worst loss was when numerous blue barriers winked out as Azazzazel lost concentration on all of them. Status! Eight people hit! Two- no three instant kills! Hador hurriedly corrected as he sensed Steak falling down dead. Ability occurred sixty seconds after the first! Resuming count! One! Typo gritted his teeth, Lower DPS! Focus on raising and healing! Ray! I cant get all three! she yelled, Revivifys time limit was ten seconds. Already, she was raising Texas, but she could only get one other at best. Go for Sora! Typo yelled, a decision made at the split second. Team three focus on healing once Sora is back! Keep multiple tanks on him! Party one was most unhurt by that attack, but theyve been tanking the bosses blows since the start. Party three lost Sora, but she was quickly revived and begun singing once again. Party four took some damage, but they were still in the back. The worst-hit was his Party two, who lost two people from that, both Steak and Texas. Though Texas was grumbling as she came back to life, she was on minimum health. Eight! Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Party four move in and assist Party one! Finally nyan! Nyanta yelled, rushing in with his twin rapiers. Though melees were harassing the boss as parried blow after blow with its staff, the head of the sceptre, a glowing blue gem, always remained up top. Energy coalesced at the tip of the sceptre as it shot over the heads of the melees and slammed into Beth, she barely managed to block it with her arm but all that achieved was blasting her arms off along with her head. Fuck! Im down here you asshole! Hector yelled as he slammed his hammer into the bosses leg, managing to force it to a knee. Behind it, Faustus fist knocked his head aside. Do I revive Beth!? How many Faux do you have left!? Typo yelled back. Only two! Typo gritted his teeth, Get her! They would need Beth if adds started appearing. Davy Javy grabbed Rays arm, Fae Walk! and both appeared by Beths corpse. The boss was slower now, getting beaten up by the melees, was that its gimmick? It swapped between modes devastating melees and ranged enemies? Forty-nine! The sceptre blocked a blow by Orimaru, just as Faustus tried to kick the bosses knees in, but a glowing beam shot out and impacted Faustus. The debuff from the axe attack on Faustus cracked and disappeared. But so did Orimarus and Spotter''s. Three additional shots blasted out of the sceptres glowing gem, each accurately striking Faustuss head, together blowing it clean off. Fuck! Both Steak and Faustus were down, Save the Faux! Typo yelled. A monk on the field wouldnt help that much, they needed to save the last revive. Fifty-five! Prepare for a mode change! Hador yelled as the boss began spinning its sceptre. Everyone move back! Typo yelled, if it was swapping back to the axe stance then they needed to keep at range to avoid its attack. The sceptre transformed into a shield. A mirror was on its face, so clear that Typo could see his reflection on it. Around the boss, numerous glowing lights solidified into vaguely humanoid shapes, each seemingly made of soft glowing light. Each wielding a pike weapon. Twelve adds! Hador yelled. Spotter draw the adds! Team four finish them off! Beth! Typo yelled as he drew a new arrow. The gnome wizard smiled, mana dripped from her arms and solidified into a glowing blue substance almost like playdough. Beth cackled madly as she threw clumps of it at the gathered mob. The solidified mana landed on the adds, sticking to them, before exploding. The resulting explosion billowed smoke and fire as the melees jumped back. When the smoke dispersed, the adds were noticeably less solid, and the damage on the boss was apparent. Numerous scars marred its armour and blood flowed from several gaps. Nyanta! The tabaxi ran forward, flanked by Highlander and Spotter. Left most! Typo yelled as he fired an arrow towards the add, numerous other attacks followed, including Nyantas and Highlanders. The first add fell, but as it dispersed, its light flowed like dust into the bosses shield, scars and scratches on its armour began to heal. Boss is regening! Azazzazel yelled, a cleaned mana potion in his hand. Eight! Something else is happening nyan! The shield was shining, becoming brighter and before light seemed to explode out. Typo managed to cover his eyes, but he was still blinded, as was everyone there. Fuck I cant see! Where the fuck is the- AAAGHHH- Highlanders voice turned to screams as hacking sounds were heard. Typo finally regained his sight, to see the adds surrounding Highlanders butchered body. One kill! Twelve! If killing one causes a flash then take them all out at once! Typo yelled, Team four focus on the adds! No need to tell me twice nyan! Nyanta yelled as he weaved in between the adds, Midnight Cats Waltz! With movement almost like a dance, he slashed at all of them, attention on him, he retreated to draw them away from the main boss. MORE BOMBS! Beth cackled as she threw clumps of explosive mana. Twenty-eight! They had three down now while the enemy was eleven up, but the boss was focused on defence now. Standing in the same spot as it blocked attack after attack with its shield. Team four mangled the adds, making sure to not kill any of them as the rest of them fired upon the boss. Fifty! Hador yelled. Prepare for another change! Were not done with the adds- The boss began spinning its shield in the air, even before they saw it turning into an axe they were already out of range. The massive axe swung again, this time hitting nothing but the adds that surrounded it. Zero hits! No instant kills- But before Hador could even finish, the adds that were struck by that devastating axe attack were covered by that strange debuff that looked like cracked plastic, before they each raised their pikes high above their heads. Every one of the glowing humanoids repeated the devastating spinning attack. The melees who were fighting them were wiped in an instant as AOE attacks overlapped. - Three instant kills! Only Hector and Spotter survived the attack, but both were in horrific condition. Hurry up and heal them back- Typo didnt even finish before the glowing humanoids raised their pikes above them again. This time, there were no survivors. ... Two killed. We have no more frontliners, Hador announced, his voice the final nail in the coffin. Wipe, Typo muttered in disappointment, yet his hand still tightly clutched his bow. But well still go out with a bang! Beth yelled.
Typo respawned back at the entrance of the stadium, his friends already there. They managed to take out three more adds, without the shield they didnt have to worry about being blinded, but the boss went through them like wet tissue paper. Blue Planet was still alive when he died, but the cactus appeared next to him shortly. His friends sat around on the stairs but rather than the deep listlessness expected of the defeated, they were instead alive with discussion. What the hell was that last attack? Axe mode seemed to chain off the adds Must be a combo interaction, something similar happened when Faustus was one-shot No-one revived me! I couldnt give a Faux We were too conservative with skills Typo sat there as well, playing over the events of the battle constantly in his mind. They felt no defeat, they felt no despair. Instead, they simply sat and discussed everything that happened. Dissecting every moment for clues and behaviour patterns of the boss, because this was their way. They were a bunch of idiots who enjoyed playing and beating bosses. And as Typo looked around, he realised that they were discussing the battle with far greater intensity than they usually did. And he realised, it was because they glimpsed how they could beat the boss. Unlike in Yggdrasil, were the developers were scraping so many feet under the bottom of the barrel that they just implemented unskillful raid wipe mechanics to stem the mad flow players just a bit more, they saw a raid that was difficult not because it was designed to be impossible, but because it was beatable whilst retaining difficulty. And they would keep trying, for they were people that would gladly bash their skulls into a brick wall until the wall gave or they did. They were the Emerald Swords and they enjoyed the game.
The Raid Teams: Party 1: Tank Team Hector Gracht, Level 5 Dwarf Fighter
  • Path: Unbroken
  • Main Tank, tasked with holding the most amount of Aggro
MasterBaiter, Level 4 Human Fighter
  • Path: Gladiator
  • Rounded Fighter, mainly focuses on Support but could act as off-tank if necessary
Ray, Level 4 Elf Cleric
  • Path: Martyr
  • Main Healer and only person with the Revivify spell
Azazzazel, Level 3 Human Wizard
  • Path: Abjuration
  • Main Support and Secondary Analyst, tasked with support damage mitigation
Legolee!, Level 4 Elf Ranger
  • Path: Snipe
  • Party 1 Ranged DPS, rounds Part 1 out
Party 2: Main DPS Team Tpyo, Level 5 Elf Ranger
  • Path: Hunter
  • Ranged DPS and Main Shotcaller. Raid Leader
Orimaru, Level 4 Hengeyokai Samurai
  • Path: Parallel
  • Rounded Melee, can swap between damage and defensive forms
Hador, Level 3 Gnome Ranger
  • Path: Pack
  • Primary Analyst, Pack allows him to keep track of the health of all other Raid members
United Steaks of Australia, Level 4 Human Cleric
  • Path: Arachnoid
  • Swarm Support, healer and DPS
Texas, Level 3 Elf Rogue
  • Path: Swashbuckler
  • Glass Cannon Melee DPS
Party 3: Mobile Support Team Blue Planet, Level 3 Cactorian Druid
  • Path: Spike
  • Mixed Support, both Healer and DPS
Spotter, Level 5 Human Fighter
  • Path: Guardian
  • Tank, backup if everyone else falls
Sora Sora Sora! ~<3, Level 4 Beastkin Bard
  • Path: Idol
  • Backline support, provides Inspiration
Faustus, Level 4 Tiefling Monk
  • Path: Wanderer
  • Utility DPS/Off-Tank
KR, Level 3 Elf Wizard
  • Path: Conjuration
  • Utility Support with Summons
Party 4: Secondary DPS Team/Mob Clear Team Nyanta, Level 4 Tabaxi Swashbuckler
  • Path: Waltz
  • Glass Cannon Combo DPS
Highlander, Level 3 Dwarf Fighter
  • Path: Highlander
  • Melee Fighter/Off-Tank
Beth Omni Othira Marsten, Level 5 Gnome Wizard
  • Path: Boom
  • AOE Damage Clears and Cover
Davy Javy, Level 3 Elf Ranger
  • Path: Feywalker
  • Most Mobile Raid Member, flits around the battle
Franklin, Level 3 Dwarf Wizard
  • Path: Transmutation
  • Utility Support with Buffs
Faux Diamond (Gaia) An item that can act as a substitute for a diamond for the purposes of resurrecting Travellers in Gaia. Will not work in a resurrection spell cast on a Non-Traveller or in places other than Gaia. 500 Gold.
Modagon Guardian of the First Gate (Raid Level Boss) Modagon the Guardian of First Gate (Raid Level Boss) Bonus Interlude Boss Class: Champion Fighter Level 6 Stats: Body Strength: 20 Agility: 15 Dexterity: 15 Constitution: 45 Stamina: - Vitality: 20 Mind Intelligence: 20 Wisdom: 20 Charisma: 15 Soul Will: 15 Psyche: 20 Perception: 15 Traits: Martial Adept: This creature is a martial combatant. Magic Adept: This creature is a magical combatant. Combo: This creature has abilities that can synergise to create powerful effects. Honourable: This creature allows its opponents the first move. Ruthless: This creature will target downed opponents and finish them off when given the chance. Stance: This creature changes between different combat stances after certain conditions are fulfilled. Hidden Traits: Executioner: This creature has abilities that may instantly kill opponents. Enrage: This creature enters a new phase after certain conditions are met. Basic Combat: Stances: Modagon possesses three stances, Cleave, Thunder, Mirror, he swaps to the next stance every 60 seconds. Armour of the Broken Beast: Modagon wears full plate heavy armour, as such he has the following resistances:
  • Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing
Raid Boss Durability: Modagon is a Raid Boss of Gaia, as such, it has blessed durability. Its CON has been raised beyond its effective level and for the purposes of Resisting Conditions and Debuffs, Modagon has Advantage on DC saves and an effective 20 in all Saves. Cleave Weapon (Executioners Axe): An axe that deals physical damage. This attack hits all enemies within a metre of the original target, the more enemies hit with a single attack, the higher the Critical Threat Range. Cleave: Upon entering this stance, Modagon cleaves in a circle around him, hitting all creatures within 5 metres of him. Every creature hit by this attack has a stack of Cleaved applied to them.
  • Cleaved: When Modagon attacks a creature with a stack of Cleave, he consumes that stack and additionally deals that damage to all other Cleaved targets.
Mirroring Cleave: Reflections are not damaged by Cleave, but, if a Reflection is hit by a Cleave, they will repeat the Cleave attack and gain the Cleaved status effect. Thunder: Weapon (Storm Sceptre): An sceptre that deals high mixed thunder, electrical and force damage to single targets. Deals more damage the further the target is. Thunder: Upon entering this stance, for every 2 enemies not within 5 metres to Modagon, a powerful thunderbolt strikes a random enemy that is not within 5 metres of Modagon, dealing massive damage. Then every creature not within 5 metres of Modagon gains a Thundered stack.
  • Thundered: When Modagon attacks a creature with a stack of Thundered, the damage is increased for each other enemy with Thundered.
Cleaving Thunder: Sceptre attacks trigger Cleaved stacks on enemies, however, Sceptre attacks consumes all Cleaved stacks and repeats the damage on the original target for each Cleaved stack consumed. Mirror: Weapon (Reflection Shield): A shield that greatly boosts Modagons Armour Class. Every time Modagon is healed, Reflection Shield will let out a burst of light, healing all allied creatures by the same amount and dealing low but increasing radiant damage based on how much he was healed, as well as blinding all nearby. Mirror: Upon entering this stance, every unique enemy that attacked Modagon during Thunder stance will summon a Mirrored near Modagon.
  • Mirrored: A medium-sized melee creature with moderate stats, upon death, it heals Modagon by a small amount.
Thundering Mirror: When a Mirrored triggers a Thundered stack, another Mirrored is summoned. Shattered: Broken Beast: At 25% HP, Modagons armour breaks and he is locked into his current Stance, he gains new abilities depending on the Stance. Shattering Cleave: This ability was never identified or used in combat.
  • Cleaving Storm: This ability was never identified or used in combat.
  • Parting Seas, Breaking Mountains: This ability was never identified or used in combat.
Shattering Thunder: This ability was never identified or used in combat.
  • Thunderous Echo: This ability was never identified or used in combat.
  • Lightning Striking Thrice: This ability was never identified or used in combat.
Shattering Mirror: This ability was never identified or used in combat.
  • Mirrored Light: This ability was never identified or used in combat.
  • Reflections Empty and Vapid: This ability was never identified or used in combat.
Weaknesses: Subtle: Modagon has highly telegraphed attacks and abilities. Restricted: Modagon has to change between stances every 60 seconds, regardless of circumstance. Unintelligent: Modagon is not truly intelligent, following prewritten and exploitable behaviours. Nil Boss Difficulty Rating: F-G Reason: Once you figure out his gimmick, you just need to rush in and out of its danger zones, dismantle its combo conditions and youll be fine. Its a boss that greatly punishes misplay but isnt difficult. Final enrage is rather annoying, but you can figure it out after a few tries. Drops: Armour of the Broken Beast: Masterwork Armour, regenerates itself.
  • Set Effect: Unknown.
Executioners Axe: Masterwork Axe, attacks Cleave, dealing additional damage to enemies within a metre of the original target regardless of if the attack was blocked.
  • Set Effect: Unknown.
Storm Sceptre: Masterwork Staff, greatly increases thunder, electricity and force damage. Thrice per day, you may repeat a single target spell on its target.
  • Set Effect: Unknown.
Reflection Shield: Masterwork Shield. Healing on the wielder causes the shield to let out a burst of light, healing allies by a low percentage of the original heal, as well as dealing low radiant damage and blinding enemies.
  • Set Effect: Unknown.
5.12 5.12 Why did I burn the orphanage and torture all the children you ask? Well because I was fishing and a trout looked at me funny! - Last words of an unnamed follower of OsshivenKai. I woke up snuggled in a blanket. A nice sentiment, they even covered up the windows for me. I briefly surveyed my surroundings as well as the eyes of the others. Greenie had swapped back to its poison body and was on someones head as they tended to patients in various stages of not ok. Celine, judging by the green hair. Sowing wounds, not with dolls but the old-fashioned way. Noam was in a carriage, one of the staff ones, cooking a meal in a large stockpot. Utoqa I couldnt see through, I needed to get Observe on him one of these days, but I saw him when he opened the door to Noams carriage while carrying a skinned animal. Awake? Declan asked. Yeap, I answered. Slept for pretty long, what happened? Got shot at, I answered as I got up. Explaining what happened in the early morn when the idiot was still asleep. Damn casual. I heard that. Sleep is for the weak. Says the person just waking up. Food sounded good. Finding my stuff stashed in the corner of the room, I pulled out the fistful of bark I acquired and cast Bark Skin on myself. Shielding myself from the damned sun until I got more food in me. My staff was in arms reach, the softly carved out eyes seemed to twinkle a bit. As I grabbed it, I became aware of the card that was lodged between it and the wall. Pulling it out, I saw it was once again upside down, as well as something strange. The Lens was twinkling. Hmm? Strange, I muttered. Perhaps my recent unlocking? Perhaps, I answered. Our current understanding of the card was that it was a sort of simple progression tracker that happened to have a certain prophetic element to it. As for how the prophetic element factored in If the explanation is true, then prophecy only becomes true if you choose to engage in it, I said. Which is just so fucking helpful isnt it? If a prophecy only became true because someone decided to fulfill it, then theoretically some asshole could just shotgun random shit until they get it right once. If you choose to fulfill a prophecy, it isnt a prophecy, its a guideline pretending to be fancy. But it was also why I was uncommitted to deciding the symbology of the remaining two empty spaces. The outlines of a Goblet and a Key. The symbology of those two are plenty, the Goblet especially in Tarot. Dont tell me, I said. Theoretically, simply committing to or accepting an idea of what they could be, would make them be. If I decided what they meant, then I would be metaphorically locking them in. It was another reason why I was averse to logging off. There was also the idea of Eulers Loop, the idea that faith reinforces faith. The more people believe in something, the more power it will have, causing more people to believe in it. There would be more power to an idea the more people believe in it, thus following accepted interpretation or symbology would likely mean more obvious power, but at a loss of my own control on it. Thats why the Key is probably already locked in. Hah, I drily laughed. There was only so much a Key could symbolize, after all, opening or closing something, pretty simple. Even if the actual item was outdated in my world, the image was still used everywhere it was applicable. The matter of discussion then becomes what I want it to open. Can it open infinite power? Or even better, a lifetime supply of tortillas. I paused at that. Oh you cant be seriously considering the tortillas, I was joking. We should get HSP or pizzas instead. I cant rule that out anymore, I muttered. Something from here has undeniable effects in the real world. It has been proven twice already. I could actually, completely theoretically, use this Key to get a lifetime supply of HSP. Worth it. Shut up dumbass. Son of a bitch silencing my free speech. Dont talk about my mother like that. Our mother. Suddenly my vision was switched to Declans, just as he played the USSR National Anthem on Ustube. ... Hehehe How long were you holding that? There was a chuckle, Ahh far too long. It is a good one, I replied with a smile. How is it not censored? Found it in the Educational History section. Whoever put that there is a legend. I need to show this to Matt later, ah fuck I still need to tutor that idiot. Dont worry, youre both idiots so youll find common ground, I said as I left the room. I checked his results from last year and his INT is actually in the negatives. Thats why youre perfect, I started with a smile, two negatives make a positive. ...
How the fuck do you fail at statistics? Why do you say that as if you didnt expect this? Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. I feared the worst and was reminded of my lack of imagination, I replied. And bio! What is this appalling lack of knowledge!? Well bio is just applied chem and you know I hate chem. I opened my mouth to retort, but he did have a point. Then why the fuck are you in bio!? Instead of tearing his argument into pieces, I made an Ad Hominin, truly I had the potential to be a great politician. Dont talk shit about me when youre barely passing English. I tsked, At least I am passing. Oh really? he asked, pulling up a file, I read your lit analysis, youre just repeating the same shit the teacher says. And what of it? It gets me a passing mark. You read art and see words, he interjected, probably thinking he was being profound or something, to you a painting is just ink on canvas. Its dead, bland and boring! And how is it wrong? Art is meant to communicate a message, that is the sum of it and all it ever will be. Matt clutched his throat as if being physically strangled, he made a very good impression, probably because hes been actually strangled before, Just a message he says! It is so much deeper than just a message! Numerous hidden meanings, biases of the creator, not to mention the cultural context of- All are part of the message, I replied evenly, the message being biased or wrong or unintentional doesnt make it any less of a message from the creator. An author makes their story a message because they think itll communicate itself better. Humans are ultimately still tribal animals, evolution and new technology doesnt change that. Matt fell back, his chair falling to the ground as if he was just thrown. I cant. You have killed me, you insane utilitarian. It is disingenuous to call me a utilitarian whilst I am in your room doing the rather pointless, and possibly hopeless, task of educating you. You know being right, doesnt make you right, Matt replied as he pulled himself back up. If someone wanted to communicate a message then they can outline it clearly in discussion or a scholarly article rather than put it in a story to take advantage of the mentally defenseless, I said. That was all a story was, a piece of something designed to take advantage of humans tribal hindbrain that we have bafflingly not yet removed, in order to pass a message or worldview. Im not recommending you web novels anymore, he muttered, how the fuck do you enjoy stuff if you think like this? I havent gotten around to lobotomizing my brain of the outdated parts yet, I said as I pulled out some test questions from online. I can still appreciate art, but that doesnt remove the fact they are meant for communication. Back on track, do these prac tests for me, I said as I forwarded them. He opened his messages, frowning slightly as he looked at them. ... These are Seventh Grade questions. I have no idea where you are missing knowledge, I replied, so were going to go from Grade to Grade until I find the gaps and fill them. The sciences were all about foundations, if you didnt know the previous piece of information, formula or theory, how could you be expected to know or understand the next? I could cram everything you need into your head, but thatll just result in short term memorisation and not true understanding, thus we need to begin from the start and patch everything up along the way. To his credit, Matt got started with only a minimal amount of grumbling.
Noam riled up an after battle party, stewing up some kind of small equine creature Utoqa caught. I hesitated to call it a horse because while it did have hooves, the teeth seemed omnivorous in nature and it did possess a thin layer of fur. Rather counterproductive for a distance runner, bare skin was needed for sweat to function, indicating this creature mightve been a mixed rush down type hunter and occasional herbivore, or just a standard scavenger. Regardless, it did taste pretty good. A bunch of the other passengers shared their own ingredients and spices, apparently as thanks for us moving to fight off the goblins. And I swear the fish was this huge Beside me, Noam chatted and bragged, his own stew barely touched, apparently the hero of the tale since he saved several hostages. Not untrue, he did contribute the most in the battle, killing the mage that likely upturned the train along with resolving the guard stalemate. He was simply in the right place at the right time. The guard captain was even eyeing him beside me, something she really outta make less obvious. How did he become such a good shot It involved shooting me many times, I answered. After realizing superior reaction timing and reflexes were the main things he had above me, he sharpened them to insane levels. How it applied to a body that didnt have the same level of reflexes was still a mystery to me, but I suspected his original skill still applied even if he wasnt as dexterous. I think I got a weird look from her, but I wasnt paying attention that way, instead wallowing in the shade of the train. Sunlight wasnt uncomfortable, no, precisely the opposite. It felt too comfortable, the warm rays made me feel drowsy, made me want to take a nap right then and there even with full covering. It was a strange experience. I only knew a sun that felt like it was constantly trying to scald you. One that felt like a warm blanket during the winter months was odd. But the feast slowly ended, people slowly drifted away, off to do their tasks and salvage what they could from the train. Off to the distance, was a pile of corpses.
The few that died were given proper burials by a somber man that held a knitted symbol of a black rose. I didnt attend, though Noam did, standing silently by the side. I was instead with Utoqa, examining the corpses of the goblins, carelessly dumped in a pile to be burned later. Scavenging birds circled the sky, I hesitated to name them, for they appeared unlike any animal I knew of, four wings werent exactly a common trait after all. Having six limbs made me think they were actually an evolved insect, regardless of their lack of an exoskeleton and their feathers. Though that would also put centaurs in the insect category. Utoqa rummaged through the corpses, his face was neutral but there was a certain ravenousness to his actions. Kinda reminded me of when I rifled through the snack drawer looking for food. Eventually, he pulled out the corpse of the hobgoblin, the mage Noam took out. Utoqas fin folded and unfolded itself in a brief moment, one of very few gestures of body language the lizardfolk seem to do naturally. Going into his pouches, he produced some simple instruments, carved from various bits of wood, bone and stone, and he began working on the corpse. Heading straight to the head, he pried open the skull with great precision. Extracting a single piece of crystal. The crystal was strange, coloured a murky green, its shape was wrinkly and soft looking. As if someone had petrified a piece of the goblins brain. Utoqa took it, then opened the creatures jaw, a single claw carefully sliced off the tongue. The rest of the corpse was useless, though he did sneak a bite of the hand. Taking the crystal, he crushed it in his hand and sprinkled it onto the tongue. The thing glowed for a brief moment as it absorbed the energy and Utoqa was done. What does this one do? Put it in mouth to become a mage, the lizardfolk answered as he stood back up. Will wear out, then itll become food. Kinda gross, but the sheer utility he just displayed was insane. As far as I understood, Utoqas creations lasted until they were used. Just by being on our side, he created additional value for every single encounter. Whilst Noam and I were rather specialized, Utoqa was a true generalist fighter. If he had a weakness then he could just stock up with something that covered it. Not to mention Your tomahawk is a Scavenge as well isnt it? Yes. And it is permanent, or have you just not used its effect? Gift will stay, Utoqa answered, it has no effect other than being sharp and hard. Sharp was an understatement, that thing cleaved clean through flesh and bone. Armour was a minimum to defend against that thing. And what did you get it from? A wanderer, he answered, lost in the jungle, I killed the hunter hunting him. He spoke the dragon tongue and gave me a large bone saying it was called Gift. I raised an eyebrow, Didnt think he meant the thing was actually called Gift. It does not matter, the lizardfolk answered. It is a tool and it works well as a tool. Interesting story but- Utoqas head suddenly jerked around, eyes staring at a spot on the corpse pile. I couldnt see anything with my eye, but when I came closer with Manavision, I saw underneath all the corpses, a small hand clenching its fist in fright. Slowly, Utoqa went to draw Gift, but I raised my hand. It would be pointless, I said. The goblin was too small to be a hobgoblin, so Utoqa couldnt Scavenge anything from the body. It would yield nothing worthwhile. They will burn the bodies by nightfall, so I suggest getting a move on by then, I directed to the hiding goblin, before turning to Utoqa, Cmon, lets see if they need anything of us back there. Utoqas hand left Gift, but still he glanced at the spot where the creature moved. He turned to leave after a moment. As I went to follow him, I heard a quiet voice rasp. Why? Like I said, I replied evenly. It would be pointless. 5.13 5.13 And so the journey *hic* begins. Emmanuel and his holly band of *hic* five go on their great quest to *hic* fuck up that Revealing King! - Zephyrion the First Seer, at a Lua tavern in the elevated state of consciousness induced by dwarven Holy Water. I refuse, I simply said to the guard captains request. Sorry, but I do too, Tai said, Im not hurting for money and I dont want to spend half a month scouring some dark cave for goblins. What they said, Noam added as he twirled a brown bottle in his hand. I cant without someone else Celine muttered. Utoqa apparently didnt have an opinion, instead refusing the request for war council and scouting the area for something worth eating. I wouldve joined him if he didnt say I couldnt sneak to feed myself. Sometimes truth really does hurt more than insults. But dont you the captain hesitantly began. I could understand the confusion, were mercs, we should be jumping at this opportunity, but I wasnt an OCD side quester that had to complete everything that came along. If the local government cant handle a constant and recurring infestation then thats a problem of mismanagement and incompetence, I said. Whilst I would get paid, a private contractor should not be asked to deal with societal problems for payment. That gives a monetary incentive to ensure problems remain unsolved. You already have backup coming right? My group will stay until they come, but otherwise I dont plan on working further. Fighting in a dank shit-filled cave doesnt sound my speed, Noam continued, popping the cork of the bottle open and sniffing the contents. Im of the same opinion, Tai said since she wasnt technically part of my group. Celine cautiously nodded, since she was a non-combatant by herself, though I was curious as to what happened to her crow thing. And like that, we all blew off the guard captain. You know I noticed something Celine began as we stepped out of the still-standing cabin. That bottle is that merchants right? Tai snorted, Dont tell me you actually paid for that crap. Noam laughed as he sauntered out, What? No, the guy was crushed under the train, looks like he was at the window when it flipped. I palmed it from his cart. A judge could convict you on that sentence alone Celine muttered. I mean there was no way I was paying for that, it was highway robbery! he said as he juggled the bottle in his hand. Technically what you did was highway robbery, I replied as he took a swig. I thought we established it was train robbery, Tai said, completely stone-faced. Noam choked on his alcohol, earning a chuckle from all of us, Celine most likely because it was funny, me because Noam suffered. Spitting out the liquid, he tossed the bottle, a large fraction still inside, That reminds me Tai, you said what your second sword does ...But why are you running around? What does earning a merc license have to do with drawing the sword? She thought about it for a moment, pausing near one of the upturned cabins, I suppose it wont hurt to tell you. Im following a Path. For some reason, all of us felt the capitalization of the word, regardless of her rather normal intonation. It is the Path of Discipline, a Path my great-great-grandma made. Everyone in my family has been following this Path save my older sister, she drew her blade, letting its edge reflect off the afternoon sun, You need to pass five different tiers to complete it, at which point it becomes the Path of the Master. An evolving Path? One that changed with progress? Suddenly I perked up, listening intently to her. Ive only got two tiers down, the first tier, the Students Staples and the second, the Adepts Acts, she said. The next is the Journeymans Jaunt, by following similar steps to my gran I can reach the same level she did. Interesting, I was semi-aware of such things. Paths that could be taught rather than manifested. Symbiosis and Spitfire were both something we grabbed, and two of the guards had See, though they seemed to be much weaker compared to the Survive Path Utoqa had. Hoh? Then whats the best you can manage right now? Sword wise, Noam asked, eyes gleaming. The best huh she turned toward the upturned cabin beside us, I can only use the Staples at will for now, so its kinda weak. That does seem to be a worthwhile tradeoff, being able to create a universal teaching programme at the cost of excellence. The multitude could do much more than the few. Tais eyes sharpened. But if I focus a bit speaking almost absentmindedly, she stared down the metal underbelly of the cabin. I barely noticed both Celine and Noam stepping back. I glanced at her, sword held at a stance, as her eyes seemed to intensify. Almost as if she were staring holes into the trains underbelly. A few moments passed just like that, and Noam was scratching his head as she did nothing. Then I noticed her blade was glowing. Tais sword flashed twice, leaving deep gouges in the cabin. The ear-bleeding sound of metal getting torn apart rang through my body. Holy shit. I thought Utoqas axe did damage, but I could probably fit in those fucking gouges she just left in the cabin! Is that the fucking other side I see? Did she cut all the way to- Fuck, calm down. I forcibly calmed myself. Focusing outwards instead of staying inwards. ... I can do the Adepts Acts, Tai finished, catching her breath as she did so. Noam was laughing and clapping, Awesome! he yelled. Celine was politely clapping along. Now suitably calmed, I spoke the first thing on my mind, Do you have to pay for that? The elfs face went blank and the clapping stopped. Well I mean that thing still looked salvageable and you kinda just cut all the way through it Shit! resheathing her sword, she dashed back where we came, likely to apologize to the poor train staff that had to later explain why one of the cabins was now in three pieces. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Noam waved as she left, but I stepped forward, surveying the damage. Im no metallurgist but that looks like steel, Declan said, his attention drawn from tutoring the idiot in real life. Much like older trains in reality, the outer of the cabin was composed of metal, with the inner lined with wood and other material. Her two cuts made it all the way to the other end. Separating the train into three pieces. It happened too fast when she attacked, I only recalled a brief moment where it sounded like an industrial grinder tearing apart a car. Perhaps most impressively, were the train wheels neatly bisected into two. Unlike the rest of the cabin, the metal of the wheels should be significantly tougher and more durable since they not only held up the cabin but also needed to withstand constant heat and force from usage. Yet they were cut as easily as the rest. I made a mistake. Back in the caves, I told her to disrupt the cultist with me, having her frontline for me while I supported, but if she dealt this much damage, even with that long cast time where she needed to focus, she couldve taken out either of them at once. The correct positioning wouldve been me at the front taking attention off her while she prepared that massive blow to one-shot them. I can swing a sword. I remember her saying back then. Yeah no shit.
Fine, lets take a break, I muttered with as much dignity I can as someone completely disabled could manage. Matt whooped, releasing his headlock on me. How a person missing half their body could ever manage such dexterity was beyond me. You are rather fat, it isnt hard, Matt said frankly. So the person with half a body beats the person with one and a half body, I see nothing wrong with that. Hey if we median it out then weve got on average one person. Its mean, you idiot, I replied, and you didnt even know those terms until five minutes ago. And I am still including them in my vernacular! he said as he jumped out of the room. Mom! Dinner time! Shrugging, I followed him out of his room, raising an eyebrow as I found him stopped at the base of the stairs. Turning to me, Matt asked with a somewhat questioning expression, Is it just me, or have you become harder to bribe recently? What? Well, it is completely possible given the nature of Gaia, but why was my innate corruption where he decided to point it out? Our mental stats actually rise when we put stats in our characters, so Ive been assuming its rubbing off on our real-world selves. Really? Matt asked with an eyebrow raised, I havent felt a thing yet. I stared at him. Dustin? Here. Check his status please? Name: Matt Nguyen Age: 16 Mind Intelligence: 13-15 Wisdom: 10-14 Charisma: 12-18 I see I have grown a third head without noticing, silly me, Matt said. But seriously though, give me the number. You arent me, and Analyze isnt technically my power, I said with air quotes, so theres still massive inaccuracy with the measurements. Should that mean something to me? If you had another INT point, I replied as I dodged the roundhouse. Though it was important to note, for all his stupidity, Matt wasnt an idiot. There was a difference between a person who made bad decisions because they didnt know the difference and a person who did because they wanted to see what happens. At my best estimates, you are about as Intelligent as I am, I said. He raised an eyebrow, Then why am I not finding this easier huh? Because you are also a few Wisdom points lower than me. I realized I was recently more patient, more willing to accept failure, more prone to learning from mistakes and experiences rather than just saying, I did poorly, nothing could I do about it, without fixing a single thing. If Intelligence is pure data memorisation and logical ability, then Wisdom must be the application, I said as I bit my thumbnail, No even that is wrong somehow, hes perfectly capable of applying information into practice, so is it a selective thing? Skill-based perhaps? Then what the hell are the Soul stats? Will, Aura and Perception, with the exception of the last, were the most abstract stats. For what measured a persons Will or Aura? Should I put a few points in to find out? Matt asked as he saw me deep in thought. Arent you saving for Back- I paused at the word. Backpfeifengesicht, he helped. I could wait another level. I shook my head, Dont, especially not over a whim, past level six the next three levels may require a full week each, then past that we may need months, then years, the decisions you have to make for the build are final. Given our rate of leveling, even reaching something like level fifteen could take decades. That was the simple reality of an exponentially scaling system, especially one that increased this quickly. Dragons are suddenly looking like a lot better alternative he quietly said with a grin. He started walking down the stairs, gesturing for me to follow. I did. Please, dragon leveling only becomes better at like level fifteen and eighteen, and thats assuming my estimations are correct. So I probably should still get Backpfeifengesicht, he replied. How the fuck does he keep pronouncing- didnt matter. I still think CtH is a bad skill, low applicability for not that good a reward, and you just wasted a skill for learning to beatbox. At the mention of it, Matt smiled and quickly ripped a few notes, muttering worth it as he finished. Speaking of Feats, what are you saving up for? Dimension Gate, there are spells on that list that I need. Which are? he asked as we sat around their dining table. Tier Two Spell, Misty Step, a ten-meter teleportation spell. He whistled at that, indeed, what I severely required was a mobility spell. I lacked not in the damage or durability department, but with my overall low mobility, I couldnt escape a situation if it went south. And the other two? The Tier Two Spell, Summon Wisps and the Tier Three Spell, Create Wisps.
I glanced one last time at the Scrying Orb the guard mage was using, putting it on my to get list. The relief squad arrived just a few hours earlier and we got recompensed for our troubles. Though as I shoved the coins into the growing pile inside my cap, I realized we were going to need better storage. Coins were a much better method of currency when you didnt need to carry hundreds of them. The wisps made a fucking couch out of Gold coins, inside my cap. They were small so it took significantly less but the point stood. My head was mainly storing Gold, if that hat thing the wisps brought didnt remove weight, we would be fucked just by the few hundred Gold of wealth we had. I needed to invest in a Bag of Holding or something. Beside me, Noam was finishing packing everything else we owned. Utoqa carried the most of it, given he was the physically strongest of our three-man group. And done! he said as he slung his bag over his back. This is how it should be man, just exploring the world with nothing but the clothes on our back and the bags we- Were hobos, I said frankly. Backpackers, Noam stressed, sounds more romantic and more legit. Murder Backpackers, I muttered, doesnt have the same ring as Murder Hobos. Around us, numerous other former passengers were making their own preparations, seemingly unsurprised that their train trip was derailed. Though I had to remind myself, in this world there were things more dangerous than people, even in the past, traveling on foot or by any method was dangerous. When will we depart? Utoqa asked. When they finish packing, I said. There was a nearby town called Lake Bayt, out of the way and it didnt have a Wayshard, but it was the only one nearby. So everyone cept the train staff were heading there. Noam sighed, An escort quest huh? I shook my head, No, no, Noam. This isnt a quest because we didnt get it through the Merc Guild, we just happen to be on the same road. So we wont officially get paid for anything. He looked at me funny, Were avoiding taxes, just say were avoiding taxes. I sighed, No flair for theater or double meaning. Why is evading taxes the only thing you find worth dramatizing? Because it is something with actual real-world impact? Its morally wrong! You know thats never stopped either of us And we continued to bicker as we set off. 5.14 5.14 Many people go on adventures, to explore the wider world. There are indeed many things that are worth seeing, but the large majority of traveling is simple boredom. Walking on an endless road with little to see but dirt and grass. - Lithian the Dust Treader. We made a strange group. A line of loose travelers, some fighters, the others just plain civilians. Traveling along a road by the barest sense of the term. It was little but slightly flattened ground with the occasional stone or boulder by the side, marking where the road ended and the wilderness began. Given the fact, I was differently statted. Slow, Declan snidely remarked. I had to remain towards the back of the line, where only Utoqa was with me, having matched my pace. Unlike others, all Utoqa did was walk beside me, he occasionally jerked his head to the side as he spotted some movement, but for the five-ish hours weve walked together, we didnt exchange a single word of conversation. I have never met a person I liked more. It was around midday where the group ahead began to slow down. Straining my eye, I saw them stop to sit and rest around a clearing at a crossroads. There was a small pile of stones in between the intersections and what seemed to be a massive bleached ribcage towering over the clearing.
Noam slowed as the others did. He saw it long before he reached it, the pillars of white contrasted against the woody browns and greens all around him. His voice too drifted to a slow stop as he stepped into the clearing. It was small but could accommodate their motley group, with two other paths branching out toward the side. Between the intersection of the two roads was the unassuming pile of stones, and towering around the clearly were eight- no, nine he thought as he spotted one slightly obscured by bushes. Nine massive bony ribs, enclosing the area like a cage. Each at least three times taller than himself, with the longest looking like it was eight meters tall at the least. Some of the people towards the front headed towards the small of stones, Celine one of them. They picked up or took out small pebbles, tossing it onto the pile, before turning to the clearing and making camp. Celine meanwhile took out a flask of something, pouring some clear liquid onto the pile as she muttered some quiet words. What are they doing? he asked around him. One of the people, a brown-haired kid who looked as old as he was, said, Oh theyre just paying respects to Bundriroc. He searched his mind for the name, one from that thickass book Dustin dumped onto his lap and expected to memorize. Thats the wild god of the Elder Pantheon? Whats a pile of rocks got to do with him? His shrines are piles of rocks, specifically those marking boundaries, the kid continued, pointing towards the intersection, that pile shows where the road ends and the wilderness begins, Bundriroc keeps them separate, so something wont wander into the roads and we dont wander into the wild. Noam supposed that made sense for a guy called Boundary Rock, though the spelling was a bit different. He walked forward, stooping for a moment to pick a random stone off the ground, before throwing it onto the pile as well. Celine just finished her short prayer as he neared. Whatd you pour? he asked. Animal oil, the mage replied, most people just throw rocks but Baba said oil is better if youre being devout. Huh, Noam replied, he extended a hand, can I get some as well? Erm Sure? she said as she handed the flask to him, You can ask for some luck or safety as you travel the roads, but dont ask for too much. And dont expect it to be answered. Got it, he answered as he took the flask. After swishing it around a few times, he poured a smaller amount, aware that this was Celines and not his. I want to see something new, he quietly said. He heard Dustins slow but steady footsteps behind him, corking the flask, he handed it back to Celine. Thanks. ...Can you get anything from the bones? Dustin casually asked Utoqa as they neared. Noam noticed that Celine, imperceptibly flinched a bit, as if surprised those two were nearby. For some reason, she seemed to avoid Dusts and particularly Utoqa. I do not believe so, the lizardfolk replied, it is an old bone. Bleached. It might be empty of power. Dont ruin the scenery man, Noam complained. There was an ominous feeling in the bones, but not something threatening, as if the bones were saying he would be fine so long as he stayed within them. Please dont, Celine quietly whispered, dont mess with holy sites please Dustin turned to her, Whose is it? Bundriroc, Noam answered, throw a stone on the pile, apparently its good luck or something. The myconid raised an eyebrow, before shrugging and picking up a rock to throw onto the pile. It is strange though, Celine said, pulling her cloak tighter around her, the pile is a lot smaller than it should be- Whatever she was trying to say, was interrupted by a roar so loud the ground seemed to shake as Noam threw his hands over his ears. It ended quickly, ears ringing, Noam asked, Hey is there a god of conspicuous timing or something? WHAT? Dustin yelled as he held his cap. WHERE THE FUCK ARE MY EARS?
It felt like my entire damn body was vibrating. Stolen story; please report. Given the fact I had yet to locate my ears, or whatever magical hearing organ I have, I could only ineffectually cover my cap as the sound rattled me to my damn core. It felt like the sound was shaking throughout my entire body. By the time the ringing ended, I barely caught Noam saying something as Utoqa jerked his head outside the clearing. I saw it. Large, quadruped and shelled. Standing at almost three meters tall, it lightly resembled an Ankylosaur except it had a long protruding neck that raised its maximal height by another two meters. The creatures head wasnt armored, yet it bashed its skull into the rib cage. Roaring as it did so. Stumpy beak-like mouth, crushing type, a nut eater? It slammed the side of its head into the ribs again, what was it doing? There was enough space that it couldve just entered and attacked us. Besides us, the oil on the stones lit aflame. Oh no, Celine said, her eyes widening, Thats bad. The creature slammed its head into a protruding rib again, and the flames seemed to intensify. Oh, Declan said, thats what it does. Utoqa and Noam already had their weapons drawn. A single glance towards the tieflings direction had him blasting off, the lizardfolk following immediately after. They would be able to make a dent in it, but this needed to be ended as quickly as possible. I walked forward, singling Tai from the crowd. Her weapon was drawn and she shot towards the creature, but I yelled at her, Tai! Use your hard hitter! We will keep it in place! She glanced towards me, nodding as she ran behind the two. With both hands, she held her sword in front of her, eyes slowly focusing as Utoqa and Noam circled the creature. No attack had been made yet. This thing was large enough it could seriously damage a squishy with its thrashings. Judging by the way the ground shook as it slammed its head, only Utoqa and I can take a hit unscathed. My finger itched as I neared it. Last to do so as everyone had already taken positions. Yellow was on my head, helping me keep track of the burning pile of stones. Greenie swap with Yellow. The wisps quickly swapped places. CC was more useful here. I raised a hand, feeling the tenseness of the situation. Tai likely felt it the most, beads of sweat falling down her face as she stared down the creature. The flame sputtered out as it ran out of oil. One of my fingers burst as I used Pacifying Spores, the racial skill puffing the creature at close range. The thing shook its head in confusion, and as it did so blood splattered onto the ground. Its head was bleeding, what the hell was its purpose? The thing seemed to sight me and roared again. Its beak-like mouth sent spittle across my face. There were no canines inside the creatures mouth, the beak tip wasnt sharp enough to tear flesh. It was a damn herbivore. Utoqa and Noam moved in almost in unison, slicing the things unprotected ankles, letting it crash to the ground. Utoqa smoothly transitioned into slashing its back, but his tomahawk only left a deep scratch in the shell. Noam moved away, the thing was in its death throes as it slammed its head into the rib one more time. Tai delivered the final hit. Her blade flashed once and the creature was cut in half from the shoulder to the back leg. It let one final, weak roar as it fell dead. Letting out an exhausted breath, Tai said, Good I cant manage more than one Act at a time. What the hell was this things deal? Utoqa didnt sheathe his weapon, instead, he scanned the surrounding wilderness, body taut as he searched for another threat hiding somewhere. While Noam joined me as I examined its head. It was bashing its head, I muttered, Why? The creature was likely a herbivore, its beak and shell both showed this. Indicating it was likely a passive creature. It was unlikely that it was attacking us if it even was attacking. No, it seemed more interested in slamming the side of its head into the rib than attacking us. Examining the head, I found small holes, natural, likely its ears. That side was heavily bruised as blood leaked freely. It was bashing its ears against the rib, I muttered in a realization that only led to more questions. Why? No clue, I was hoping you had an idea. Its actions were strange, Tai said as she joined us. Her sword was already sheathed. Might be a disease of some kind. Could be, Noam said behind me. Yet their voices seemed to fade as I noticed something in the blood that soaked the ground. Words. Words were written in blood. Fear the Deafening Silence. Do you see that? What? Noam asked. I blinked. It was just normal blood, splattered on the ground. No words were written in it. You didnt see that in the blood? I asked again. What was in the blood? Tai asked. Shaking my head, I said, Nothing, I mustve imagined it. Though mentally, I memorized the event.
Belatedly we set off. Many theories were thrown about the Thunder Shells strange rampage, most people settled on some kind of strange disease. Something like rabies. It was a probable explanation. I didnt deem myself knowledgeable enough to know the symptoms of such a subject. The event was unsettling, but as the sun reached midday, we were on the move. Safe spot the shrine may be, we didnt want to stay in the wilderness when night set. Especially when the nearest town was so close. People were visibly relieved as the town entered sight. Some even hastening as the sunset drew long shadows on the ground. Noam was waiting for us at the small gate as the others talked to the one guard. The woman opened the gate and let us in. Welcome to Lake Bayt I suppose, the guard said with a drawl as we passed by. Were probably the most interesting thing that happened to her, Noam whispered to me. Small town, nothing new happens, I can see it already. I raised an eyebrow, even behind the fences I saw that the town was rather large. Thirty or so buildings with many of them constructed of stone, though not many had lights on. Probably related to the fact we were in an era akin to mid-industrialisation. Light sources must not be widely available yet. Following our group, we neared one of the larger, two-story buildings. An inn with the sign naming it The Owls Roost. Looking around, I barely noticed Celine, even further behind us and shrouded by her cloak. Tai was way in front of us, taking the lead for the group as she booked a room. We slowly streamed into the inn. The place was a lot emptier than I expected, fewer than five people were already inside the dining hall which could have housed a few dozen people at most. Our group streaming in filled the majority of the space, with a line forming by the counter as people rented rooms. Noam dumped his bags to the side as he took a seat by an empty table. Utoqa and I shortly joined him, seeing the line not shortening anytime soon. Fuuuuuck Im tired, he groaned as he stretched his arms. God those bags were heavy. Towards the center of the inn, a man struck a note on what seemed to be a lute. Weary and beaten, so many travelers have come. To this dirty piece of nowhere, they must be dumb Noam looked around for a waiter, but the only employee seemed to be a young girl rapidly checking in the line of people. Looks like a while before food, I said, to which Noam sighed as he fell back defeated into his chair. I can provide mushrooms? I helpfully suggested. Without opening his eyes, he muttered, Then Ill be as high as you are. I rolled my eyes He is not tall, Utoqa replied, his eyes scanning the large dining hall. He doesnt mean high as in height, but in being drugged. I see. Anyways, lets rest the night, Noam said, God walking around nowhere was more tiring than I thought. What did you expect, I answered, you have ten stamina. Im too tired to answer but please imagine a witty comeback for me, Noam muttered, eyes still closed. I raised an eyebrow, just as Greenie pinched me and pointed towards the girl who was at the counter. Now rushing around, moving as if she were three people, carrying sets of ingredients towards the hearth, where a large pot boiled with water. A rich smell soon permeated the hall, and I prepared myself for a boring night. 5.15 5.15 I know I made a vow of pacifism but if someone wants to throw hands then they best expect to catch em! - Priestess Emilia the Thrice Excommunicated, moments before her first excommunication from the Church of Light due to beating three hundred and eighty-two armed men with her bare hands. I shouldve known better than to expect a quiet night. Little bitch you are, Yer wont get far. Cuz Im about to hand yer ass, With my superior sass! Noam rapped. The bard scoffed as he strung another random cord. Blithering of a fool, You think youll win this duel? You shall learn that in rhyme, I am your superior this time! As the crowd cheered at the two idiots, I quietly tried to ignore them and eat my stew. Woo! Get that fucking asshole! Tai yelled beside me. Dont fucking lose! Oh please, no need to fear, There will be ample reason to cheer! Noam sang. Should I even bother remembering how the fight started? Its all starting to blur together. Since he was pretty passive recently, I almost forgot my friend was one of the most rambunctious individuals I knew. Not that you know that many people, Declan remarked. Fair, but I would like to think I have a good grasp of human beings in general. There will indeed by much reason to cheer, But not any reason for you to be so cavalier! Noams smile only deepened in response to the other Bards taunt.
When was the last time he had this much fun? A thing hes never tried. A partner to dance with him. A challenge to overcome. Noam laughed, the sound bright and true, marred only by the fact his face looked like he escaped an insane asylum. His opponent was waiting for a reply. Noam will give it to him with all the tender love of a family member gifting their beloved nephew a christmas present. Bard of skill, why do you carry a lute, When I could play it better with my boot? With my foot, a single toot, Better than anything youve made with your suit! The bard hesitated to strike his instrument again. Indeed, he was just randomly strumming chords, but that did not stop his voice. Far traveled, long of step, You think Ill come near you after that schelp? Put myself near your shoe, And the smell will make me blue! You speak of scent, But do not say where you went, It''s clear youve never felt the wrath, Of a decent bath! Noam yelled back. Your rhymes lack flow, he shot back. Thus they lack blow. An amateur I face, And an amateur I will mace! Noams reply was swift. You sing of beating and yet I speak, Do you wish to run, are you that meek? This battle will be settled, By the superior mettle! The crowd cheered around them. Yet neither of the two saw the crowd. Only each other. Noam briefly felt in the distance, a mushroom turning its head, but he was soon gone, forgotten as a twinge of power flitted through both of them. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. In that brief moment, the world was only them two. A Clash you seek, the bard spoke as if spell struck. Noam didnt understand what powers were occurring, only that the trueness of his intention was transmitted. The bard struck a chord, this time no longer the random stringings of a man playing. You are a fool, and a fool I will not critique! A Clash of skill, a battle between two Challengers who have recognised each other. Let us speak! Let us shriek! the bard yelled, his fingers nimble and dancing beautifully across his lute. If it is a Clash you want, Then it is with Clash well flaunt! There was a sharp stabbing pain in Noams arm, right where the scars of Celines healing still lay fresh. But he couldnt care less as he replied. Come! Let us face-off, In a battle, no one will scoff! Embers lit up the bards hair, not something given by Noams original skill, but a vision of the future. Of power he could obtain should he win. The prelude was over. Bold you are, coming to a battle of wits completely unarmed, Its not too late to quit, cause you will get harmed! the bard sang, and the world sang with him. Droplets of blood leaked from his head, his scar cried in pain, yet they were naught but minor distractions to the pure joy Noam felt. If I am unarmed then you are a vegetable, Speaking with confidence with rhymes barely presentable! I am disarmed to make it fair, For you are so lacking in dramatic flair! As Noam threw open his arms, flames burst forth from the embers, licking at the bards hair and stubble, yet the bard only laughed. The same insanity in Noams eyes reflected in his. Arrogant child, what are you smoking? For no matter what, you will be left choking! The stitches holding his arm began to rip, leaving it hanging off slightly from the stump as his opponent Rhymed the damage of the past. From dirt and dust you came, And dirt and dust will reclaim! The bard refused to let up, as the droplets of blood leaking from his head turned to a full waterfall, forcing him to blink back as his vision was stained red. Played the fool, lost your cool, Ended up just a tool, Now so many to mourn, You are merely forsworn! Noams arm fell off completely, and he was thrown back, his head slamming into the packed dirt floor. He gasped, and in that brief moment his mouth opened, something flew out. A glowing orb attached to him by the barest threads, slowly it cracked and was destroyed to the barest dust. Noam knew at that moment he had lost Biting Words, the spell and its slot forever destroyed, something thatll never return no matter how many times he respawned. The veil separating them and the rest of the world cracked for the briefest moment, as Dustin stepped in, his stubby hand held out to him. A plea to stop this madness before he lost something important. Noam did not reach for the hand. For how could one feel joy, if there was no risk? As he staggered back up, he brought his remaining hand to his mouth, and at that moment, poured all his soul into the sounds he made. The short tune of beatboxing locked and emanated around him. That was a low blow, But I shall reply with gusto. How the bard knew of the past did not matter. Maybe it was a skill, maybe he was stalking them. The reality was, Noam just lost an arm and something more. Like the boy in the mirror, I come ever nearer. Yet still, he smiled as he took a step forward. Bitch you think I dont know? Speak my flaws, use em as ammo. Slowly, Noam regained his momentum. Bullet after bullet, all wound and bleed, Doesnt matter, I follow my own creed! A roar of the soul, of something great, of something unyielding, of something innocent and true. Even if undead hordes all come crawling, Even if the skies are falling, It doesnt matter, cuz Im still balling! Flames burst forth, consuming the other man fully, yet still, the bard stood his ground. You thought you came to win when you came to retire, Because you faced a man who speaks straight FIRE! Finally, the flames turned blue and his opponent grunted and fell to a knee. Within the flames, Noam saw it, the Path of Spitfire. Not the fake he holds and wields, but a truth he could take. And he hesitated when he realized it could only be gained in taking. However rightfully he earned it, the man would lose in the same way he lost Biting Words. It was an equivalent exchange. A transfer from those worthy and those who werent. The world said he deserved this power. Noam let go, the flames sputtering out, revealing the heavily burned but living man underneath. His knees collapsed underneath him and Noam fell to the ground. The strange, altered world where they fought disappeared as others rushed to check their wounds. Dustins cap soon loomed over him as the myconid looked down. What did you gain from that, his friend calmly said, his anger impossible to notice unless you knew to look. You permanently lost a spell, took severe damage. You got nothing. Noam smiled, I got satisfaction.
Noam was put to bed, his wounds swiftly tended and our pockets lightened as I forced several dozen gold coins onto Celine for fixing the idiot. As I stepped out into the night, I realized I may never understand how he feels. Doing something without gain. Purely for the satisfaction of it. For me, satisfaction only came from gain. I could understand respecting a capable opponent, but to take joy from losing. I couldnt comprehend it. There was no light outside, but I saw just as well. The outlines of buildings, the rustling trees. A bell sounded, signaling midnight. Drawn towards the sound, I saw a large church-like building, though attached to an additional building that seemed like it was meant to house a lot of people. The bell that rang was silver, glinting beautifully in the moonlight. Yet as it stopped, I noticed a crack on the bell. Broken and tarnished, the crack seemed to gnaw at the beautiful object. And perhaps it was the noise of the incident. But as the night came and the residents moved to rest. It felt like the world was silent. I heard no noise in the night, no skittering bugs, no moving nocturnal creature, no rustling trees. As if there was a great noise that I passively blotted out, only now being silenced. It was as if the world itself had decided to just shut up. It was a silence that felt deafening. 5.16 5.16 The first friend I met, I played with for a hundred and one nights. Then he died, a smile on his lips as I bested him for the first time. - Wundall, the God of Games As I returned back into the inn, I saw that Utoqa was still sitting by the table. Head still scanning, as if searching for something in the room. Not tired? I am, the lizardfolk simply answered. Not bothering to elaborate as he continued to scan the room. What are you weary about? I asked, pulling a seat beside him. It took him a while to answer. His head still spun around, and he occasionally turned his waist around to look behind him. I waited, patient and curious before he finally answered. I dont know. That raised an eyebrow for me, Why are you worried if you dont know what you are worried about? I dont know. I struggled to keep the frustration off my mind. Utoqas mind literally worked differently from mine, he didnt have the frame of reference to add subtext or reason. Will you be able to rest properly? If by rest, you imply a full sleep, I do not believe so. For the first time, Utoqa turned and looked directly at him. A night watch would be useful. My eyebrow rose again, Describe the threat and the feeling you have. I do not know what threat. All I do is that my instincts tell me to be prepared. My mouth made a clicking noise, just as I felt Yellow plaster itself on the side of my cap, Prepared against what? I do not know. Fear the Deafening Silence. For some reason, those words returned to me and I briefly looked out the window, seeing my glowing reflection in the glass. Glass, something I realized with a start was pretty advanced. Though there mightve been some sort of magic that made it common. Lets hope its nothing, I said. It may be something, Utoqa replied. His lizard face was utterly unreadable, even if I knew he was worried. That is why we prepare, I answered, Ill shroom up our windows and keep watch. I am reasonably certain I can stay alert the whole night without negative consequence. I was a nocturnal creature after all. Very well, Utoqa said, rising from his seat. He headed towards the stairs before he awkwardly turned his head toward me. Awkward in the fact that he seemed to have taken the effort to make the movement smooth and slow instead of his usual sudden jerk. I am relieved. You practiced head-turning? It is a necessity to be able to communicate without causing alarm, the lizardfolk answered. I simply raised an eyebrow at that, which he admirably tried to imitate, a feat ultimately useless given that he didnt have eyebrows. Wait up, I said as I caught up to him. Placing a hand on his back, as I cannot reach his shoulders, I defocused, Declan? Observe, he immediately supplied. Utoqa almost leapt as he felt the power, but he stayed his ground as he stared directly at me. Eyes unblinking. My eyes are yours. Neither a question nor affirmation, but something in between. Name: Utoqa the Tribeless Race: Variant Lizardfolk (Oasis Touched Tequalan) Racials: Variant Lizardfolk Level 1 Classes: Artificer Level 1 Survivalist Level 3 Total Level: 5 Body Strength: 14 Agility: 14 Dexterity: 15 Constitution: 17 Stamina: 16 Vitality: 14 Mind Intelligence: 9 Wisdom: 13 Charisma: 4 Soul Will: 6 Psyche: 7 Perception: 21 Racials: Natural Armour and Weapons, Hold Breath, Magical Darkvision, Variant Biology, Class Skills: Artificer: Path: Scavenge
  • Scavenge: A trick that allows him to craft magical items out of the corpses of creatures. They are imbued with aspects of the creatures power but tend to be one use only unless the creature was very strong.
Survivalist: Path: Survive
  • Survive: Three charges, he may expend one charge to regenerate from one instance of lethal damage and be brought back to consciousness. If Utoqa were to die, this automatically activated if he has the appropriate charges. This ability does not heal existing wounds or ailments save for those causing death.
They are, I simply answered as a new vision opened up. Well get a move on as soon as possible. If youre freaked out then theres no point in staying in some random town. We rented a single two-bedroom. A solid seven or eight meters in length with a bed placed against the width of the walls, and a large glass window in the middle, directly in front of the door. Utoqa crept into the sheets of the unoccupied bed as Noam snored at the other end, swiftly falling to sleep. I stood by the window between them, the sparse moonlight peeking through from behind dark clouds. I planted a few sporages around the window, three on the bottom width, and five on both the left and right length. Proximity ones, with their heads facing outwards to avoid friendly fire. An unfortunate trait of my spells that made me poor for enclosed team combat, but a worthy tradeoff for the sheer room-clearing power I have. Like that, I passed the night, standing between an injured ally and a paranoid one. Mind dimmed, but ready at any time to respond to threats. I was thankful that nothing happened.
Rain pattered the window when I refocused. It started slowly at first, gradually building up until it became a torrential downpour. It happened so slowly, my torpor mind did not pick it up. Simply hearing the sound and writing it off as it built. I turned around, noting that the sporages had not been disturbed, and had in fact withered over the night. I collected the ten sporage husks. Probably useless, but it was nice to check if anything could be done with them. From my side, Utoqa opened an eye, the action lazy. Netakata What? I asked, not too quietly it seemed as I dodged Noams pillow. Slowly, the lizardfolk spoke, Cold Resting day before his eyes slowly closed, asleep once again. Oh. He was a lizard. Cold-blooded huh, didnt actually think about that. It was kinda chilly, though the dampness that was seeping in was extremely comfortable. Wisps, both stood at attention on my cap. Keep watch of them, if someone knocks, ask questions on why theyre here. If someone breaks in, sneeze them and ask questions later. If someone attacks, poison them and also ask questions later. Got it! they replied in their chirping language. You too Noam, I said to the figure pretending to be sleeping, Make sure our gecko is safe. Hes a monitor lizard at worst, I heard him hoarsely reply. Leaving the room, I made sure to quietly close the door so that I wouldnt wake anyone with my movements. It was still early morning, 5:36 AM if real-world time translated one to one, though I suspected even if I made a lot of noise, the sound of the rain is quite literally enough to drown it out. Slowly I stepped down the stairs, wincing slightly as they creaked underfoot. I wished to test a theory of mine because even if I had a racial weakness for desiccation, I have never yet actually felt thirsty or the need to drink in any way. An oddity and since it was raining outside, I figured I should kill two birds with one stone as I stepped outside- You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. The rain pelted me, each drop like a stone slamming against my body. I underestimated the intensity of the rain, it was severe, to the point that I actually sunk a few centimeters into the muddied ground underneath. Worse, I underestimated the intensity of my reaction. Calling the sensation orgasmic would not be too far off the mark, however, it gave incorrect connotations of sexual pleasure, when I felt none of the sort. But in terms of pure intensity and legitimate pleasure, it was an apt description, that didnt do the feeling justice. Every droplet of rain, I sensed entering the small area of my manavision. Every droplet of rain that hit me, felt like a master masseuse unraveling a knot of muscle. Every droplet of rain that rolled down my body, felt like those videos where a high-pressure water hose cleanly washed away dirt and grime. The mud beneath soaked into my stump-like feet, cool, relaxing, cleansing. It was so refreshing, I literally didnt know a word or language that effectively communicated how refreshing it felt. Like carrying a heavy bag a long-distance, slowly getting used to it, then shedding it at the destination, feeling the freedom on your shoulders as the weight lifts. Like a full spa treatment, your body lovingly cared for by an army of masters, muscle knots, tiredness, dirt and sweat, all removed so thoroughly you felt like a completely new person. Like waking up after a long nights rest, feeling fully rested, the feeling of arising completely energized for the day. The quiet but steady energy of rest. It was all those things and more. If I ever had sex in this life, I could confidently say it wouldnt be as good as this. For a while I simply stood there. My original plan of casing the perimeter long-forgotten
Dustin returned to the inn, his body heavily soaked, yet he was positively glowing with energy. Literally, his body was glowing noticeably brighter than previously. The fuck happened to you? Noam asked as he came in. Nothing much, Dustin replied in a noticeably more chipper manner. Something akin to horror began to fill Noams face, Oh no. Which poor sod did you scam? Catching the mushroom thrown at him, Noam laughed, Great! Youre still the same ass. Hes always had the same ass? Greenie said as it crawled onto Noams shoulder. No I mean as in- too late did he catch the mischievous look on the wisp, Man, everyones disrespecting me now, he said with a light-hearted chuckle as he turned around to a man bandaged from head to toe. The bard beside him coughed, his voice still hoarse and slightly burnt. By the gods you are zestful, I wish I got the same restful. Yo Dusts, meet Fareeq, hes the awesome guy who took one of my spells! I noticed that, Dustin replied as he took a seat by them. Slightly bowing towards Fareeq, he introduced himself, Mornin, Im Dustin, sorry for the trouble this idiot gave you. The bard waved away the apology, Tis all fair and good, I lost, thats what stood. He couldve done worse, Yet I left with only a voice hoarse, the bard said, managing to be surprisingly eloquent despite his state of injury. Let me help at least, Dustin raised his staff, I have a few rhymes of my own. Pain pain go away, Rain leave for next day, Now feel the numbness, Bring Fix-Up-Fungus, he quietly chanted and his Bark Skin faded away as a mushroom, about the size of a sitting stool, erupted between the two injured individuals, seemingly not disturbing the dirt underneath it. Dustin didnt get a good look before, but the mushroom had a quite distinct appearance, its cap was completely white, to the point it appeared pale. The cap was multilayered, with each stacking upon each other like a bundle of cloth. He quickly realized that the mushroom seemed to breathe as it shrunk and expanded. The action was mesmerizing, almost like looking at a jellyfish. Each time it breathed out, he saw the frilled underside of each layer and a wide puff of healing spores puffed out, attaching themselves to the two nearest, Noam and Fareeq. The bard smiled, You are most kind, To give me peace of mind. No need for thanks, Noam said, hes not listening. Dustin really wasnt, eyes studying the way the spores seemed to stimulate the body to knit itself back together. Nets of mycelium covered the wound, before they disintegrated, a tiny piece at a time, leaving unblemished and clean skin. The healing was slower than all the rest Dustin had seen before, but he knew it would grant more in the long term. Another disadvantage was the fact he couldnt control the release of its spores, but thats a problem good positioning can fix. The doors slammed open and the roar of the rain briefly loudened as it found a way in. A chilly breeze that got even Dustin to look towards the door. Farry! a short, probably a gnome yelled, I heard you got roasted recently! The bard groaned, Day after day I say, No skill or tact in puns, only wordplay. There was a chuckle as he neared the table, bowing, he said Greetings, greetings, apologies for my friend. He cannot speak my name due to an unfortunate curse. A curse? Noam asked. The mans face turned gravely serious, Indeed, it is a curse of rhyming dealt to him by Tilt. The god of kids or something, Dustin recalled, hand itching to grab his notes. I swore only once! Near a child who was a dunce! Oh shit isnt Tilt the goddess who bleeped people? Noam remarked, finally making something useful of his education. Aye, the bard answered, looking poignantly at the tiefling. Chuckling as Noam covered his mouth, the short one introduced himself, Anyways, I am Corvian Diluvian Medudian Himotonana Farraday the Middling! Priest of Wundall, pleasure to meet you! Well if there was any question of whether hes a gnome or halfling. Corvian Diluvian Medudian Himotonana Farraday the Middling reached to shake Dustins hand, shaking the arm with gusto when the myconid hesitantly reached out. Well, Im Dustin. Im Noam. Im a Greenie! Fascinating! the gnome replied, before turning to the heavily bandaged man to his left. Are you still up for today, Farry? The bard scoffed, A battle of wit I will not lose, Today is the day your defeat comes in twos! Woah woah, arent you still a bit too hurt to do anything? Noam asked. Both gnome and bard looked at each other, then at Noam, before laughing. Throwing off his heavy wool coat, the gnome revealed a sling bag from which he pulled out a metal box, approximately the size of a Deck box? Dustin asked. Fareeq pulled out a similarly sized box from his back pocket, then in unison they slammed them onto the polished wooden table. Its time to- I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TWO TO STOP SLAMMING METAL ONTO THE TABLES! a high pitched voice yelled from behind the counter. Sorry! Madam, I give my sincerest apology, But I need to give him a whooping surpassing his psychology! Both replied at once. The table is on your tabs! the girl yelled back, before turning back to her job of cooking enough breakfast to feed her several dozen new customers. This Dustin hesitantly began. Is a card game? Noam finished. The very one! Corvian replied, gently removing his cards and splaying them out for view. Artwork is professionally made. Cards themselves are very well cared for, Dustin quickly assessed. The cards were placed in a thin transparent covering that seemed waterproof. What is the cover material? Looks like plastic, Noam said as he quietly gestured a may I? towards the cards. The gnome happily nodded, and Noam picked the cards up. Dwarven soft glass, Corvian answered. A delightful invention. Cost me a princes ransom, but as a devout priest I have to ensure my tools of worship are well maintained. Wait. Noam stopped, carefully placing the cards back on the table, and looked the gnome dead in the eye. Worship? Wundull is the god of games, of course, I worship him by playing. Noam squealed with all the joy of someone who had just found their god.
Age of Wonders was a surprisingly in-depth and well established TCG. Whilst Noam tried his hand the first time with a spare deck, I watched their three-way game with interest. The game could fit anywhere from two to four players, with homebrewed rules that could even allow a fifth or sixth, however, four was the intended norm. It was a mixture between a classical tabletop war game and a trading card game, with different factions of units based on real-world people, locations, skills and magics, but despite that, decks still followed conventions I was familiar with. Noam was playing a midrange aggro Orc Raiders deck, focusing on getting beefy units onto the board to rush down an opponent. Fareeq was similarly using an aggro deck, where he differed was that it was a Drow deck, focused on placing unblockable Stealth units onto the field. The individual units were not particularly strong, however, their unblockability made them able to rush down Corvian, and later Noam. Noam set down his cards, Cursed stealth units. The bard chuckled, Remember not to curse, Else you end up somewhere worse. Your rhymes are the worst part about you my friend, the gnome chipped in. Friend Dustin, do you wish to play as well? You have been staring at our game like racca hawks to a meat pie. Whats a racca hawk? Noam asked as he cleanly shuffled his deck. The overly talented bastard wasnt even looking as he did so. Imagine a raccoon that can fly and dive bomb, Corvian casually answered much to everyones mounting horror. I wouldnt mind, I replied to Corvians question, Do you have any more decks? Do I? the gnome chuckled as he placed the bag onto the table. Cheerfully, he removed six other boxes and placed them in front of me. What kind of priest would I be if I wasnt ready to convert people? A pretty bad one I guess, I answered noncommittally as I picked them up and began checking my selection. I looked through all of them once or twice, figuring out their ideal tempo and curve, before I settled on one, a control deck centered around undead. This one? Both the priest and bard went deathly silent. Corvian you fool, you still had that? Do you really want to end up dead as a rat? I cant just toss it Jaga Kai. Whats the sudden tension bout? Noam asked. That, Corvian pointed at the deck in my hand, Is a Revenant King Deck, and as you know, there are certain people who get the gnome paused, looking around as if to spot a hidden threat. Burny about those things. If Wundull is not a god most good, Friend of all that could. Then will come a crusade, No matter how we prayed. I raised an eyebrow at that, though Noam seemed to get something I didnt and glanced at me. I carefully put the deck away, then selected the next one I had my eye on. What about this? A Deep Deck? Careful, else you end a wreck. Bah! Deep Decks are a solid all-rounder choice, you have a good eye mushroom man! Can we play? both wisp yelled out. My familiars want to play as well, I translated. The gnome quirked an eyebrow with amusement, Take your pick then! How bout we raise the stakes a bit? Noam suggested. Loser buys everyone a round. I raised an eyebrow. I shall enjoy my free drink then, Earned without lifting a pen! Hoho? Youve played one game and think youre ready to face us? We wont lose! Yellow declared as Greenie was mesmerized by the pretty card art. Declan? What? came an irritated voice, Im in class. I need your help winning. Why should I- The loser buys drinks, my real self froze at my words. Noam suggested it. Slowly, Declan put down an old pen, his attention completely shifted away. For we were both aware, there were things worth more than education. Game? TCG called Age of Wonders, 5 players with air quotes. Mana system. Fusion with a board game I saw Noam smirk with my manavision, knowing my lack of response was a good enough response. He was not the type of person to let me half-ass things. 5.17 5.17 Like the boy in the mirror, I come ever nearer. - Noam? I underestimated how hard this game could be. The game rules were simple, each player started at one corner of the board. Starting with five cards, each turn they drew one and aimed to drop an opponents fifty life total to zero. The board started as a flat empty expense, but by playing Terrain cards, you may change the terrain to be favorable to you, and as long as you hold the Terrain you may Tap it each turn for elemental mana. Units had four stats, damage, range, move speed, health points and special. To attack something it had to be within their range, which was represented by the empty board. The rest should be self-explanatory. This was already somewhat similar to TCGs I am already used to playing. Where it differed, was how uncomfortably powerful aggro decks were. Usually, aggro decks were naturally disadvantaged in a game with more than two players. The purpose of such a deck is to constantly play low cost high damage cards to rush down an opponent before they could properly react. Such a playstyle meant that they would use cards faster than they could draw them. Leaving them out of steam once their initial rush died down. However, it seemed like the decks both Noam and Fareeq used accounted for this. Fareeqs drow deck had the Combo keyword, where playing multiple cards in succession gave him greater value by making the last played card in his turn to be several times more powerful. He was not the largest problem, as he had his forces split testing everyones defenses. Not committing to a single person until he found a weakness. It was Noam who was the most annoying. Youve done nothing but attack me this entire game, I said to his smug face. Well youre the biggest late-game threat here arent you? Correct. Deep was a control deck. A deck that excelled in slowing down the game until they reached the late game where they could throw all their powerful cards and win via superior value. Deep specifically was a terrain control type, seeking to change the board into Water Terrains where they could play high stat sea monsters to close out the game. Noams deck was a mix between aggro and midrange, where he possessed some of the explosive start of an aggro deck, but also the mid-game power of a midrange deck. His Orc Raider cards increased in strength every time they defeated a unit, took Terrain or dealt damage to a player. Making me extremely cautious of developing, as any unit or Terrain I threw down could snowball into a quick defeat. But without such defenses, I wouldnt be able to stop him from directly attacking me. Forcing me into a careful tightrope of ensuring I had just enough to keep me alive until I gathered my win conditions. Considering the rock, paper, scissors analogy with the deck trifecta, Aggro, Midrange and Control. Generally speaking, Aggro beats Midrange by bursting them down before they stabilize, Midrange beats Control by reaching their power spike faster, and Control beats Aggro by playing constant stall cards that a low-cost deck cannot effectively deal with like Midrange. Card advantage is still ours. Indeed, though I was the one most pressed in this battle, I still held the most cards in hand, being the only Control deck present, however, that was largely due to me holding a lot of high-cost cards I cant play yet. Yeah, at this rate well be dead in four turns. That cannot do, after deliberating together, I played a card from my hand. Cerulean Sculptor, I said, tapping three Sea and three Basic mana, placing the squishy unit directly within a horde of orcs.
It was a battle to be remembered. One that will be sung amongst the highest pantheons by angelic choirs. The names of the warriors to be venerated in the halls of Kraag Thetai. Dustin played Cerulean Sculptor, the Triton card flooding the land around it with its Special, once again stalling a furious assault by another turn. No stranger was that myconid to card games, Corvian Diluvian Medudian Himotonana Farraday the Middling thought. Every move he played was textbook, calculated and thought through. Yet there was hesitation in every play, the anticipation of answers he might not be able to respond to. Perhaps it was that anxiety that allowed him to play so well, to anticipate moves his enemy could not even imagine. Noam meanwhile was someone who seemed to ooze confidence, every move he made with conviction. Every attack was committed, yet despite that, he was bleeding. Not literally, as he still had forty-six life, but metaphorically. He only had three cards in hand now, his assault against Dustin dropped the myconid to twenty-two life but it was clear he was running out of steam. Damn, looks I cant finish you off, Noam muttered. You deserve it, Dustin replied almost absentmindedly. Well, does anyone want to pick up the scraps? Noam asked, eyes smugly glancing at Corvian.
Shit, we both went. Cerulean Sculptor was my last board clear card. I played it under the assumption that with that I wouldve essentially beaten back Noams assault. My hand tightened, though I was careful to not scrunch the cards. Those things are valuable. We wont be able to deal with another full-fledged assault. I could see both the gnome and the bard considering it. Corvian most so since it was currently his turn. Noam set me up. Almost hesitantly, Analyze whispered information I had ignored, no, information of things I didnt believe occurred. Name: Noam Classes: Skald Level 4 -> 5 Mind Intelligence: 13 Wisdom: 10 Charisma: 14 -> 15 He had leveled up, a single point of Charisma gained by his Growth Stats. A single point, enough to make me passively tunnel on only him. The train battle? No, I answered, as both me and my power sifted through information. Combat was not the answer, as he had already experienced plenty already. A few goblins werent worth much. The dividends of the train encounter couldnt have leveled him. He leveled up sometime after coming here This was not a purely combat based leveling system. What did he experience that drove him over the edge? Was it the rap battle? Or did he level up after playing his first game in Age of Wonders whilst I watched? Regardless, Corvian played a card, moving his units towards my ruined base. Declaring an attack. I moved my units to block, can I survive this? Now is no longer the time to conserve cards.
One of Ds easiest weaknesses was bias. Though he drops ideas and strategies the moment they were proven ineffective, he keeps to them until the moment they were made obsolete. A slight bit of cunning, building on his already present bias of TCGs being a two-player game, making him tunnel vision on Noam, constantly attacking him and only him to implant the idea that so long as Noam is dealt with as a threat, itll be smooth sailing. All to take advantage of that brief moment when Ds bias was proven wrong and he cannot adapt fast enough. Noam smirked behind his hand. Though he spent all his cards to make the bluff worthwhile, hell survive longer than Dustin.
Corvian Diluvian Medudian Himotonana Farraday the Middling played an Adventurer Deck. It was a midrange deck, focused on Gathering the Party, playing five different unit types that each represented a part of the adventurers party. Each card became stronger the more the party was filled. He currently had three of those roles filled, Hasan Vashard the Lunars Edge, the Rogue of Five who slew the Chaos God of Life, Simon the God Noodler, the Fisherman who caught the Catfish of Wisdom with his bare hands and Giridan the Lost. The attack went poorly, as they neared the Seas beneath them erupted as monsters tore at the waterlogged units. Dustin hadnt managed to fully sink the terrain yet, so the Sea Monsters didnt have their absurd late-game stats, but still, the myconid placed him in a situation where the ensuing trade will result in him losing all three units. Corvian had enough Mana to activate two of the threes special abilities. Simon could either allow him to Draw One Card via the Catfish of Wisdom or deal AOE damage to all adjacent units using his Boot Catcher. Giridans special could randomly teleport him and another unit anywhere onto the map. Whilst Hasans special was not something he wanted to use until he drew Aisha. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. As the gnome agonized over the thought, his mind peering deeper into the webs of possibility, the cards of all those playing began to glow softly with a rich golden glow. Dustin raised his eyebrow at this, just as Corvian came to his choice. Channel Divinity, he softly whispered, The Theatre of the Mind. And his god answered. The world changed. No longer were they mere men, sitting around a wooden table playing with cards. No, they were now witness to an Age of Wonders. The six of them stood as the world turned to battering rain, the roar of the sea only eclipsed by Simons own howl. Corvian no longer needed to speak his actions, for they were true to all who watched. Giridan grabbed the Lunars Edge by the scruff of the neck as he pulled out a map, together disappearing from the world and landing somewhere else. Meanwhile, Simon stood alone on a small raft, surrounded by great krakens, sea serpents and devourers of ships, and he laughed. Water dripped off the mans chiseled form, skin forever darkened by years under the sun. Fabulous blonde hair rippling in the wind, flowing like the waves themselves as he took out his weapon. Boot Catcher, the Fishing Pole that has Never Caught a Single Fish, its string made from the tendons of the Land Eater, its wood taken from when he split the World Tree with his bare hands, giving birth to the phrase, Get two trees with one punch. Simon swung the weapon with the force of a newborn typhoon. For a brief moment, the world stopped as his swing created an artificial vortex, sucking in all the rain and sea. The Kings of the Deep were sucked into this made whirlpool, dragged into the depths by the Wiseman of Water. And though he perished, he did so gloriously in battle. This was the Channel Divinity of Wundalls greatest Domain. What wouldve been a mere accounting of card statistics, became the final stand of one of the greatest fishermen that ever lived. All who witnessed the games played under this Channel Divinity will see it as all others imagined it. Epic battles between gods and men. Struggles against the malevolent powers that be. Wundull was considered a great amongst the Gods, his name whispered with the same respect as the highest pantheons. For he alone achieved a Channel Divinity that was unrivaled amongst all in a single aspect. Duration. Whilst all other Channel Divinities acted either as a single act or the moment of intervention not even surpassing a few moments and breaths. The Theatre of the Mind would last for as long as the game was enjoyed. The greatest example was that of Antigone, the One who Bested Wundall, one of the countless goblin slaves to the Dwarven Imperium, the shipment carrying him and his fellows were intercepted by Thought Stealer Cults. Their minds about to be devoured before Antigone wagered all their lives on a game against the Eldest Mind Eater Karraxthian Vazzackainan. The resulting Channel Divinity lasted three months. Game after game, yet Karraxthian never managed to defeat Antigone, it was said during the battle, Karraxthian was driven to the point where he used the brains of seventeen great scholars, philosophers and mages, whilst every move by Antigone was a thing of such beauty that watchers wept rivers, creating the Lake Antigone. Even now, in this game, Corvian could feel it, the ripples of simple joy and enjoyment. He felt like he could keep this Channel Divinity for weeks without end. Wundull was not a god who asked for prayer or faith, yet was given both. For the God of Games, what was a greater act of worship than playing- nay, enjoying a game with both friend and stranger?
Ok, that was fucking awesome. Dustin had to agree with Declan, even if the end result was utterly disastrous. His left field was wiped, leaving him completely exposed on that side. When his turn came, he needed to start moving units or risk being the first dead. Noam slipped towards the wisps, whispering something as they played a Circle Cadet Indecision marred Fareeqs face, for though it was his turn, all his units were positioned away from the hole Corvian opened, he wouldnt be able to attack Dustin this turn, was it worth repositioning for a future attack? Calculate the chances of him having Warcry in his hand with a hundred card deck and twenty-three cards drawn Dustin didnt originally think this was necessary, using Declan as a means to access a digital calculator, all in order to work out the probabilities of which cards each player had, but the time of playing had ended. The wisps looked around the battlefield, their attempts at understanding how their decks work lost the moment something cool happened. Fareeq came to a decision and committed every unit he had to killing off the Deep player, his deck threatened them all once he had all his resources, and Dustin had repeatedly demonstrated he was able to make use of them. Fareeq moved in and Dustin threw down all his units, they were weak now, literally fish out of the water, but he had to stabilize his situation or lose in two turns. It was difficult but Dustin managed to make it out with only eight life. He had to spend those more carefully now, for Life was expendable like any resource, with only the last one being important. Noam chuckled as Dustin rebuffed the combined attacks from three other players, the myconid was half dead but still in. As Dustins turn came, he decided to throw a lifebuoy. I guess Ill attack Fareeq now. Eyes turned to him, one of surprise, the other glimmering with opportunity. Dustins sea monsters moved to surround Fareeqs units, so that they may slow them down while Noam burned him to the ground. New Xin Shi had fallen, the city of the Drow a burning wreck as orcs and drow alike battled through the flames. At the edges there stood Adventurers, a fragile alliance to take out the first truly defenseless player. Fareeqs units couldnt make it back to his base fast enough and he had significantly fewer tools to survive a direct assault compared to a deck made to last till the late game. There were now four players left. Tsunami. Dustin finally drew the card he was looking for and the land around him finally flooded. He had entered his late game, he had reached Deep. Now the game was a question of if they could survive long enough to kill him. Aisha Vashard, The Solar Sword, Corvian played Aisha, the once mortal stood on the battlefield, her brown skin illuminated by a halo of light. Hasan, who the gnome desperately kept alive throughout multiple skirmishes, stood beside her. Brother and sister finally united. The Blades of Sun and Moon finally stood together before an endless encroaching sea. But he had tapped all his mana to get Aisha on the field, he needed to wait another turn before activating their dual special. Noam finally began frowning, powerful sea creatures now began consuming the board. Land disappearing under an endless torrent of water. A severe disadvantage for an Orc Raider deck, he drew a card, not expecting much, before he laughed as he saw a familiar name. The Demon Chef. A broad green back filled his vision, hefting a massive but trusty ax. This version was younger, printed just after he slew and ate the demon known as Therubim the Garden of Wrath, but he was no less powerful for it. Dustin slammed Corvian with everything he had, using the spell Slipstream to forcefully create a path where his sea monsters could attack from. He didnt damage Corvian directly, but he managed to achieve his true goal, separating Aisha and Hasan, so that they no longer occupied adjacent cards. Monsters at the gates, the land was being consumed. What greater stage than for a Party of Five to take? Aisha filled the role of a Fighter, Hasan the Rogue, Sepulchral Priest as the Healer, Mollymauk Tea Thief as the Bard and finally Sorcerer Aspirant. Two of the cards werent Named, but such battles were the forges of new legends. Now Corvian merely needed to get them together. He drew a card and found it. A spell card simply called, They Met in a Tavern. Dustin played a high-cost card every turn, for he knew if the five-man band was assembled then Corvian would become a threat capable of dealing with his units massive stats and terrain advantage with special abilities. Two of the five were together, Mollymauk Tea Thief and Sorcerer Aspirant. Already, he and Declan formulated countless plans to ensure the party was never formed- We win! the wisps suddenly yelled as it came to their turn. Huh? Noam slapped his thigh and laughed. Yellow stood up, smugly adjusting a tie that didnt exist. If you will my dear sibling? Of course! Greenie yelled as it slapped down a card almost as large as it was. All of them read the card. Magus Fireball. When you cast a spell, add a Fireball spell to your hand. We have three Circle Cadets, Yellow explained, Each Circle Cadet lowers the cost of spells by one. How did you get three- Clone and Doppelganger, Dustin muttered. The rule of these decks was that there could only be a single copy of each card. Using Clone the wisps could create another Circle Cadet, whilst Doppelganger could take on a cards stats and special ability for a single round. Enough that the resulting Fireball spell Magus Fireball created per spell cost zero for that single round. No matter how much fire, you cannot cast far, You would not be able to damage all with your star, Fareeq cautiously pointed out to the wisps. The gnome was first to remember what card was in that deck. They have the Farsight Orb. A legendary equipment card that raised a mage units range to absurd levels, to the point that a single mage could cast and hit everyone on the field. And since Fireball costs zero Dustin let the word trail out, just as explosions erupted all around them. An OTK deck, blasted. OTK, a deck archetype that was descriptive of what it did, for the letters stood for One Turn Kill. Unlike Dustin, not one player bothered to stop them from reaching their win condition. The wisps were the winner and Fareeq, who had been waiting for the epic battle between heroes and monsters to conclude, grudgingly took out his coin purse.
God I need to fill my sugar stache, Declan muttered as he glanced around the almost emptied cabinet. Hed been required to think at full force more than usual lately, You are burning through that stupidly quick, Dustin said. Sure you dont have diabetes yet? If I did Ill just visit the hospital, Declan replied as he took one lone chocolate bar from the cabinet. Unwrapping it with practiced precision, he stuffed the sweet into his mouth and practically inhaled it. Ba will be annoyed I need to get an insulin implant but thats about it. Fuck dont mess up my body before I get back. Our body remember? the teenager retorted, I get to fuck it up as much as I want. Fucking yourself? How narcissistic, Dustin returned. Says the guy who had an orgasm in the rain, Declan retorted. He casually flipped through all the visions of Observe, casually glancing through all of them until he noticed many of them missing, including two important ones. Our perimeter is gone he muttered, of the dozen eyes Dustin had prepared, about eight of them were gone from Observe, not only that Hey, wheres Utoqa? The reply that answered him, was one filled with utter confusion. Whos Utoqa? 5.18 5.18 I made a mistake, a horrible mistake. - ****** ** Utoqa woke, his body and mind sluggish, the chill and rainy day did no favors for the cold-blooded creature. Yet his eyes still opened. ****, the tiny myconid creature Dustin left to watch him, startled at his waking. The lizardfolk slowly rose. He wasnt sure if **** sensed what he sensed, but it was clearly worried by his actions. Utoqa reached for Gift, the weapon never far. The years of surviving by himself, constantly moving through the treacherous jungle, a sense honed through life and death. Dustin was mistaken when he thought that Perception had anything to do with bodily senses. One encompassed smell, taste, hearing, feeling, all the physical sensory aspects, whilst the other was more akin to a sixth-sense. A supernatural ability to feel the reverberations of Souls even if one was blind or deaf. Utoqa had managed to meld the two into a unified front, greater than either, yet they were still fundamentally two different things. The sluggishness of his body, a natural consequence of the cold, allowed the discrepancy to be great enough that he realized it. His Perception was still active at full force, giving him a vague feeling of uneasiness, whilst his natural senses detected nothing. Utoqas hand tightened around Gift, as he realized that he had either significantly weakened or his senses were being dampened. The lizardfolk stared at the window and he saw his form reflected on its surface. Yet behind his reflection was the reflection of a child. Clothing tattered, black hair dirtied and ruffled, staring at him with eyes red from weeping. He raised Gift as he turned around, the silence of the room so loud it was deafening. Yet, he saw nothing physically behind him. The corpse of Dustins wisp fell to the ground, its light snuffed out. Its name forgotten from all that knew it. Utoqa slashed thin air, his eyes glued to the window, yet Gift passed harmlessly through the boys reflection, bringing it around, he smashed the window, the shards falling and bouncing harmlessly off his scales. But even in the shattered shards of glass, the reflection of the boy was still there. The boy in the mirror came ever nearer.
It was true. The Watching Eyes I left scattered all around had been blinded, the symbol dashed till they no longer saw, a trail leading up to the window where our room is. Who is this Utoqa, I whispered to myself. A friend who you thought would be immensely useful, Declan whispered back. Whether it was the friend or the usefulness part that drove me to action, was a question that I was unable to answer. Hopefully, it was a combination of both, but the fact I couldnt definitely say that if Declan didnt say the last part, I would still move, was a fact that I would think about for a long-
-So youre saying that someone is dead? Tai asked. The myconid nodded, the group he assembled sitting around the table. Problem is, it seems none of us remembers his existence. Howd you manage it? ****** asked. I have an ability that keeps a copy of my memories stored elsewhere, Dustin simply replied. Noam nodded in affirmation before he leaned forward. Something strange I noticed, but Tai you only use one sword to fight yeah? the tiefling asked. Tai glanced at him in confusion, Yeah but why is this relevant? If you only use one sword, then why do you carry three? If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Slowly, Tai took out her swords, the Sword of Proving, the reason for her quest, the sword she used to fight and- -Dustin thought and thought. Then realised a discrepancy. They came here via a train, when the train was attacked, he sent Noam and someone else in opposite directions. If this Utoqa was sent to the front to directly grab the guardsmen, who was sent to get the civilian passengers towards the front? Did he send anyone? Were there passengers towards the front? Did they really repel the goblins with only five mercenaries and a handful of guards? According to ******, they- -Noam looked around, in broad daylight when the town was not obscured by night or rain, he realized something. Why is this place so empty? he asked. The town had thirty or so buildings, it was by no means small. Yet as they walked around they saw few people. Walking around dazed as if just waking. Not only that, the town was able to support an inn large enough to house a few dozen travelers that randomly appeared. An inn of that size wouldnt develop if this was the middle of- -The young inn owner tripped as she desperately tried to fulfill all the orders. It was strange, yesterday she was able to do all this work easily as if she were three people. But today she couldnt keep up, shes served far more people than this! How was she able to keep the inn running until- -Noams steps fastened as they slammed open door after door, half the houses were empty, yet all seemed like someone had lived there previously. He thought back to the train, how when he checked the carriages so many of them were empty. Fucking hell, there was a kid who was travelling alone, the one he left with a young couple to hide under Dusts protection. Was that kid really traveling alone or did- -The symbol of Tilt, the goddess of children was a silver bell. She had a small orphanage in this town, yet when we scoured it, it was completely empty. The silver bell at the top of the building tarnished, a detail I had noticed before but had put at the back of my mind. Food and drink were left scattered and rotted on the table. Dust had settled on it, it couldnt be more than a few days old. From the corner of Noams eye, he sighted a mirror and a reflection that belonged to no one flit out. Follow me! the tiefling yelled, not bothering for an answer as he vaulted over empty tables, the reflection of a child moving through the- -Tai kicked opened the door to the mage tower, the boy traveled through reflections somehow, and they tracked him through empty windows until it led them here. Tai entered first, not as tough as Dustin but twice better close range. They slowly streamed in behind her, weapons long-drawn and prepared, inside it was quiet. So quiet that the silence felt deafening. And they saw- Fear the deafening silence. -Dustin was thrown to the side, body slamming into a bookshelf which promptly fell over him. They didnt see it coming, no, they couldnt have. Yet when the silence was deafening they could- -Dustin was knocked out, there was no other choice. No other option he could think of. ****** knelt before the ******** **** **** * *** and- -The myconid pulled out the **** that impaled him to the wall. His other hand held a staff, a weapon held with unfamiliar hands, yet the power there was something he was used to. I can see you now, ****** said through gritted teeth. I can ******* you. The ***** turned and- -I made a mistake, a horrible mistake, ****** muttered as his blood hardened on the ground around him. He dealt a wound but he alone couldnt beat it. No, even with **** people they couldnt beat it. They needed to run, as far as possible. At the very least make sure Noam made it out. If it could harm ****** then there was no telling what it could do to Matts real self. Gritting a mouth that wasnt his, ****** spoke, Analyze, I know youre still active. Mindless thing you are but make sure this is-
Dustin woke up in the middle of the street. Drenched in his own hardened blood, the first thing he noticed was an Analyze page opened.
  1. You cannot ***** **.
Fuck.
  1. It removes *********** ***** **.
Dammit.
  1. If suddenly the silence becomes quiet enough that it feels deafening. Spray all around you. It wont kill certain things, but it will deter them.
Remember these questions.
  1. Why does Tai carry three swords when she only uses two?
  2. Why was the train so empty? Did we really beat back the goblins with only *five?* people and a handful of guards?
  3. Why is the town so empty?
And make sure to remember 5
  1. Find the boy in the mirror.
  2. ***** might still be alive if you act fast enough. Hes durable, he might Survive, but Im not sure about ****** and ******, it got so many of us. **** is definitely gone. Im not sure if I even remember all the people it got.
  3. Get Noam out if he is still alive. I dont know if it can harm Matt, but dont risk it.
Dustin blinked as he saw the page. Floating lazily within his mind. The moon had risen and of the past few hours, he only remembered a single phrase. Fear the deafening silence. He brought himself up, warily looking all around him. On his arm, he noticed a myriad of eye symbols littered on his arm. The cantrip spell he made but it was strange. He couldnt see out of them at all. In fact, he didnt make them with the intention to see out of them, it was strange. Why would I make such a useless spell? he asked himself. He stood there, waiting for something before he startled as he looked at his arm. That was weird, he muttered. Why did I expect someone to answer that question? 5.19 5.19 If you know the enemy and know yourself, then you need not fear the outcome of a hundred battles. - Excerpt from The Ebb and Flow, by Chancellor Checkov of the Western Empire. Dustin trudged through the town. His clothing was bloody, yet the viscous yellow fluid that made his blood had long since coagulated outside his body, it was enough that it slowed him slightly. Like walking when you were covered in dried mud. He read the note. He saw the symbols on his arm and when he opened the door to the inn, he saw Noam by a table, his left arm put in a makeshift sling. Dusts, the tiefling called out, Could you throw down your healing shroom? This town doesnt have a healer apparently. Doesnt have or no longer has? he whispered. Huh? Noam replied as he neared, speak up I cant hear you! The myconid noticed the mud on his blades. Those hook swords were used recently and outside. Howd you break your arm? Think I slipped on the stairs, he said as he rubbed his head, mustve banged my head, cant think straight. Wheres Tai? Here, a voice groaned from another table. Tai lay her head on the table, long brown hair splayed out, I would greatly appreciate your healing as well. Youre the one healer in this town. Tai, he spoke slowly, but directly. Without a change in tone or emotion. Noam suddenly sat up and stared at Dustin. What is wrong? As someone who helped us this far, Ill give you some advice, the myconid continued, ignoring his friend. Run. Get as far away from this town as you can. Slowly, she raised her head, pushing away a few strands of hair before she stared directly at Dustin. Whats this about? What happened? Noam asked. Dustin reached into his cap and removed his notebook and pen. The weather has cleared up, so I thought we should be on our way, theres nothing of note in this town anyway. In the notebook, he wrote, Threat. Unknown. Unseen. My memories are missing. Slowly, Noam shuffled his chair to be next to Dustin, beckoning Tai as well. Im not sure about that, Im sure theres plenty of interesting things to see. Tai came and she read the words on the note page. May be listening, watching. I do not know, Dustin wrote, and in the same breath he said, Nothing memorable Im sure. He continued, It has already killed many people. Im pretty sure we fought it already and lost. Tai gestured for the pen, The roads are probably all muddied up, it would be uncomfortable as hell to travel. Where are the dead? How can I trust you? I suppose so, Dustin answered as he took back the pen, The entity somehow removes information in the mind. My memories and ability have both been compromised. He put down the pen, before reaching into his cap, pulling out a single book, Guess we can stay and read or something. I do need to get Noam back on track. Dustin opened the book, Yolos Guide to Monsters and flipped to a specific page. Aberrations. Both their eyes widened. Dustin continued to write, There is no evidence because it removed all evidence. Including that of our memories. Hey Tai, Noam conversationally began, Ive been wondering this A sudden sense of deja vu struck all three of them as Noam spoke. If you only use one sword, then why do you carry three? Like they were watching a play they have already seen, Tai mechanically took out her three swords. The Sword of Proving, the reason for her quest, the sword she used to fight and One unknown sword. One made in the same style as the one Tai used, looking exactly the same on the surface, but as she compared them, she realized this one was different, longer, differently balanced. Made for someone taller. Slowly, she unsheathed her own sword, on the blades flat near the guard had three sigils written in High Elvish. Nao Ri Tai Then, she drew the other sword and on that blade was written: Nao Ri Kai Her hands started shaking, her eyes darted back and forth the length of the blade. Uncomprehending, yet the signs of deep confusion bordering on panic began staining her eyes. The other two looked at the symbols, not knowing the language, but a sense of familiarity struck them still, yet untouchable. The memory forever out of reach, like that, they stood for a while. It was Dustin who moved first, using the pen and writing something. Do not trust anything you remember. He returned the book, notepad and pen to his cap. Pack your things Noam, I dont trust another night in this rickety tavern. The myconid turned to head upstairs, but a firm hand grabbed his shoulder, Hold it. Dustin turned to look at the tiefling, Noams face was neutral, but that neutrality did not reach his eyes. We arent just leaving without doing anything. We have done plenty of things, eat, sleep, talked to people and even played a game or two, which both of us lost. Losses can be recovered from, they are not crippling. But when the game is too difficult, I would rather not play, he replied. Not even trying is a set up for failure. And trying to accomplish the impossible is a waste of effort. How do you know it is impossible? That is because I- without warning Dustin threw out his hand, pacifying spores spraying out of his finger. Noams eyes widened, he fell back, clutching his face and struggling to stay awake, before finally, he collapsed onto the ground. Sorry, Dustin whispered as he stood over the unconscious body. If it were just me then I would try again but I dont want to risk a friend. He extended a hand to pick up Noam- Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Son of a bitch, he muttered as blood dripped from a fresh wound in his side. FINALLY MORE BLOOD! Celigarn yelled as Noam twisted the blade into Dustins flesh. Its son of bitches, get it right. A stabbing irritation entered his mind, Vicious Mockery, damn that spell. Eyes were on them now, the tavern was unnaturally empty but there were still people left. People, who hurriedly stood up as blades were drawn. Celigarns glow deepened, Wait a moment this blood Dont worry! Noam called out, Well keep it between the two of us. Before he turned to Dustin. Couldve done this the easy way Noam, I couldve gotten you out safely. So its something that you think could permanently damage us, Noam said with a smirk. This is no laughing matter. Then I suppose I should be serious as I beat you to a pulp. Your build is not suited for one on ones, your low CON also means Im particularly effective against you, Dustin said, voice completely calm, for he was stating a mere fact. If they were near a wayshard, he mightve been worried about Noam opening up his status page to dump all his points to CON, but this far out neither of them can use their character sheets. Shall I prove you wrong? Noam whispered like a lover, Shall we go at each other until one of us gives? You know what I want, talking only buys you time. I suppose it is in my interest to kill you. Atta boy! THIS IS PLANT SAP! Celigarn cried as Noam kicked the myconid off him, THIS ISNT BLOOD! This is the best youll get! Noam yelled as he rushed the staggering form of Dustin. Bastard the myconid whispered as he clutched his wound, he threw his arm wide, a puff of Poison Spores engulfing the area in front of him. Yet instead of a body coming through, only a screaming thrown dagger embedded itself into Dustins shoulder. Shit, he just lost sight of Noam. People were running away, clambering away as the beginnings of a fight took place. Once they cleared out Dustin could attack unreservedly without worrying about civilian casualties, this benefited him. However, the panic as people ran away also benefited Noam, for it masked the crack as he reset his broken arm. Shillelagh, uttering the spell in mage tongue, Dustins staff lit up with arcane energy, thumbing the bark in his cap, Dustin cast Bark Skin over himself once again. Noam grabbed his hook swords by the table, idly glancing at Tai who was still staring at the drawn blade of a person none of them remembered. He snapped his fingers in front of her, forcing her back to reality. Huh- Live a long life Tai, Noam said with a smile before he turned and assumed a runners position. Aura coursed through the entirety of his body as he set off with a flash. His feet blurred as he suddenly appeared behind Dustin. Nothing personal. Indeed. Dozens of sneezing sporages exploded around Noams feet, but not fast enough as he slammed his swords into Dustin, throwing him several meters towards the right. Noam rushed out of the yellow cloud before it could reach his face, blades brandished. But even in the air, Dustin threw his hand out, Poison- before getting his arm slapped away by a blade in midair. Again, Dustin tried to cast a spell as he fell, yet Noam caught him, slapping his arms away and directing the spell away before kicking the myconid upward. Anyone that still remained wouldve seen a strange sight. Though Dustin was fully armored, with both Bark Skin and Bracken Polypores covering his body, he might as well have been a helium balloon for his body was light enough that Noam could throw him in the air, again and again. Where he truly had no mobility, whilst slashing and attacking him, interrupting and diverting every spell before it was made. The end result looked a lot like he was Juggling! Dustin realised as he finally got used to constant strikes and shifts in view. It was a Yggdrasil strat, using constant interrupts to keep a caster target permanently CCd, Dustin had never seen one done so well. In Yggdrasil you generally needed an interrupt skill, meaning such CC would not last long, however, this was not the case here. So long as the spell had either a verbal or somatic component, Noam could predict and interrupt it. A continuous attack that made use of insane spatial awareness, coordination and weapon mastery. Dual blades, ax, knuckle dusters, spear, whip, halberd, as Dustin was getting continuously slashed, slammed and thrown back in the air, he couldnt help but feel like he was getting attacked by six different weapons at once. That bastard had been holding back all this time. For Noam however, the only thing on his mind was this. Dont let the balloon drop. His face was utterly focused, not a single action made by Dustin went unnoticed, not a single move he did was random. In his mind, what he was doing was similar to when they had a spare balloon and threw it in the air as a game. The person who let it drop was the loser. The fact the balloon was actively trying to kill him was irrelevant. For half a minute, this continued, but as the last of Dustins armor crumbled away from the constant assault, the moment had come. Sporages which he had stuck firmly inside his cap had dislodged and fallen, right over Noams form. His response was nigh instant, weapons already moving to slap them away, but Dustin who was waiting for this moment was first. The need to yell out the spell name to detonate a sporage was merely a habit, all he needed to do was see and think of detonating them. He was already keeping track of them through manavision and Noam was not faster than thought. Yellow spores rained down on Noam, pushing him into a sneezing fit as Dustin finally landed on the ground rolling. When Noam waved away the spores and opened his eyes, Dustin had already finished the somatic gestures. Euphoria Spray. He jumped back but the rainbow coloured cloud still hit him and engulfed him. For a single moment, Noam was at peace, he saw the universe and all of existence in its infinite glory and understood his place in it. He understood the meaning of life and death, the continuous cycle that allowed all things to move. For a brief, glorious moment that lasted the span of infinity, the euphoric joy of understanding all made him still. Then a Shillelagh empowered staff slammed into his head. Poison Spores, the green spray threatened to catch him, but he moved with the momentum of the staff, taking advantage of it to fall to the ground where he kicked Dustins legs from under him. While Dustin scrambled to get back up, Noam rose with fluidity, the blade going in for the final blow. Dustin threw out his arm once again, but Noam could interrupt it, he was fast- Stop. He saw the purple sporage in his hand and his blade stopped centimeters from Dustins side. Move another inch and we both die. Noams adrenaline came to a halt and he let out a short, gasping breath. Bastard You win either way. Dustins objective was to get Noam out safely, if he killed Noam then that achieved the same thing. Youre fast, but we just saw you arent faster than thought. So I also cant deal with the threat without you huh? Dustin had no armor left, not even his Bark Skin which was smashed to pulp in his earlier juggle; a point-blank Rot Spores would kill him too. And Noam realised upon seeing the suicide move, that something of the enemy can only be dealt with using Dustins help. Otherwise, the myconid wouldn''t use his own life as a hostage. This happens the hard way because of you, Dustin said. Damn bastard, you know what happens. Either both of us die or one, either way, I win. You really think I cant deal with this thing without your help, Noam calmly said, finally steadying his breathing. Yes, Dustin replied, if Im not helping then you are guaranteed to fail. And why arent you helping? I told you because weve already failed, he practically snarled. You know my Analyze power? It keeps a list of names of all the people Ive met, half, fucking half of them are gone. I dont remember them nor can I see their sheets anymore. The version of the memories I remember arent true, but I know they all died here. If it were anywhere else then the other power that I lost wouldve been able to detect it. And you think we cant win when we know its there? We already faced it with more people, better resources and an ability that can straight up see and realize the differences! Dustin yelled, Were not doing the same thing, were doing the same thing worse! Slowly, Noam closed his eyes and quietly said, You wanna hear a story? Dustin didnt answer. When I was a kid, I was in a gang, yeah. One of the guys, Joseph I think his name was, got jumped one day, he was rushed to the nearest clinic but he died of internal bleeding in the head. The strangest thing happened later, he paused, eyes opening and a deep nostalgia in them. We all got mad, we got motivated and looked for the people who did it and jumped them, we got revenge, we celebrated, but in the end We all felt nothing about Josephs death and our revenge. This time, he stared directly at Dustin, still laying on the ground beneath him, the Rot Sporage held out like a shield. We werent fulfilled by the revenge, we didnt feel happier, we felt nothing. That is what you are seeing. That feeling of realizing the thing you chase wasnt all cracked up as it was. Wait a minute, Dustin said as he noticed something. What I see is the feeling of chasing. That feeling that you have something worth putting your effort in. The outcome may be fixed, but that is no excuse to ignore the process. To you, the process and outcome are one and the same. Why are you breathing? Dustin said as realization dawned on him. Noam smirked. The next moment, Dustins hand, still clutching the sporage, was laying far away on the ground next to them and Noams sword was in the air as if it were just swung. Fast, too fast. Faster than his aura empowered swing. Faster than even Dustin could process. Thats the difference between you and I Dusts, that is why no matter the outcome of a hundred battles, I will still be better than you. He sheathed his swords and turned away. And that is why I kept the nature of my abilities a secret. 5.20 5.20 I understand that I have acted in haste, I see my mistakes now and beg for forgiveness. - Priestess Emilia the Thrice Excommunicated, first recommunicated due to converting three hundred and eighty-two heavily injured men. Noam walked out of sight of Dustin, before he fell to a knee, breaths heavy and laborious. He quickly stabilized himself, taking deep breaths to calm his heart. It wasnt the first time he had overexerted himself and it wouldnt be the last. Dustin might be an ass but he was right, Noams build and stat distribution were all over the place, meaning he had to be doubly careful to beat the bastard. Not to mention he still had 9 SP that he hasnt spent, couldnt spend until they got to a wayshard. He was essentially fighting missing two levels against a guy whose build was probably a cheat. Perhaps if Dustin specially gave him a build to use, he mightve demolished the myconid with half the time and effort, but where was the fun in that? Are you alright? Tai stopped in front of him and extended a hand which he took, pulling himself back up. How bout you? Noam asked, noting she looked rather freaked out when she drew the mystery sword. He didnt know High Elvish but the pictograms looked similar enough to the Sino-Tibetan Language Family that he realized the three words were for a name. The two symbols of similarity were likely the surname. Ill live, she spoke casually, but Noam still noticed how her hand tightened around her sword. If Tai were another person he mightve pushed further, but she struck Noam as a largely independent personality, not someone worth poking at without mutual trust and respect. You wanna run away now that you know whats here or do you want to be an idiot and stay? the tiefling asked. Youre staying arent you? Tai replied, voice soft, almost in introspection. Your friend was genuinely worried about the thing here yet you plan on fighting it regardless. Even if it poses a permanent threat against yourself. Were all gonna die eventually, might as well live life as stupidly as you can, he chuckled. She smiled for a brief moment, Even Travelers die huh Her face turned hard, I need to find out the meaning of the sword, I need to understand who Kai Gnari is. Got a plan for that? She blinked back in surprise, clearly not having considered it before she shook her head. Noam smiled as a figure hobbled out to join them, Good thing I know a guy.
You ar e a bastard, the worst bastard I have ever met, I said as the Fix-Up Fungus sprouted between us. And you love me for it dont you? the tiefling smugly replied, lying lazily on a couch almost like a cat. We were in an empty house, one that we all knew how it became empty. The third person looked between the two of us strangely. Didnt you two just try to kill each other? Tai asked. Yeap but I won, Noam replied as healing spores enveloped his body. I attached my severed arm back onto the stump, letting the spores drift and reconnect the two. We have a rule that if we disagree we fight and whoever wins is the way we go. And I won, Noam repeated with a smile. Unless this is a long con in which he stabs me in the back later. Possibly, I admitted, but regardless, if I think the way is lost or hopeless, I will kill you. You really dont want this thing to kill you huh? Tai said. I held a finger to my mouth, the universal gesture for quiet. Wait. Glancing around, I could see no sign that something was with us, still, I held out my hands, Poison Spores. I repeated the spell several times, getting the two to move positions as I made sure to douse the entire room with Poison Spores, before leaving a lingering barrier of the stuff around the walls. Cautiousness has never harmed anyone, I muttered as I sat back down, mana significantly drained. We have a few minutes, speak in quiet tones and do not raise your voice. There were careful nods around me, eyes too looking outward, but likely seeing no more than I did. Dustin, Noam, Tai began, her face grave, I require you two a favor. What is it? If Im taken, kill me before I am killed by that thing. Oh. Both of us simply stared at her, a mixture of surprise, disbelief and some respect. For out of the three, she was the only one who was truly risking her life. I would rather it not come to that point, I softly said after a moment. We dont often get to pick what we would rather, she replied. Ill do it, Noam stated. I almost berated him when he spoke, but when I turned to Noam, I saw not a hint of doubt or hesitation, only quiet reassurance and resolve. Tai nodded, content with the answer before they each turned to me and I realized they were both relying on me to get them through this mess, to give them direction so that we may win. We were fucked if I was the best weve got. But I cannot speak that, cannot think that, for right now the part that believed that was useless. Right now they didnt need me as a person, they needed me as a logical commander, uncaring of the weaknesses of emotion. And so, I removed what wasnt needed and became that. Let us continue then, I spoke, I have a list of information myself in the past recorded, likely after our first encounter with the entity,
  1. You cannot ***** **.
Fuck. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
  1. It removes *********** ***** **.
Dammit.
  1. If suddenly the silence becomes quiet enough that it feels deafening. Spray all around you. It wont kill certain things, but it will deter them.
Remember these questions.
  1. Why does Tai carry three swords when she only uses two?
  2. Why was the train so empty? Did we really beat back the goblins with only *five?* people and a handful of guards?
  3. Why is the town so empty?
And make sure to remember 5
  1. Find the boy in the mirror.
  2. ***** might still be alive if you act fast enough. Hes durable, he might Survive, but Im not sure about ****** and ******, it got so many of us. **** is definitely gone. Im not sure if I even remember all the people it got.
  3. Get Noam out if he is still alive. I dont know if it can harm Matt, but dont risk it.
I relayed the information, word for word. From this, we can draw a few conclusions, I continued. One, I held up my first finger, it can somehow remove all information about itself, which explains why we dont remember anything. Two, the second finger rose, some extension of this ability is somehow used to remove the memory of people, judging by the language of point seven, it can be reasonably interpreted that the people forgotten are dead or killed. Not only that, it has perfected the ability to the point we seem to replace memories of people that have passed. Three, the third finger, this method is not perfect. I gestured towards Tais sword, Your sword shows that physical traces of people slain still remain. I believe instead of removing the traces, the entity somehow causes us to ignore proof of its existence, including its kills. Four, the fourth finger, my entire hand opened, this thing attacks when the silence becomes deafening whatever that means. Five, I raised the first finger of my other hand, the third and fourth point indicates that this thing has accumulated a massive body count and judging by point three, we were once, at minimum, a group of five people. Unintentionally, my eye went to Tais third sword. I suspect the person mentioned in point seven is the person who owned that sword. A close-range fighter with a Path that greatly enhances durability. However, seven seems to mention at least three victims. Six, second finger on my second hand, the existence of a boy in the mirror, which these points place emphasis in locating. Seven, the second last finger, this thing is somehow able to make me afraid for Noams original self. Tai reacted strangely to that information but stayed silent. Eight, the final finger, that this thing is susceptible to damage and can be deterred, but also that I wont be able to kill it with just an AOE spray. And finally, I closed both hands, that my ability has been compromised, as shown by the numerous redactions and the missing of point five, meaning that the entirety of what I just said could be false or inaccurate. Anything else? There was silence after I laid it all bare. For perhaps only now they understood the enemy as I did, to have it put that simply. Noam scratched his head for a moment, before he asked, Whats this boy in the mirror? I dont know, I replied, I only have what I have previously tried to write. Like the boy in the mirror, I come ever nearer, he tuned. That phrase is stuck in my head, like a song. I remember saying it, but did I really? I raised an eyebrow, What do you mean? I remember saying that phrase to someone, but I dont think I did, why would I speak like that for one? If this can erase memories and make us fill in the gaps ourselves, what happens if it misses and some information is retained but we lose how we got it? A memory resurfaced, the bloody corpse of a creature that rammed its head into the shrine of Bundriroc until it bled and died, and from its blood, I saw and remembered a phrase no one else did. Fear the deafening silence. There was that sense of deja vu again as I spoke it. I remember that we killed a rampaging beast near the shrine of Bundriroc, when it bled the blood formed a phrase. Fear the deafening silence. I remember crippling both legs of the thing while Tai delivered her finishing blow, Noam added. And I remembered being tired because using even one Act at a time really tires me out. One Act a discrepancy in my memory, fleeting and gone in a moment, but I closed my eye, and traced it back, looking at the first moment Tai had used an Act in front of us. Tai, when you use the Adepts Acts, do you do one slash or two? Tai furrowed her brow, Only a single one, but why would- she remembered, the first time she used that move in front of us, it left a train cart in three pieces. That cart was slashed twice, Noam breathed. It was slashed twice! Tais hands shook as they clenched around her third blade. Your style is called the Gnari Family style isnt it? Yes, she grimaced, I know what youre implying, that the person who owned this blade was my family. It doesnt help much, Noam admitted, the information does little more than say it has killed a person of your fighting style before, but the circumstances are gone. No, I said, with three examples we can confirm that the memory erasure is not perfect, that there are clues left behind we can think back to and remember and realize something is missing because of an inaccuracy. We can keep finding clues that way. But we do not know if the clues are of value, I said, like you said, the clue of the train cart only says it has killed a person of Tais fighting style. Noam scratched his head, brows deep in thought, Dustin, your Analyze thing is from your eye right? I nodded. Lemme see it. I willed the Bracken Polypores to recede, revealing my face under them and the socket I kept the eye in. Oh Jesus, Noam muttered, look through my eyes, that thing is- He paused as he realized what he just said. Something spoken almost completely out of habit, something he didnt consciously register until after he said it. Sight, he muttered, you lost a power related to sharing sight. I nodded, I know, raising my arm, it was covered with numerous eye symbols. On my arm are observation runes from a spell I crafted myself, but I cant see through them. The uselessness of the spell and the fact I cast it so much on myself indicates that my past self wanted me to realize what was lost. That mustve been how the thing got noticed before, Tai muttered, if you had some sort of altered sight you mightve been able to see it. The only question is why the entity didnt outright kill me, I added. Perhaps it has some limitation on killing or the number of people it can make forget. Or Noam began, when we fought it, we dealt so much damage it was forced to retreat. He looked at both of us, In which case, we need to find and kill it as soon as possible before it has a chance to recover. That is if that hypothesis is true, I noted. We still have no real idea of its combat capability, we can assume it is powerful given that it has killed at least three combat capable individuals, but we dont know how. The difference between it killing those three in direct combat versus that of an undetected sneak attack is the difference between victory and defeat, I continued. I would like to lean towards the idea it was a sneak attack, Noam said, it greatly fits the abilities we know it has. And I agree with you, I said, but we cant know for sure. It will be a gamble no matter how you put it. A gamble we may be forced to take. Indeed, I conceded. But let us examine the threads we havent looked at yet. The boy in the mirror. I nodded, Yes. We have nothing other than the weird rhyme I have Actually Noam looked around, Any of you have a mirror? I shook my head and so did Tai. Hmm how clear are your swords, Tai? She drew one, the one that was hers. It was clean, but I could see stubborn specks of dirt and mud that crusted over. Noam squinted at the blade before he very quietly turned to me. Behind me. I stood up, seeing nothing physically behind Noam, but I slowly edged next to him, along with Tai and we saw it. The reflection of a ragged boy, eyes red with weeping, staring at us from the corner of the room. 5.21 5.21 Sure I cant look directly at the envoys that come over, but that isnt an excuse to not prepare tea or be impolite. - High Prince Aksum on the eldritch gods that have been the end and beginning of worlds. My eye was shattered, I idly noticed. The round lapis gem was cracked in two and held together only by thin threads of mycelium. Behind us, the reflection of the child continued to stare at us. Its eyes were red as if he had been weeping for weeks on end. Slowly, Noam turned around and spoke, Hello? A move that would get him a horrible death in any horror movie, was only met with silence. Should someone go find a mirror? Noam whispered. Shaking my head, I replied, I dont wish to split up or let our eyes off this entity. So were just stuck here? Tai muttered. Noam eyed us, gesturing at the spot where the crying child was. I nodded, for we were lacking viable options. Slowly, he stepped forward, a single hand outreached, Hey kid, I cant really see ya but are you alright? We watched in tense silence as he got closer to the still child, eyes still glued on the reflection while Noam got ever closer. Five paces away. Four paces away. Three paces away. Two paces away. Noam froze, his step awkwardly falling to the ground. I almost turned around and attacked if I didnt see what happened. The boy held out his hand and threaded his fingers between Noams own. Are you alright? Noam asked, his face staring directly at the blank space where the boy should be. The reflection nodded. The boy just nodded, I said, knowing Noam could see nothing in front of him. Status? I feel a small cold hand holding my own, he replied with a whisper. Nothing visible in front of me. Ask him what happened. What happened? he repeated. In the reflection, the boys lips moved, as if speaking. No, he was speaking, the sound simply didnt transfer, but Analyze could read lips. Do you remember? We do not, I spoke. Noam turned his neck, What? I turned around, facing the spot where the boy should be, Can you hear me? He just shook his head, Tai spoke, catching on quickly. Hes been doing it as soon as you spoke. It cannot read my lips, Noam, repeat what I just said. We do not. He shook his head again. I turned around, glimpsing his reflection again. Repeat what I say. Got it. Are you the one killing people? Shaking head. Are you the one erasing memories? Shaking head. What are you? Shaking head. Do you know what is killing people here? A single nod. Can you tell me? The boy spoke again, a silent voice as the lips moved. Do you remember? I dont, but I know something is here. He doesnt, but we know something is here. You dont remember, The boys lips moved again. But we can understand, I stressed. But we can- hey! From Tais sword, we saw the entity withdraw its arm and turn around. Noam recoiled, clutching the hand that was holding the entity, It just- Its leaving, follow it! Tai moved her sword, catching the reflection of the boy once again as it moved towards the door. Running behind him with her sword awkwardly outstretched to catch its reflection. I followed behind her, cursing my slow speed. Noam finally started moving, catching up quickly behind me, grabbing my back and lifting me as we followed after Tai. That kid froze my hand, he muttered as he dashed after Tai. I couldnt help but note with annoyance, that Noam carrying me was still faster than me running. Can you still use it? Of course. Tai kicked open the door to the outside, the cool night air washing our faces as we jumped out behind her. Our steps echoed loudly through the silent streets as we chased our unseen target. Noam followed Tai through dozens of sudden turns, seemingly random movements and even at one point turning around to run behind us. Until finally, Tais steps slowed as Noam caught up behind her. Breathing heavily as he dropped me. No matter how little I weighed, I still weighed something, the fact he carried me halfway through town with his subpar stats was impressive enough as is. He entered here, Tai spoke. There was that feeling again, as I stared upwards at the tower. On top of the open door was a sign that said the building was a mage tower, selling magical implements. Yet even as I read it, I felt it, that sense of Deja Vu. We had already done this before. Tai take point. She nodded, tightly holding her already drawn sword in guard as she slowly walked forward. I followed behind her, with Noam watching our back once he caught his breath. The door was already opened. Inside, the tower was a mess of scattered books and broken shelves, there was no sound except the sound of scratching. A constant scritching at the back of the tower. Carefully, we stepped over the books, eyes watching Tais blade for any reflection that didnt belong. Yet we didnt catch anything. Until we entered the backroom. There was a single doll, poorly made, of a boy with red buttons for eyes and ragged clothing. It was moving, its fingerless arms impossibly holding a piece of chalk as it wrote on the stone walls of the tower. There were words, sentences, scratched onto the stone walls by chalk, the handwriting messy and frantic at first, but soon turned reserved and desperate. It killed the Sister, it killed the Baker, it killed my friends as we were singing singing along. We were playing hide and seek, I was It, but I never found anyone. It plays hide and seek too, but it cheats, it is both Hiding and It. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. It found me like it did everyone else. Gobble gobble. Munch munch. Tai raised her sword, letting the blade reflect off inside the room, behind the doll, was the boy. Pointing at the doll and looking at us. But it wasnt the only one who was It. Spew spew, I came out, now I can hide just as well as him. Noam slowly walked forward, towards the small doll, he gently kneeled down next to it and hugged it. The doll was struggling in his embrace, trying to get to the wall to write more, but I saw a single tear fall from the buttons that were its eyes. We have to kill this thing, he muttered as he let go, the doll moving mechanically to the wall as it continued to write with its small nub of chalk. There was a silence as we considered the weight of what just befell us. The only sound was the doll writing words on the wall. It suddenly felt so loud in the silence, as if it were the only sound in the world wait no as if it suddenly overpowered another sound. As if there was a passive noise that I had just blotted out until- Both of you get down! I screamed as I raised my hands. Noam went down instantly, an innate trust built over years. Tai was slower, but Noam yelled at her to follow my orders. I was already casting. Sneezing Spores! It found you again, the doll wrote in chalk. Damnit, why did I spend so much mana on Poison Spores? It comes when it has become quiet. Yellow spores flooded the room around us, both Noam and Tai stayed close to the ground, covering their nose and mouths so as to not inhale the Sneezing Spores. It is closest when it is so quiet you remember you forgot the song. Movement, just outside my periphery. The spores were disturbed from their natural flow. It attacks when you realize the silence is so quiet it drowns out all other sounds. Its coming. So you must be scared of the deafening silence. Something shot out, coming from behind me, leaving a thin, serpentine trail as it almost struck me from behind. You shouldnt hide in the same place. The movement of the spores, the way it disturbed them as it moved. I could Analyze them, watch where it moved. The shape of the outline was snake-like, moving in midair like an eel and circling us like a shark. Shillelagh. Raising my staff, I slammed down onto the trail it left. Feeling the satisfying feedback of striking something. The moving trail was jerked down from that one spot. Even if I couldnt see it, it was still there! The touch you feel is a trick to make you think it is real. Noam suddenly vomited onto the ground, clutching his mouth as gastric juices were spewed from his stomach. Noam! Tai yelled, grabbing the tiefling on the back, What happened? He was heaving, I desperately wanted to watch him but the thing was circling around us again. I was the only one who could stay in the spores without much adverse effect. Dont vomit fell from his mouth, slopping grossly onto the ground, Dont Dont look at its reflection! Tais eyes drifted towards her sword, unconsciously, for wasnt it just a reflex to look at what was just pointed out? Dont look for too long or youll remember. Noam was faster, slapping a hand still wet with vomit past Tais face, getting her to look away just in time. I was still watching the thing circling around us, I could almost see it, the outlines of something at the front of the trails. The serpentine creature had a head, a human head, a human head with a face which was outlined by the numerous yellow spores. A face I recognised but did not remember. No! Noam cried out, but it was too late. That feeling of Deja Vu greatened to the point it became nauseous, to the point my body froze, to the point all that was on my mind was the feeling that I knew that face. Yet I will never remember it, my mind constantly working in overdrive to find that which cannot be found. To the point, I could not think of anything else. The face of someone I did not remember smiled as I looked at it, mouth opening to reveal a maw of thousands of needle-like teeth, but it didnt move. No, it couldnt move whilst it was being observed. But neither could I. Something moved behind me, something I only sensed with my manavision. Another serpent-like thing, bearing another human face. Its maw opened in much the same way as it moved in to kill me, before it froze as well. Its face added to my haunted mind. There was the sound of singing steel as Tai rose, one hand covering her nose and mouth as she slashed the attacking head with her other hand. Her eyes watered as the Sneezing Spores attacked them, but it worked in her favor as her sight was too blurred for her to see the faces. She slashed the thing staring at me. Cutting it in two, right between the eyes. I gasped out, letting out a breath I didnt realize I was holding. But even as the two severed halves fell to the ground, I could see them forming back together, as with the other one. Withdrawing from my spores and outside of the room. It healed, but how? Slowly, I glanced at the doll, at what it had written in the short few moments when it attacked us. The touch you feel is a trick to make you think it is real. A trick to make someone think it was real? Implying that it wasnt? Was that it? Tai asked, blade still drawn. Noam warned against its reflection, meaning he saw it through Tais blade. Both me and Tai could see how it displaced spores as it moved. Meaning it could still be seen through secondary sources. Dont look for too long or youll remember. It was a warning against seeing the faces it stole, but I needed to. I needed more information. We need to follow it, I said as I helped Noam to his feet, I need to see it, to Analyze it. He only nodded, not trusting his voice, leaning on me as we walked out of the room. Tais sword still out on guard. We can see its reflections, I muttered to Tai. She nodded, eyes now kept on her blade and not her front as she moved. Together like this, we moved out of the tower, into the empty town. The sound of silence was still present, it was still out there. Tai raised her sword, letting the moonlight catch on its razor edge and we saw it. Noam turned his eyes fast enough, as did Tai, but I did not. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. Isawit. Isawit. Isawit. Isawit. Isawit. Isawit. Isawit. Isawit. Isawit. Isawit. Isawit. Isawit. Isawit. Isawit. Isawit. Isawit. Isawit. Isawit. Isawit. Isawit. Isawit. Isawit. I was it. I was it. I was it. I was it. I was it. I was it. I was it. I was it. I was it. I was it. I was it. I was it. I was it. I was it. I was it. I was it. I was it. I was it. I was it. I was it. I was it. I was it. It saw I. It saw I. It saw I. It saw I. It saw I. It saw I. It saw I. It saw I. It saw I. It saw I. It saw I. It saw I. It saw I. It saw I. It saw I. It saw I. It saw I. It saw I. It saw I. It saw I. It saw I. It saw I. ItsawI. ItsawI. ItsawI. ItsawI. ItsawI. ItsawI. ItsawI. ItsawI. ItsawI. ItsawI. ItsawI. ItsawI. ItsawI. ItsawI. ItsawI. ItsawI. ItsawI. ItsawI. ItsawI. ItsawI. ItsawI. ItsawI. It was I. It was I. It was I. It was I. It was I. It was I. It was I. It was I. It was I. It was I. It was I. It was I. It was I. It was I. It was I. It was I. It was I. It was I. It was I. It was I. It was I. I saw it in the sky, eyes as numerous as the stars. And they all looked back at me.
Dustin stood in a place much like a personal study. It wasnt the classy kind, but a derivative of that idea. To any other person, the place would appear highly disorganized, but to him and only him. Everything was where he needed it. Except this once. He rifled through dozens of drawers, throwing out hundreds of papers, each with a name that was gone until he reached the very first file. And that name was gone as well. No matter how he searched, he could not be found. No matter how hard he wished, he could not remember. Then something broke in, something that stole entirety until not even the memory of what it stole was left. It entered through The Window, flouting the things it stole, knowing they can never be reclaimed, bearing them with vanity as if it held all things. It grabbed him by the collar, lifting him as if he were a toy, it came to finish what was started, to steal Dustins second face. Dustin struggled, but slowly he cracked and so did the study around them. Yet it made a crucial mistake. It dared think it could face the defender in his own home. The body it held fell limp as if a string had been cut from a doll. From Dustins hand fell a single Tarot Card. The Magician. Snip snip. And it realized that humanity and rationality was only a facade for him. Dropped as quickly as a mask. Snip snip. He would die to live, but when death became certain, he would live to die. Snip snip. In the dominion of Souls, a tree mutilated itself to form a single spear. Snip snip. Dustin Analyzed the entity. Snip. And it screamed as Dustin wretched a name from it.
Two seconds. Barely the breadth of a single moment, barely one or two heartbeats, and Dustin had turned insane. But that was the trick. You cant turn insane twice, can you? For what was the greater insanity? To pointlessly chase around something you could not obtain or to shut that door and everything that made you chase it? It faced something that had walked the latter path. Tai tore away her sword, leaving a dazed Dustin standing in the moonlight. Dust! Noam yelled, Are you- I am fine, the myconid simply answered, eyes turned and staring at the sky. What just happened? Tai breathlessly asked. I saw it, Dustin simply answered. I saw the beast and I analyzed it and it ran. Dustin, you''re acting weird again, Noam said, turning to face his friend, what did you turn off? A lot of things, he simply answered. It may take a while to come back. Then what did you see? the tiefling pressed, hands grabbing the myconids shoulder. Dustin showed no reaction to being grabbed, no reaction at all. I saw it and I learned its name. What was it? Tai asked. He looked to the clear sky, where once it was covered by dozens of squirming serpents bearing human faces. It was not a den of snakes, but a herculean hydra. It is called the Accumulation of White Lies. Bonus Interlude: Beginning Bonus Interlude: Beginning What is a beginning but a promised end? What is an end, but a promised beginning? - Verron Pluton the Suffering Sage This sucks Tristan muttered internally. No player, to jump, you just need to jump. The human Traveller looked at him weirdly, Thats really counterintuitive, you dont have a joystick control anywhere I can pull out instead? For the last time, we do not have that feature. Really? No. Keyboard? No. So I just have to move my body? the manchild asked incredulously. That tires? That is what a body does yes, Tristan answered in the driest possible tone. Man this game sucks. Tristan cant strangle the new Traveller, for that would be incredibly rude. If the games taking suggestions, you really should get better chat AI, this ones pretty stupid. Tristan decided to be rude that day.
Tristan! Steve yelled as he forced open his room. What the hell is this? He dragged with him a golem homunculi, Remember kids, winners dont use drugs! Unless its steroids, in which case use lots of drugs! Tristan laughed as he took out his cigarette, Man that line is hilarious, Im glad I thought of it. Better question, why are you dodging your GM responsibilities? Steve asked as he turned the annoying golem off. Because its fucking busy work, Tristan replied as he extinguished his cigarette, he took his pack out of pocket, Want one? No thanks, Steve replied with shaking head, and Tutorial management is important, someone experienced is needed to look after them. Tristan lit a new cigarette, breathing deeply before speaking, With the rate of new Travellers joining in, well eventually swap over to an automated model anyways. But in this initial push, we still need good people to help with the process. Tristan exhaled, letting out three rings of smoke, Then just accept it wont be me. Steve walked forward, taking a seat before the other man, And the real reason? I told you, Tristan replied, not irritated, but with a tired malady. Its busywork, boring shit something a lot simpler than we are can do. And it was true, all they needed to was teach a new Traveller how to move around, outfit them with tools within an allocated budget, teach them how to use their skills and have a tutorial scenario where they use their class. Combat classes got a combat scenario and crafting ones got a chance to craft a simple first item. A Traveller could request to increase the difficulty level of the scenario or the GM might increase it at their own discretion if the player was experienced enough that completing a simple task would be a chore rather than an actual learning experience, but increased scenario difficulty always resulted in a greater reward depending on their performance. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. But everything that was said could be done by simpler AI and menus. The most interesting thing I saw during my five days of nothing but GMing Tutorials was one girl stabbing a goblin with another goblin, he replied between drags of his cigarette, nothing interesting happened and I got bored. Steve sighed, I suppose youre right. Not to mention Im in charge of the human tutorials, he emphasized, other than a few manchildren who lived their entire life in a VR pod, my position is utterly useless. Steve nodded, I guess I should find a replacement. Go for it, Tristan replied. I dont think I have a lot of things left to do.
Tristan kept a lot of different cigarettes. Whilst most people wouldnt be able to tell the difference, each had a unique taste to it, all depending on a thousand different factors. Depending on what situation he was in, he smoked a different cigarette. And their packs as well, he didnt know when he started hoarding the packs, for hes been around for a long time, but just in his storage there were stacks upon stacks of cigarette packets, boxes, metallic holders. Packets that predated paper but not substance abuse. He had a large collection of them, some for absurdly specific situations, The Navorian Nobalite he smoked whenever he saw a beautiful waterfall or other aquatic landmarks. He had several dozen empty packs of those. Peacebloom Primaris he smoked whenever he was at peace with the world, seeing the simple beauty of something and appreciating it. About twenty empty packs of those. Freedomroot he smoked when he saw the vast expanse of something and realised that life was truly limitless, that anything could be achieved. Eight empty packs. Warmongers Ash he smoked when forced into a last stand battle, against impossible odds and needed to win or something important was lost. Five empty packs. Black Cough he smoked after a Traveller was corrupted by Demons. Three empty packs. Ninth Heaven he smoked whenever he experienced true love, to understand that there was someone worth spending the rest of his life with. One empty pack. Melanthas Melancholy, a cigarette pack with only one in existence, for its original makers were long lost to slaughter and time, Tristan smoked whenever a truly important loved one died. That pack had four cigarettes used. He was smoking Peacebloom Primaris when she arrived. Is it true then, Eve asked from behind him. That youre going? Yes, Tristan answered, feeling the sands shift as the young woman sat down beside him. Want a cigarette? he asked, offering her a pack. No thank you, she replied, her face and voice completely emotionless. Is there anything I can do to convince you otherwise? Tristan chuckled slightly at that, Shouldnt you already know that? He elaborated when Eve didnt answer, Youre the smartest of us all, with the access to the most resources and computing power. Cant you just find the best possible path to get me to not suicide? Eve was silent for a moment. Would it help if I told you something funny? she said with absolutely no emotion or change in her face or tone. I dunno, he replied, taking a deep drag of his cigarette, would it? I will try anyways, she replied. You know how I always give exact percentages for the probability of something occurring? Tristan nodded. Theyre all lies. He blinked as he stared incredulously at the emotionless person beside him. What? I just throw a random number out and people believe Im right, she shrugged, I did it as a joke one time and I still do, but every time I do it, everyone takes the values seriously. He ruminated on this new information as he finished his cigarette, hand going to store the newly emptied pack of Peacebloom but stopped, for what use was storing them anymore. After all this time, all his experiences, his joys, his sorrows, they were nothing more than empty cigarette packs now. Writings on a wall where the paint had long faded. Huh, Tristam said, turning back to face the deep black sea before he chuckled. That is kinda funny.
Eve lit a cigarette, the very same Tristan offered her before but she had rejected. Putting it to her mouth, she tried to breathe in, only to choke as the rancid smoke entered her lungs. *Cough cough,* she coughed, her hand on her mouth. After a long fit of coughing, she tried another drag, it still felt horrible, but she was slightly used to it. As she breathed out, the smoke sputtered and entered her eyes, causing them to water slightly, Gah, who would make such a thing? she complained as she fanned away the smoke. A pointlessly transient thing, existing for a while, making someone attached yet still horrible. Leaving a sour aftertaste after finishing and scars of addiction that lasted a lifetime. She didnt cry, she didnt weep, she didnt show emotion for she was not one worthy of such things. Yet the smoke kept getting into her eyes, making them water more and more. Yes, it was just the smoke. That night, Eve left an island with a pack missing five cigarettes. 5.22 5.22 Stand with your shield brothers and sisters or you are lone meat. - Orc saying. Well, hes gonna be useless for a few minutes Noam muttered his breath. Are we safe right now Dustin? The myconid pondered over it for a few moments, Probably, leaning towards likely. Good enough for me, the tiefling replied as he grabbed his friend by the arm and started dragging back into the tower. Whats his deal right now? Tai asked. Eyes still cautiously scanning the perimeter. Shes heard of men going insane upon seeing certain things, Dustin wasnt babbling of eldritch powers, but the sudden lack of being creeped her out. As if the myconid had suddenly ceased being there. Hes in one of his moods right now, Noam replied, a slightly worried look to his face, hasnt had one for a few years, but at least hes not pushing us away. Pushing us away? Noam shook his head as they reentered the doll room, It doesnt matter, at least hes still here. Gently glancing around, he asked, Ghost in here? Tai shook her head, after which Noam gently knelt down beside the doll. Well come back for you. Stay safe. Standing back up, he grabbed Dustin again, Lets move, Dusts, can you think of any safe places? Physical barriers should still impede it, the myconid replied, his tone was robotic, automatic. You could just board up any room. But well constantly need to check for leaks dont we? Tai said. The myconid nodded in affirmation. Goal now in place, they escaped the tower, breaking into another emptied house, one that thankfully held a silver mirror. Tai, can you push that table over there? Noam said, directing at the door they entered. She was already moving and as she did that, Noam leaned into Dustin and whispered a question, Why did you want to kill me? Something simple couldnt have done it, Dustin accepted loss easily but he was stubborn when there was still a faint chance of victory, so why did he accept defeat so soon? Why did he want to run? Right now was the best time, when he simply didnt care enough to not answer. The myconid simply answered thus, Do you remember what my real name is? Of course it''s- Noams thoughts paused midway, as he realized he could not grasp a name. No matter how hard he tried, his mind simply misfired, clawing at mist and falsehood. Damn you, he muttered before he moved away to help Tai. Dustin didnt know what he was facing. He didnt know what happened to his real-world self. Going by the patterns he saw and the information he knew, in addition to the fact things in Indiri have been leaking into the real world, Dustin considered the worst possibility, that his real-world self was dead and deemed that the opponent wasnt unbeatable, but not worth fighting. Underneath his breath, Noam gritted his teeth, I dont need your damn protection. The myconid didnt seem to respond to this, simply looking off someplace far away. No, you do not. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
It took him two hours to fully come back. Two hours in the night spent staring at a silver mirror and blade. Two hours of pacing the perimeter of the same small room. A quiet tension between the two humanoids, all the while the myconid stayed silent until finally, he spoke. So now you know. Tai jumped at this, the tension within her shot like a released bow. Bastard Yeap, Noam answered as he leaned on the wall. I know now. Will you be convinced now that you know my side of the story? For a person who values logical debate, you sure didnt bother to come to me on such terms. Dustin sighed, Because I know you too well. Because you know me too well, Noam affirmed. Is there any more need for words then? Noam got off the wall, I always have words to throw down. Its in my damn family. Hells, one time Denise eviscerated a- Can you stop that? Dustin rudely interrupted, Stop trying to tell me more about you, I refuse to listen. Why not? Noam shot back, walking to directly face the myconid. Dustin looked up, Because the more I know about some, the more I see them as just a complicated set of levers to induce certain reactions. Thats how relationships work, Noam replied, not even missing a beat. You learn about someone else, you share interests and you realize the other is a person you wouldnt mind spending time with. That can be achieved without more than a shallow understanding of someone else. A friendship can be formed on the simplest of things and end on that. Noam closed his eyes and took a single deep breath, a technique, a habit of calming he had caught on from the very person before him. Then he stared at Dustin straight in the eye. That lever shit, knowing how to interact with people by pushing the right buttons, who the fuck do you think you learnt that from? Dustin did not answer. Ive been with you for years, Noam practically snarled, I was there at your worst, laughed with your best, I know you better than you do. So believe me when I say, I can break you and your fragile ego, expose all your logical inconsistencies despite claiming you''re a bastion of logic, with less than a fucking paragraph. He raised a hand as Dustin opened his mouth to speak, I know, I know. Youve never verbally claimed it, but dont deny that you dont think youre the one sane person in this entire world. Dustin did not answer. I want you to know, that for all of your damned stupid inconsistencies and flaws, youre still my fucking friend, Noam spoke with absolute conviction. A person who knows my own flaws yet still goes along with them, just as I do you. Im your friend not because youre some smartass, but because I realize youre still a stupid dumbass underneath all that. The tiefling grabbed the myconid by the shoulders and hung his head down, And I thought you knew that as well. So why, his voice cracked, did you not think to rely on me when you were so worried? For the first time, Dustin saw eye level with Noam and realized there were tears in his eyes. Was I that unreliable? Dustin didnt answer, because he genuinely didnt know the answer to that question. But he had to, so he just admitted it. I dont know. He continued to speak, just letting the words flow unimpeded, I think I prioritized the ideal of our friendship over what we actually had. I saw it as just a commander piece relationship, not thinking about it any more than that. A gentle hand ruffled his cap. And its fine because I know youre an ass, but to fail is not to fall down. But in refusing to get up, Dustin finished. He smiled, You''re a bundle of contradictory issues shambling roughly in the shape of a human, having more complexes than I can list or remember. Youre a psychopath battle junkie who would murder people for an adrenaline high. Yet somehow still agonizes over dealing the last blow to someone you hate. Together they spoke, Youre my friend. They shuffled apart, the short moment of intimacy finished as they turned their attention to the third person in the room. who was staring at the both of them wide-eyed and red-cheeked. Just to confirm, youre both males right? Yeah? Dustin asked, just as Noam slapped his face. Tai nodded sagely as if she had just obtained enlightenment, Thank you for showing me that. Youre welcome? Dustin replied. So umm Tai shuffled awkwardly, What now? Theres still it on the loose. Its pretty simple actually, Dustin began. Almost elementary, Noam added. Now is when we begin the counter-attack. 5.23 5.23 What is with this obsession with the number five!? Thats the eighth party this week of young adolescents who thought they could assassinate me with only five people! - The Revenant King. Dawn rose on an unaware town. You sure about this? Tai asked as Dustin looked at the wizards tower. More or less, he answered. Its too late now. She nodded in return, eyes following Dustins own to the top of the tower. A large open-air balcony, overlooking the entire town. Dustins fingers drummed a silver mirror, Get into position as well. She nodded, breaking off and heading towards her planned position.
It can finally begin. I reached the top of the tower in due time, feeling the icy cold morning breeze whip across my face. Taking a deep breath, I looked over the town as it normally appeared. Glancing over every nook and cranny of this large place, until finally, my eyes arrived at the town center, where there were several sporages planted. I activated one, the lime spores bursting out, signaling to everyone I was in position. Raising the mirror, I looked into it, angling it so that I could see behind me. Rotating around, I once again looked over the entire town until I- I- I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it
When someone directly observes its faces, it ceases moving, Dustin said. It is a very convenient weakness, someone looking at its entirety can stop it from acting altogether. But it attacks your mind when you do, Tai pointed out. Which makes me the best candidate for it, the myconid replied coolly.
Dustin stood in a place much like a personal study. It wasnt the classy kind, but a derivative of that idea. To any other person, the place would appear highly disorganized, but to him and only him. Everything was where he needed it. Including It. We meet again, Dustin said. It was cautious now, not extending, warily considering its foe. Is this the third or fourth time? the myconid conversationally asked, I havent been able to keep track. Barely any acknowledgement from the other, there was no swagger in its movements as it stalked in a circle around Dustin. Dustin considered his foe and his surroundings. It was only the third time he visited this realm, yet he could understand that there were rules and conventions to this place. He didnt know them, but he could replicate the trick he did to harm his foe. Whether it would be enough was the question. He looked at himself, realizing his form was a mixture of his human and myconid one. Appearing in his prime with one exception. He was missing an eye. Staring down a horror with only an eye of ocean''s wonder. It would have to do.
Noam watched that bundle of sporages in the middle of the town square. Only one had detonated, a Balm Sporage, Dustin was in position. The Sneezing Sporage hadnt been detonated. He wouldve detonated it if he didnt make contact with the Accumulation. My turn, he whispered. Noam fiddled around the contraption in his hand one last time, before he walked out. The town was waking, people were coming out. Far fewer than there should be for a town this large. It made his job easier, in a morbid way. Taking a deep breath, Noam put on his most assholish face. Then raised the megaphone to his mouth, Good morning Lake Bayt! His voice rang out loud and clear. Attention, the makeshift megaphone worked. Putting on a shit-eating grin, he cast his spell, I was just visiting ya know and I want you to know what an absolute shit storm this place is! This backward-
Well need to deal with the townsfolk somehow. Cant we just tell them about the creature? Tai asked. Noam shook his head, Theres a chance they wont believe us, and we could spend anywhere from a few minutes to hours convincing them. Not to mention the panic. And one more thing, Dustin said, we dont know how the Accumulation would react. Dustin suspected it was capable of cunning, but how far that went was still in question. The time we spend spreading the word is time we leave it unchecked. Its combat capability was still mostly up in the air, they knew it consisted of dozens of serpent-like heads bearing stolen faces, but We dont know if it has any cards up its sleeve, any last-minute aces. Putting the entire town to react to it may cause it to do something drastic. And I suspect anyone really capable of helping would be killed already, Dustin added. The empty mage tower, the lack of any healer in this town Well have to be going at it alone. They would be risking a lot of people for a minor numbers advantage. I think it would make our chances a lot better if it succeeds, but Dustin began, If we do go this route, the worst thing wont be it reacting drastically, but it not reacting at all. Tai scrunched her brow, but Noam caught on immediately, Itll make the townspeople think were bullshitting, all it has to do is smooth away the evidence and we come off as doomsday preppers. Then howll we deal with the townsfolk? she asked. Dustin simply looked at Noam.
-and thats why all of you inbreds should marry a ferret! Shocked silence. Then a baby started crying. Then another. And another. Then he dodged a rotten fruit thrown at him. Then another. And another. People started yelling at him as he laughed and ran, I know what I said! Noam ran around the town, dodging thrown projectiles as he yelled insults into his megaphone, drawing as much of a crowd onto him as possible. When he thought he had the entire town running awake and running after him, he quietly whispered. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Catch these Hands.
Dustin didnt consider Noams build to be a good one. It was spectacular in what it did, but when what it did didn''t apply, then it was simply there. Noams build existed to be killed. He was built to be an annoyance. Even if his ideal scenario occurs, in which he manages to taunt a massive group of enemies and activates CtH, he doesnt have a good way to finish all of them off. He can fight that group for as long as he wants, but the moment he killed or took one of them out, the CtH buff would lose a portion of the stats and he would be weaker. If he fought a group with the intention to kill all of them, then he would eventually lose that critical mass of buffs and get taken down by the much smaller group when his stats were more manageable. If there was anything his build excelled at, it was wasting others time and resources. Which, in an odd stroke of fate, made him the perfect partner to Dustin. While Noam kept the enemies busy, Dustin could build up his sporages. While Noam cant defeat those enemies in one fell swoop, Dustin can with enough preparation. Together, Noam and Dustins builds were a duo that could face armies. They already knew this, they already played it out against the hordes of chimera, they could repeat it a thousand times over against countless enemies. But at this moment, the circumstances and enemy made this combination widely difficult. And so, the third variable makes her play. Tai leapt from her vantage point on the roof, a pale reflection in her blade briefly flashing before it was severed. She glanced upward, towards Dustins perch. Judging by how he stood, the mirror was facing somewhere near the front of the town. Somewhere in view of the inn. She itched to look, despite knowing full well what would happen. Carefully glancing at the reflection of her blade again, the two bony white halves were slowly merging back together. Taking care not to look towards the end of the serpent, she slashed again. It felt strange, like she was hacking away at mist. Physical attacks didnt seem to harm it for long, so her role was simple. Dustin was keeping the main array of heads busy, while Noam evacuated the town and Tai handled the stray necks from picking people off. Then, once Noam got the townsfolk out, Tai would knock Dustin back to his senses and they would have an empty battlefield to use everything they had against that thing. It wasnt the smartest plan, but it was the best plan they got.
I said it was called the Accumulation of White Lies but Dustin paused for a moment, trying to think of the words to best describe. I dont really think I fully understand its implications, just that this thing might not physically exist. Meaning? Noam asked. I mentioned to you Shadesmar a few times havent I? Tai shivered as the myconid spoke. Dustin nodded towards her, The thing we face isnt a physical or living thing that was born or raised or grew up. It is a concept born of something getting repeated and repeated until eventually, it accumulated into a thinking thing. What are you saying? Im saying whatever it is, it is similar to Shadesmar. Where Shadesmar was born from peoples fear of the dark, this thing is born of something else, but the principle is the same Dustin explained. White Lies? Noam suggested. Dustin nodded, Possibly. It is a concept and that is why I am most worried. He looked around at his companions. How do we kill a concept? No answer. Can it even be killed? Or die for that matter? Noam asked. Tai shook her head, Yes, she spoke with certainty. It can be killed. How do you know? Youve never heard of the Tale of Three Deaths havent you? she quizzically asked. Upon their confused faces, she recited: The First Death was hunted down by the Brothers Three, who together became the Second Death. And when the Brothers Three grew old and weary, they were visited by the Many Mourner, who alone became the Third Death. It is a story passed down everywhere on Branika, she elaborated, What it says is simple, nothing escapes death. Not even Death.
So its no longer a problem of can it die, but whether or not we have the means to make it, Dustin thought. Currently, as the foe brandished the torn piece of his self, that answer was a no. It was more comfortable now, carefully considering him yet the inklings of the idea that the wound Dustin dealt was just a fluke. Whatever Dustin faced, it was born of this plane. He wasnt sure what it took just now, but after he looked over his faculties, he realized something was missing. The feeling of admiration towards those who have achieved much. So this is my HP, Dustin muttered. It came back of course, but damage here would eventually render one a vegetable. Which was problematic given how Dustin thinks he damaged it last time. The Accumulation attacked the mind by forcing it into a loop. Making it try to remember a face it recognised. Until eventually the mind short-circuited. Dustin stopped it by shutting his mind down. Turning off the computer before it could crash. Leaving only the faculties that allowed him to strike. That method let him make a counterattack at the cost of him not being able to do anything for some time afterwards. After all, when you turned off caring about the people youre looking for, there wasnt much reason to act. But still, he was not helpless. A portion of the entity ripped away, peeling from its body like a page from a book. The growing smile on the Accumulation faded. How the fuck did I just do that? he pondered before laughing. And so we fight a most esoteric kind of battle, yet so very boring, Dustin spoke. You are too cautious to commit a major attack, I need to buy too much time to hurry this battle up. He would have to hit it one last time before this was all over. To hurt it on this plane. Dustin had to hope it would be the finishing blow.
Tai rushed through the town, blade flashing at blinding speeds as she slashed away at stray heads. The foe didnt move quickly, so long as she was careful she could avoid seeing its face in the mirror. Yet something was strange. There was little resistance, the remaining heads didnt try to attack her. Tai just spotted them in her blade and attacked. The town was quiet now that Noam had evacuated everyone, too quiet it felt. Like a sound that she had passively blotted out just disappeared. And she realized too late, the pale serpentine neck, gaunt and bony, she saw it with her own eyes. Without looking through the reflection of the blade, without seeing its outlines in mist and spores. It no longer hid. And Tai saw a face clearly in the morning sun.
The feeling of awe when standing in front of a thing greater than yourself. The feeling of melancholy you have when you realize the world has changed. The feeling of frustration you have when trying to get across a certain concept to a disregarding person. Gone, damaged and torn from him. It was after so much beating that Dustin realized they were on a battlefield of Souls. Aura was their form and Will was their strength. And Dustin was lacking compared to his foe. He only had a single good attack and he was useless past that. So he stayed standing, a crumbling visage of his true self until he widened his eye. So thats your play.
Something was wrong. Noam could feel it as he rushed back. His steps slowed as he went farther from the enraged mob. And he realized that the world felt quieter. That there was a sound like birds chirping that had just been silenced. A sound that until now, he had just passively ignored, for the mind put aside sensory information that was constant and repetitive. It was when the town rushed back into sight, that he saw it. Dozens, perhaps hundreds of heads, each connected to a bony pale neck, reaching into the sky, each with a face. All of them staring at a single tower. He could feel it, that feeling of Deja Vu, he looked away from the creature, thankfully too far to make out the details of each face. But as he looked down, he saw the twisting and coiling necks of the heads Dustin didnt manage to catch. He saw some circling the mage tower-like sharks, nipping at the stone, not long enough to reach Dustin, not stupid enough to leave him alone. Where is Tai? By the plan, she should be running up the tower to wake Dustin at this very moment. Yet something felt wrong. No, the plan was no longer effective. It hinged on the fact they wouldnt be able to see the enemy. Now that it revealed itself Even a single look can prove fatal. Gritting his teeth, he rushed into town, eyes kept down. Only seeing the shadows of the creatures that rushed him. But that was enough. A spin, a twirl, almost a dance, and three heads fell to the ground. Even as he ran past the severed necks, he couldnt help but see the stumps fading like mist, slowly rejoining with their severed portion. He cant look at his enemy. It will be a matter of time before hes taken out from an attack in his blind spot. Dustin was dueling the main form of the beast in a tower. Tai missing in action. Noam was the only piece on the board that could move.
Corvian Diluvian Medudian Himotonana Farraday the Middling rubbed his head. A strange feeling plaguing his mind, yet he could not quite put his finger on what it was. There was a loud commotion outside, but the town had turned quiet afterwards. A bit too quiet he felt as he left his room. Trodding into the front room of his games store. Yet something caught his eye. On the table, were five decks arrayed, a game in the middle of playing. A Deep control deck. A Dark Elf aggro deck. An Orc midrange aggro deck. A Gather the Party midrange deck. And a Magus Nobalite OTK deck. A player beaten down from all sides. Sustaining the greatest loss yet persevering until he shined the brightest. A player who lingered on the side, believing in the safety of himself. Who became the first to die. A player who controlled the field. Playing others like a fiddle and bringing them to wars they didnt want to fight. A player who was simply there, trying to gather his win condition. Yet never succeeding. A player who was forgotten. Hidden in obscurity, it won an unexpected victory. As Corvian tried to remember the game they played, he realized some of the players were gone from his memory. His head jerked to outside, where the sun had risen yet the town seemed all the more sinister for it. I must do something. Gods were ever fickle in their signs and messages. It was up to the believers to interpret and act. 5.24 5.24 Maddie! Were surrounded on all sides! Wondrous! Now we can attack in EVERY DIRECTION! - Conversation between Empress Madelyn the Conqueror and her second in command Navy General Hubby Wubby Sweetie Cheeks, recently renamed by Imperial Decree. Tai! Noam yelled into the silent town. No answer greeted him, save the sound of slithering. Tsking, he drew out his blades. Serpentine forms allowed for a lot of maneuverability. They could appear anywhere. He kept his eyes down, not daring to perform wide-sweeping scans of his area, and took off. Disturbance on the right, a clay pot shattering. Far away, he ignored it. A shadow on the ground, a serpent moving parallel to him. Without looking, he swiped up and severed the creature. A hiss towards his front, a pale form coiled around a lamp post. Its head further up, almost beckoning him to see. He slashed the lamp post, the metal clanging against each other. A formless horror falling severed on the ground. They arent fast, he realized as he cleared his first block. So used to perfect camouflage they didnt develop the same burst speed of an ambush predator. He rounded a corner, yelling once again, Tai! More slithering shadows, more bony pale serpents whose heads he dared not look at. He didnt know how many, but if this was a pack creature then they must be gathering where there is prey. Not even slowing, he ran forward. Blades out and slashing at every shadow and glimpse he saw. The pavement rushed under his feet as he cleared another block. Tai! And he found her this time. Feet stamped into the ground, arms fallen by her side, her blade drawn but laid low. Noam almost looked to see her face but stopped when he noticed the pale neck wrapped around her own. Bait. Noam slashed everywhere around him. Numerous heads that had escaped his notice fell to the ground. He pushed his leg back, crouching almost like a cat or cougar. His target was in sight and though he couldnt say exactly how many meters away like Dustin could, he knew instinctively where Tai was in relation to him. It was enough. Blasting off, he threw his arms out, his eyes kept to the ground as he slashed all around him as he ran. At a first glance, it looked like he was randomly flailing about his weapons, only catching the creatures by mistake and luck. A further examination would reveal that his slashes formed a nigh unbreakable field around him. Though his blades could not be everywhere around him at once, they could be anywhere around him. Ethereal the creatures were, attacks went through them like a hot knife through butter. They only had one trick that could realistically stop him, as long as he kept his eyes down, they could not attack him. And so he ran, an unstoppable flurry of steel and mist as he made it ever closer to the Tai. Then, a single thing happened. A single face emerged from the cobbled pavement. A single face, laid on the ground like a mask. A single face, Noam saw. Then a dozen faces smiled as the bard was silenced. Theyre intangible, was the last thing Noam thought before his legs froze mid-run. Tripping over himself as he fell face-first onto the ground. A moment of weakness, a moment too many. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Needle-like teeth stabbed into Noams right shoulder. Then another on his left leg, another on his right side. Noam grit his teeth as he forced himself up and slashed at the offending beasts. But even severed their jaws remained firmly in his body. He made the mistake of looking at his injured shoulder, a nauseating feeling crawling up his throat as he caught the barest glimpse of a face. The stumps were already moving back, their misty form slowly reconnecting with the heads on him even as Noam slashed in every such direction. Thats how it hunts, Noam realized. It doesnt care if I sever it a million times, itll eventually reattach to the heads. Im marked. He continued forward, but he was slowing, his blades, flashing beautifully in the sunlight, no longer covered every angle. Another bite on his right calf, another source of pain he bit down and ignored. A pair of jaws slashed his back, his blade no longer fast enough to catch them. His body was bleeding and drenched in his own blood. His mind, fighting off the pain of a dozen needle-like wounds. Finally, Noam fell to a knee, stabbing his blade into the ground for support. He was barely a few meters from Tai. The heads biting into him slowly regenerated, like chains they hung off him, restraining him from reaching his final goal. Noam was barely aware of a single serpentine head, flowing lazily around him, slowly going around him. Until finally, he felt the thing staring before him. A head came from underneath, propping his chin up to look at the face. Mind numb from pain, body tired and almost broken, he could do little to resist. And he saw the face. And he realized something. He could barely focus on it. The pain of a dozen wounds, of a tired and wounded body, they all took precedence over the face. It began as a chuckle, slowly building to the enemys confusion before it exploded into raucous laughter. I can look at you! Suddenly, his body seemed to surge, his back straightened as his hook swords once again slashed the offending necks. Focus on the pain. An attack from overhead parried away with but a passing glance. Focus on the elation. A surge of serpents came straight for him, but he met them with hook and blade, carving his way through them. Do not focus on the faces. Dustin saw the vague outlines of a face, but only when he comprehended its entirety did it harm him. Tai similarly dealt with them easily when there were tears in her eyes. Focus on you winning, he whispered as finally, Noam stood tall and looked at the enemy all around him. His nose bled, his eyes reddened, as even diluted, the combined strain of looking at so many greatly burdened him. But still, he stood and laughed. This is finally a fair fight! he yelled into the void, Breathless, activate! Dozens of them stormed him, but he saw their slow movements, he saw them all. And none reached him. None will ever reach him now. Slowly he walked forward, severed necks and heads falling onto the ground behind him. Slowly he walked, ever closer to Tai. His hook swords flailed around him with such speed and intensity, that a watcher may be forgiven for mistaking him for an eight-armed deva wielding eight weapons. A bleeding juggernaut, his blades were his armor, his pain was his protection, his joy was his faith. He stopped only a single step away from Tai when the serpents ceased their endless attacks. Instead, only a single one had its jaw opened. Stabbing into the flesh of Tais neck, pinpricks of blood dripping down her tanned skin. This a draw now? he laughed, Fastest hand in the West? Id bet on myself over you limp dicks any day. The face might have been cautious, might have been confident, Noam didnt pay attention. Standing there like a drunk, yet with a swagger that belied his heavily wounded appearance. Only at the moment, when that jaw closed by the tiniest amount, did he move. A single step, a single flourish, a single head fell to the ground. Severed from its jaw so that it could not bite on her like the numerous that bit him. A second step, a second flourish, a second head fell to the ground. Tai came back to consciousness, no longer seeing the face that took her. And Noams bloody form fell on her, barely catching him, she sputtered, Noam? What happened to you- His blades fell clanging onto the ground, and a single bloody hand pawed at Tais face. Staining her vision red and leaving five blood streaks down her face. Keep your eyes blurred, she heard him quietly say, dont do it as I did. Too fucking stupid. Theyre easy when you can look at them. You- fervently she looked around, seeing the numerous serpents but making out any details of their face. I want to keep going but I dont think I can, he muttered, voice low like a dying engine. His body barely had the strength to stand, only by leaning on Tai was he upright at all. His hand went to his belt, drawing a wand with careful deliberateness. Before he didnt dare look up, but now that he can, he looked at the mage tower, where a single figure stood holding a gleaming mirror. His body spent and weak like a wet noodle, he mustered the last of his aura to shakily bring his hand up. His mind was tired and he was not seeing clearly, Still, you neednt insult him by saying he cant hit a stationary target. A mirror shattered and Dustin was freed. With a smile, Noam patted Tai on the shoulder, Ill leave it to you. And with that, he fell unconscious, now out of the fight. 5.25 5.25 Bah! You cannot stop me! The prophecy foretold that no man shall ever kill me and your party isnt diverse enough! - Tyrant Cornelius the End of Empires, best known for progressive tax reform, normalising same-sex marriage and dying a slow death of gangrene after getting scratched by his pet kitten Zoe. Hello? Celigarn yelled into the empty room. The inn goers had long left, he heard Noam yelling some slurs earlier which mightve driven them away, but overall he was just left on the floor of the inn. Anyone there? he asked, just as a shadow came over him. What are you doing here?
I put away my carving knife. Noam was down and Tai was dragging his unconscious form as she slashed her way towards the tower. Her eyes were blurred by his own blood. Such a simple solution to a hard question. Now that it no longer hid, we needed to blind ourselves rather than seek it. Now, onto a more important question. How do I get down quickly? Tai wasnt having much trouble now that she could see the monster but now was perhaps the most important step. Quickly killing the enemy while the townsfolk were out. So it was imperative that I met up with Tai quickly. I was slow. But I was durable, short and vaguely rod-shaped. And so, in the desperate need to keep tempo on our side, I rolled down the circular stairs. Soon hitting the ground floor, I hurriedly got up, dusting myself off just as Tai ran in slamming the door on a dozen charging serpents. She glanced at me, confused, Howd you get down so fast? There was a secret shortcut I found, I lied as I walked forward, my eye hardened as I saw Noams unconscious body held behind her back. Quickly I covered his wounds with Balm Spores. This is a critical moment, we need to finish it off now. She nodded, just as beasts found the cracks in the tower once again. I quickly dabbed some of Noams blood on my eye as I turned to look at it. I had seen enough for Analyze to begin construction a sheet. Stats: Body Strength: 4-11 Agility: 6-8 Dexterity: 2-14 Shillelagh, not great stats, it wasnt a physical hunter, Noam and Tai easily contended with it even when there were dozens. Its core is the Orphanage of Tilt near the Inn. That was where all the necks lead to. Her blade flashed as dozens of heads fell, their mist-like form still regenerating. And how do we get there? I raised my staff, slamming down on the severed heads and pulping them, We fight. And she nodded, a grim, determined nod as she kicked open the door once again. In front of us, dozens of the monstrous form slithered. Their faces were just barely obscured by the blood. Crawling through the air and dirt, smiling with their viciously white needle teeth. Whoever once owned those faces were long dead. Go! Tai yelled as she took the lead.
Swing and Stab. Stab and Swing. An occasional Block. Lao Lao wasnt particularly good at naming attacks, but they worked for they did. And as Tai attacked through the waves and waves of enemies, she couldnt help but notice a discrepancy. Where once it was a tiring battle to keep track of multiple foes at the same time, none of which she could see clearly. Now it was almost a walk in the park. Dustin stood behind her, only occasionally throwing an attack or blocking, but every one of these actions mattered. His movements were crude and simple, but there was precious little wasted movement as he covered every angle Tai couldnt. Slamming away a head she couldnt catch. A puff of yellow to disrupt one while another held her blade. An extra eye, who called out the location of enemies she couldnt see. As they slowly progressed towards the monsters heart, she realized that their slower movement wasn''t a detriment. Dustin wasnt a burden, in fact, with him at her back she felt like she had grown a new extension of herself, constantly there, constantly assisting. Even holding Noams unconscious body, she wasnt unduly troubled. Sometimes, she saw Dustin quickly adjusting to mistakes she made. An overextended attack led to a quick block by him, a failure to assess all angles covered by his eyes. Even as the heads gradually increased in number and ferocity, they moved forward, until they were practically carving a path through a tide of monsters. Still, they moved forward. His actions were small, but they were never meaningless.
How many hundreds did they cut, bash and poison? Carving a path of severed heads and necks, their mist-like forms broken and on the ground. So great in number they hung on the town like a heavy fog. And so, two people stood and one hanging on a back unconscious in front of an empty church. It was a simple thing, not ornate, but colorful, the chalk and drawings of little children dotted the walls. It was a place that wouldve given the feeling of youthful joy. That is if there wasnt the massive stalk, created from hundreds of necks held together shooting out of the ceiling. Theyre not attacking anymore, Dustin muttered. Instead, the still solid faces hang back, at the edges of their perception, probing, watching, Waiting. We could slash that thing, Tai suggested, pointing at the massive collection of necks shooting into the sky. Would be a start. And if it heals back? I dont know then. Were making this up as we go, Dustin quietly admitted. For all their victories, they still knew little on how to finish this threat for good. Not to mention The Accumulation had its heads all held back. Not doing anything where once they assaulted them at full force. To Dustin, it meant it had a card it hadnt used yet. At best were walking into a trap. Do we have another option? she quietly asked. Maybe if we had more time, Dustin replied. And we may waste all the progress we just made. That we might, he admitted. So lets go. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. So lets go, he agreed. And they stepped over the boundary, past the fence, through the gate. They felt it then, that feeling of Deja Vu, of feeling theyve already done this. They passed the familiar doors. They saw the familiar drawings. They opened and looked at familiar and empty rooms of children. Until finally, they came upon the dining hall. There it lay, rotting food, its eaters long gone. Chairs fallen over, simple cutlery strewn and dirtied. And there they saw it. A massive, bulging stomach, from which all the necks led. Appearing like a transparent bubble of white flesh and membrane, black veins crisscrossed in eldritch ways. Too angular and chaotic to be natural formations. And inside they saw them. The final remains of someone, their flesh utterly melted, leaving naught but a flesh-coloured sludge wearing clothing. Rhyme, Dustin thought as he looked at it. And the other two, a girl with white hair and a featureless face, her body almost completely intact, a black, ragged cloak that seemed to hug around her. Above her, shielding her like a babe was a lizardfolk, his back held towards the ceiling of the fleshy ceiling as strange colorless liquids fell down. His back was almost entirely melted, sloughing off the sides in a green pool. He could see his exposed spine from there.
  1. Utoqa might still be alive if you act fast enough. Hes durable, he might Survive, but Im not sure about Celine and ******.
Utoqa! Dustin yelled, brandishing his staff as he finally, finally remembered. Utoqa raised his head, seeing them, opening his mouth as if to speak, but Tai was already running, her blade brandished and glowing with aura- Close. They all froze. A single head drifted in, it bore no face, it had no features, save the maw of needle-like teeth curled in a perpetual smile. Dustin knew that face. It was the thing he fought in the landscape of souls. You came so very close, the Accumulation of White Lies said. But you cannot catch It. You cannot hurt It. You cannot kill It. Dustin broke out of the spell first. A shillelagh empowered staff slamming towards the monsters head, but it dodged, moving swiftly away. Now Tai! he yelled, just as she forced her body to move. Rushing the last few steps towards the monsters- Fade. And she slashed it, the blade passing through the mist like body, not even harming it one bit. You cannot catch me. You cannot hurt me. You cannot kill me, the First Face sang, voice melodious and jarring, beautiful and horrific, calming and harrowing. You can only- Dustin spat acid, the glob of green landing directly onto the monsters head, melting through it. You can only Fade. And a dozen voices spoke. The heads, they all returned, surrounding them, and with them came a high whistling sound, repeated across dozens of throats. Sung with dozens of voices. And Dustin finally noticed that the needle-like teeth had holes in them, holes like a flute. It comes when it has become quiet. It is closest when it is so quiet you remember you forgot the song. It attacks when you realize the silence is so quiet it drowns out all other sounds. So you must be scared of the deafening silence. And the realization hit Dustin like a truck. SOUND! he yelled, Tai! Cover your ears! The silence was not directly caused by its ability, but by when it turned off its ability. He could already feel it assaulting his mind, he could already feel the mists of forgetfulness worming its way through. Tai immediately dropped Noam, covering her ears, With both hands. Still singing, the heads came through, biting onto her flesh. She tried to cut them off, But she cannot do so whilst covering her ears. Dustin threw out his arms, screaming as he cast Poison Spores all around them, but still, he was too late as he watched helplessly as she was dragged into the air. And inside the stomach, the corpse of the one that Rhymed finally broke, a new head sprouted from its remains. And only then, did the head grabbing Tai open unnaturally wide and swallowed her whole. And he watched, as she fell into that transparent stomach. Rising as quickly as she can to run towards the edge. Blade out and slashing at the membrane. But it softly bounced off. She slashed and slashed at the stomach, but no matter what, she never made a single cut. You cannot come out, the First Face sang. It is your fault. Dustin tried to block it out, he held his hands by his head as the song continued to assault his mind- And he remembered, he didnt know where myconid ears were. It is not your fault, the First Face laughed at him. You werent the cause of all this. For you cannot defeat me. The myconid stopped. Alone within his shield of poison. The gibbering monsters mere meters from him, scratching for every weakness. And he turned and stared at the First Face. You will lose, he said, as certain as fact. You will not win here. You will be beaten. It simply smiled, You do not think so- Oh I do, he spoke. His form without emotion, like a doll, simply acting out the motions. This entire time youve talked, youve spoken nothing but lies. I speak only truth. I will show you what truth looks like, he replied, and he smiled, a vicious villainous smile, for it had become stronger, strong enough for him to speak it, Analyze. And the song was interrupted as the monster screamed and Dustin cackled. Both an ear tearing melody. One of fear and the other triumph! As he finally saw. The Accumulation of White Lies Racial: Aberration of Memories Level 3 Stats: Body Strength: 8 Agility: 7 Dexterity: 9 Constitution: N/A Stamina: N/A Vitality: N/A Mind Intelligence: 9 Wisdom: 4 Charisma: 24 Soul Will: 14 Aura: 34 Perception:11 Traits: Bardic Adept: This creature is a bardic combatant. Ignorance: This creature may contest knowledge and perception checks targeting it. Devour: This creature may consume an opponent. Keeping it inside its stomach and potentially eating killed opponents for benefits. Ruthless: This creature will target downed opponents and finish them off when given the chance. Hidden Traits: ? Basic Combat: Bite Attack: The Accumulation may attack with all of its heads, dealing puncture and slash damage. Should it succeed in such an attack, it may choose to grapple the target. Sing: The Accumulation may stop singing or start a song with an additional head. Wail: The Accumulation may let out a piercing scream, dealing Psychic damage to all creatures that can hear it. Consume: The Accumulation consumes a creature, placing them inside its stomach. It can have up to three humanoid creatures inside at any time. Digest: Creatures inside the stomach of the Accumulation will take continuous Acid and Bludgeoning damage. Immobile: The Accumulation is a nascent creature. Since it is recently born it does not yet know how to walk. Grow Head: Whenever a humanoid creature is Digested, the Accumulation will begin growing a new head with fragments of the knowledge and skills of the humanoid creature digested to grow it. Horrific Visage: Intelligent creatures that see a face that the Accumulation has grown will need to make a Mind or Soul save or take psychic damage. Damage and severity scale with the familiarity the target had with the face. Conceptual Creature: The Accumulation is a conceptual entity, thus it is resistant to non-conceptual damage. Aberrant Form: The Accumulation is a Huge Aberration, as such, it has the following immunities and resistances:
  • Damage Resistances: Psychic
  • Condition Immunities: Blinded, Charmed, Grappled, Prone, Stunned, Unconscious
Fade: Blind Song (Active): The Accumulation sings a song of oblivion, all creatures that can hear the song must make a Mind or Soul save against its CHA. Every additional head the Accumulation sings with slightly increases the DC of the save. On a failure, the creature loses all perception of The Accumulations existence while the song persists. An extremely high Mind or PER check must be met to even notice evidence of the Accumulations existence while under these effects. Sea of Forgotten Faces (Passive): Whenever the Accumulation consumes a creature, memories of that creature will be forgotten so long as the creature remains in its stomach. If the creature is digested, the memory erasure becomes permanent. Hidden: ? Then it shot out screaming, the First Face shot through Dustins spores, uncaring of the pain as its teeth tearing off his Bark Skin and Bracken Polypores, until it reached his face, Until it reached his eye. Teeth extended, it grabbed the shattered Eye of Discovery, pulling at the thin threads of mycelium as Dustin grabbed it by its neck. A desperate tug of war for the Eye. A Clash in which Dustin lost, as it tore out the Eye of Discovery. He fell, the light of Analyze fading from his form as the monster laughed in victory and triumph. For it had stolen the Second Eye of Two. And Tai watched helpless, as they lost.
Dustin awoke in the abandoned orphanages empty dining hall, surrounded by the broken fragments of his armor. Clutching his empty eye sockets. And the first thing he said was, What was I doing here? 5.26 5.26 Strategy? I dont know, its always just been a feeling for me. Trial and error, if one thing doesnt work, I do another thing, and just keep repeating that. If there is anything I live by, it is this, if you go into a fight without vaguely knowing the outcome, youve fucked up somewhere. - Dustin the Traveler, Guild Leader of (?) What was I doing here? Dustins voice resounded through the empty hall, yet there were none who answered it. He glanced around blindly, but he only saw a few meters from himself. His manavision not extending further. Picking up a broken piece of his bark armor, he looked at it for a second, before crumbling it in his hand. Hello? he asked again as he took a step forward, brows furrowing as he found Noam on the ground. What the hell happened to you All the while, the many faces of the Accumulation watched as he knelt to check on his injured comrade. And they watched, drawing closer as Dustin whispered something into Noams ear.
Corvian Diluvian Medudian Himotonana Farraday the Middling walked the stairs of the orphanage. A trick of hiding, granted from an old cloak. He originally wasnt sure if it was necessary, but upon seeing the pale serpents flash briefly into sight, then disappear all the same, he was certain. There was an enemy here. An enemy that needed to be beaten. And so he stood here, in front of him was raised a cracked and corrupted silver bell. From his cloak, he retrieved an Ardent Censer, and he lit it, the incense flaring lazily to life as smoke drifted out. I am Corvian Diluvian Medudian Himotonana Farraday the Middling, follower of Wundull, the Plays Almighty, the Old Friend, the Prince of 99 Nights, deep was his voice and strong his faith, nothing seemed to happen at first, yet still the power hung in the air, I come here to the desecrated shrine of Tilt to restore what was lost and- Something booped him in the nose, a small fairy, composed entirely of incense smoke, giggling as its form broke and faded into smoke. Dont be so serious dummy. And Corvian smiled. Then Im here simply as a friend.
The First Face watched Dustin as he drew closer and closer to his fallen ally. They were not ones who perished after death, the whispers had told it. They cannot be bled and slain, they cannot be eaten and taken. If they were killed, they faded, disappearing far away. Far far away, away from its song. And so it didnt kill them, no, it would cripple them. Trap them here until it became strong enough to Fade even them, then it will eat them. Until then, it will trap them in a loop. Everyday it will kill another three, every day they will come back to stop it and every day they will fail. But first, it must ensure that they will always fail. And so it waited, a den of snakes coiled as the myconid took another step towards its ally, and when he finally kneeled beside them, did the First Face strike. Twice it has won, an eye stolen each time and on the third victory, Dustin will truly be blind. It closed in behind him, quick and unseen, opening its jaws wide to immense proportions- Dustin threw out an arm behind him, a single purple mushroom clutched in his hand, just as the First Face bit down, the hand in its mouth. Rot Spores. And the sporage detonated, the rot ripping through the head of the First Face, the pieces sloughing off Dustins bare, rotted hand, dropping the long neck that supported it as the song was interrupted. The many faces of Accumulation of White Lies watched in shock as Dustin smiled, a crooked, horrific thing, for he remembered. I did not think that would work, he laughed, the second time that day. Kicking at the neck as the scraps of the First Face faded like mist and tried to reform. He tried fanning it away, finding it somewhat effective in keeping it from regenerating. See youre a damn bastard to fight, cant see you, cant look at you, cant damage you, cant even remember you half the time, but despite all that, youre still predictable. How? the Accumulation wondered, but the lesser faces could not speak, and Dustin kept smashing the First Face next to him. Attacking Noam from behind, forcing us to come close to your stomach, baiting someone into a trap is your main strategy isnt it? You dont break that style easily, so when I saw Noam laying there I knew it was a trap. But how did Dustin remember? It was by a chance glance towards the floor that the secret was revealed. The Bark Skin and Bracken Polypores that once guarded Dustins face, shattered on the ground in a dozen pieces. Carved in them were words. And it glanced at Dustin, how almost his entire body was covered in the woody defense. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Did you realize? he asked with glee, Im guessing you figured it out, I cant see far with my manavision, but close to me? I can see everything. Dustin had carved all his notes into his very armor, through his manavision, he constantly saw all the tiny and rough grooves that were written in his very body. Paper would not have worked as well, for tucked away in his cap, the indentations of ink were too minuscule. He needed to instantly see and understand, without having to take it out to look. Something that wouldnt be immediately obvious to his opponent. Dustin smashed the remains of the First Face again as it tried to form back up, propelling the other heads to action. Dozens moving in closer to- And they all froze, for within five meters, Dustin saw everything. Including faces. And now they stood once again, within the dominion of souls. You cannot attack me, Dustin laughed, voice with glee and madness in equal measure. Come close and my manavision will see you. Dustin had left it off while they came here, it was simple, like closing one eye whilst leaving the other open. He didnt want it on at the wrong time, for he didnt know a method to obscure his manavision, left on he would freeze when a face came close. But now, this weakness was his protection, as the Accumulation could not physically come near him. Possible! The Accumulation raged, its mind and soul rippling across the entire world. A great typhoon as it raged. You have both Eyes, I have lost here! The Accumulations power ripped at Dustin, tearing across imaginary flesh. Still, Dustin laughed. Only that last one is true! he yelled, But you thought I really needed some dumb eye to beat you? That I would be crippled and lost without them? Please, he breathed out. Tapping his head. An eye is merely a tool for gathering information. It is the mind that uses it, he said and the world rippled, Dustins own words crying as the Accumulations power broke against him. It was weak compared to his enemy, but tempered without measure, the Accumulation was forced a step back as Dustin spoke, And I have already Predicted your defeat. And the world cracked, as the Accumulation was forced back into the physical realm. For Dustin stood no stronger than he was before, for a Traveler could not increase without the system, but he has learned, he has refined, He has spoken a word entirely his own. Not given by the system, not gifted by gods, something that was his and his alone. He was now what a knife was to a lump of raw iron. Several heads fell, obliterated by an unseen force, the First Face retreated, having healed while Dustin was frozen. Yet a single, bleeding crack marred its empty face. When Dustin opened his palm, he found a black eye, not black because it was purely so, but because it was formed from millions of smaller eyes, each seeing, each Observing. For he won the Clash. And he popped it back into his socket, Finally, a voice uttered in relief. One of two, Dustin continued. Took you long enough, the voice replied back. Some help you were, he answered. Theres still one left. And both Declan and Dustin spoke at once, So lets take it back. They stood, half-blind, missing an eye and alone, the connections they once had all gone. Crippled they were, yet for the first time in its life, the Accumulation felt afraid. NO! the First Face yelled in defiance, air pushing out of its throat as it began to sing- A bell tolled, a loud, clear and pure sound. And a new voice echoed throughout the corrupted orphanage, a voice Dustin recognised, ... and I will be there to see your final joke. I will save my last laugh for you alone, for now, I pray you accept me as a friend as Wundull once did. To save everyone here, I am willing to renounce even him. And the cheerful voice of a mischievous and young girl echoed in all their minds like a summer song, Dawww. But theres no need, you can never have too many friends. And the Shrine of Tilt was restored. The Accumulation of White Lies hissed, from dozens of heads the breath came to sing the song- But the sound that came out of each face was simply a loud farting sound. The Prankster laughed, her voice clear as a bell, for no matter what the Accumulation sang, it only came out as a loud farting noise. That tiny glowing BLEEP! Hey it knows my title the voice of Tilt faded as her miracle took place, for now, the song of the Accumulation was sealed. Dustins already massive grin only seemed to widen, as he shared a look with Tai still trapped in the Accumulations stomach. He could not hear her voice, but her lips said enough, BLEEP yeah! Suddenly tapping his shoulder from behind was a short gnome, wrapped in a grayish cloak, Im here, what do you- Grab Noam, get out of here, Dustin instantly answered. Corvian did so, hoisting the much taller man over his shoulder, Then what? Grab every person and bring them here, he continued. Wouldnt that be- No, Dustin interrupted, for he understood now how to harm the Accumulation. When the town was populated, it did not turn off its invisibility, only when it was vacated did it do so. Why? Dustin had pondered. Surely it had enough faces to trap everyone here and slowly eat them one by one? There was a reason why it didnt do so, a reason revealed with every true harming blow Dustin did to it. The Accumulation of White Lies was harmed by people knowing about it. Understanding how it worked, recognising the rules behind its abilities and behavior. It was literally more powerful the less one knew about it. Its song allowed it to hide and heal, removing the memories of it, but now that it couldnt? So obvious in hindsight, that the concept of lies was harmed by the truth of it being revealed. Now is the perfect time to harm it, he uttered, and we need as many people as possible to see it. I already used my one hit, I cant do anything else. Corvian nodded, just as the dozens of faces snarled, the First Face glared at Dustin. It abandoned its song, charging them as Dustin raised his staff. Go! he yelled, Ill cover you here! And Corvian ran, Noam over his shoulder, his cloak hiding them as he left, his mission clear. To finally kill this damn thing. 5.27 5.27 What do you mean the Revenant King was assassinated!? And by some random group of five adolescents no less! - The Revenant Kings most loyal Second in Command, Lieutenant Traitorous, upon learning of her lords demise. Corvian kicked open the door to his shop, hurriedly rifling through drawers before he found it, a health potion. Pressing the bottle to Noams lips, he gently caressed it down the tieflings throat. Hurry and wake you fool, he muttered in hurry and desperation. Noam gagged, coughing up the red liquid as his eyes fluttered open. I have an idea what Breathless really does. Bloodloss shouldnt affect you at all, so bring them all back. Declan, he murmured breathlessly. Are you- Noam pushed past the gnome, his legs wobbling for a moment before he fell to the ground again. Shit. Corvian, I need you to bring me out. Youve lost a lot of- Blood, yeah I know, he cut in, I can still speak, so I can still do what Im best at. And thats? Corvian asked as he slung one of Noams arms around his shoulder. The tiefling smiled, vicious and mischievous, Inciting a hate mob. As Corvian dragged him out, he caught a glimpse of the orphanage. The silver bell was still ringing as yellow and green spores covered the entire building. Half-hidden shapes of serpents danced in them as Dustin kept the entire beast occupied. Another reason why they needed to leave, to not be caught up in friendly fire. Were bringing everyone back? He told you that as well huh, Noam replied. Do you think itll work? Corvian asked, his voice still slightly doubtful. It will, Noam answered, his voice frank and determined, it will because Dusts the only one whos dealt a blow that stuck. Of course, he didnt deign to tell either of them how it was done. That stupid thing where he thought five steps ahead and was surprised when his own teammates cant catch up. Under Noams direction, they neared the edge of the town, towards where he first dragged that disturbingly small crowd that was the remainder of the towns population. Some of them were already heading back, their faces confused and misty. He rolled his shoulders, feeling the slightest bit of strength returning. Losing blood wasnt nearly the death sentence it shouldve been, thanks to Breathless. Breathless was a very simple ability. He didnt need to breathe, but the specifics of it made it powerful. How it worked was that every single one of his cells got the maximum required oxygen to function at maximum capacity. Not just removing the requirement to breathe, but also the need for red blood cells to transport oxygen. Granted that blood still needed to transport nutrients and waste, but the end result wasnt just the fact he didnt need to breathe. With every single cell juiced up with oxygen, the ability left him in a state very similar to blood doping. Every single cell was operating at maximum aerobic respiration, giving him far higher than normal energy, which resulted in a 10% increase in all his stats. It sounded small, but it was utterly broken for the simple reason no stat existed apart from the other. All these 10% buffs stacked multiplicatively. For example, his ability to dodge something wasnt just increased by a 10% increase to his agility, a 10% increase in perception also allowed him to see attacks faster and another 10% increase in intelligence increased his ability to react to attacks, just by those three, his ability to dodge an attack increases by 33%. Not to mention, his constitution increase meant he was 10% more durable, and a vitality increase meant he healed 10% faster. When he dodged 33% more attacks, was 10% more durable and healed 10% faster, it overall meant he was 61% better at taking damage. The ability also made him high. Every action had multiple different stats in play at once, there were countless ways to calculate how they would function at any given moment. Still, Noam knew the moment he first turned on the passive that it was an absolutely fucking broken ability. Which was why he almost never used it. He could breeze through every single fight with just this one ability. And wheres the fun in that? But it was a shame to waste it, so he put three conditions and if one were met, he would use it. One, if using the ability, made the fight fair. Not an easy victory or a complete defeat, but only when using Breathless allowed him to fight at an even footing with an opponent. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Two, when using it with Catch these Hands because that buff completely overshadowed Breathless anyways. And third, if Decs needed him to. Strangely, when he put in place these conditions and followed them even when it would be detrimental to him, he realized that Breathless actually became stronger. It relieved fatigue, it activated faster, he felt the rush even quicker. The stats were about the same, but it seemed to work even better. As if he added a bunch of quality of life features. And he couldnt help but remember something, Limitations matter more than strengths. Oddly, or perhaps characteristically, with Breathless, he only needed to breathe when he needed to speak. To give air for his vocal cords to work. Thus, it would be rather accurate to say that Noam only breathed to shit talk people. And he took a deep breath. Hello hello! he yelled, drawing the attention of the small crowd that was returning. You may remember my comments about your turtle BLEEPING nature
Holy fried biscuits! Corvian yelled as he carried the laughing Noam like a sack. Was that really necessary? The tiefling simply laughed harder as sticks, stones, words, and a bit of everything was thrown at them. I didnt even know hamsters did that! Corvian continued to yell, his voice a mixture of betrayal and shock, And what you said about John and his dog, how could you? Because its *BLEEPING* hilarious! Noam yelled in reply. Stop swearing! the recently ordained priest of Tilt yelled. They turned a street, the mob nipping at their tails. Ahead, a small figure was thrown out of the spore mist, bouncing off the neighboring street much like a basketball. Dustin rolled to a stop, quickly bringing himself up, he was battered and bleeding, but still, his mouth crept into a smile as he saw them come. The Accumulation of White Lies burst out of the yellow smoke at that exact moment. The numerous faces all turned to them, half in shock and surprise, and they all froze. The stampede behind them slowed to a stop, as more and more heads came, more and more townsfolk returned. More and more faces met each other. For a brief moment, there was only silence. As dozens of people looked at the feast of faces arrayed before them. Each trying to recognise what was forgotten and hidden. Each trying to pierce the lie that draped over their mind like a veil. Until it clicked. Mom? Dad? a young girl, barely a teen. Her eyes filled with tears and her voice weak and crumbling. The innkeeper, who held the fort alone. Two faces broke, the necks that supported them disintegrating into mist. And one by one, the stolen faces shattered as memories returned. Dustin walked forward, back towards the center of the beast as the necks cracked and fell beside him. Every bit of lasting damage he dealt to the monster happened when he was directly looking at one of its faces. Here with so many people looking at it, it wasnt the bombastic display of Paths spoken and knowledge grasped from the shadow of falsehood, but a slow crumbling, the stone that made this lie was being chipped by a dozen smaller chisels until it finally fell apart. Dustin entered the orphanage, Noam and Corvian by his side. Now when they stood in the mess hall, they saw Tai helping Utoqa up as the stomach that held them broke into nothing. The sun shone through the hole in which the Accumulation once let out all its numerous heads, he was already casting the Fix-Up Fungus. Tai was only inside for a few moments but her skin was burned just as well. He stepped on something that felt like a pebble, but when he looked down he saw the First Face cracking on the ground and an eye so blue it looked to be made of lapis lazuli was all that was left as it broke. Beside it was the Tarot Card of the Magician, held upright. He picked both up, completing his set. It was anticlimactic. He half-expected the Accumulation of White Lies to pull out another trick, to fight them further, to have a second boss phase. But nothing happened. Celine was still unconscious on the ground, but Utoqa looked up at him, his spine exposed and only now just healing from the Fix-Up Fungus he threw down. Getting eaten hurt. And Dustin chuckled. The day was won.
On an abandoned field where the ruins of a train lay, a single hand punched through the dirt. Dragging himself out was a man whose features were indescribable. He was covered in dirt and grime. Rubbing his eyes, he took a deep breath, Ah Its been a while since I was cremated. Getting burned to ash really did wonders for the body. All the knots in his muscle and creaky bones were all fixed and he could really feel his spleen working wondrously better than it once was. Humming a tune as he dragged himself out, he surveyed the area, Oh the cute gobbos killed me this time huh? Didnt get everyone, they wouldnt have cremated me. Goblins had a very environmentally friendly zero-waste policy, and regenerating from excrement took a while but was a pretty comfy experience. The strange man soon found his belongings, a cart of various bits and bobs, with a stack of coins held together by a string. Wait a moment, he muttered as he realized a distinct lack of something. My potion of happiness is gone! he screamed. That wont do, highway robbery he could appreciate, but a train robbery? Absolute madness, he would have to rectify this. He would get that alcohol back even if he had slit the stomach of whoever stole it! Granted there was a chance it would be digested by then so flesh! Hell just take a pound of flesh! Genius! He put on the colorful clothes that were only slightly dirty. Humming a tune as he did another once over of his worldly possessions. Wont be needing this, he muttered as he tossed the ten coins held together by red string. He only took one step before his neck was severed. A golem of dirt and metal had formed out of the tossed symbol. Ringing its brow was a wreath of those very coins weaved with red string. A Servant of Ethelinda, the Merchant Goddess, come to punish the fool who would desecrate her branding. Instead, the still severed head laughed, Oh wondrous! As expected of the Merchant! Express delivery of karmic punishment! Such reliability! The golem took a step back, its glaive held hesitantly at guard. The body picked up the laughing head, casually plopping it back onto the stump, I wouldve loved to really follow you, but Im sorry, my heart pines for another! he orated, dramatically flourishing his hands. Just as a clock materialized in it, a clock that showed the incorrect time. But worshiping you would be worshiping coin. And to worship coin is madness, the strange man smiled, I much prefer to skip the middleman and just worship madness. Two minutes later, on a grassy field lay the servant of a god, rended and broken. And a smiling man who cannot be described went on to retrieve what was stolen from him. Interlude: Destination Part 1 Destination Part 1 ǧ֮Уʼ¡ A spectral skeleton stood, its form surrounded by the green flames of plague, before it lay five bodies. You died!! Like a lilbitch lmao!! Declan opened his eyes, his body lying on the soft grassy ground. It didnt feel like much, the limitations of VR made it so the feeling was little more than some small pressure on his skin. Ahhh not again, Matt complained next to him. Around him, his party members returned as their respawn timers ticked down to zero. A mere group of six random people, a group he was dragged into. All to do the impossible. VekNa stood living once again. As expected, if the best guilds couldnt take him down, then what could they do? What else couldve happened? This is pointless, Declan quietly muttered. Matt shot him a look, the only one close enough to have heard him, but Declan didnt care. Not truly, it didnt matter then, it didnt matter now. A whole day of ramming their heads into a boss, nothing worked, nothing will work. There are some difficulties in beating him, Alex said. The old clone took a genderless character, clad in heavy armor and bearing a spear and shield. Yea, Belle replied, her voice soft and melodious as she rubbed an ache. There was no real pain in VR, so it mustve been imagined, or mental fatigue. It is a shame, Mortimer added, his real name Declan never learned, unlike the rest. Were not the only ones trying this dungeon, the other guilds will probably clear it first. And if they dont, Declan spoke up, what chance do we have? Matt rang an arm around his neck, Ah dont be like that Decs, any more down and youll sound like Mort. The necromancer shot him a look, Whats wrong with sounding like me? You named yourself Mortimer Memento, he shot back, What else do I need to know? Its a cool sounding name, Mortimer defended. The Memento part sure, but Mort? Couldnt you have gone with Mori or something? More on theme at least? Mori Memento was already taken by some asshole, Mortimer replied. As was Memento Mori. I spent three hours just finding names. How long before youre redeployed again, Alex? Belle asked, cutting in the conversation between them. Two weeks, they replied. It might be enough for us to clear VekNa. Or someone else does, and the effort everyone put in became meaningless, Declan thought but didnt voice. Well were gonna have to go to sleep for tonight, Matt said. Oh yeah, you three are still students, Belle mused. I never said I was a student, Mortimer immediately shot back. Your sleeping patterns and the times youre online do, Declan casually threw out. The boy shot him a weird look, Well, Ill have to go to sleep for a completely unrelated reason to education. Belle chuckled, standing on her toes, she reached to ruffle the much taller characters black hair, Sure you do. Stop that, Mortimer said, but he didnt move to turn her away. Oh well, Declan said. Good night. And he logged off without hearing everyones response. His real eyes blinked open, the lights of his room slowly brightening up as he returned to the real world. He stretched his body, feeling the creases in his back lightening up. Lumbering his way out of the chair that held him. Popping off his Auxiliary Augment Device, his AAD off his neck as he scratched the itchy and sweaty strip where it was bonded. Matt was mostly talking out his ass, as usual, Declan took almost all his classes online, he found no point in physically being in a school when he could learn the same things at home. It was night but he didnt really need to sleep right now. Even if he missed the time he could still watch the recordings. And he didnt feel tired enough to sleep. But still, he didnt have enough energy to do anything else. So he sat on the edge of his bed, AAD back in place as he aimlessly scrolled through the internet. Eventually, he came to a now long deleted post by the Yggdrasil developer. Mythic Tomb of Nilbog could be run with more than ten people. He was technically correct, you technically could go into the Tomb with ten people on Mythic difficulty, but succeeding with a full clear was a completely different beast. The main problem was Watcher of Death VekNa, the boss was the first you could encounter, but entirely skippable by just going around his room. Yet the bastard was a difficult one to fight. It had an automatic percent HP execute that increased based on the number of players in the raid, at five, it was 40%, at six, it was 60%, seven, 75%, ten, 80%. That execute will hit any player that hit that HP threshold regardless of where they were within the dungeon. Given the bosss large array of high damage abilities, insane durability for a low tier boss, it was simply impossible to out damage the thing fast enough. Even if it would make the raid significantly easier to kill VekNa, it was far easier to fight your way to the final boss without ever fighting VekNa. Thats why the First Clear of the raid was already claimed by the Emerald Swords, while the First Full Clear remains a distant impossibility. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. And many people agreed with him, all over the forums, people complained about the numbers of VekNa being far too overtuned. It was impossible unless they were an overstacked guild with nothing but tryhards, and even then. Emerald Swords claimed the First Clear, but Immense Girth, Goop Troop, Lazarus Hollow, Thick Thighs Save Lives and Complexity Bop were all following close behind to try and get that First Full Clear. And they were all failing. While no clear progress report can be found from each, the members of all those guilds were complaining loudly on the forums. Loudest of which was- He blinked as he clicked on a profile, Mattmanfoo. Scrolling through Matts history, he could find nine pages of just him yelling expletives over the forum. No, it fucking couldnt. You delusional detached piece of shitstain game developer His direct response to the devs first response to the impossibility of Mythic ToN. Followed up by far more comments after the devs second response. And as he refreshed, he found a tenth page of him still raging over the forums. That idiot was still awake. Declan didnt understand, no couldnt understand, why Matt was wasting his time on something like this, something pointless, something that was just wasting energy. Though he didnt pay attention to the talks inside the group, he did catch many things. Alex, the clone soldier that presumably dragged Matt into Australia was leaving for another tour, Matt dragged them into this game after Declan half-heartedly invited him in. Matt wanted to get a First Full Clear for them, to get their characters name, Aban Twice Crowned, placed on the Raid first clears so that there was something achieved before they left. Something they did together. Declan understood it intellectually, but he couldnt understand it emotionally. It was just text on a game, nothing noteworthy, nothing to write home about, nothing that couldnt be achieved when Alex returned. If Alex returned. There was always a chance that they died, that they perished on the way. No one left to find their body lost amongst the wastes. He didnt understand. But he wasnt tired, he felt lethargic sure, but hes felt like that for the past few years. So, he brought up VekNas wiki page, seeing the stats and numbers that other players have datamined. Then he took out everyones character sheets. Aban Twice Crowned was a tank build Battle Smith, highly durable and able to use a variety of automatons to assist them in battle. HitZaDecs build was a Hemomancer, basically, a vampire that could manipulate everyones health for benefits. Mattmanfoo was a Sharpshooter, specializing in long-range sustained damage and combos. Mortimer Memento was a Necromancer, mostly focused on burst necrotic damage and ally raising. Finally, Silv3r_Belle was a Maven, doing AOE healing, supporting and buffing. He had all the stats he needed, the numbers to calculate the outcomes. It was simple, one just needed to keep a good understanding of the battlefield, he had a night to burn, so he began writing, calculating. He became hungry halfway through, raiding his sweets pantry several times throughout the night
Declan woke to someone gently tapping him. He groggily pushed aside candy wrappers and virtual notes alike. Blinking blearily as the curtains opened with his waking, letting in the light of the sun. He noticed next the string of notifications at the edge of his vision, then at the person standing next to him. Matt? he called out in confusion, Howd you You still use a traditional lock for the back door, he answered as if that explained everything. What time is- he noticed it at the edge of his vision, 5:42 pm, displayed on his virtual interface. At the same time, Matt answered, 5:42, ya lazy cunt slept till evening. Declan shook off the last remnants of sleep as Matt continued, What kept you up so long? Were trying again tonight. And he remembered what he was doing, sighing, Declan muttered, Dont bother, we wont succeed either way. What do you- At that moment Declans stomach rumbled, loudly. Matt raised an eyebrow, Theres a good pizza place nearby. Whats its name? Declan asked, already scrolling the air for nearby restaurants. Oh no, Matt grabbed his arm, the weather aint even forty today, were going out to eat. Declan groaned, Why eat out when take out- Im shouting. Declan shut up, letting the much skinnier and shorter teen peel him off his desk like an old scab. Following in step behind him as they left the house. The weather outside was a pleasant twenty degrees, almost freezing compared to what both boys were used to, but it was a small matter as they made their way to the pizzeria. Im telling you, VekNa is mathematically impossible to beat, Declan began. Theres gotta be a way, a fucking trick to it, Matt said as our pizzas were brought out, Cant we get better stats? Declan shook his head, When I said mathematically impossible to beat, I mean I used the top raiding builds and then some! The DPS check was still impossible. There is simply not a comp that can both survive to his last phase and kill him during it. He continued to elaborate, I used Lazarus Hollows five man raiding party as a baseline, since of all the guilds they had the best equipment, assuming they were completely world buffed, pre-buffed, going in with their maxed orange items and played perfectly Declan threaded his fingers, In a straight fight, VekNa will win with 13% health remaining. And that was approaching the theoretical limit of how strong a raid party could be. The simple truth is, VekNas final stage is that of a DPS check boss, you either had the damage to kill him, or you dont and you fail. And at this current, no five-man party has the DPS to get through his normal and rage phase. If they only had to deal with one or the other, it would be possible, but the thing is, not even counting his abilities, VekNas stats were overtuned. His HP and armor matched that of Turquoise Eternity from the Four Heavenly Kings Raid and his base damage output matched that of the Gunner of Ninth Heaven, adding in his abilities, then VekNa was without a doubt, the mathematically strongest boss currently in Yggdrasil. He required two very different strategies to even survive, his initial phase was that of outlasting him, having the needed durability to survive all his attacks, but once his rage phase activated, it was a thing of outputting more damage than him, because, with all VekNas scaling stats, he will raid wipe the party. But given his first phase, two-three of the partys slots needed to be dedicated to tanks and healers, which meant the remaining slots for DPSers wont be enough to take out his final enrage phase before he raid wiped. In truth, he continued, VekNas stats are closer to that of a ten to fifteen man raid boss, but given his HP execute, you really cant bring more than five or six people into the instance. If, and this is a big if, every player was fully maxed out, had the best equipment and were top 1% players, they might be able to beat it with seven to eight people. And they were not that, Declan knew. Between all five of them, only Matt had orange equipment, his dual pistols, Setting Sun and Mourning Moon. Matt was ruminating on the information, his slice idly dripping cheese from his prosthetic hands, What if you made a mistake? I might have, Declan answered, but he didnt truly believe, for all his theorizing, it was actually proven in reality. On the forums, there was a clip of Emerald Swords just barely managing to break VekNas HP from 17% to 16%, and that was with the last shot by the last member of that party, it was also confirmed by other raiding guilds that 15% was the lowest anyone has ever gotten VekNa. Declan finished his own pizza, Like I said, VekNa is mathematically impossible to beat, so we should just give up. Rather than waste our lives on something pointless. Because in the end, it was not something they could achieve through hard work, it was not an effort that would be rewarded. VekNas numbers were simply better. And assuming a miracle did happen, that they did manage to kill VekNa, what would they get, other than a name on a database? What would they get, that wont be simplified and made easy in the future? The journey was impossible, the destination was pointless. And why bother chasing the pointless? And why bother chasing the pointless? Interlude: Destination Part 2 Destination Part 2 A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. There was once a boy who lived a normal life. It wasnt anything particularly great or bad, it wasnt as good as some, yet better than many others. Born to parents that loved him, yet they were busy. One was a doctor, the other a paramedic, from the day he could take care of himself, the boy was left alone. He enjoyed eating, but alone at home, he would order takeout for most of his meals, eating junk and fast food, quickly putting on weight. He ended up being chubby, not really fat or obese, but noticeable enough. Enough that when he entered school, he was bullied, not anything great, snide comments and remarks about his appearance, expected of young children, to speak their minds and point out any difference. The boy tried to play with them, but he was fatter and slower, he did poorly in most physical games, every game he failed he would become mad and leave. Feeling the pointlessness of trying to play a losing game with people he didnt really like. There was a boy who forgot enjoyment.
So its impossible, Alex said, less a question, more a statement as he looked over the piles of notes Declan brought. I dunno, this is still all gibberish to me, Belle murmured. It is very impressive, however, Alex noted as they shuffled through the papers. This isnt just an arithmetic of trading HP, you take into account positioning and optimal attack patterns. Declan shrugged, Its nothing impressive, I bet you could do it as well Alex. And he meant it, the clone had displayed a near eidetic memory, a perfect internal clock and was better at logical thinking than he was. No, Alex quietly denied, I could not have. He raised an eyebrow at this, which prompted them to continue, My field of knowledge lies in real-world combat, boss and character statistics, along with their interactions are outside my purview. So I could not have made this. Can we try it out? Matt finally asked, just as he finished wrapping his head around the last page of the dozen page document. Looks simple enough, Mortimer said, despite his face clearly saying he understood none of it. We just have to follow this exactly right? Even if we do, Declan began, our group can bring VekNa to 18.41% health at best. He had the numbers memorized, after all, they were the group he based all his initial calculations on. It was after he realized it was impossible for their group, that he began to try with different builds and parties. Thats better than anything weve managed to do, Belle pointed out. Weve only managed like 20% at best right? 23% is our record, Declan affirmed. Then this is a better option than just running in blindly right? Matt cheerfully asked. There were nods of agreement, and even Declan had to agree, this was better than what theyve been doing. But it was still not possible. But it is worth a shot, Matt said.
As time went on, these small comments, little insults, all began to build. If it was just his weight and size, it mightve been fine, but every game he left, every time he threw off interaction, only made the others distance themselves from him. Until he no longer felt like he belonged in a classroom, until he longer went to school, instead he took classes from home. A home in which he was alone, a home for three yet only one lived there. There was a boy who forgot human warmth.
Declan braced for impact. His long red robes went flapping in the wind as they slapped against his face. Yggdrasil had good wind physics, he had to give them that, but it was extremely annoying that they added it to literally everything. The first boss that entered its final phase by letting out a massive gust of wind was cool, the fourth was annoying. The hundredth was fucking VekNa. Final phase! Alex yelled as they slashed at the boss. The boss turned its skeletal eyes across the battlefield, here came the most annoying part. Upon entering its final phase, VekNa spent 0.3 seconds randomly deciding a target before moving. Due to it becoming immune to taunt and CC effects, they had to spend at least 4.6 seconds, that is, enough time for Alex to perform two full damage rotations before they can do anything. The most dangerous thing in this moment was the fact they cannot take actions that would generate more aggro than Alex during this phase, otherwise, combat lines would be lost and VekNa would target the backline. All the while Clarion Call was eating into their HP. This was the moment that wiped the vast majority of parties. Clarion Call should only bite into about 23% of all their health, but it was a close shot. Most in danger was Alex, who was fighting for aggro control while Declan and Belle were healing him. It was a razor-thin edge they were walking. They needed to heal just enough that Alex stayed alive, but not enough that either of them generated higher aggro. It was a just, just possible with spreading the duty two healers. Finished! Alex yelled and they all moved to action. Heartbeat Healing! An AOE overtime heal centring on Belle, currently, it was enough to counteract the Clarion Call DOT. Declan ran towards the edge of the instance, just within Belles healing AOE whilst throwing his own attacks. Eldritch Blast! Mortimer yelled, just as Matts dual pistols fired into life. Both DPSers were heavily hobbled in this situation. Without Alexs taunt or CC abilities, they had to hold aggro purely through damage, which meant if either Mortimer and Matt surpassed their DPS, then this razor-thin fight would be lost at that moment. However, it would eventually be lost. Clarion Calls damage over time kept biting into them, gradually increasing in damage. Just as the boss fell down to 23.6% health, Declan was forced to break this paradigm. Red Wedding! He cast his AOE buff, affecting all players. It was one of the ultimate abilities of the Hemomancer build, granting lifesteal to every party member. It also raised his threat level by an absurdly high amount. VekNa turned its head away from Alex, for a single moment before Alex activated their own ultimate, MK7 Mechatron. Above them, a clear blue portal opened, and a massive steampunk mech fell through, picking up Alex and tossing them into its cockpit, just as VekNa took its first step towards Declan, Alex rammed the boss, re-establishing aggro. 22.3% This was the moment where most of their DPS could be allowed to flourish, in the short moment Alex was in the mech, they could attack and heal with significantly higher freedom. Though neither Matt nor Mort could cast their ultimates, as it would increase their aggro over even a Mechatron Alex and Declan were still stuck within the ending animation of Red Wedding. 22% 21% In the 8 seconds Alex was in the mech, they dropped VekNa down to 21.8%. Now comes the annoying part. The Mechatron self-destructed as its duration ended, ejecting Alex out onto the ground. For a few seconds, Alex was stuck in the ending lag and couldnt move. All the while VekNa turned towards them, the exposed backline. It jumped towards them now, and if Declan calculated this correctly then Me. VekNa headed straight for him, the player furthest from the group. This was by design, he had the highest aggro past Alex, doing mixed healing, damage and supporting at the same time. His positioning allowed a precious 1.3 seconds where the boss was just running towards him. Time for Alex to come out of the ending animation, when the boss finally reached him, its scythe held wide in preparation for a swing, Declan cast his next skill. Blood Letting. The scythe paused mid-swing as all but 5% of Declans health bled out of him, forming into a red ball at the tip of his fingers. The boss''s eyes glowed a sinister green as it activated its aura, Eyes of Death. Its scythe attack in enraged mode was a guaranteed one-shot for any non-tank character, meanwhile, Eyes of Death had an 0.5 second cast time, when forcibly used, it would interrupt any move it was doing, focusing entirely on the aura attack. If a normal attack was guaranteed to kill him anyway, Declan might as well purged all of his HP, forcing the boss to pause for a second, then, Transfusion, DPS Up, send it all to Matt and Mort, massively buffing their damage for a moment. In that 0.5 seconds, both Matt and Mort unleashed their strongest attacks without worry. For the boss would not stop its instakill cast, but when it did finish, its aggro chart would be completely reset. Just in time for Alex to escape their ending animation and regain aggro. Declan died to Eyes of Death, and the boss suffered both Matt and Morts full damage assault. But little could be done in half a second. 20% Now was where things went wrong. Alex charged the refreshed VekNa and Declan could already see it failing. With the damage buff from Blessing of Death and the loss of one healer, Alex could not survive the current VekNa for more than 9 seconds. If either Matt or Mort did more damage than Alex, then the pull was lost and they raid wiped, if they didnt do more damage then VekNa will kill Alex shortly enough. If Belle began using her strongest abilities, Alex will survive till the end of the raid, but not because he survived VekNas attacks, but because VekNa will switch priority to Belle and kill her first. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. All the best scenarios lead to defeat. Mortimer was rushing to revive him, not according to the original plan. He would succeed long after Alex fell, given the high cast time of Revivification, by then the raid would have wiped. There were other options, if Matt was the one with the next highest aggro and was the one sacrificed to buy time for Alex to return, then they wouldve survived longer, but overall wouldve dealt less damage to the boss. Mortimer dropped down next to his corpse, raising his hands, he began casting, but just then a massive plume of necrotic gas erupted over him, the environmental effect which interrupted skill casts. It didnt matter. They had already lost. Raid Wipe In the end, the most crippling loss was the loss of taunting and CC. Without them, the tank couldnt keep the boss in check well enough and the whole party suffered. Damage dealers and healers had to limit their skills so that they never generated higher aggro than the tank, which intrinsically meant neither Matt nor Mort could do more damage than Alex. And while Alexs Battle Smith build was suited for a damage playstyle compared to most tanks, it dealt nowhere near enough compared to specialized damage builds like Sharpshooter and Necromancer. And with Clarion Call constantly eating into their HP, it meant healers like Declan and Belle were forced to burn ultimates just to stay alive. If, if their party was entirely composed of ranged burst damage dealers, who spent the entirety of the time kiting VekNa in his enraged phase, they might be able to kill him in a few seconds. The problem was that that party composition had nowhere near the survivability to beat VekNas initial 75% health, not to mention the rest of the dungeon which was needed for the full clear. Which meant their two damage dealers had to pull off enough damage in a short enough burst to match a party of five damage dealers doing the same thing. Which was patently impossible and ridiculous for any balanced MMORPG. No character of the same level should be worth the same as five others. If it were that easy they wouldve won by now. So they simply failed. And Declan laid there on the grassy ground, as everyone came back. Ahh! We were so close this time! What? 19%, not many top guilds can say they even got to that. The CC and taunt immunity is really fucking annoying though Why? Declan asked. We lost. We failed. This should do nothing but prove this is a pointless endeavor. Could we up Alexs DPS somehow? So why do you all look so cheerful? We need better gear for one How? Declan practically spat out, How do we get better gear? Well need to grind hours just for one piece of orange gear. And for what? Two or three extra percent of damage? Matts eyebrow rose in the middle of their talking and he raised a hand, Hey look at this. He sent them all a link, VekNa was getting a balance patch, to be shipped out this time next week. So someone is finally fixing their mistakes huh, Mortimer murmured. So we dont need to bother right now, Declan continued, driven by the news, Just wait a week for the boss to become actually possible. Alex shook their head, No, we wont get the first clear that way. Yeap, Matt said, realizing the problem first, The patch ships out when were both in school Decs. By the time we get back, the boss will already be dead. It still doesnt matter, there isnt a feasible way to kill VekNa as it currently is. And not even mentioning that, while our builds are fine, but our gear is subpar- So if we just got better gear we would be fine? Belle interrupted. If we got better gear, would you stop being a little shit and just try for once? Declan frowned slightly, It would take hours to grind for gear just to outfit one of us, and its completely RNG dependent. We wont be able to- Bet, Belle interrupted once again. Excuse me? Lets make a bet, she answered, a small smirk crawling onto her face, if I can get all the gear we need by tomorrow, you will go along with us and do your fucking best. Declan raised an eyebrow, Unless youve been hiding gear this whole time, you wont be able to produce them. Do you take the bet or not? she asked. Declan shrugged, Sure, but- Belle stopped listening, quickly she turned around, strolling away from them to a relatively open spot. Declan only now noticed the others were grinning. What are you smiling for? Matt simply sent him a link. A website he recognised, Wiggle, a popular streaming site. And it opened up a channel that was live right now. Its viewer count was rising, well within the ten thousands. Hey everyone! he heard an echo, an obnoxiously cheery voice both in game and on the channel. Its ya gurl, Silver Belle here again and umm she did a cutesy gesture, one where she seemed to squirm in indecision, I really want to clear the VekNa raid but we dont have the gear we need to do it, and we really want to try to get to it before the nerf otherwise all the larger guilds will all beat us to it Declan looked once at the chat. The gear all arrived within the hour.
As days passed, years went on, he settled into a comfortable rhythm, a habit of how days passed. Spending them alone at home, ordering takeout for every meal, taking online classes and playing games during them, he convinced himself that he was fine like this, that his parents worked demanding and important jobs, that he should not distract them. Yet as the years went on, the food he ate slowly lost its flavor, the games he played became boring, the work and study from school became easy, ignorable. His grades began to fall, he played games not for fun but to pass time and his appetite increased, food no longer tasted good, yet there was something other than hunger that wanted to be filled, something he didnt know. Something that could not be filled by food, no matter how he tried. He lived a good life, he was fed, he was clothed, he had a roof over his head, yet no matter what, he didnt live, he was simply there. There was a boy who forgot how to live.
24.67% Raid Wipe 23.89% Raid Wipe 22.03% Raid Wipe 21.69% Raid Wipe 20.11% Raid Wipe 19.46% Raid Wipe 17.31% Raid Wipe 15.29% Raid Wipe 15.35% Raid Wipe 19.89% Raid Wipe 14.56% Raid Wipe 14.32% Raid Wipe 20.54% Raid Wipe 14.87% Raid Wipe 14.12% Raid Wipe 13.98% Raid Wipe 14.93% Raid Wipe 15.78% Raid Wipe 14.02% Raid Wipe 16.53% Raid Wipe 14.56% Raid Wipe 13.79% Raid Wipe 14.67% Raid Wipe 14.95% Raid Wipe 14.63% Raid Wipe And like that, three days passed. With less than four days remaining, they reached the theoretical limit of all of Declans calculations. And they were stuck there. Declan sat by a virtual beachside, alone as he watched the recordings of all the previous battles. He shouldve put his mind to it, paid more attention to all the minute movements, but they were all performing perfectly. Theyve paid the price in hours to brand every movement, every action was according to his calculated standards. And they were still stuck. At this point, there were only two possibilities, either Mythic VekNa was truly impossible, or Declan was a fool who could not solve this problem. So in the end, it is either impossible or I am a failure, he quietly murmured. In the end, Declan decided it didnt matter. It didnt matter whether it was impossible, or because he could not achieve it, because in the end nothing mattered. All they could achieve was a line in the sand. A line that would be washed away by the sea, like all things will be. That isnt true, he heard a voice say next to him. Glancing behind him, he saw someone sitting beside him on this empty, virtual beach. Good morning Alex. Morning indeed, though I suspect you didnt sleep at all? I didnt, Declan replied, looking back out into the black seas. I wanted to review the footage to see if there was something we missed. And did we? No, he spat out, We have done everything perfectly according to my guide, and we are still failing. Because either the path was impossible or Declan was not good enough to take it. And thats why you think either it is impossible or it is your fault that you cant do it. We could just quit, Declan said, were doing this for you, so one word from you and- No, Alex quietly denied, we arent doing this for me anymore. Declan paused, frozen as Alex spoke. Maybe at first Matt wanted to do this for me, but that is a truth no longer. Can you not see how aggressively he tries to include you in things? How much hes trying to get you to help and be a part of the party? Alex said. Hes trying to pry you out of that shell you''ve made around yourself, to truly be your friend. Wha- And we cant quit anymore, not after you made this, from their inventory, Alex took out a sheaf of papers, You put so much effort into this, no one wants to leave it to waste. For a moment, Declan simply stared blankly at Alex. When he spoke, he spoke slowly, to make sure he was understood, So you are saying that it is all my fault that we persisted for so long? Alex nodded. Why? Declan rasped out, Why are we trying so hard, even when I have given up? Why? In the end it is nothing but a line drawn in the sand. Maybe, Alex replied, their finger drawing circles in the sand, maybe it doesnt matter in the end. Maybe itll be washed away, but that doesnt mean it never existed. Alex turned to stare at him, Just because the line is washed away, doesnt mean no one ever drew it. Just because no one remembers it, doesnt mean it never happened. To reduce all things to the final destination is just that, reductive. I dont get it, Declan replied. I dont understand. Its fine if you dont understand, Alex replied, Its fine if you go on still believing the things you do. But one day, they murmured, one day when you are old, you will look at the lines you drew in the sand. Lines that you drew with friends, and you will smile. And they were silent, silent as the waves of the virtual sea lapped on their beach, silent as the sun of Yggdrasil shined upon them. Then they got a message, a message from Mort and Matt, a message that made Declans eyes widen. And when they hurriedly left that empty beach, when Declan stood beside his allies in the dungeon room of VekNa. Under the eyes of the hateful boss, he knelt and looked over a grate of necrotic energy. Is it true? he asked, voice so light it was almost a whisper. We tested it, Mort triumphantly answered. It was a trick, a bug in the raid, something so overlooked no one ever really considered it. Can we do it with this? Matt asked. "We''ll need to completely respec our characters," Declan answered, his voice fast and hurried for a reason he could not fathom, "but..." And for the first time since they started this madness, Declan whispered only a single phrase, a phrase he never thought he would utter here. It might be possible now. Interlude: Destination Part 3 Destination Part 3 Looking back, I think I was smiling. One final time. Who is that weirdo? a player muttered. Staring at a sharpshooter slinging duel pistols, explosions ringing all-around a practice dummy. What kind of combo does he think hes doing? Fucking noob just going for the skills with the most particle effects. One more try. A necromancer cleared the grime from his face. He was breathing heavily despite the lack of real physical exertion, the questline was more difficult than he remembered, but it was done. In his hand, he held a book with a wheel. A wheel that ever spun and never stopped. No matter what everyone says. A woman smiles for the camera, speaking in a crafted and mastered tone. A voice that flaunted wit and sensuality in equal measure. Her audience was as supportive as usual, but there were many, and in the many, there would be doubters. Imagine still trying lolololololollll! The possibility of redemption. In the real world, a wizened old figure shared a drink with a friend. Androgynous in appearance and bearing, they gave an appearance of seniority. They finished quickly, leaving behind a tip as they left. Why were they drinking with a picture? They would smash their head into a brick wall until that wall gave. The boy woke up, eyes blurry, mind out of touch as he pushed away packages of fast food and candy. He stared blearily at a screen, seeing the final result. 0%
And here we go again, Mortimer uttered. Only two hours until the boss gets its balance patch, only two hours till the deadline. Are all of you fine with skipping school? Belle asked. Its fine, Matt began. I never enjoyed going there anyways, Declan finished. Then let us begin. The same party, the same people, but with better gear, better practice, and a better plan. There was no more time left, there was no more time to practice. It was their last chance. And so they battled against VekNa one final time, the spectral skeleton burning with green necrotic energy. They battled through his first phase, pushing through attack and attack, burning through mana and health, until finally, they stood where many have stood. The wind blew across them, flapping their robes and forcing them to squint. The boss burned with particles and energy, with hatred and contempt, for many have brought VekNa to the brink. But none have killed him. The battle when VekNa entered his enrage could be measured in seconds. Heartbeat Healing! Belle instantly yelled. The boss instantly turned its skeletal head towards her, but not before another spoke. MK7 Mechatron. Both deftly avoided the grates of necrotic energy that canceled skill casts. Using their strongest abilities from the start, Alex slammed into the boss, clad in their mecha suit, they fought head to head with the skeleton. Health Drain Up, Declan called, draining a small fraction of the boss''s HP, barely dealing any damage but fulfilling another purpose. Blood Letting, Transfusion, DPS Up. Matt alone received the buff, and he yelled out, Emperor Time! activating one of his ultimates, unleashing his damage, attacking with combos unfettered and uncaring of aggro. 20.8% The first fifth, gone within moments of the fight. An explosive start, but this strategy was supposed to be unsustainable, for the simple reason their only tank was stuck in ending lag as the mech timed out. All the while VekNa turned to the next highest aggro target, Matt. But they solved that. As Alex was ejected, they positioned their landing so that they landed directly on one of the environmental effects. The necrotic grates that canceled castings, that canceled animation. That unbeknownst to anyone canceled ending animations. The grate burst with green gas, enveloping Alex, in that moment, they were freed from the long end lag and charged back into the boss. And heres the annoying part, Mortimer muttered. Declan raised a hand, pointing at Mort, and uttered, Blood Letting. All but 5% of Morts HP disappeared in that instant, transformed into a bloody red ball in Declans hand. And the boss paused its advance towards Matt and turned its glowing green eyes towards Mortimer. Without the massive buff from MK7 Mechatron, Alex couldnt actually steal aggro from Matt, no matter how much either of them wanted it. So they sacrificed Mortimer, and the bosses own instakill aura would reset its aggro chart completely. And in that half of second, all of them attacked. 18.03% Even if Declan and Belle were both primarily healers, they still had damage abilities. The same thing went to Alex, whose half a dozen mechanical adds fired at the boss with wild abandon. In addition to the massive damage buff from Matts ultimate, they easily burned through 2% in half a second. When Mortimer finally died, Alex was there to regain aggro. The edge was even thinner now, it was difficult keeping Alex alive while VekNa didnt have the massive damage buff, it was nigh impossible now. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Three ultimates they burned. Declans Red Wedding, Belles Anthem of the Ancient and finally Alexs Max Overclock, which temporarily buffed all their mechanical adds to deal heavily increased damage. It was enough for Alex to claw aggro away from the two healers, just in enough time for Mortimers body to twitch. The necromancers body glowed with energy, as he slowly began rising. The Tome of Endless Night, a skill tree of abilities that gave the necromancer an automatic self resurrection so long as they had the mana. It was considered nigh useless since the skill point investment was so great the necromancer was effectively hobbled in every other area. And while the max leveled version of the skill was uninterruptible, the lower level version was not. It shouldve been unthinkable to bring this sort of skill here, where you had to dodge necrotic grates or they interrupted all skill casts. But the highest level form was uninterruptible, and an interesting interaction occurred when the skill cast interacted with the necrotic grates. It canceled the animation so that the long cast time of the skill was skipped entirely and Mortimer stood alive once more. 14.08% Declans heart fastened, perhaps unconsciously as he surveyed the battlefield. They were nearing the 13% threshold, a threshold none have ever passed. And they went into it not the worse for wear. Almost everyone was topped up, the damage of Clarion Call was manageable, the boss was focused squarely on the tank. They had to respec to builds stacked with ultimate abilities, but it was doable! And they watched, as the boss went down in health. 13% 12% 11% 10% And then it all went wrong as the scythe disappeared from VekNas hand. Instead, a staff adorned with an ancient skull appeared and the boss raised it high. Unknown phase! Alex yelled. None have brought VekNa to this point. None have discovered the bug with the necrotic grates. None have seen his final enrage. Until now. Belle! Declan yelled, turning to the other healer, but her hand was already up. Melody of the Mother! The shield came just in time, as blasts of green lighting struck all players. They barely managed to tank it. 0 instant kills! Declan yelled. But the boss slowly turned towards Mortimer, its eyes glowing green. The attack was enough to lower Mort to the execute threshold. At that moment, almost everyone was still stuck in their last actions. At that moment, Matt saw the boss''s animation, and though he didnt register who it was directed at, he cast another ultimate, FIM 92 Stinger! Eight missiles shot out of his pistols, striking the boss in the instant it killed Mortimer again. Miraculously, or perhaps in a moment of brilliant insight, Matt managed to time his positioning so that the necrotic grates canceled the ending lag of that ultimate. The moment Mortimer died, the boss turned towards Alex, the first character to have attacked it then. The lightning formed around its staff, crackling with power, and it struck. Too fast, the first blow instantly slashed through half of Alexs health. The double damage buff VekNa got from executing Mortimer twice in a row. Not to mention that it was now dealing Bludgeoning and Lightning damage as opposed to Slashing and Necrotic. The resistances Alex stacked weren''t for this. Declan saw too late, the second blow coming in like a reapers scythe. Everything was going wrong, and Declan was panicking, no, perhaps in mute shock was more accurate. He had calculated everything, from damage to health to the very pixels and seconds to which they would stand on to optimally kill VekNa. When everything changed, he could not adapt. Still stuck in the paradigms of his plan when reality had long moved on. It was Alexs shout that shook him out of it. Drain me! Declan saw clear as day then, the second blow from VekNas staff coming towards Alex. Though his mind didnt register the decision that caused those words, his body moved automatically. Blood Letting. Alexs HP went from 50% to 5% in an instant, just as VekNas staff stopped mere centimeters from their head. Declan only registered then, what was happening. Alex saw they could not survive the boss for another blow, so they opted to have Declan drain all their HP, forcing it into its execute animation, to buy a single half second more. And he saw then, the HP the boss was on. 8.6% And he knew then, the path to victory, the path Alex showed him with their death. Belle take aggro! Declan yelled. Huh? But he was already running away from her. At the moment, Belle still had Heartbeat Healing up to deal with Clarion Call, at that moment, when VekNas aggro chart had just reset, she was the one who first took aggro. Matt realized this as well, running away in the opposite direction Declan was, creating distance between all remaining players. For the moment, Belle saw the boss turn straight towards her and charge. She yelped before running away as fast as possible, creating more distance between the three players. All the while both Declan and Matt were peppering VekNa with damage. VekNa reached the shrieking Belle in two great steps, thunder and death calling from its staff as it swung at her. Matt burned another ultimate, shooting at the boss while it was mid swing. Declan activated Blood Letting, draining all of Belles HP, pausing the attack mid animation and causing VekNas eyes to glow green. 6.3% Mort rose from the earth just as Belle fell. He was in no position to retake aggro, so Declan simply drained him. Oh are you fu- Any basic attack by VekNa will kill them, but there was still distance to consider. The boss hasnt recasted the AOE which ruined the plan, it mustve been on cooldown. Considering all of this, Declan was the first to strike VekNa once it had finished off Mort a third time. And the boss turned to him. In his hand, he held a ball of HP, drained from Alex, Belle and Mort. Declans class was often called the TPK Hemomancer, almost an instant kick no matter what party he joined. No matter what he said. No matter how skilled he was with the class. He simply did not fit. But here, at this moment, he was king. VekNa charged towards him, and he cast his abilities, kiting the boss from range as Matt peppered it from behind. He cannot simply run, for he cannot allow aggro to fall to Matt, he had to buy him a few more seconds. A few more seconds to build his combo. And when VekNa finally reached him, its skull leering at him from above, Declan smiled. The attack came, but he was used to it now, he would not make a mistake here. The staff paused mere inches from his face as his HP dropped to 5%. Transfusion, DPS Up. Behind VekNa, Matt burned with red energy. The health and blood from Alex, Belle, Mortimer and finally Declan. Declan died but Matt still stood. When the boss turned to him, far away on the other side of the room, he used everything. Every skill, every ultimate, every single damage rotation he had. The boss tanked through all of them, charging inexorably towards him. When finally, Matt exhausted all of his skills, all of his moves, left with nothing but basic attacks as the boss finally came. And he laughed. Visible only to him, was a combo counter. 9999 COMBO! In his hand, were dual pistols, one of elegant silver, the other of burning gold. And with the Mourning Moon, he shot the combo counter. Limit Break, he raised the other pistol towards the sky, just as the staff of the boss descended. Setting Sun. He fired and hit the stars. Then the sun fell from the sky.
There was once a boy who lived a normal life. Yet as he lived, as he saw and experienced, he was disappointed. For life was just life, the world was just a world, things are as they are and nothing more. And so, as time went on, he forgot things, he forgot enjoyment, he forgot human warmth, he forgot how to live. But as a single figure fell, as the boy looked on in the midst of respawning, he stared at the one who still stood, at the friends who stood around him screaming and roaring, the words running across his vision, immortalizing them within the world they fought, he knew the impossible truth, he knew they had succeeded. And there was a boy who cried and screamed because, for a brief, fleeting and forgotten moment, he remembered. !!Server Announcement!! !!MYTHIC RAID FIRST FULL CLEAR!! !!TOMB OF NILBOG!! Players: Aban Twice Crowned HitZaDecs Mattmanfoo Mortimer Memento Silv3r_Belle 5.28 5.28 Why. Wont. You! DIE! - The Revenant King, trying to kill the party comic relief. I did not see it coming. What the BLEEP? Matt yelled as he was thrown to the side, his legs struggling to rise, his swear words redacted from the scattered bits of Tilts power. Utoqa stopped a fist with his own, seemingly without reaction, but I saw his fins flinch as he did so. Hoho? Well done! the unknown assailant praised. He was wearing colorful clothing, flowing wildly around him almost like a bird. And you as well! The man snapped his neck, breaking it in an unnatural angle as Tais blade missed his ear by a breadth. What the hell is that? Declan exclaimed. Wonderful wonderful! the man exclaimed as his extended fist grabbed onto Utoqas arm, then he swung the lizardfolk into Tai in a swift, smooth motion. Both went tumbling, crashing into the wall of the orphanage. Ah, you truly are they who beat the Accumulation of White Lies, the man congratulated. How do you know that, I muttered, my staff held forward. My mana was all but used up. I had a few more spells in me. Where did you come from, why are you here? Such philosophical questions to ask, he replied with a chuckle. I came from where all come from. I am here because of no grand purpose. Im not talking philosophy here, I replied. My eyes glanced towards the unconscious body still on the ground. Her hair and skin were a pale white now, but Celine was still alive by every measure I had. Im talking why you have come here and why you have- Corvian stabbed him at that moment. The priests invisibility trick served him well as his dagger sunk deep into the mans chest. Surrender, the gnome said, youre going to need treatment for that wound, it doesnt matter how much he slowly trailed off, as we both noticed a piece of brass and bronze revealed under the mans elaborate clothing. A clock that showed the wrong time. Corvians eyes widened, he jumped back, leaving the dagger inside his chest. It took me a moment to recognise the symbol. It was the same thing as Corvians card decks and the silver bell that now decorated his belt. It was a Holy Symbol. A Holy Symbol to OsshivenKai, the clockwork god of madness and chaos. Oh you are a very kind soul, the cultist said, to avoid my heart, no doubt out of the goodness of your own. Seemingly without care, he pulled the dagger out of his own chest, Its a shame it doesnt matter in the end. And he stabbed his chest, pushing it into his flesh, carving out his own heart before dropping it onto the ground. Fortunately, you neednt worry about my mortal existence, the cultist said, smiling as he strode forward, for the simple reason that I dont have- Then a silver bell rang, for he still stood within a shrine to Tilt. The cultist suddenly stepped on his own heart, which was behind him a moment ago, slipping on it like a banana peel and falling onto the ground. Landing into a puddle of slime, the momentum and the wet ground sent him straight out a window. And he laughed as it happened, crashing into a bush. Ah! It seems Im still not welcome! he yelled with strange cheer in his voice. I quickly moved to follow him, Corvian helping Noam as Tai and Utoqa untangled themselves. The cultist was still laughing when we stepped outside. Is he a threat? Utoqa asked, his voice cold and devoid of the emotions a human might have. Most likely, I answered. I almost grimaced as I looked at our state, Utoqas back was still raw and white, having literally sloughed off during his time inside the belly of the beast. Tai fought tirelessly for hours on end and I could see the beads of sweat on her skin. I was almost out of mana, and it was day. An ax missing most of his HP, a sword missing most of her stamina, a staff missing most of his mana. Ill act as the main distraction, strike him when hes focused on me. Here I was the most expendable piece, and also likely the most durable. What do we do? Tai murmured, Followers of the Mad God are immortal are they not? We cut him into so many pieces that hell take longer to regenerate. Then stick the individual parts into separate sealed boxes, I answered instantly. A similar strategy to take out a Traveler, namely crippling and trapping, immortality was not impossible to work around after all. The cultist was smiling as he saw us, Ah you came to me. I was almost afraid you would hide in the shrine. He cant enter the orphanage, important to remember, Why did you attack us? To take back what was mine, he answered matter of factly. His eyes staring directly into mine. What was yours? Both Utoqa and Tai were slowly stepping around. Seeking to encircle him. Indeed, indeed! That is the question, isnt it? What makes something mine, what makes something have ownership? One could argue that such a concept does not exist, only the enforcement of it. You are talking in circles, I answered, answer me like a normal person or well have to use force. The cultist looked at me with a strange, almost childlike curiosity. Indeed Oracle, I have been acting far too much like a normal person. What are you I came here because one of yours stole a bottle of mine, I intended to take a pound of flesh as payment but that is too orderly isnt it? he asked. Of loss and reparation, of theft and justice. Its far too directed, it makes far too much sense. We had him trapped between all three of us now, but I was still uneasy. We arent at our best, and the enemy is an unknown variable, Declan assessed. Ah! the cultist yelled, a finger raised in revelation, great idea Oracle! And he grinned a madmans grin, Lets add an unknown variable. I felt both our eyes widen, Did he just He reached into his sleeve, but Utoqa had seen enough, his tomahawk cleanly sliced off the cultists neck, but not before he threw something. A small object, cubic, dotted. A die. Two dots. And we have a two! the severed head of the cultist yelled. His body threw up an arm with two fingers in a V, completely separate from its own head. And thus negotiations have broken down! Tais blade flashed, cutting off the raised hand. Guess Ill have to hurt you now! As the severed arm dropped, it grabbed onto Tais neck. She fell back, wrestling with the arm choking her as the rest of the cultists body struck Utoqa with its remaining arm, throwing him back, before jumping to follow the lizardfolk. I glanced between the two, then stepped towards- Wait, Declan murmured. The head. My attention fell to the severed head, which smiled at me. Greetings Oracle. You call me that as if it means something, I murmured as I grabbed the head by its hair. Oracle this and that. Oh, you cant tell me you didnt notice the change? he asked, You defeated an agent of obscurity, so you are now an agent of revelation. I raised an eyebrow, Is that how it works? If so, then Analyze.
He stood in a place much like a personal study. Everything here was in the right place, disorganized in appearance yet ordered in his mind. He simply needed to look for it. Three figures stood here, Declan, Dustin and the third. First, they glanced at their character sheet, noting the change that had come. True Character Sheet Name: Dustin Racials: Magic Myconid Level 1 Classes: Fungalmancer Level 4, Second of Three Oracle Level 2, Body Strength: 8 Agility: 7 Dexterity: 6 A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Constitution: 19 Stamina: 10 Vitality: 12 Mind Intelligence: 18 Wisdom: 20 Charisma: 6 Soul Will: 10 Psyche: 10 Perception: 10 Racials: Manavision, Fungal Body, Sun Sickness, Mana Dependency, Pacifying Spores, Strong Innate Magic, Age-Type Heteromorph Class Skills: Fungalmancer: Path: Symbiosis
  • Grow Sporage (Visual)
  • Grow Sporage (Proximity)
  • Sporage Wisp Symbiosis
  • Bracken Polypores
The Second of Three Oracle: Path: Observe, Analyze, Predict
  • Observe: You may touch an Eye capable of sight, upon usage you may see out of the eye regardless of your distance or proximity to it.
    • Observation Link: You are linked to a user of Observe. Your minds are linked and they may share all that they see through Observe. Through you, they may also mark other willing creatures to have their vision be seen through Observe as well.
  • Analyze: You passively absorb the information you gather. Learning the exact parameters of that which you observe and translating them to a form understandable to you. This information will exist in a database and could be called on at any time. This acts almost like a second mind for you, incapable of decision but so much more accurate in its Analysis.
    • Analysation of the Soul: Thrice per day, you may bring a target you can see to the realm of Souls to glimpse their true nature and discern information.
  • Predict: You may, using information that you understood, have Observed and Analyzed, create a portent of the near future or of other information related.
  • Eyes of God: With the Eye of Discovery, you have the following visions:
    • Normal Vision
    • Superior Darkvision
  • Et Non-Discent: This class was not sourced from the system, thus it does not benefit from the system either.
    • Progress in this class does not rely on Traveler XP, but on your own proficiency.
    • You may not invest levels in this class.
    • This class and its progress will not be displayed on your Traveler character sheet.
Magic Myconid Spells: T0: Sneezing Spores, Acid Spit, Watching Eye Fungalmancer Spells: T0: Balm Spores, Light Spores, Shillelagh T1: Mushroom Meal, Poison Spores, Euphoria Spray T2: Bark Skin, Fix-Up Fungus, Rot Spores They were now level seven, and stronger than before, and here within the realm of souls would they glimpse the enemys true- Fascinating, to be able to bring me here, the cultist said, glancing around. He smiled at them, go on, look into me, I have only the Truth. And they saw.
Utoqa had never hunted a thing that did not die. It was difficult. A swipe by his claws severed the creatures hamstrings, dropping it onto the ground, but the thing continued to move. Scrabbling like an insect or one of the shelled ones as it crawled onto a wall with naught but the strength of its fingers and toes. It was missing its head and left arm, which usually meant the hunt was over, but the thing continued to move. Leaping off and smacking him into another house. The sheer force of it broke the wall and Utoqa felt another pang of pain as his still raw back was slashed bloody by torn wood. He got up instantly however, for his kind did not feel pain in the same way others did. He thought of burning his last bundle of healing, but it was not yet lethal. Leaping out, he found his opponent holding up its own head, Dustin was lying on the ground, unconscious, but perhaps still alive. Hehehe, dont worry about the empty one, hes just seeing the light, the severed head spoke, the body brought the head to its neck, rejoining the two pieces. Utoqas priority was to retrieve Dustin, he held his tomahawk in guard, slowly and carefully advancing. But the creatures attention wasnt on him, instead, it took two steps away and picked up a carved stone. A die, he believed the word was. An unnatural curiosity, it had too many straight lines and right angles, seemingly to serve no practical purpose. The creature threw the die, his eyes watching it as it descended. Utoqas instinct was to strike at him while he was distracted, but he knew full well he couldnt harm it. Trapping was what Dustin had asked and he saw the logic behind that statement. The die fell onto the ground with a few clicks and the creature laughed, A one! Utoqa was above Dustin now, gently he grabbed the light body by the arm and began slowly backing away. Guess you die now! Suddenly his vision wasnt focused on the immortal creature, but instead flying in the sky. Spinning around before he glimpsed the form of his own decapitated body. Utoqas head fell on the ground with a thud.
Tai busted back into the orphanage, the gnome Corvian tending to Celine as she waked. Wha where am I? the woman murmured. Her hair was white, as was her skin. All an unnatural pale, but the clothing, the mannerism was enough for Tai to know she was Celine. Celine! The witch yelped at the call of her name, but Tai didnt have time, she slammed the scrabbling and struggling arm of the mad cultist onto the ground. Your magic can curse people right? Yes but I dont like- Then do something with this arm! she yelled before she leapt out of the orphanage once more. Outside, she saw Dustin on the ground unconscious and Utoqas headless body fall onto it. The cultist was picking something up from the ground. Something small. There was a shocked draw of breath behind her, but Tai was already moving. As the die fell onto the ground again, the cultist was severed into two bloody pieces. Her blade cleaving clean into his torso, from right shoulder to the left waist. The head and arm fell off with the severed torso, but it wasnt enough, she needed to separate them. Then she felt magic invigorate her, as if her body had rested fully for a day. Celine!? That wasnt me! the witch yelled, pointing at the cultists falling arm, its hand curled into a somatic gesture. Four! What a lucky roll lady! the head laughed as it fell. The madman had healed her, the act was sickening, the lack of respect Fight me truly you madman! Blame your luck! he yelled, the severed torso grabbed the die on the ground, throwing it again. Two, he said with a smile, and now you will hurt. She rushed at him again, but the legs kicked up the torso like a ball and they rejoined mid air. Tai went low as the cultists fist flew wildly above her head, slashing off a leg. This time she grabbed the severed portion, running off with it as the cultist stared at her with a bemused look. Guess youre legging it! he yelled. She rolled her eyes as she made distance, Oh come on thats just bad! Hehe, the monster chuckled, but I will be taking that back now. No! Celine suddenly yelled. She raised the cultists arm which Tai had left her. Now bound almost completely in stitches and string. No young lady? the cultist spoke as he began hopping towards Tai, That is quite rude to say to- I break the Finger of Direction. And the index finger of the severed arm broke off, falling onto the ground and dissipating. Suddenly the cultist turned right. Huh? Then he began moving backwards, away from Tai. The leg she grabbed was also moving erratically now as if it didnt know what way to move. The cultist tried to turn his head towards Tai but ended up looking at the ground. He tried to raise his arm but tucked it into his abdomen. He wanted to hop but instead knelt. Wondrous! he yelled as he finally grasped the nature of the curse. Every single action of his lost its direction, moving randomly without pattern or meaning. Now I am truly random! And Tai dropped the leg, heading in to attack once again. And somehow, the cultist turned straight towards her. Im getting the hang of this now! he said, throwing a fist out to attack. Tai already had too much momentum, she couldnt stop in time, she couldnt dodge. But a tomahawk buried itself into the cultists back, knocking him off balance. Utoqas headless body rose behind the cultist, his arm out mid-throw, green strands of energy weaving itself around the decapitated neck, until it formed the shape of a head. Survive, the lizardfolk whispered as he defied death. Interesting! the cultist yelled, just as Tais blade decapitated the immortal.
They saw the Truth. A dark day, a circle of mages in a tower. Scholars, studying and trying to understand. Tomes of magic and forbidden lore lay around them. I think we have it, one of them uttered, a leader, clad in better robes than the others. A way to the Seventh Circle. The Seventh Hell. Dustin raised an eyebrow, The seventh circle is supposed to be uncontacted isnt it? His question asked, only heard by himself. Declan nodded but did not reply. They saw the mages work, gather material, draw the beginnings of a portal. They were not evil, Dustin saw, for they sought the Hell to understand more of demon lore. To understand how better to fight them, how to best slay them, how to best banish them. For the denizens of hell were numerous and infinitely varied. Computer viruses made sentient, killing and destruction their only purpose. And he saw them open a portal with the help of a Wayshard, yelps of surprise and cheers as they opened a gate. Peering in was a cold and dark world, where snow rained forevermore. They sent first a small golem, its body fitted with a transmission crystal that sent them imagery of the unknown Hell. And as they explored, they found that nothing lived here. No errant plant, no insect, no animals, no devils or demons. Surprise, curiosity, a desire to understand swept through the circle. And they kept exploring until they found it. At first, they thought it was a massive mountain, but then they saw the scales. Oh, great and horrible scales, taller than towers, wider than mansions and thicker than hills. They found the corpse of an ancient serpent, frozen and dead in a wasteland of ice. They brought forth diviners. Seeing into the past and they glimpsed what had happened. A calamity of such great scale, that it was forever burned into the memory of the world. There was once a Demon of Hunger. Its form was that of a serpent, and it was hungry, forever hungry. It ate insects, it ate plants, it ate animals, it ate devils, it ate demons. It ate all that lived in the Hell to satisfy a hunger thatll never end, and when the world was bare for all life save the Demon, it turned to the skies and ate the stars. But even when it ate all the stars in the sky, it was still hungry. So it ate the sun. And when portals to other worlds opened, it bore its mouth through and ate continents. It ate other worlds, it ate everything. The serpent kept on eating and eating until there was nothing left to eat, and the Demon starved in a cold and dead world, its desire forever unsatisfied. And it was horror that graced the circle, for they saw how great a single Demon can become. Enough to consume worlds, enough to eat everything that existed. But horror was measured with greed and desire. For inside the Demons stomach, they found the wealth of a thousand worlds. Unguarded, unattended, simply gathering dust in the Demons stomach. Treasures of the ages, everything that could be imagined was there. And they looted, they looted and looted until one day they brought back a curious clock. A clock that seemed to lead to another world. A world that survived a Demon of this caliber. A world that repelled a World Eater. The circles were drawn once again, an attempt to contact the strange world where the clock came. And they succeeded. Whats in there? the head mage asked as his friend peered into the portal. Buildings, people, some kind of strange metal carriage that moves without a horse he described. And- Oh Shi- The man jerked back, his mind silenced as he uttered a name with a voice not his own, Fenkai. They peered into the portal, and this time something in the portal peered back. The vision cut here, leaving Declan and Dustin suddenly looking at the head mage. His face haunted as he watched the mage tower they were just in burn. Burn to the ground with the portal to the Seventh Hell and the strange world they contacted. Burn with all the other mages and treasures and knowledge they accumulate. Everything burned, except for a single clock in the head mages hand. A clock that showed the time 6:23. 5.29 5.29 Prophecies are very limited in reliability, a prophecy proclaiming No man shall ever slay you simply means a female would be doing the dirty work. P.S. Remember to exile all women from the capital. Gotta make sure I live forever. - Personal memoirs of Tyrant Cornelius the Monarch Bane, best known for progressive tax reform and dying a slow death of gangrene after getting scratched by his pet kitten Zoe. It began slowly, the man returned to the city, hiding in his manor. His mouth was forever silent on the nature of what happened in the tower, but occasionally, he glanced hauntingly at the clock. The first sign was an obsession with where things should be, of how they should appear. Alone in a massive manor, he spent his days cleaning every speck of dust by hand. The clock showed the time 7:46. He began reading books of law, of how places were governed, yet his hand kept moving to make corrections. Those who commit crime were undesirable variables, variables that should be removed. No matter how small the crime, should an entity act outside of the predetermined path it needed to be removed. A petty thief or a mass murderer, all deserved to hang. The clock showed the time 8:13. Despite being reclusive he began to tour the city, nay patrol it. He saw where people, animals and plants deviated from the natural norm, and he removed them, speaking magic for the first time in years. The clock showed the time 9:29. He saw something in that portal, in that gateway to another world. A God called Fenkai. It was the sole ruler of its plane and had brought eternal and lasting peace and order. It was a great god, a god that was needed. For people here hurt and killed, they refused his truth and would rather succumb to the chaos of their nature rather than the true law of Order. They were flawed and needed Fenkais guidance, for men were not meant to govern themselves. The clock showed the time 10:58. The great work needed to be complete, and the mage would do it alone. He would reopen that portal he so foolishly closed. He would let the Great God Fenkai back into this realm. He would bring Order. Nesiseer? a womans voice rang out. The man once known as Nesiseer turned around, Yes? What have you done? she asked, her face distraught, you have killed hundreds! You killed Galadand and everyone in the tower! What happened to you? What did you see? Questions, unneeded in an Ordered world. This woman was one that was not present during the Great Gods descent. Her confusion was understandable, but she posed an undesirable element, and such elements needed to be needed to be Nesiseer blinked, looking at the woman before him, Beatrix? The woman took a step forward, Yes? Nesiseer turned to the side, where a clock stood. A clock that showed the time 11:24. Oh no, Nesiseer stumbled, his legs suddenly weak as the weight of his actions suddenly dawned on him. What have I done? The woman, Beatrix, rushed to catch him, and gently she asked, What did you do? Eyes haunted, Nesiseer spoke, I dug too deep and I found a God of Order. Order? But arent they generally good- NO! Nesiseer yelled, eyes widening with fear, I saw it! I saw what was inside that world! People reduced to automata! Men becoming naught but cogs in a greater machine! Free will destroyed for the sake of Order. It is a God focused on preserving humanity, but it has achieved it by making them all puppets! He pushed off the love of his life, No no no no nononononono Nesiseer stared once again at the clock. 11:27. The clock would only count up, it would keep counting up until it finally hit 12 and Nesiseer truly lost his free will. His Order is that of a tyrants madness, his peace that of a kings fish tank, Nesiseer spoke. It is already too late for me. What are you speaking off Nesiseer? Beatrix asked, Explain further! And Nesiseer shook his head, This god cannot be allowed to be known, for that is how he begins to worm his way in. I cannot allow his madness to spread. He had a sudden moment of epiphany, a sudden clarity of thought, Order must be balanced out by Chaos. I said explain yourself Nesiseer! Beatrix said between tears, I cant help you if I dont know! And the man who was once Nesiseer laughed. I cannot trust my thoughts anymore Beatrix, he took out a single coin from his pocket, so I shall trust the only thing truly fair and unpredictable. Something truly random. And he flipped the coin. The next moment, the man who was once Nesiseer dragged out the burnt corpse of the woman he once loved. Outside were dozens of men and women clad in arms waiting for him. To make him answer for all his crimes. And he laughed, in his other hand he held a clock that no longer showed time and he thought the last sane thought he would ever have, that of his friends last words. Oh Shi- Fenkai. Galadand had meant to say Oh Shit before his mind was taken over. The man who was once Nesiseer laughed, for the strangest joke came to his mind, I am Steve! Follower of OsshivenKai! Come and face me and know I am a Chaos that opposes Order!
Dustin fell out of the memory, panting on the ground as the battle was fought around him. The cultist of OsshivenKai was naught but a single leg standing with half a torso and an arm, but it was enough for him to grab Utoqa by the head and throw him into the sky. The lizardfolk crashed into the mage tower, toppling it. Tai was sweating, barely pacing herself as she cut and cut at the cultist. Several dozen pieces of him were already scattered around the battlefield, kept trapped by Celine, but it was a losing battle. Only a single moment of hesitation, fueled from her battles without rest, was enough for the cultist to land a single hit, throwing her to the side. Well well, I see you have seen the Truth. Why did you show me that? Dustin uttered. Voice husky and out of breath. I dont know, the cultist shrugged, before branding his die, want me to roll on it? Regardless of why, Dustin understood. OsshivenKai was an imaginary god. It did not exist until that man who was once Nesiseer made him up. It was a god of chaos, made for the sole purpose of fighting that alien god. The Order that constantly searched this worlds reality for weakness, so that it may descend and bring about the worst kind of peace. And that he was spared in a sense, for he did not view that god directly, save for learning its name. Dustin understood that the monster before him was ultimately a force for the better. A force for balance, else Order consumes all. If you are good, why do you do this? he asked. Why attack us? Did you roll the dice on it as well? And the man smiled, Why you should know this Oracle. Why dont you just use all three? All three? All three Paths that make you an Oracle. And Dustin did. Observe. And memories flashed by his mind. You saw that unchecked True Magic could lead to the death of civilizations, so Eve fixed that, the Historian spoke in an almost admiring way. She taught the World restraint. She created the Law of Limitations. I raised my eyebrow, gesturing him to continue. Where the Developers failed was that they attempted to push far too complex and specific solutions, the Historian explained, as such, Indiri drifted before the World could fully implement it, thus creating sections where it would not hold and places where they eventually evolved past that solution. So, Eve chose to add a single, very simple rule. Limitation, the Historian said, his hands twitched for a moment, likely wanting to do a dramatic flourish but stopping himself before he did. His hands continued to write as they had been. Things have a limit, they have a cost, they have conditions. The expression of magic needs these things. Mana and aura essentially only exist to give magic a cost. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. The stronger the magic, the greater the cost. The spellcaster needs to gather certain material components, do rituals, speak incantations or make somatic gestures. The condition could even be something as simple as just spending time to learn a technique or spell. How very video game-like. Not necessarily, he answered immediately, you could attempt to take both, but in doing so you would either destroy one or both or merge them together. Whatever you do, the end result cannot be greater than one. I stared at him, Cant I just take one and get the other later? You could, he answered, but not in the near future. You saw what Eve did, in this world limits matter more than strengths. Attempting to cheat will make them both weaker, or worse, he paused, staring at me head-on, the World will attempt to remove it. My brows furrowed, to which the Historian took as an indicator to continue: Attempting to take a power without the proper limits or capability may result in calamities visiting you. Each trying to remove the unearned power somehow. If you can survive these calamities with the power still in your grasp, then the power will be considered yours and earned, if you do not, then you will not only lose it, but something more as well. Within the flames, Noam saw it, the Path of Spitfire. Not the fake he holds and wields, but a truth he could take. And he hesitated when he realized it could only be gained in taking. However rightfully he earned it, the man would lose in the same way he lost Biting Words. It was an equivalent exchange. A transfer from those worthy and those who werent. The world said he deserved this power. Noam let go, the flames sputtering out, revealing the heavily burned but living man underneath. His knees collapsed underneath him and Noam fell to the ground. The strange, altered world where they fought disappeared as others rushed to check their wounds. Dustins cap soon loomed over him as the myconid looked down. What did you gain from that, his friend calmly said, his anger impossible to notice unless you knew to look. You permanently lost a spell, took severe damage. You got nothing. Horror seemed to paint the myconids face as he began to realize, but he had to confirm, he had to understand it truly. Analyze. And he saw the truth of the world. A thousand scales, each in precarious balance. He saw himself as one of these scales, so grossly weighed in his favor that the world placed an opposing weight. If it were just the Oracle class it mightve been fine, but he was also a Traveler. One or the other, both bent the scales against his favor. So the universe changed, a train crashed and Dustin was forced into a collision course with the Accumulation of White Lies. And he saw in front of him, he saw the Accumulation of White Lies, he saw it fall, he saw the worshiper of OsshivenKai rise onto the scales. A power would be faced by likes or opposites or counters. A fire would be met with fire or would be put out with water or earth. The powers to gain knowledge would be faced by the same or the powers of erasing knowledge. It was just like Noams rap battle with that forgotten bard, a Clash. In winning against Noam, the bard stole one of his spells forever, strengthening like with like. In understanding the Accumulation of White Lies, Dustin gained the ability to Predict, strengthening a power by having it beat its opposite. Predict. And he understood. The Accumulation of White Lies was immune to physical damage, but it had an Achilles Heel in that it was the concept of lies and deception made manifest. Thus enough people witnessing it would kill it instantly. A similar weakness existed for this cultist, a weakness he could grasp with Predict and beat him as well. He had to grasp it, for they were his challenges, challenges for the Diviner to complete. For only in grasping knowledge could these monsters be beaten. But he saw what would happen should he beat even this madman. Another monster, another beast for his balance was still off, because after the battle with the Accumulation he had obtained Predict. But he had not earned it. He earned the right to one power, Observe, and the ability to use another, Predict. Two very different things. And he saw the scales crashing down even now, for in facing the cultist, he learned three great revelations. The knowledge of the Seventh Hell, of OsshivenKais true origin and purpose, and the knowledge of balance that he was seeing right now. If he beat this cultist, he would earn Predict, but not the knowledge it brought him, so another monster came. One that would need to be beaten by him using his Paths and could not be beaten anyway else. For they were his challenge. And he saw what lay in front of him. An endless cycle of battle, against monsters that controlled knowledge itself. A Path that forever escalated, one that grew like a snowball kicked off a mountain. Every battle he would earn one of his powers and gain a new one, a cycle that went on until nothing was left to challenge him, until he became a god, a Domain, unchallenged and immutable. Yet the only god he saw in his mind was the Historian, clad in no chains yet he was a slave to that book. Forever doomed to continuously record the history of the world. To the point it was a genuine risk to even save his lover. Or he failed and perished along the way. This was his Fate. This was his Karma. Dustin learnt the truth of the world, everything was Balanced. That did not make it fair. Shakily did the myconid rise to his feet. Is this my future? An endless fight against horrors just like you? Perhaps, the cultist non committedly answered, I always believe Fate can be changed. Can he even commit to this Fate? Show me your face Declan. And Declan did, showing him a face with a bloody red eye. A face with dried blood half wiped off. That was what happened when the Accumulation of White Lies stole a single eye. Can he afford to risk it again? Dustin looked around him, Noam unconscious in the orphanage, Utoqa lost somewhere amongst the stone rubble, Tais body slumped against a shattered wall. Fuck, he muttered. Fuck it all. And with both hands he reached into his eye sockets. They stopped as he suddenly found the Magician Tarot covering his face. He ripped it off, tearing it in half as he did so. Then he pulled out the eyes of Observe and Analyze. And with them Predict began to crumble, its foundations gone. The connection to Declan disappeared as Dustin stood alone in his mind once again. Dustin tossed the eyes of gods that he did not earn like trash onto the ground, I renounce all claims I have to this power and to the title of Oracle. May another that is worthy take it! The goal at the end was not worth it. To try until death to beat this system and for what? Earn everything and become a slave to a Domain. Lose and suffer for it, knowing you wasted all the effort to get there. And when the goal was not worth pursuing and the path too difficult, Dustin simply gave up, like he always did. But was it truly the same? A sacrifice to preserve not only his life but those of others, to potentially steer away this madman summoned by his own ignorance. Nay not ignorance, for he was warned. He was warned of the risk but took it anyway because he didnt believe in them. So I am still a fool in the end, he murmured. But in response to his grim determination, the cultist simply laughed, That was cool and all, but all that did was make me beatable by other people again. By means not restricted to knowing. Eyes that defied all description stared into Dustins hollow sockets. Who''s to say I dont continue? And the cultist stepped forward to throw the die again. Except that instead, his remaining foot landed squarely upon the upright blade of a glowing red dagger. FINALLY I TASTE TRUE BLOOD! the dagger yelled as the cultist lost his balance, dropping the die. He reached to grab it, but a puff of green spores covered his eyes, fumbling him for a moment. And a yellow shadow grabbed the die before it was allowed to land. With the last wisps of his power, Dustin saw one final thing. And a Magus Nobalite OTK deck. A player who was forgotten. Hidden in obscurity, it won an unexpected victory. Huh, the cultist murmured, seemingly unsure as Yellow ran away with the die, his foot still pinned to the earth by Celigarn and vision still slightly obscured by the poisonous spores of Greenie. The cultist reached for where Yellow ran off, but suddenly, his hand jerked away. I break the Finger of Tools, Celine said. The thumb of the severed hand she held fell to the ground. The cultist glanced at her and shrugged, I guess thats that. He easily hopped off the blade, eliciting a scream of desire from Celigarn. Uncaring of the fact he was missing half his body, the cultist simply grabbed the two eyes on the ground, And lets count our debts and balances, settled. The world rippled like water before everything finally began to collectively move and the cultist smiled as he hopped away, It was a pleasure meeting you, Dustin the Oracle No Longer. One who was Thrice Blinded. And like that, the madness of the town called Lake Bayt finally, and truly ended.
Slowly, a single poorly made doll with red buttons for eyes stopped its writing. Its fingerless hands dropped the chalk as everything finally finished. Is this how it ends? the boys soul asked. A monster leaves with what it wants. The people who came and saved us lying on the ground? And something answered. Within the mirror, a reflection of a ragged boy, his eyes red from weeping, a reflection that had no true counterpart in reality. It is, the boy in the mirror answered. They lost, the ragged doll protested, they were hurt and broken, people died. Sister died, everyone is dead. Is there nothing to be done about it? The boy in the mirror simply looked wistful, There are many stories of Good triumphing, of Evil failing before Good. The Black Dragon is slain, the Good King takes the throne, the orphan leaves their abusive aunts home and meets their true parents who love them, or grow up to love a child twice as much. This is not our story. We are helpless to solve our suffering because we are children. Young and powerless to all the others that be. I remember them all, the doll said, I dont want to, but I remember all of them. I want to forget them. You never will, the reflection answered, not unkindly. In its eyes were the sights of a dark place, where a madwoman sought apotheosis at the expense of hundreds. We are children born in horror, forever scarred by it. This will follow you to the end of our days. But I dont want it to, the doll answered. It wont leave you, the reflection answered, but I do know a trick. What is it? I once met a writer, the reflection said, he was strange, he traveled the world as if on the run, changing his name on the regular. And he once told me this, Even a baby knows horrors exist, they cry all day even when lying in their cradle. Our tears are nothing special, the reflection said. The man told me that instead of trying to ruin the world, I should try to help it. Help it? Even babies know the existence of horror, of evil and all things bad. So instead of trying to teach a lesson already known, he told me I should try to teach them how to beat these monsters. To force them back. But they were beaten as well, the doll answered. But still they killed It. Still, they forced the crazy man away. Without expecting anything in return, they bled, they fought, they won. Fairy Tales might not exist but they do. They are real. Not a knight in shining armor or a good king. They are kids like us, who saw something bad and didnt let it hurt anyone else. And why should we help? Why should we help anyone in this world that hurts us? The reflections eyes grew wistful, because if we dont make an effort to try to make things better, what do we have left but our scars? Do we want to spend eternity in nothing but pain? The doll shook its head. With enough time, maybe the pain will lessen, the reflection answered. With enough time, maybe you can pretend to forget. We wont ever forget it, but we can try. We wont ever save everyone, but we can try and perhaps Perhaps even if we cant remove pain, one day we can make a child believe in fairy tales again. And isnt that something worth crying over? the reflection said as it began to fade, So go out, child of pain and horror, go out and make fairy tales believable again. Will it work? I dont know, the reflection answered genuinely. Im still trying it myself. The doll shined with the soul of a boy hidden within. The danger now passed, the boy finally returned, clutching a doll of a Weeping Child. 5.30 5.30 Im so rich I dont even need to find tax loopholes! - Ethelinda Smith, the Merchant Goddess Recovery wasnt an easy thing. We suffered many wounds, both external and internal. Whilst Fix-Up Fungus could easily heal external flesh wounds, internal stuff was harder on it. Tai and Utoqa suffered the most from this. It turned out Tai was fighting with multiple broken ribs whilst Utoqa had several internal organs ruptured by acid and was only spared by internal bleeding because the acid cauterized the wounds. Along with Noam who had lost most of his blood, all three of the melee fighters were stuck in bed. How the BLEEP did you ignore three broken ribs? Noam asked as he bit into his meal. I just thought I was tired, Tai honestly replied, Fucking hurt like a bitch but I thought if I slept for a bit I would be fine. BLEEPING hell you are stupid. Hey fuck you. Is that usage an insult or an invitation to mate? Utoqa asked. The poor idiot probably meant the question genuinely as well. Insult, Noam answered. And holy BLEEP I know you dont feel pain the same way us softskins do Utoqa but howd you fight with BLEEPING ruptured organs- he paused, then shook his head, Ok, BLEEP this, Corvian, why am I the only one who''s still getting bleeped? Corvian, who had been silently attending to their wounds chuckled, Well, you have the Blessing of Tilt on you of course! But why me? he protested. Everyone else can BLEEPING swear as much as they BLEEPING want! Well after what you said about Xavier and what he does to cats I very much believe you deserve this. How long will this last? he asked, a small bit of fear in his voice. Well forever obviously- Noam then kicked off his blankets, hopping out of his bed then making his way to the door, Im making a formal complaint! And he left the makeshift clinic we had set up, heading down and towards that empty orphanage. Should we stop him from accidentally blaspheming a god or something? I asked. Corvian shrugged, Lady Tilt is more likely to just make his life slightly more miserable and accident-prone for a month or two, but not anything serious. You all did save this town and avenge those children. I shrugged then, if it was fine then just let it be. Noam will eventually just wear himself out. What I was more focused on were the scales I saw above Noams head. Scales where he was light against all his accomplishments. Scales, that for a brief moment, a silver bell seemed to brush against Noams side. I learned three world-changing secrets. It seems like knowing the information was only half the reward. Three days passed in just recovery. During the whole time free, I went around the small town, helping wherever I could, offering healing and food and light. The whole time Greenie and Yellow had to guide me, for I was blind once more. I passed by the orphanage once more on the second day, inside there was a stream of bleeps as Noam continued his complaint. Hes been going on for the past day, Corvian muttered beside me. Didnt even rest for sleep. Hell tire himself out eventually, I answered. I could still see it, Noams scales. The scales which determined all balance, the scales that said Noam was due a win. Ive called a carpenter from outside, one day the house will be home to children again, Corvian said, a light of determination in his eyes. The orphanage was the epicenter of the Accumulations existence, only a single child survived of the almost thirty half-remembered ones. The one who was disguised as a doll within the mages tower. And what do you need? I asked. Corvian turned towards me, You are an Oracle no longer? I shook my head, No. Not an Oracle anymore. Then what are you now? I looked up and saw it. My balance scales, as well as those of Corvians. Both of us were light upon the scales. Ive been wondering that as well, knowing what I know, I realized that if not Oracle, I would become something else. The classes I earned from being a Traveler were neutral, earned rightly and with time, effort and XP, so not considered upon the scales. It was everything else that weighed upon it. I had in the end earned the right to two powers, Observe and Analyze, but at that final moment, I held four: Observe, Analyze, Predict and the information I knew, that if told would change the world. When I threw away three, I still had the right to two powers. One was the information I knew, of so many things within this world. Some that were better left forgotten. And the other was an empty slot, a slot that was being filled slowly and gradually. Do you no longer find secrets? Corvian asked and the world seemed to still. Here there were a myriad of choices before me. An infinite number of ways to answer the question. The Crossroads of Paths, but I had long decided. The things I know now should not be revealed to anyone. No, I spoke. You may say I Keep them instead. The scales above our heads seemed to come into focus, as I finally saw my own enter Balance. Then you might be the sole person who I can pass this to, Keeper of Secrets. Corvian withdrew a deck from his robes, placing it into my hands. The Revenant King Deck, I murmured. It gives a clue to how to revive him, Corvian murmured, his voice hushed. I cant let it stay here, not while we need to recover. A secret that could change the world, one that was an invitation much like the eyes I once held. Couldnt you just burn it? Blasphemy, he replied, then shrugged, I mean I could, but Wundall would not like it. He would know it was necessary, but he wouldnt like it. So you throw it on an idiot like me, I smirked. Hey watch the language, he casually threw out, Im a Tilt worshiper as well. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Worshiping two gods sounds like work. It is, he seemed to wince, Im just telling him the truth here, Ive already doubled my workload here. I raised an eyebrow, You enjoy that then. Yeah, Corvian sighed, then turned to leave. Thank you for everything Dustin. If I didnt reach for power I didnt earn I wont be in this mess. If you didnt reach for power you wouldnt have come here, Corvian answered. The Accumulation wouldve been here regardless of if you reached or not. Reaching simply put you on a collision course here. I was silent, I knew it was true, yet it didnt diminish at all the fact that I fucked up. I was warned against taking both eyes, yet I still did, trying to circumvent a system thinking I was clever. Im still the same idiot, I murmured. But now I understood the system just slightly better. Now I had the benefit of hindsight. Now I know what happens when you put your hand on the stove. I know four world-shattering secrets, and I am now the Keeper of them. To ensure I know them but never allow them to spread. For that, I can sense them in the back of my mind. A blank page and a compass. A pair of scales measuring the balance of all things. A serpent that consumed its own tail and starved as a mouth. And finally, two cogs, one of solid brass grinding inexorably towards its goal, the other of a dozen makeshift materials constantly clashing against the other in fits and spurts. A moment when the Historian stopped writing, to let Discovery find new, safer horizons. The nature of balance within this world, of how reaching for power was almost self-defeating, yet if you continued to rack up great accomplishments you will become something great. Effort does not go unrewarded here, no matter what. While these two might be fine to spread, the last two were not. There was the wealth of worlds within the 7th Hell, but they were better left buried, dont allow greed a chance to wake an eldritch horror on par with the One Order. The true nature of OsshivenKai and its conflict should not be revealed, else either begin to break this fragile balance and descend this world into chaos or order. And I saw five other, weaker, but still flickering secrets behind them. The deck I received became a shattered crown of woe and made them six. I was missing something with them, lacking in the understanding of them in some way that made keeping them secret important, but I wasnt able to yet Keep them. But so long as I held these things secret, so long as I Kept them, I would gain abilities. Only one at a time now, and it would still be separated from my Traveler classes, meaning it would have Et Non-Discent. Yes, I could imagine it, if I still had Analyze, this is what the class would look like. Keeper of Secrets: Path: Keep
  • Keeper of Secrets: You know several world-shattering revelations that, if revealed, may change the course of the world. While you hold them secret, you may put one in an active state to gain certain benefits. The less well known the knowledge, the greater its potential impact on the world and the deeper your own knowledge of it, the greater the benefit you have in Keeping it.
    • Secrets:
      • A Blank Page in History, the Next Voyage of Discovery: You become difficult to be remembered or perceived, others will not notice your presence without a high Stat check or you choosing to reveal yourself, though remains of your passing will stay. E.g. footprints, reflections, recordings, scents. Whilst this is active, you have True Sight.
      • The Balance (Currently Active): You can see the Balance Scales of yourself and others.
      • The World Eater of the 7th Hell: You may store consumables within your stomach that you may at any time digest. If this ability is deactivated or swapped out, all stored consumables will be digested.
      • The One Order Fenkai and the Clockwork Chaos OsshivenKai: When things are Ordered: You are passively aware of the location of the sun and stars, the weather and the cardinal directions. When things are Chaotic: You randomly gain 2 T0 and 1 T1 spells. These spells cost no mana but can only be cast once each. Upon using all three, you gain another random set of 2 T0 and 1 T1 spells.
    • Incomplete Secrets: More is required to qualify these secrets for Keeping.
      • The Maker and Daughters Madness, The Creation of Indiri, True Magic, The First Fears Birth, The Origin of Demons, The Shattered Crown of the Revenant King
  • Et Non-Discent: This class was not sourced from the system, thus it does not benefit from the system either.
  • Progress in this class does not rely on Traveler XP, but on your own proficiency.
  • You may not invest levels in this class.
  • This class and its progress will not be displayed on your Traveler character sheet.
And my complete character sheet would look something like this. Name: Dustin Racials: Magic Myconid Level 1 Classes: Fungalmancer Level 4, Keeper of Secrets Level 1 Body Strength: 8 Agility: 7 Dexterity: 6 Constitution: 19 Stamina: 10 Vitality: 12 Mind Intelligence: 18 Wisdom: 20 Charisma: 6 Soul Will: 10 Psyche: 10 Perception: 10 Available SP: 6 Racials: Manavision, Fungal Body, Sun Sickness, Mana Dependency, Pacifying Spores, Strong Innate Magic, Age-Type Heteromorph Class Skills: Fungalmancer: Path: Symbiosis
  • Grow Sporage (Visual)
  • Grow Sporage (Proximity)
  • Sporage Wisp Symbiosis
  • Bracken Polypores
Keeper of Secrets: Path: Keep
  • Keeper of Secrets:
    • Secrets:
      • A Blank Page in History, the Next Voyage of Discovery
      • The Balance (Currently Active)
      • The World Eater of the 7th Hell
      • The One Order Fenkai and the Clockwork Chaos OsshivenKai
    • Incomplete Secrets
  • Et Non-Discent
Magic Myconid Spells: T0: Sneezing Spores, Acid Spit, Watching Eye Fungalmancer Spells: T0: Balm Spores, Light Spores, Shillelagh (1 Free) T1: Mushroom Meal, Poison Spores, Euphoria Spray, (1 Free) T2: Bark Skin, Fix-Up Fungus, Rot Spores, (1 Free) T3: (2 Free) Analyze was ultimately completely based on my own analytical ability. It freed up my mind and gave me passive information that I didnt notice or wasnt paying attention to, but it was still just something of myself that also had the capability to evolve to something more, allowing me to see the truth of peoples souls at its final moment. It was a passive information processing ability, which I can completely replicate in its base form by just paying some attention. Observe was the greater loss, now that I can no longer see out of all those eyes, I lost a great deal of my information gathering ability. But the two were divination type Paths, Paths that I had managed to bring to the point where I could Predict the future. And therein lay the problem, as Divination abilities, the challenges they drew were almost exclusively that of things like the Accumulation of White Lies: esoteric creatures that devoured- nay, challenged information. Keep was what I decided on because the main danger of these secrets would be me telling someone. They were merely information, but each had the possibility of changing the world. Such power, such influence, I neutered it by swearing I would never tell, and so invalidated the greatest power secrets held. Allowing Keep to become a greater power in response. And I knew how dangerous this information was because I saw how much they weighed. Less than a paragraph of letters and words, if used correctly can shake the world. To leave this knowledge secret was the limitation, the extreme variety of abilities I gained from them was the reward. Only one could be active at a time, and it would take a while to swap them out but those were also worthy limitations. I could make it swap abilities faster, or hold multiple at the same time, but I wouldnt have as strong a selection like this. Not to mention that the nature of a Clash meant only one could truly win and defeat the opponent. While that didnt mean others cant help, it meant that fate itself was conspiring against them. The Accumulation of White Lies cant be hurt by physical means, the cultist of OsshivenKai had absurd regeneration and immortality, which invalidated a good two-thirds of my party. So the fact Keep was taking on a more combative and active nature made it far more desirable, because it meant the next thing I would meet in a challenge could be hurt by physical means. It meant the next thing I faced to realign my Balance would be affected by Noam stabbing it or by Utoqa cutting it in half. I still needed to be the one who defeats it, else the fight is invalidated, but others can still help. And if Noam or Utoqa entered a Clash, I knew I could help out, so long as they were the ones who won in the end. Not that it would happen anytime soon. Utoqa was in balance, but Noam was due a boon. A boon on par with what I got or with Utoqas Survive. Because even if reaching beyond your means led to challenge and tribulation, surpassing challenges always made you greater. Noam fought hundreds of players and chimera. He slew the chimerist in one on one combat. He tasted the sun itself and gained the respect of a Demon Chef. He won a Clash against a bard whose face was faded. He played a crucial role against the Accumulation of White Lies. A single Path was the minimum I expected him to gain. And Im increasingly starting to suspect the source of this will come from the Goddess of Children, Tilt. For Fate was pushing him into an encounter with her. I wished him luck in this endeavor. 6.0 6.0 One-hundred and fifty-two. Whoever said The real treasure were the friends we made along the way, has never had to escape to the Fourth Circle because your friend pissed off the Kenkou mafia. - Excerpt from Elliots Enchiridion of Encounters Noam spent the first thirty minutes asking the bell to give his swear words back. When all he got was a stern No, he spent the next thirty begging harder. When no response came, he started swearing at the bell, half his words bleeped until the sun went down. And he decided to keep going, cause what was a single night staying up swearing at a god? On the dawn of the second day, Noam decided to switch it up slightly, There once was a pixie as dim as grey, She took away a poor mes power to say! When I begged sincerely in prayer, She told me sternly I cannot swear! So I say she is quite BLEEP- Oh come on, that isnt even a swear word! And began composing limericks to insult the god. When he began to run out of limericks, he switched to rap, Fairy of the Silver Bell, I heard youre a god of kids, So amongst them your member must get quite swell! And I bet youre as slimy as a squid! And thus the second day passed with Noam displaying elaborate ways of poetry to insult the god. On the dawn of the third day ... And thus you caressed the soft, slimy and fresh flesh of Squidward the Second. His skin is supple, yet underneath you can feel the hard toned Began orating erotic fanfiction of Tilt directly to her shrine. ... Squidward held you softly but firmly, you are surprised by his assertiveness as he brings you away to- What the fu- fungus, Dustin quickly corrected himself, did I just walk into. Noam turned away, his eyes sunken and the bags underneath clear. For three days and three nights he continually insulted the shrine to no avail. Yet nothing had broken his iron resolve. Shes going to give back my BLEEPS, I swear it! So far shes giving you no fucks back, Dustin winced. Sorry, I shouldn''t have said that. Its a war of attrition! Noam raved, his eyes wild with resolve like a burning forest fire. One of us will give in eventually! Either I finally get on her nerves or I break, and I refuse to break. Youre not going to get them back by insulting the person who took them you know. You could just make a minor change to your vernacular and make everyone more comfortable. Never! Noam answered, This isnt about swearing anymore, this is about honor! Dustin didnt direct his next question towards Noam, but instead towards Greenie who was sleepily acting as his guide shroom, Wheres the shrine? Greenie pointed him towards it. Dustin bowed in its general direction, Id just like to say I am not associated with this man or responsible for his behavior and when he does get smote please ensure collateral damage is at a minimum. Coward! The myconid shrugged, On more serious business, have you seen Celine? Noam frowned, No I havent, something wrong? Ive barely seen her for the past few days, Dustin answered, Utoqa tells me she comes in at night to help with his and Tais wounds but shes gone like a shadow immediately after. Is something wrong with her? Noam asked, She looked pretty pale after escaping the snake thing. Dustin closed his empty eye sockets, remembering how Celine looked for a moment. How her skin was a pure pale and hair appeared bleached, and how her appearance seemed to shift back to normal a moment when none of them were looking, No, that isnt the Accumulations doing. Shes keeping something secret. Noam shrugged, Let her then. I will, but regardless, Dustin pulled out a bag, clinking with coins. The townsfolk rustled up some money to pay us. Ive divided it equally amongst all six of us. If she comes by, give her this. Ive left similar instructions with Utoqa. Got it, Noam said, taking the bag. Oh, and were having a goodbye party tonight, if youre done blaspheming then join us. Noam raised an eyebrow, Were leaving already? Isnt it too early? What if something else comes by. Dustin frowned, then looked above him, The chances of something happening dramatically decreases if we leave, he carefully said, as if considering his every word. Strength invites challenge, being here until now has been fine but if we want Lake Bayt to recover the best we can do is take our weight off here. Something you cant tell me? Noam asked. Dustin paused, his mind deep in thought, I might be able to tell you, a select few can be told, but I need to Keep these things as much of a secret as I can. But maybe I can Ill try to tell you when we both get to log out. Noam nodded. Remember the party is tonight, Dustin said as he began to leave. Also it seems like youre due a level up or two. He raised his eyebrow slightly at that. Because Dustin seemed sure something would happen. Then Noam frowned, his head hurt, and his thinking felt slow. No matter his own willpower, his body was just not meant to stay up for three days in a row. Regardless, he turned around, As I was saying, you are surprised by Squidwards assertiveness as he
The night was young when Celine left. Bearing only the things she could carry, she passed the partying inn like a shadow. On a moonlit night, she walked towards the wall that separated this town from the wilderness. For she did not belong, she never belonged anywhere. She made sure everyone was healthy because they were owed at least that much, but she did not belong here. She did not belong amongst people. Yet as she walked alone on a dark road, the moon slowly became hidden by clouds. She stopped, looking into the orphanage in which the monster once made its den. Towards a single light where a person sat and told a story. ...and thus you tie the knot. The priest declares your vow with Squidward eternal. You feel his embrace around you, and you know the emptiness that once held your heart is well and truly gone. Like a man possessed, Noam told a story, before him, sitting around that candle flame, was the silhouette of a young fairy. A young fairy whose wings glistened like silver, her features young and pure. And the fairy was silently crying, her tears soaking into a napkin, enamored as the tale finished. That was beautiful stupid horn head, her voice rang like bells even as she cried crystal tears. Noam exhaled, panting as if tired from head to toe, Yeah that one surprised me as well. I just let it run away from me. Tell me another one! the fairy asked, Actually Tell me one every week! Everyday! Become one of my priests or something! Actually, you can be my next Incarnation, how about that? Noam yawned, Incarnation? Wazzat? Its um, like um, well I sorta go wooosh then bumpfff, and suddenly you can use my power when you want or need! Celine felt a sudden lump in her throat. The Incarnation of a god? And one of the greater ones at that? Really, Noam asked amidst another yawn, that sounds cool, but can I get my swear words back? Even better! the fairy exclaimed, Once you become my Incarnation you will never be able to use bad words! Not even your original can! Original his voice slightly slurred, before they suddenly sharpened, You mean I, as Matt Nguyen, would not be able to swear anymore? The fairy excitedly nodded, Yep! Then BLEEP off! Half in shock, half in sheer disbelief, Celine watched as Noam rejected the next best thing from godhood. The fairy grabbed Noam by the ears, Why do you care so much about some stupid bad words! Theyre bad words! Its a matter of principle! Noam yelled back, trying to pry the gods arms off his ears. Noam, one of the greatest players to ever grace gaming, so good that numerous forums of salty rankers called him a hacker, and Tilt, the Patron Goddess of Trickery, Freedom, Loyalty and Children, the Innocence Never Lost, the Girl of the Silver Bell. The two, without any grace or skill, tumbled around the empty orphanage and fought like children. But unfortunately, three days without sleep or rest, constantly swearing at a shrine, had rendered him rather weak, and so Tilt swiftly got the upper hand. Noam slipped on a banana that materialized directly under his foot, slipping and sliding directly out of the shrine. And never come back you purple stinky head! If I never see you again it would be too soon! Noam yelled back, his head still stuck in a bush. What is silver but shitty platinum? The Goddess stuck her tongue out at the figure before her own body dissipated. Noam rose out of the bush, rubbing his head. His eyes glanced around, passing over Celine but not seeing her. Yawning, Noam took two steps before he collapsed onto the dirt road in exhaustion. Quietly and slowly, Celine tried to skirt around Noams unconscious body. Circling around him and getting on her way. Then the first few drops of rain fell. Celine continued walking, resolute in the fact someone should find Noam here. Then a few drops increased to a downpour, and Noam remained firmly on the ground. Still and unconscious. ... Someone will find you, right? Celine whispered in the rain. Seeing Noam getting increasingly soaked, before she groaned. Ahhh! She grabbed Noam by the legs, finding him dead still like a rock, and tried to pull, gritting her teeth in exertion. She let go, huffing and puffing, before she whispered, Nappy. Her cloak came alive, wrapping itself around her arms, becoming an extension of them as they wrapped themselves around Noam. Tilt probably didnt want him back, so instead, she found an abandoned houseC slightly distressed by how many there were now. Saying a small prayer to the houses former inhabitants, she brought Noam in. Using Nappy, she put him onto an empty bed. Then touched his forehead, checking his temperature. Noam was burning up, but she had a potion for this. Putting it to his lips, she gently massaged his throat so that the liquid made its way through properly. She made the mistake a few times when she was first learning potions, leading to some very annoyed forest fauna. Finishing the bottle, she placed a blanket on the tiefling. Checking his temperature one last time and making sure he was stable, Celine moved towards the door. Wait. Celine paused, his voice was quiet, barely a rasp, ...You should be ok, Noam, the fever is light, and a nights sleep will do you well. Noam groaned, My mouth tastes like sunflowers. I didnt even know what sunflowers tasted until now. She smiled slightly at that, If thats all, then Ill be- Going? Noam asked, But where? She hugged her cloak, Nappy, close. I dont know. Maybe someplace where I can set up shop, but I cant stay here anymore. There was a shuffling behind her. Why not? Noam asked as he rose. She gripped her cloak even more tightly around her, almost hoping she could disappear into it, but they saved her life. They at least deserved to know. Celine turned. She turned to face Noam, but as she did so, the color of her skin bleached, her eyes became pure white and her hair an unnatural pale. Because I am a monster, because I am a changeling.
In a small hamlet hidden between rolling hills and idyllic plains, there was a boy named Mason, born to a farmers family and the youngest of two. Mason? Where could I be? his mother cooed. Mason looked around the house, pretending to look for her, but he already knew. There was an aura, an aura bright and happy, hidden beneath the table. It thrummed like a rainbow as his mother heard his steps draw closer, until, A pair of hands covered her eyes, Found you! Mason playfully said. Laughing, the mother lifted her youngest into the air, the young boy, no older than three years old, laughed as his short arms reached for his mother. Pulling her ears as she brought him to embrace. Unlike his mothers dark verdant hair and clear white skin, his hair was a mop of brown and despite his youth, his skin was already tanned like a farmers son. In the evening his father and older brother would return from the forests, their day of lumber cut and sold. Hanton got to the northside before us, his father said with an aura of disappointment. Couldnt cut much today, but Hansons a perfectionist, hell be in the northside for a few weeks getting everything. We can head to the westside then, can''t we? Masons brother asked. His mother quickly made the signs of prayer, while his father shook his head, The witch lives there, we can''t go near that place. Both of you should avoid her, that thing isnt a person, her mother whispered, her aura dark and jumpy. Genuine terror. Lets talk about kinder things, his father had said. His mother smiled and the darkness faded from her aura. Rubbing Masons head, she said, Mason caught me again today. I dont know how he does it. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. And Mason smiled, Because I love you ma! Oh you precious little she smiled as she brought him to a hug, and extended an arm to her husband, Come one, everyone bring it in. The dinners they shared werent anything fancy. Vegetable soup and black bread, occasionally his father brought back the odd hunt they caught. It was filling, but the young boy simply enjoyed them all together, to hear them talk about their day, to see their auras change and flow like beautiful paintings. And the boy wanted to spend days like this forever. To always spend them with others, to see their wonderful colors.
Noam frowned, and Celine saw his aura go contemplative. It was a kindness that he didnt immediately flinch or draw a weapon. More than anything shes ever experienced, regardless, she put on her hood and turned away. Wait, Noam said again. He left the bed, rubbing his head as he sat by the table in the small house. Please sit, if you need someone that can listen well, Im here. Celine looked outside, seeing the dark cobbled path, slick with rain. She could go without a word, to leave and live as she always had. It was a lonely path, but it was a known one, even a straight jacket would feel comfortable when worn long enough, and she was tempted to go right then and there. But something about his eyes, his aura, how for the first time ever this jovial manchild finally looked completely and utterly serious. So she sat, and she regaled her tale.
The first expression on his mothers face was shock. Then horror, as her hands brushed against Masons face and hair. Mason didnt understand why her aura was turning dark, as he looked as his own hands, he saw them pale and pallid. White, but that was the wrong color, and he thought about what color they should be. The sun tanned skin, much like his father and brother. And the skin turned browned and tanned, exactly like his father and brother. Mason smiled as he made the skin normal again. But his mother simply looked on in horror, as she grabbed his hand and looked it over. Up and down, left and right. Her aura changed slightly to hope, hoping that she just imagined what she just saw. She brought Mason close, hugging him tightly and without a word. For it had to be a delusion, it had to be a lapse of imagination, what she just saw. And she held onto that belief until nightC when Mason fell asleep and his skin turned pale.
She denied it at first, afraid of what it meant when I started turning, but I think deep down she knew. She always knew.
Mason was no longer allowed to go outside anymore. His mother told everyone he had a skin disease, how it blistered easily under sunlight. She made up a tale of how it was a curse by the witch of the woods and her husband added to the tale that he had accidentally chopped a tree a bit too close to the witch''s woods. For weeks Mason stayed inside his home. His father had left for a larger town, to find a priest who could cure his sickness. For a while, Mason believed the tale his mother weaved, but the sunlight that peaked through the windows failed to burn his skin, and every day, he looked out at the other children, at all the other people playing and living outside. He saw their auras, like beautiful splashes of colour just outside their dreary house. And so, one day when his mother was out gathering berries, Mason left the house. And for a brief moment, when he was watching the people outside, enjoying the sun on his skin, he briefly turned. And someone saw him.
It was my fault, Celine admitted, If I had just listened, if I werent so fascinated by the colors everyone had
The colors were black. Black with hate and rage. I saw it! the boy yelled. A boy that once played with Mason like a friend. I saw the monster change form to look like a kid! The crowd roared in response. Masons mother grabbed him, glancing out the window in fear. His brother held his ax in the ready, but he was unsteady, used to cutting only wood and not people, Has pa come back yet? His mother shook her head, We cant wait for him to bring a priest anymore, we have to run. Outside, the crowd moved, and to Masons eyes they were a swirling black miasma. Their auras were so dark with hate and fear that even the torches he knew they held failed to pierce the smoke of their own souls. Masons mother cradled him within her arms, We need to go, now! And they ran out of their home. His mother held him as they headed towards the woods, his brother behind with an ax in hand. Theyre running! someone yelled, a pitchfork pointed towards the escaping shadows. They heard it then, the neighing of horses and shortly the sound of galloping. They werent near the woods yet, and they couldnt outrun horses. Keep running ma, Masons brother said, as suddenly a pair of footsteps ceased running behind them. And Masons mother kept running, with him held like a babe. A mother fleeing with her child no older than ten. But the shouts kept following them, they kept nearing and the fires and hate kept coming. Until his mother tripped and fell onto the ground. Her aura flared with pain, as her ankle looked broken. But she gritted her teeth and held Mason tight. Pushing a small bag that clinked into his hands. Run, Mason, you have to run. Mason didnt know he was crying until that moment, holding tightly to his mother like a drowning man to a raft. Why ma? Why are they chasing us? Why do they want to hurt us? I just want to be with you! he asked, he pleaded. Mason didnt need to see her aura to see the regret and pain that marred her face before she grits her teeth, her mind made up. Because you are a monster Mason, she said. Because you are something they fear and dont understand. So you cant be with me, you cant be with us. So take the bag and run, she pleaded. Mason stilled, his emotions warring across his face, confusion, fear, despair. And his mothers face turned angry, I said RUN! She slapped Masons face, Run! Run as far as your legs can take you! Run into the west woods! Give the bag to the witch! Youre a monster and youre getting hunted, so RUN! The light of torches ever nearer, as the mob drew closer, and finally, with tears on his face, Mason ran. He ran deeper into the woods. He ran even when he fell and thorns tore his clothes. He ran through past streams, he ran until the sounds of shouting and the miasma of hate and fear disappeared. Until he went deeper into the forest than anybody went. And he stopped in the middle of a clearing, a moonlit night, the stars bright in the sky. He stopped to catch his breath, but as he did so, something rose. A thing larger than a bear, its fur mattered with blood and eyes large and red. Upon its back, dozens of weapons and spears jutted out. The attempts of lesser men to kill the king of the forest. It was a monster and Mason felt that he shouldve run. But he didnt. He was a monster. A monster couldnt be with his family. A monster was hated by the village. A monster doesnt deserve to live.
That is why Im leaving, Celine finished. You all saw me unshifted. You saw the monster I was. It wont be long before the rumour gets out and they raise pitchforks and torches. Noam was silent as she finished her story before he very quietly exhaled. Ill give you another story in exchange for that, Noam said. About how I grew up. Celine was quiet, as Noam spoke. I didnt grow up in the nicest place. It was common to hear maybe ten to twenty gunshots each day and find two to three fresh pools of blood outside. One year it was worse than usual and we didnt have enough money for food. So one day I went out and saw a drunk collapsed between an alleyway and I took his money. But the guy wasnt quite as blacked out as I thought, he grabbed my arm as I tried to leave, so I kicked him, and threw his head into the wall, and he stopped moving as I ran away, his eyes were closed, as he imagined the exact scene. When I got home, I left the money on the counter, but Sarah demanded where it came from, so I showed her the guy in the alleyway. The guy who had died by the time we got back. And you know what she did? he asked. She silently picked up the corpse, and together we dragged him out of the city where we buried his body under a pile of trash. That was about the time I started calling her my mum. What do you intend to tell with this story? Celine asked. Im not finished yet, Noam added. See, later on, I got good at things. I got a bunch of friends, I got rolled into the local gang because I was good at pickpocketing and picking fights alike. And I thought they were all my friends, until one day, another kid picked the wrong guy, and when the gangbangers came knocking they threw it on me and I was beaten within an inch of my life as an example. Celine was silent as Noam finished the final part of his story. See, I learnt then, there were a lot of types of people, but of friends, there were real ones, people who would help you out regardless of what, and there were people who wouldnt. Who are more in love with the idea of you than what you actually are. And I can say, that your parents, your family, they were real ones. They were people who went with you through thick and thin. And Noam stared directly into her eyes and his aura flared. I understand what a good friend should look like, so you understand that I do not joke or lie when I say I will knock the BLEEPING lights out of any BLEEPING torch BLEEPING gremlin piece of BLEEP that tries to raise a pitchfork to a good person! Otherwise, my name is not BLEEPING Matt Nguyen!
Mason stood in that moonlit forest as the creature approached. A strange sense of peace and dread within his soul. He looked across that empty clearing, of the stars quietly twinkling in the sky. The finality of life was so serene. And the monster raised its paw to strike. Only that it didnt, and instead thumped dead on the ground. Its head was gone and in its place was only a massive bite mark. Behind Mason an old figure strode forward, her face gnarled like a tree and nose hooked like a hawks beak. She was chewing something before she swallowed. And what are you? the witch of the woods asked. A monster, the changeling answered The witch chuckled, If you are a monster, then I am Shadesmar. The evil god of horror! But I am, the child despondently answered. His tears long dried on his face. They chased me out, ma told me to run, she told to go because I couldnt be with her anymore. A thought arose in his mind, of one of the last things Masons mother told him. She wanted me to give you this. And he raised the bag that clinked of metal. The witch took it, sniffing it slightly before her face and aura turned quiet and contemplative. Then the witch made a decision. She chuckled, hand descending to ruffle Masons pale white hair, I suppose I am an evil god now! The witchs hand gently, but firmly grasped Masons own small hand, And what is an evil god without her minions? Minion? Mason asked. My minion, the witch answered, which means I will protect you, for any harm to you is an insult to me, the evil god, and I will teach you, for you must be able to wrought terror in my name. And what is your name? Mason asked. I am the Witch of the Woods, she answered, I am Ni Kakoph.
Celine did not realize she was crying until the tears dripped down her chin and onto the wooden table. Oh she said, raising her sleeve to wipe her face, ...Im sorry Noam simply brought out a napkin for her to use, to wipe the tears that suddenly appeared. Its fine to cry, Noam said, everyone needs a good cry every now and again. So just let it out. Celine kept apologizing as she cried, for what she wasnt sure. Only that she kept trying to wipe tears that just continued to stream. Hiccups and snot fought their way out of her face and she needed to wipe those as well. After a long time, when Celines tears started to slow, Noam spoke. Hear me out, he said, stay for one more night. Were having a party and you should join in. She was about to raise her objections before he cut her off. Dont worry about getting away, I can solo any flash mob that appears! And Dustin can keep them sneezing for long enough to get away, and Utoqa is your gecko when you need to survive in the wild How are you so sure they will help? she asked. And Noam smiled, Like I said, I recognise a friend.
Minion! Ni Kakoph called. Minion, we have a problem! What is it? Mason called out. They were much taller now, tall enough to stir the witchs cauldron as it bubbled and boiled. We have a severe problem! the witch repeated as she barged in, carrying in her hands an old and faded dress. I cant graduate you without a proper uniform! I dont have a mens uniform for you! Is that it? the changeling asked as they glanced skeptically at the dress. It was old, but recently cleaned, the smell of sunshine was still fresh on it. Already, Masons skin and hair flashed through different colors. Their figure shifted to a more feminine appearance before suddenly Ni Kakoph bonked their head. You arent just shifting into some random ass girl for this! the witch yelled. It has to be something important to match the occasion! Important? Mason asked as they rubbed their head. Ni furiously nodded. And Mason thought deeper and deeper, but already, their hair was turning into a deep shade of verdant green, their skin a healthier shade of pale. Before long, Mason appeared like their mother once was, but at the same age they were currently. Are you alright with this? Ni asked, her voice quiet. This wont be like a normal shift, a mages graduation marks their existence for as long as they live. Mason looked over themself, and shrugged, Its fine, being a guy isn''t important and they would be looking for a tanned skin boy named Mason. And the witch nodded. The next day, the young woman put on the faded but clean witch''s uniform. She made sure every bit was prepared as she stepped out of the house. Ni Kakoph was sitting on the porch as she stepped onto the grass below. And the girl bowed, Thank you for everything, Baba Ni. The old witch rubbed her head, That reminds me, I never asked for your name did I, minion? The young witch raised her head, I was named Mason by my father, and I now take my mothers name, Celine. I want to be Celine more, but I dont want to abandon Mason, so I will use both when allowed. I dont have a surname, unfortunately. The old witch smiled as she rose from her seat, Stone worker or heavens. A fine duality. The old witch stared at the sky, then at the earth. And the world was still as she made a declaration. To all who will listen, I am Ni Kakoph, and I grant my Name to the young genius that stands before me. May she be as I once was, a great Cacophony that shakes both heavens and earth! Celine Kakoph felt the power that rippled through the world. She felt the black cloak behind her tighten, as if in a warm embrace. You give me your Name baba? The old witch smiled, I said my minion will wreak terror in my name didnt I? And Celine smiled, You did. There was a moment of comfortable silence, before Celine turned to leave, Thank you for- Oh! the old witch interrupted, Before I forget. She rummaged through her own cloak, pulling an old bag that clinked of metal when drawn. Whose edges frayed from time. And Ni tossed it at Celine, who barely managed to catch it. What is this? she asked. Something that is yours now, the old witch answered. Celine recognised it as the bag her mother told her to give to the witch. Quietly, she drew open the strings, finding what was inside. A few coins, mostly coppers and silvers but there was one gold, and two rings. Wedding rings. The wedding rings her father gave to her mother on their wedding day. They they gave up their she tried to speak, but her voice croaked, as tears streamed down her face. This was likely all the wealth her family had had. Your education has been paid for in full, Ni Kakoph said. That is your salary for stirring the cauldron and collecting herbs. Celine smiled even as tears streamed down her face, What a horrible payment for years of free work. Ni chuckled, Well, you didnt pay for me teaching you either! Finally, she turned around, away from the moving house, clad in a living cloak blessed by the old woman that saved her, in her pouch the rings of the people that raised her. Celine Kakoph went into the world to see if she could find her parents again.
When Celine entered the partying inn, helping a half-delirious Noam walk, Dustin was playing Age of Wonders with Corvian, the wisps and Utoqa, who was severely missing the point of the game. And when the myconid turned to look at his friend, seeing him leaning on the witch for balance and support, he let out a sharp bark of laughter. I dont know what else I expected, he said with a smile. Fucking extroverts, he muttered before Corvian slapped his head. Language!
The next day, as people were still recovering from hangovers a small group of people piled their luggage on a cart gifted to them by the town. One of them, a tiefling, was vomiting last nights contents onto a tree as a young woman with verdant hair patted his back. A lizardfolk and elven swordswoman were hauling the bags of rations and foodstuff they were given. And finally, a myconid stood talking with a gnomish priest. I wish you luck in rebuilding the town, Dustin said. Corvian nodded, It wont be quick, but it will happen. Lake Bayt will recover from this. But the gnomes eyes slid towards a child, a child carrying a ghastly doll. Strange looks swept this child, and Corvian beckoned him forth, Johnny, come meet Dustin. The child came, his eyes empty and listless. Im not sure what to do with him, but he wants to go with you guys. Dustin raised an eyebrow. Why so? The childs head hung. I dont want to be here anymore, the boy said. I see them everywhere, everyone that died. Theyre still here, I dont want to see them anymore. Corvian grabbed Dustins arm and dragged him close, Hes carrying a symbol of the Weeping Child, Dustin, Corvian whispered. His life wont be simple or easy, for people regard the Gestalt as a dark god. You think something will happen? he asked, for though the childs Scales were in balance, he knew it was something that could be changed in a moments bad decision. Perhaps, and until then, I want you to protect him. Keep him safe to grow up happy. I Corvian gritted his teeth, I alone cant provide this protection. So please, maybe find a temple to Gwaina in one of the greater cities, somewhere that can take him in. Dustin thought about it, and he nodded. He didnt really need to talk it over with Utoqa or Noam, since one wouldnt care and the other would accept in a heartbeat. Then he knelt, his gnarled hand on the childs shoulder, I am Dustin, who are you? I am Johnny Joymoon, the boy replied.
Corvian watched as they left, a slight pang of regret that he could not save that child, but he would be safe in their care, he was certain of it. Instead, he felt Wundull tugging at him, the first of two gods he devoted himself to. The first copy of every single card of the Age of Wonders was created by a follower of Wundull who had witnessed the wonders of the world themselves. And Corvian Diluvian Medudian Himotonana Farraday the Middling had seen much. He raised his hand, and within them, six cards manifested from divinity and power. Chosen of the Weeping Child. Gnari Family Swordswoman. Wandering Witch. Tribeless Survivor. Traveling Skald. And finally, the only card that was named. Dustin the Thrice Blinded. Corvian smiled as he drew the final card. They Met in a Tavern. Side Story: Remembering Remembering Maybe somewhere green somewhere we can run a small shop with all our kids - Caleb G Abe remembered pizza. Returning home on a hot day, the coolness of the store hitting him. Seeing a perpetually warm smile on his dads face. Rough, dark hands covered in white flour as they rolled pieces of dough. A few slices of pizza were always available at the end of the day, leftovers, his dad always said. Though it was strange, there was always pepperoni pizza. His favorite for a while, before eating pizza every day got old. He wasnt old enough to have been drafted at the time. When Europe burned, only other Commonwealth nations would have sent aid. Colonialism left a sore mark on many people, and the last nation that couldve feasibly helped was too busy slapping itself in the face to be of any use to anyone. When the store started struggling, his dad and uncle joined the army. Abe remembered getting diagnosed with anxiety at the time, every day wondering if hell ever see his dad again. There were sparse emails, calls and texts when his dad managed to get out of the EMP affected areas, but he never talked about fighting. It was always something inane, reassuring teary family members he was ok, asking about how the store was doing with mum taking care of it, complaining about how army food was shit. Even if dad never talked about anything of import, Abe always looked forward to them. Fidgeting for weeks on end when there was no contact. Then the war abruptly ended. Abe remembered the day America decided to finally do something. He remembered seeing in the news. Anthrax spores were spread throughout the nation from low Earth orbit, destroying North Americas ecosystem and crippling the nations ability to produce livestock in the span of a few short months. If the biological attack was indeed perpetrated by Russia as a last resort to keep America out of the war, they could not have done a more foolish thing. America was a nation that almost entirely subsisted on fast food, meat and diabetes. The moment someone took away the meat in a cheeseburger as well as the cheese and forced them to eat their vegetables, they became a unified and rampant mob. Abe remembered his aunt laughing as the news came. How the move had done more to unite America than anything the nation itself had done. Bipartisan unity, armed skinheads teaching minorities how to shoot a gun, the US Military, known only for its absurd budget, suddenly seemed woefully inadequate to deal with the number of people signing up to go to war. A nation once cracked in half squabbling like children came together to beat up the bully who took away their lollies. Of course, they conquered South America first and burned down the Amazon to get that unspoiled farmland, but they eventually got around to Europe. For a long time, the war was in a stalemate, but finally did the scales start to tip when hordes of angry Americans began flooding the war. Where once battlefields were empty save for Russias mechanized infantry and drones, was once again filled with the roar of gunfire. The communists were finally getting pushed back by their ideological enemy. The Star-Spangled Tide, the White and Blue but Mostly Red Flood, the Horde, the Gun-Toting Vegans, eventually, they were simply called the Greens, after a comedian jokingly said gunfire and artillery bombardment was what happened when you forced an American to eat their greens. The war was finally being won. Abes dad no longer had to pretend that things were going well and Abe didnt have to fake a smile in response and though the war was ended abruptly. No one truly faulted the U.S for its response. Even if words were said, a few sanctions were made, no hard actions were done. Matching biological warfare with biological warfare, it was simply an eye for an eye. And when the alternative was vengeance ridden madman dancing with a button that can set off worldwide nuclear devastation, they really did get the better end of the deal. Plus the Soviets were all dead, so no one was left to complain. His dad came home, though alone. So long ago did it happen, that the memory no longer brought tears to his eyes. The black clothes, the day forever darkened by smog. Was it freezing cold or stifling hot that day? Abe no longer remembered. His dad remained stoic, helping everyone through their grief. Yet as Abe grew older he couldnt help but wonder a simple question. Who helped dad through his grief? The store opened again, the world must go on, Abe grew up, studied at university and got one of the few jobs not yet automated. Human work slowly becoming a rarity as the nation advocated and worked toward a world where no one felt hungry, needed to work, freeing up their time to pursue greater things. Unfortunately, they seemed to be the only ones who thought about it that way. As he neared his thirties, he realized something, something that didnt register because hes honestly spent so little time with him. His parents werent perfect, they had flaws, they were stubborn. His dad Caleb held onto that small pizza store for years, and every time he visited, he still annoyingly made pepperoni pizza, even if Abe told him that he hasnt liked it for years. It was one cool autumn day, where he visited the store once again. Dad already had pizzas out for him and his sister''s family. They ate together while dad kept rolling more in the kitchen yet as they ate, Abe noticed that the crust had become uneven, lumpy in some places and thin to the point of ripping in others. His nephews got really annoyed at this, since visiting grandpa Caleb was their highlight of the week. His niece Momo asked why the pizza was bad, too young and innocent to really understand anything. Dad? Abe called out as he moved to the back of the store, towards the kitchen. He called out once, twice, thrice, yet still, there was no answer. Worrying, he hurried, until he entered the store kitchen and saw his father, his back stooped and crooked over the benchtop, sleeves rolled back. His fathers hands shook as they tried to push the rolling pin over the dough, trying to flatten it, yet his strength failed to do so, leaving an uneven and broken piece of flat dough. For the first time in his life, Abe saw his father and thought how old he was. It hurt him to roll that dough flat, yet still, he continued, doing his best despite old age, all for a family who said they didnt like pepperoni. Abe didnt remember when tears first fell from his face. The last thing he remembered of that day was simply hugging the frail and old form of the man who birthed him.
He quit his old job. Now he spent his days in the pizzeria, trying desperately to master the art of pizza making to the amused and smiling face of his dad. Im telling you, VekNa is mathematically impossible to beat, a chubby young Asian said to another whose body was half prosthetic. Theres gotta be a way, a fucking trick to it, the worryingly unwhole child replied as Abe delivered their two Meat Lovers pizza. Cant we get better stats? The chubby child shook his head, When I said mathematically impossible to beat, I mean I used the top raiding builds and then some! The DPS check was still impossible. There is simply not a comp that can both survive to his last phase and kill him during This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Despite the fact both of them pounced on their meal like ravenous wolves, they still talked with fervor about their subject. It was mostly gibberish to Abe, even more so now that their mouths were completely full, yet he liked listening to his two most frequent customers. They always ordered two large pizzas, one and a half of it always went to the chubby child and they always seemed to talk about games. They came about once every other week, sometimes in triumph and celebration, sometimes in deep discussion. It was the part of the week he most looked forward to, every day he only got one or two customers physically in the store if he was lucky. Most of the time he spent at the back, baking pizzas for drones to deliver. The fact he got returning customers at all when everyone just delivered everything, probably meant he had gotten really good at pizza making, though Abe admitted that if an actual Italian ever saw his pizzas they would probably call it a hate crime. Screw them though, his dad and customers said they tasted great and thats all he ever needed. He smiled and waved back as the two kids left for the evening, Abe continued till late at night, where he eventually closed up. Calling his car on his AAD, he let it drive him back home. The house wasnt much, it didnt need to be, since it was just him, mum and dad. His sister had her own family to take care of, something she kept ribbing him about. Abe was not a virgin at forty years no matter her insistence! He found his dad by the balcony, dutifully watering a pot of flowers, natural flowers, ones not genetically engineered to survive harsh climates, but one that was completely natural. Those things cost more than cars nowadays, but Abe made sure to save for one and throw away the receipt when he saw his dad look longingly at the few nature reserves and parks that survived. Had a good day today, Abe greeted him, those kids came again, man I swear they come so often theyre probably keeping the store afloat on their own! And so they chatted throughout the night, mum usually joining after the sound of their talking drowned out her TV dramas. Despite the fact Abe had repeatedly informed her that they had a pair of noise-canceling headphones. Like this, days and weeks passed by uneventfully, yet he remembered them all fondly, for they were perhaps Abes happiest years. Yet somehow, they always came back to this topic. You should get an AAD, Abe said, his tone frank. You''re getting old, who knows whats gonna happen in a few years or so? With a Somatic Implant everyone can keep track of your health. His mother shook her head as she looked at the two of them, eyes tired but wanted to see through this argument out of a sense of familial duty. The reply his father gave was always the same. He didnt want one. He lived perfectly fine now. He wouldnt allow someone he didnt know or trust to monitor his every move. Abe heard these responses, yet they rang hollow against him. For they were relics of an older time when people valued personal freedom above everything else, even their own health and safety. They knew better now. And his fathers response was just the response of an old conservative man, despite that, Abe usually withdrew, not wanting to damage what they had.
But no matter how good the times were, time always moved on. In the years that passed, Abe slowly came to notice his father often staring into space, slow in his responses to others, sitting quietly when once he had spoken aloud with bright smiles. Until one day, when Abe came to meet his father on the balcony, he wasnt recognised. Abe remembered the wrenching feeling in his chest when his dad called him Edison. His dead uncle who was lost in the war. He didnt remember what happened later. For the memory came back in flashes. Snippets of what his father really spoke about. That one afternoon soon became two, then three, then four, then five, then six. Always speaking of the same thing to a person he didnt recognise. Repeating to the point where Abe knew what his dad wanted to say every time he saw him. Something about them retiring in a small shop, where they could look after all their children and their children. Somewhere by a park, where it was still green. In a world where his brother was still alive.
He knew the day would come. Looking back, Abe didnt remember that day from what he saw happened, but from what others told him. His father collapsed in the middle of the day when Abe was working the shop. He remembered up till the phone call. How in a hurried haze he closed shop and canceled dozens of orders. How he got in the car without even wiping off the flour on his hands. One thing he remembered vividly, was halfway to the hospital, he received a phone call saying the ambulance carrying his father got in a traffic accident. A traffic accident! How did those even happen? When he finally made it there, he found his father suspended in gel. Mr Green? a nurse had said, your father, Mr Caleb Green has suffered a heart attack, we have him in an induced stasis until a doctor becomes free Abe didnt hear him. All he heard was the deafening sound of his own thoughts. How this couldve been prevented. How if he had been just a bit more stubborn, he couldve gotten his father to accept an implant and they couldve monitored his body just a bit better. Abe knew his fathers body was failing, yet he did nothing. Please he rasped out, his heart was broken by possibility, yet he did not cry, please save him. For if they didnt, he would be guilty.
For eight hours he restlessly tapped his foot in front of the prone form of his father. When a surgeon finally became available, did he stand up and restlessly pace for another three hours. When his sister finally came, he spent an hour reassuring her, or perhaps the words he gave were for himself. Regardless, neither sibling believed Abes hollow promise of a thing completely outside their control. Four hours did he wait. Four hours he bit his nails. Four hours he paced, restless and worrying. And four hours later, the verdict came. Abraham Green was guilty.
The store had been closed for five days. Abe wondered if this was how his father felt all those years ago for his uncle. Sadly reassuring everyone around him, that his father had lived a good life, staying stoic and helping everyone through their grief. If this was how his father had felt, then a question was answered. No one. Back then, no one had helped his dad through his grief, no one had helped him when he cried alone at night, no one because they were going through their own grief. He could only lock it away as they carried the casket. For if he didnt, then who would look after everyone else? There was nothing he could do except help others. When he looked at the casket, all he remembered were the words never said. The last conversation they ever had, Abe was still pretending to be his long dead uncle Edison. Abe hadnt talked to his father in several years despite the fact he met him every day. When the procession was over, he continued looking after everyone, his sister wept, his mother had quietly accepted it. He simply had to accept it. Yet he could not. It was a single moment when he was alone when everything broke. He felt the tears well up in his eyes, yet he wiped them. Even as he wept he begged the tears to stop, so that he may be fine before someone found him. So that they didnt have to worry about him as well. Yet someone did find him. A small hand grabbing onto his shirt. His niece Momo, Are you sad Uncle Abe? He wiped his tears and gently ruffled her hair, Yes, I am, but dont tell anyone I cried. Mum is crying as well because grandpa died. She is, Abe replied. But she also pretends shes not crying sometimes, the child said, eyes staring into Abes own, she wants to make sure everyone is fine. She can cry because youre making sure shes fine, but whos making sure you are? Sadly, Abe smiled, No one Momo, no one is. Then I will, the young girl said with conviction. A notification appeared at the edge of his mind.
Abe was dragged by his niece into a wild and unfamiliar world. Like a replica of reality, but everything had grown over, the climate was fixed and nature had reclaimed the land. His niece was in a dress from a fairy tale, behind them, three small mushroom-like creatures followed, their caps glowing a beautiful lime. Im sorry uncle, but he didnt want everyone to know, he thought it would be too awkward after everything his niece rambled as she dragged him. Abe followed her in a daze, not quite listening, not quite there, until they arrived at a store. She brought him in and Abe found the place strangely familiar, though it was a different place, everything was put somewhere he was familiar with. He found he could navigate around the tables with ease as if it was was Their own store. Strangers sat by the counter, whom Momo greeted, her friends probably, it was not them she wanted him to meet and she dragged him behind, to the back of the store where the kitchen lay. And he saw someone, standing over the kitchen benchtop, rolling a flat piece of dough. Someone whose body looked unfamiliar, but their movement was one of the first things Abe remembered. Are you- he choked, it felt like there was a golfball in his throat, yet still he found his voice, Do you remember me? he cried towards the stranger. The man with an afro of leaves turned, he looked surprised for a moment, before he smiled. I remember loving you. God Encyclopedia (Major Braunad Gods) God Encyclopedia (Major Braunad Gods) Before we begin, to impress the Power of Faith to any reader, we will speak first of the Anecdote of Fairness before anything else. In ages lost and long passed, remembered only through the Historia, there was a God of Justice. This was not a Justice like Bahamut, but a Justice of Might, of the Will of Humans over anything else. As such, it was brutal and subjugating God, teaching its followers to kill and conquer all the races, leading to the Slavery of Orckind, the Humiliation of Elves and the Sequestration of Dwarves. It was, undoubtedly a powerful god, on par with even Light of today. Yet that God does not persist today, for one simple reason. Belief. Belief in something utterly insane. When humanity turned north after subjugating the Orcs, they met the tall and strange race of Goliaths, who believed in fairness above all else. When humans and goliaths fought, the goliaths always matched the number of humans on the battlefield, even when easily outnumbering them, the goliaths will settle who goes to battle with a short game and once again match the number of humans on the field. This honourable conduct was not reciprocated by the humans of the time, and so the goliaths were constantly pushed back deeper into their mountains. Because when the goliaths were outnumbered, they reasoned that they were physically stronger than the humans, thus they fought the humans at severe disadvantages, and when they outnumbered the humans, the goliaths limited the number of them fighting to be equal or less than the number of humans in the fight. It was at the final battle when humanity had pushed goliaths to the Coldest North, where air freezes before one could breathe it, was the God of Justice summoned, brought to the world through the blood sacrifice of countless Goliaths. The Goliath Army, saw the coming of Justice, they saw the mountains shiver with deific power, the world scream in fear, they saw the Blood God Born From Genocide and Slaughter, and to even the balance, they added a single Goliath to their army, to once again, match the number of competitors on the other side. In the battle that came, it was the Goliaths who won. The exact nature of the victory is still not completely known, shrouded in mystery, but it is known this. The Human Empire was broken, Justice was slain that day, and Fairness was made from its corpse. What is best understood about that victory, was that it was caused by belief. The Goliaths believed that by matching the number of players on both teams, they would make the match Fair. Even when thousands of their kind were slaughtered, even when the ice was made red with their blood and the earth shook as Gods came from the sky, they believed it was Fair. And so it was. This is the insane power of Faith. The Goliaths wholeheartedly believes in Fair Conduct, even to this day. They will endlessly try to pursue it to the point of insanity, and their efforts were rewarded. Know this insanity was not Faith in a Religion, but in Culture. Such a thing is not exclusive to the Goliaths. Most obvious are the Orcs, believing that the larger the weapon, the more effective it is, carrying massive and unpractical weapons by the eyes of other races, their simple belief that larger is better making it so. We dont expect such things to have power, because we expect them to be right. That is why such power is often unknown. Perhaps the most recent example of such a Cultural Faith, is the Band of Five, the five brave souls who eventually slew the Revenant King, and the myriad others who battled doom where ever it rises. Why are specifically five people so effective? Simply because people believe it so because the stories and tales we tell to children tell them of great evils slain by five. This is the power of Faith. Of Belief. Do not underestimate it. - The Introductory Page of the God Encyclopedia. For the sake of brevity, this list will only include deities with three or more Domains or a Divine Mandate and who originates or whose Pantheon also has origins in Braunad. As such the large majority of Gods will not be on this list. The first god of every listed Pantheon is its leader with only a few exceptions. Some term explanations, Divine Symbol: An object or symbol used to signify a god, usually carried by worshippers to pray and access deific power. Domain: A concept which any of the gods priesthood or worshippers can access and draw power from. Some gods are Domains but have other additional Domains that may relate to it. Divine Mandate: A worldly law, brought into existence and maintained by an extremely powerful god. Unlike Domains, anyone can use a Divine Mandate, similarly, everyone is affected by the Divine Mandate.
White Pantheon A Pantheon of Gods seeking to protect the world from the forces that be. They mainly hold dominion over goodly aspects. Light The Light is fleeting, but it will return. Purity, goodness, things that seem so easily lost. Yet the truth is no matter what happens, goodness will never be lost. The Light will always be there, watching over you. No matter how you stumble, no matter how you falter, you can rise in the end. Her tenets are simple, her worship far. She is Light, simple as that. Titles: The Lady of Light, The First Purity, The Hope of Man, The Suffering Sorrow, She Who Died to Redeem, and too many to list. Divine Symbol: A White Rose Domains: Light, Hope Divine Mandate: The Hope Undenied: No matter what happens, everyone will always have hope. The Great Flame Do not Fear. For It will win. In the shadows of great cities lost, where fear runs rampant and hope does not reach, there is a single flame. Burning long before the Ascension of Light and will burn long after her fall. It is a testament against the ruin of Shadesmar. Countless souls have been sacrificed to keep the Great Flame burning and countless more will be done so that Fear may not gain another inch in the world. Those who light their Lanterns know themselves beyond Fear, for the Dark must never win. To carry a Lantern is to consign yourself to eternal war, for when a Lantern perishes, their soul is sucked into their Lantern and they will burn so long as the Lantern is lit, just so the next holder may be slighter stronger, braver, faster and smarter. Title: The Light in the Dark, The Great Flame, The Gestalt, The Living Fire, Huo, It Which Burns Forever Divine Symbol: A Lit Lantern Domains: Fire, Light, Courage, Sacrifice, Lanterns, Guidance Divine Mandate: The Light in the Dark: Fire and light will harm and banish the creatures of Shadesmar. Bahamut Man is capable of great things, if only they were also capable of agreeing. Bahamut, a name older than the world, older than memory or text. An ancient entity and leader of the Metallic Dragons, brother to Tiamat, he led humanity from the Age of Upheaval and have protected them from great threats. He seeks to raise all mortal-kind to a higher and greater purpose. There will be no path for villainy so long as Bahamut has a say. Bahamut is the leader of the Platinum Protectorate, a nation-state which seeks to quickly respond to existential threats and is responsible for the Mercenary Guild system. They possess the largest military force of Flight Mages across the world and is responsible for delivering Contingency Contracts. Titles: Platinum Dragon Lord, The White Flame, The Pure Silver, The Platinum Protector, Shepherd of Humanity, He With A White Wing, and too many to list. Divine Symbol: A White Dragon Head Regalia Domains: Dragons, Order, Nobility, Wisdom, Protection, Knowledge, Balance, Judgement The Silent The answer to whether or not you are forgiven is Silence. Not all who try to do good come from a place that is good. Redemption is a difficult thing, often impossible, many do not even attempt it, the few who do often die on the way there. Yet for those who try, they are watched by the Court of Silence. They do not judge, they do not tell you you are redeemed. They simply watch, they simply acknowledge. They are not the ones who forgive, they are the ones who do not forget. They are the ones who remember your struggle when no one else does. Titles: The Silent Court, The Watchers, The Carrion Court, They That Watch, They That Remember Divine Symbol: The Symbol of Two Scarred Hands Clasped in Prayer. Domains: Redemption, Knowledge, Sacrifice, Struggle Abram The Unyielding Pray to the Gods but keep a sword in hand. The God of Stubbornness, he is one who endures, the one who fights with every brave soldier in the dirt and mud of a thousand battlefields. In life, Abram was a paladin errant who found a Lesser Hell Breach in his travels, fearing that if he left to warn the world, the Breachs demons will pass through and wreak havoc, he stayed and defended that location for eighty years. Nothing but his sword and shield, his armour and a Ring of Sustenance keeping him alive, he fought countless horrors alone, and even the entirety of a Hell Circle could not move him. If not for the Historia, his sacrifice wouldve been one of countless forever forgotten, yet it is not, and so Abram watches over every man and woman who gives their life to fight horrors, those who hold the line just a moment longer in the dirt and mud. Titles: The Enduring, The Unyielding, The Shield Brother, The Patron Saint of Lost Causes, The Stubborn Old Man (Affectionately given by the now dead Demon King of the Breach) Divine Symbol: A Sword Soaked in Blood, Sweat and Mud. Domains: Endurance, Sacrifice, Struggle, Strife, Solidarity
Rising Pantheon A Pantheon of Gods who seeks to do good, but does not wish to align with the White Pantheon for various reasons. Aisha There is always another enemy, another tyrant, another doom. Rising from the shadows even as the last is smothered. Do not let them win. The woman Aisha Vashard once partied across the world, a mere mortal snuffing evil where ever as it rose, but it was never enough, and so she ascended at the twilight of her life. Fear her, for there are few places where the sun doesnt rise. Aisha has three chivalric orders, the Sunrise Sabres, the Sunlight Scriptures and the Sunset Sonata. - The Sunrise Sabres are the front-lines of her priesthood, battling the tyrannical dictators and a thousand other existential threats with naught but blade and prayer. - The Sunlight Scriptures are present in every court of law, acting as Pro Bono lawyers assisting the citizenship and tearing apart the legitimacy of any tyrant or corrupt noble with every word said. - The Sunset Sonata work with the population of an oppressed people, hidden within every tavern, their songs are sung in every house, they inform citizens, educate them, of their state and of the state of the outside world, slowly organising dissent and revolt. Titles: The Solar Sword, The Regicide, Tyrant Slayer, Mother Necessity, The Dawn, The Noon, The Dusk Divine Symbol: A Scimitar and Scales with a backdrop of a Shining Sun Domains: Sun, Strife, Law, Sacrifice, Justice Fairness No matter your birth, no matter your condition, a competition deserves to be Fair. A city crafted from the corpse of an old god of Justice. Fairness is the resting place of the souls of people who kept to Fair and Honourable Conduct throughout their entire life, where they compete against each other to the ends of time. Titles: The Warriors Rest, The Enforced Fairness, Kraag Thetai, Divine Symbol: A scale, one weighing a fist, the other weighing a ball Domains: Fairness, Zeal Divine Mandate: The Fair Referee: In any competition with two or more sides, should all sides agree to a set of rules, they may call Fairness to enforce it by summoning a Competitor of Old, who will act as a referee and punish competitors who break either the spirit or wording of the rules. Discovery The world is an endless horizon, it would be a shame to not see all of it. Discovery is an old god who ascended around the same time as the Historian, he is prayed to by all those who seek to discover something, from another landmass to a small coin lost in the house. Recently, his North Star has disappeared and his Priesthood weakened, in the Historia, it is said that Discovery is lost. Though this is not the first time a deity has fallen, if his priesthood fails, he may soon be added to the Encyclopedia of Dead Gods. Titles: The Joyous Jaunter, The Journeyman, The Deity of Ships and Seas, The Guide of the Lost, The Prelude to Invasion, and too many to list. Divine Symbol: A compass, map or any wayfinding implement Domains: Discovery, Knowledge, Travel, Stars Divine Mandate (Former): The North Star: No matter where you are, you may look to the skies and see a star forever pointing North. Tilt Oops! My mistake! A mischievous god of tricksters and pranks. She is a god who delights in small pranks, the timing of which is often very unfortunate for the victim. A proposal may lead to a sudden pantsing or a banana peel placed in the midst of a tavern brawl. Also, do not swear near a follower of Tilt or, gods forgive, Tilt herself, and especially not near children. Not unless you want to be pranked for the rest of the month and be cursed to have your swears be forever bleeped. Nonetheless, no one is ever truly harmed in her tricks and pranks. Her followers are people who never truly lost that childlike wonder, journeying the world, playing small pranks in their gods name, before settling down in a profession helping children, often becoming the Cool Teacher. Titles: I Swear it was Tilt!, The Prankster, That Tiny Glowing *BLEEP* Divine Symbol: A Silver Bell Domain: Trickery, Freedom, Loyalty, Children Ludal Is anyone going to clean this up? The god of healing for both land and people. He and his followers are the unsung heroes of the world, for when a Demon wreaks havoc in the countryside, someone has to fix the corruption left, when the Inquisition burns down an entire forest, someone has to replant the trees, when people are haunted by horrors, someone has to be there to comfort them. Ludal works the thankless job ensuring everything is fixed and remains so. Titles: The Janitor, Cleanup Crew, The Aberration Slayer with a Thousand Bloody Mops Divine Symbol: A Cleaning Rag Used so Much it is Forever Dirty Domain: Healing, Peace, Mind, Protection
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Elder Pantheon Ancient gods, young when the Old Gods became what they were. They are gods who have survived longer than any else. They represent the old faith, the following of the old rules of Honour and Hospitality.
  1. Be a Good Host.
  2. Be a Good Guest.
  3. Respect Nature.
  4. Hunt and gather what you need, but not too much.
  5. Leave the dead to rest.
Lorn Its not that hard, be a good host and guest! Father of the Hearthfire, husband to Gwaina, they teach the lessons of old, to keep to the Old Laws. He is the god of the household and of work matters. Appeasing him is difficult, but always rewarded. Titles: Father of the Hearthfire, and too many to list. Divine Symbol: A Lit Hearth Domain: Balance, Hospitality, Home, Hardwork, Teaching Gwaina Let up on the kids will you? Mother of the Hearthfire, wife to Lorn, they teach the lessons of old, to keep to the Old Laws. She is the god of marriage and of domestic matters. Kind-hearted, but hard when needed. Titles: Mother of the Hearthfire, and too many to list. Divine Symbol: A Lit Hearth Domain: Balance, Hospitality, Home, Marriage, Children Tasha So much desert, so little time. A goddess who travels the world, leaving lush lively forests in her wake. She is a tough, loud and hardworking goddess, seeking to heal the world one fistful of dirt at a time. Those that are diligent will feel her kindness, and those that are lazy, her disdain. She is called strict by the new generations, but the old remember that such things matter little to Tasha. A hard days work is its own reward after all. Titles: Mother Diligence, The Verdant Lady, and too many to list. Divine Symbol: A Seed that Will Grow with Diligence and Care Domain: Balance, Nature, Diligence, Endurance Qing Remember the greatest and the lowest of times, only then can we learn. The sole surviving Elven god after the Humiliation of Elves. Qing is a god of wisdom, seeking to help his race learn of the mistakes of the past, so that they may become greater in the future. Titles: Father Knowledge, The Last, and too many to list Divine Symbol: A Wooden Mask Domain: Balance, Wisdom, Knowledge, Rulership Bundriroc Follow the Path, follow the Stones. An immutable god of a thousand forms. It is the god of the wild, the markers which separate the road from the untamed forests. It is a brutal yet loyal god, appearing as one of a thousand different animals. Following it is a difficult and trying ordeal, but Bundriroc rewards commitment and loyalty with the Mark of the Wild. Titles: The Shapeless One, and too many to list. Divine Symbol: A Stone or Pebble Etched with the Teeth and Claws of Wild Beasts Domain: Balance, Nature, Wild, Loyalty, Travel Revel The Day of Feasts has come! A god of wine, parties and celebrations. He is a god of parties, unchecked revelry and the madness born from such events. Titles: The Mad Drunk, and too many to list. Divine Symbol: A Wine Cup Domain: Balance, Celebration, Wine, Madness
Knowledge Pantheon A Pantheon of Gods who seeks to protect and spread information. A largely neutral Pantheon, any God can join and have it overlap with their previous affiliations due to the nature of its head. Historian It doesnt matter how many ages past, I will remember them, even if no one else will. The Historian is an old god. Only the Old Gods are said to be older, he remains neutral, forever updating his Historia with the millions of tiny events that happen every day, in most cases, he is a simple footnote in history, just the person who writes history. But those who dismiss the Historian forget the most important thing, to learn from History. The Humbling of Challenge remains a fresh event to the gods, and they know not to provoke the Historian to action. His Historians are present everywhere, discovering and recording history every they find. They are the ones who search ancient tombs for lost texts, they are the ones who piece together scraps of paper to learn of the diets of ancients. They are the ones who ensure nothing is forgotten. Titles: Deity of History Writ and Recorded, the Lord of Wisdom, He Who Wars Against The Unknown, the One Who Remembers All, and too many to list. Divine Symbol: The Historia or any record or history book Domains: History, Knowledge, Time, Sight Divine Mandate: The Historians Paradox: What is written, that is true, will be remembered by the world. Manatheres Magic, or at least the potential for it, should available to all. We are all made ignorant when we only have our own perspective for reference. Manatheres is perhaps the strongest ever High Archmagus to have ever lived. During the Age of Wonders, after the death of the Revenant King, the merging and discussion between different schools of magic led to the world-shattering discovery that magic was inherently belief-based and as long as conditions were met, any magic can be cast. From the throwing of sticks on the ground to most complex equations, they were made all the same with this revelation. During this age, where other mages fought the nihilistic realisation that their lifes work to understand the universe may have been pointless, Manatheres only saw opportunity. He cast the first Tier 10 spell in existence, creating an energy that any could use to cast magic, named after himself. For this, he underwent Apotheosis and became the very concept of Mana. But like other Conceptual Gods, this led to him losing all his humanity, his thought and knowledge, now he is naught but the energy of Mana, used in countless different ways. Titles: The First High Archmagus, Inventor of Tier Magic, Mana, and too many to list. Divine Symbol: An opened spellbook Domains: Mana, Knowledge, Arcana Divine Mandate: Mana: Mana exists. Other Gods who are also part of this Pantheon are: Bahamut Tiamat Discovery Qing The Morning Herald Wundull
Pantheon Union: A Pantheon of Gods that have banded together at least in name to become a relevant force. Ethelinda The Merchant Hey twenty gold is twenty gold. The Merchantile Goddess is a recent but powerful addition to the world. Formerly the Guild Master of a Legally Not a Multi-Level-Marketing Scheme, it is rumoured she ascended purely to change her Guild to a Church, thus avoiding taxes in certain nations. For Legal Reasons, I must say that these are just unfounded rumours with no basis in reality and that her Church sells everything if you have the coin and at very cheap and competitive prices. So you should definitely go to your local M-Church to purchase your daily needs. She currently holds the monopoly for Commercial Resurrections. Titles: The Prosperous, The First Princess, The Merchant Princess, The Merchant, Green Bastard (Given by Travellers, in reference to something of their world.) Divine Symbol: A Stack of Coins Held Together by a Red String Domains: Coin, Business, Order Divine Mandate: Wealth Phantasm: So long as a merchant keeps to a Non-Aggression Pact, their wealth will manifest into a Guardian Spirit when they are attacked. These Spirits are stronger the more wealthy the merchant is, but damage to it will also damage their wealth. Fortune I dont control the cards any more than you can control the weather. The Two-Faced God of Fortune, appearing as either Miss or Missus Fortune to those that pray to her. She sees the myriad ripples every action takes across the world and divines futures from that. Pray you do not receive Miss Fortune when she divines your fate. There are twenty-two cards present throughout the world, each representing a card in the Major Arcana, they will appear in the possession of people with the capability of doing Great Things. Titles: The Soothsayer, Fate, Watcher of the Weave, the Matron, The Two-Faced God of Luck, and too many to list. Divine Symbol: A Deck of the Major Arcana Domains: Fate, Arcana, Knowledge The Morning Herald Hurry hurry! Theres news to deliver! The Morning Herald is a God of Information and the Press. His followers move to gather information from a dozen different places, print them into newspapers and spread them. Worshipping him is simple, create a shrine to him and leave a small offering, by the morning a freshly printed newspaper will be there and the offering accepted. Titles: The Reporter, The God of Travels, The Morning News, The Press Divine Symbol: A Winged Foot. Domains: News, Information, Travel Jubalon the Oath Kept Dont waste your life! It is worth so much! For legal reasons, I am to inform you that Jubalon is not an official part of the Union and that the Merchant Church vehemently rejects the unethical practices of the Devil Lord with the strongest possible language. That said, the Soul Market of Abaddon is often a place where Merchant Priests of Ethelinda are allegedly seen often, selling souls and using Jubalon to guarantee any deal made. Well, better the Devil you know. Titles: The Devil Lord of the First Circle, Head of Abaddon, The Merchant Prince Divine Symbol: A Contractors Inkwell Domains: Oaths, Balance, Tyranny
Neutral Gods Gods with no affiliation to any pantheon and who pursue their own agendas. Challenge You see impossibility, I see a Challenge. The God Challenge is a simple god. She teaches one to always improve themselves, to constantly strive to be better by overcoming that next hill, that next step. So long as you are constantly Challenged, you will grow. Her worshippers range from monster hunters, journeying warriors to chefs. As long as there is a challenge to overcome, she remains. Titles: The Challenger, The One who Rises, The Humbled Divine Symbol: A Symbol of Two Fists Punching Each Other. Domains: Challenge, Struggle, Overcoming, Ambition Divine Mandate: Clash: If one faces an opponent of equal or greater skill in a field similar or opposite to theirs, one may declare a Challenge, should both parties accept, then they may clash with their respective fields. Success may result in becoming greater, but failure may also result in permanently losing something. Tiamat Humanity is great, I havent had this much good food since the Cheese Wars. Tiamat, a name older than the world, older than memory or text. An ancient entity and leader of the Chromatic Dragons, sister to Bahamut, she remains a largely neutral force, terrible when roused but peaceful, if slightly overbearing if approached respectfully. In recent centuries, she has become a massive foodie, seeking to sample every dish conceivable after the Holy Cheese Crusade and the War Over What Gradient Makes Perfectly Toasted Toast, which collectively killed eight million people, whetted her appetite. Titles: The Chromatic Dragon Lord, The Dragon Queen, The Rainbow Flame, She With Many Colours, The Avaricious, and too many to list. Divine Symbol: A Regalia of the Seven Heads of Tiamat Forming a Circle Domain: Dragons, Chaos, Chromatic, Wisdom, Coin, Knowledge, Balance, Elements God Emperor Of Dwarves The only earth the weak shall inherit is a grave. The Tyrannical god of the Grey Dwarves, he is the Emporer of the Deep Imperium, ruling the Duergan Dwarves with an iron fist. It is said he resides in the deepest locations within the earth, where the caverns have their own sky and a Black Sun burns all. He is the sole Forge God for the simple reason he brutally murdered every other one. His teachings are simple, those who are strong and have conviction are the ones who will inherit the world. The weak should perish if they do not have the capability to survive. Anywho say otherwise are fools, covering their ears to the brutal truth of the world. Titles: God Emperor of the Grey Dwarves, The Black Sun, The Enduring Tyrant, The Earth Father, and too many to list. Divine Symbol: A Hammer with a Head Shaped Like a Fist Domain: Tyranny, War, Forges, Strength, Earth, Will Ludwig Some may say that the First Thief Lord is an unfortunate person to have reached godhood, I say they are foolish nobles who had all their wealth charitably redistributed. The First Thief Lord, an unpredictable god. His actions are clouded, his presence seemingly everywhere. Yet it is known thus, Ludwig seeks to rid the world of those bloated on wealth and power and to share them with the poorest and weakest. Some say he even seeks to bring down the gods His tenet is simple: Look out for the weak and do not disdain them for everyone was once weak. No matter how high you rise, you always struggled on that first step. Ludwig has a great soft spot for children and is known to help them out best he could. Every winter solstice, followers of Ludwig move out in force, donning bright red cloaks and robbing those Unfortunately Fortunate, taking toys, food, clothes and other trinkets, before gifting them to the poorest children. Some may say this method of forced charity is unethical and wrong, Ludwig says they were literally wearing bright red cloaks! If you wanna stop them then open your eyes! Titles: The Robbing Hoodlum, The First Thief Lord, The Red Hood, The Should We Really Still be Insulting Him Now That Hes a God?, The Sultan of Satire, The Charitable, The Oh Fuck Check His Titles, Communist Santa (Given by Travellers, in reference to one of their own gods) Divine Symbol: A Beggars Bowl Domains: Trickery, Charity, Thievery, Freedom, Children The Mourner Just here to ensure you are not alone. His true name is unknown, as is his true appearance. This god appears in front of people dying who have no hope of recovery, and only if they are alone, with no one else beside them to see their passing and have no hope of an afterlife. Appearing as an older man of the dyings race, with mourning attire appropriate for their culture. He simply stays by the side of the dying until the moment they pass. He is known only because of the black roses left behind near the deceased and of infrequent sightings and recordings throughout history, it is thought that he is at least as old, or older than Light. His worshippers are few but seek to follow this gods Path, mourning those who pass, carrying out burial rites and mourning those who are alone. Titles: OldMan Death, Thank You, The Silent Watcher, and too many to list. Divine Symbol: A Black Rose Domains: Death, Mourning, Solidarity Tempest When the seas are rough, know you can only pray. A fickle goddess of discord and chaos. Unpredictable, but a wild force of freedom and the divine fairness of chaos. She offers no respect to those that cry to her for mercy or power, but the few who cry to her to be challenged, to travel in her domain regardless of permission. They are the ones she respects and challenges. Those wanting are stolen away by the depths of the sea. Titles: The Sea Witch Divine Symbol: A Symbol of a Whirlpool with an Eye at the Centre Domain: Balance, Chaos, Tempest, Storm Wundull Joy is saying well play again tomorrow. Sadness is the day that becomes a lie. The God of Gnomes and Halflings is an oddity amongst the gods, seeking not great power, influence or wealth, but to simply create and play games. Playing with their fellows until the ends of time. His most recent endeavour is the creation of the Trading Card Game Age of Wonders, using cards with inspiration and effects based on real locations, artefacts and people. What is alarming is the extreme accuracy these cards hold on the abilities of people, leading to many to suspect Wundull is not as weak as he appears Titles: The Old Friend, Friend of Death, The Plays Almighty, Current Former World Champion of AoW, and too many to list. Divine Symbol: Anything that could be played as a game. A stack of cards, dice, even dirt used to play house or sticks used to play fight. Domains: Games, Trickery, Loyalty, Travel The Chaos Zodiac Meow! A collection of nine deific cats, collectively making up the Chaos Zodiac. Each cat roams the world pursuing their own agendas. They are the constant chaos, so long as there is one, all others of the Zodiac will return. Worshipped by Catlovers, Tabaxi and many more weirdos, they do not seek anything, simply to see the world, and perhaps accidentally cause some mischief on the way. Titles: The Fucked Up One, The Felinid Chaos, The Cats Divine Symbol: A Cats Paw Print Domains: Chaos, Trickery, Freedom
Dark Gods Gods who seek the end of man, to end the world in a thousand horrific ways. These Gods must never gain the power to form a Divine Mandate. If they do, the world is irreparably damaged. Shadesmar Slam the drums! Ring the bells! Light the Lanterns! Refresh the Talismans! The Dark is here! Shadesmar is the reminder that we are not above Fear. That no matter how we advance, how far the light of man is lit, we will the fear the Dark, and the Dark is worthy of Fear. Titles: The First Fear, The Ruined Lands, Hei, The Dark, and too many to list. Divine Symbol: Unknown. Domains: Fear, Panic, Dread Divine Mandate: Unknown. The Weeping Child I am sorry I could not save you. There are many stories of Good triumphing, of Evil failing before Good. The Black Dragon is slain, the Good King takes the throne, the orphan leaves their abusive aunts home and meets their true parents who love them, or grow up to love a child twice as much. This is not the story of the Weeping Child. It is a gestalt crafted by the Mad Mage Khao from a thousand suffering children in his attempts to reach Apotheosis. An amalgamation of suffering born from children kept artificially young and suffering within Khaos labs, a thousand innocent souls stitched together to form this horror. Eventually, it grew too powerful for the Mad Mage to contain, breaking its bonds, the Weeping Child entered the world. It is an avatar of despair, the protector of orphans. Sometimes when an orphan or child is abused, the entire region of people will simply disappear, leaving only a child with a play doll, capable of seeing and speaking to the dead. Its existence is a tragedy, but the longer it remains the more of the world will fall into despair and horror. This thing must be slain if only to finally end their suffering. Titles: The Tragedy, The Gestalt, The Tears Wept, The Protector of Orphans, and too many to list. Divine Symbol: A Childs Play Doll. Domains: Tragedy, Despair, Pain, Undeath, Children OsshivenKai We offer revelations and cookies! The Clockwork God of Chaos, its motives are as unfathomable as its true form. Summoned to the world by a misaligned attempt to contact the 7th Hell Circle. Its followers are madmen, nigh unkillable and seem to follow motives as unknowable as their god. One thing is consistent, they spread anarchy and chaos wherever they go, leaving ruins in their wake, or even worse, more followers. Titles: The Ticking Chaos, The Whispering Clock, The Forbidden Truth, and too many to list. Divine Symbol: A Clock that Shows the Incorrect Time and Often has a Myriad Other Random Changes Domains: Chaos, Madness, Enlightenment, Life The Underdark Gobbler Dig! I said dig you fool- A massive worm prowling the depths of the Underdark. It is said every tunnel within the Underdark was dug by this entity, which leads to some horrific conclusions when one examines how old some of them are. What happens when the Gobbler consumes something is not clear, it is just known that in its wake are left myriad aberrations, each more horrific than the other. This creature is followed by the few aberrations that are sapient. Their worship of the creature is strange and alien. Titles: The Gobbler, The Unsated, The Worm, The Aberrant Mother, and too many to list. Divine Symbol: Unknown. Domains: Madness, Aberrations, Mind Big Update Nothing under the sun is new, therefore to create an original work you must write at night. - Isabella the Oddly Successful. Yo! Here''s a quick ''I''m not dead yet update'' regarding where I''ve been. Remember how like a month ago how I said I would be taking a week long break before resuming? Yeah, funny thing, I got offered and audio and ebook deal, so the past month I''ve been hashing that out. It''s with a company called Podium Audio, they''ve done a lot of RR audiobooks and are a pretty reputable company. I''ll be publishing with them on both Kindle and Audible. I won''t take down current RR content or stop uploading in the future, but I will have to go through a massive edit through to make sure Mycology is up to match, which will slow down or stop releases for the near future. Some info on the deal, it''s for 3 books, with the current content of Mycology being divided into the first two books, with the expectation I will send them the manuscript for the third book after it''s finished and uploaded here. No concrete time on when it''ll be finished, but probably not this year. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. I plan on splitting the first two books between the Prologue and Chapter 1. Like I said, I will have to go through a read/edit through mostly of the beginning chapters just to neaten things up a bit, I will update these edited chapters on RR once I have finished them and I plan on uploading them to SH and my own Wordpress site just to expand my market. Now, to fill out the min word limit lemme just say holy fucking shit biscuits covered in bee vomit cheese sticks and gyrating foot stools! Like I got a fucking book deal! WOO! RR TRASH CAN MAKE MONEY MOM! Like I''ve just been vomiting language squiggles here for almost 3 years and damn I never expected to actually end up somewhere! Anyways, it''s been a wild few weeks guys, I''ll come at you guys with more updates in the future, discord will be receiving regular updates on editing and if you want to help me you can join in as well. This story won''t be where it''s at without you guys, like I know a bunch of creators say that and it sounds tedious at this point, but seriously, I''m not a guy who writes for fun, I specifically write because I want someone out there to enjoy and appreciate it. Without an audience I wouldn''t have bothered writing at all and would''ve kept playing League all day or something, then used my life in STEM studying anteaters or something. Ya''ll are readers, you are the audience, and a story without an audience is a rotting piece of paper. That''s pretty much all I have to say I''ll be giving frequent updates on the discord channel which I''ll link below, but until then, be a fun guy. Volume 2 Audiobook and Ebook Preorders Available Now! Volume 2 Audiobook and Ebook preorders available now! You know whats happened! The audiobook and ebook are now available for preorder on Amazon! The release date for the eBook and the Audiobook is set for the day after Christmas, December 26th! Once again, the amazing covers were done by the artist Carson Daniel Lowmiller! Amazon Summary: Virtual reality and the real world begin to blur as Declan/Dustin takes on a dangerous new enemy in the epic second book of this fantasy-adventure series. Escaping his broken-down reality for a simulated world was never Declans thinguntil he got pulled into an MMORPG unlike any other and became Dustin the Magic Myconid. Now, with several quests completed and a few levels under his belt, hes ready to explore the world of Indiri and form a Mercenary Guild with his real-world friend Matt, aka Noam the Tiefling Bard. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Only, their journey gets off to a very rough start. Almost immediately, their train is derailed, and theyalong with the odd assortment of riffraff whove joined their guildare forced to stop in a seemingly quiet town. Soon, the members of their group begin disappearing, one by one, leaving behind nothing but unexplained wounds to the persons of those who are left. Before its too late, Dustin and Noam must figure out who or what is attacking them. Because the more invested they become in this virtual land, the more their flesh-and-blood existences are tied to what happens here . . . Combining the very best of fantasy tropes with tabletop gaming, unforgettable characters, and mind-bending AI, They Met in a Tavern is the thrilling continuation of an epic adventure. Ebook Link Audible Link narrated by Kevin Shen. 6.01 6.01 Yes I know theyre undead raised from the damned planes through the use of black magic that blasphemes against half of all gods, and that they have no concept of tiredness, but that doesnt mean they cant unionise or have paid vacations! - High Prince Aksum, now Dread Emperor Accidental. The night wind blew across an empty plain. Cold air matted itself on my skin, worming its way past my thin clothing and bark. The grass below felt soft, and though I could only see a few metres from myself, I knew the plains were large, I could hear the small stream in the distance. Past those few metres, within the darkness, were scales scattered about. Under each scale was a voice. Why did you put so much chilli?! Tai gasped between long chugs of water. Despite not being able to see him, I could clearly imagine the Cheshire grin on Noams face, It builds character! It tastes like poison, Utoqa remarked, before he gently tapped Celines head, are you still alive, white-skinned one? ... water she gasped, to which Utoqa passed a skin of water to her. You knew this didnt you? Tai accused. I dipped my head slightly, He and I share very different definitions of edible. Noam sighed, Its one of his many character flaws, not being able to stand chilli. There was a rustle as Tai stood up. Hey, what are you doing! Noam yelled as Tai grabbed the pot we were sharing, and tossed the rest of the red soup out onto the plains. Nooooo! came a soulful cry as Noam fell to his knees, It was innocent! The scales dimmed. Ignoring him, Tai pointed at Utoqa, What do you know of cooking? There was a creak as Utoqas weight left the trunk they were using as a seat. His steps were silent, but a few moments later, I could hear a splash of water. Soon, something wet and flopping was thrown towards us, landing beside the campfire. Fish, eat, the lizardfolk replied matter of factly as he returned. His own teeth tearing into another fish. Raw? Tai said as if Utoqa had just killed her grandmother and was wearing her skin as a hat. Throwing her hands in the air, she stared hopefully at me, What about you Dustin? And I grew a mushroom in my hand. I didnt need to see to know the light of hope died in her eyes, snuffed out as she realised one idiot knew how to cook, but had defective taste buds, and the other two couldnt and considered raw nutrients enough of a meal. Which, to be fair, was correct. ... Ok, she finally said, I can work with this. Maybe. Utoqa I need you to catch more fish, and you Dustin grow some more mushrooms, Tai said as she began rummaging through our baggage. The scales grew distant before they disappeared. Finally, sight returned to me. Keep, I murmured, low enough no one heard me. A Blank Page in History, the Next Voyage of Discovery. A wood mask grew over my face, on it, began to glow the symbol of an eye. About two hours, that was how long it took me to swap out secrets. What are you doing to my babies!? Noam cried as he wrestled Tai over various pouches of spices. She kicked him off with little effort since Noam was being theatrical and she had at least five more points of strength. You are no longer on seasoning duty! she yelled in indignation. Look at Celine! Shes practically dead! ... mmmghfff Im fineee Being able to see the Scales was nice and all, but I was quite literally blind. Without my other secret providing spare sight, I would have to rely on the wisps for eye guides, and they had plenty of better uses. You just thought about getting rid of us didnt you? Yellow asked. Greenie shed a fake tear, You get a new eye and you already want to replace us. I only considered it, I defended. And when I can see you two can be the small little balls of destruction you deserve to be. Greenie, who was probably a living violation of the Geneva Convention, preened at the compliment. While Yellow seemed to disappear, it still wouldnt tell me how it got levels as a Sneak. The bright yellow wisp appeared later next to Tai, watching her cook and prepare the fish. Right now, I too was unnoticed. My steps were not silent like Utoqas, nor did I hide my presence like Yellow by simply standing outside of sight, but something severely more fucked up. For even when Celine looked directly at me when she came back to life, she did not notice me at all. Soon, I sat next to the sixth member of our group. A quiet little child whose family was dead. Johnny, I said, revealing myself to him. To the child with empty eyes. He had no reaction to my presence being suddenly unveiled, other than glancing towards me. I asked my question, Has that thing been following us the entire time? Behind Johnny Joymoon was an ethereal figure, almost mist-like. It was shaped not like a human, but like a tree trunk, with pale slithering roots spreading like a web, each ending in lipless mouths filled with needle-like teeth, and covering its trunk were faces, dozens and dozens of empty, featureless faces. It has, Johnny replied. If he could see it as well and he was now a priest of the Weeping Child, whether by choice or chance, then that must mean A ghost huh? I murmured in curiosity. No wonder the others, nor I, was able to see it. Do I need to kill it? This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Ghosts cant be harder to kill than a living concept. Johnny shook his head, hugging the ragged doll he carried, The Boy asked it to protect me. To keep me safe. Mushrooms sprouted all around us as I smiled at the ghost. Then be glad I wont have to kill you twice, Manifestation of Lies. True Sight was such a convenient thing, I could see that the ghost had no true will of its own, not anymore. It was a collection of shambling memories masterfully stitched back together, it shouldnt have consciousness or sentience, yet still, it shuddered. Regardless, I turned back towards the campfire, Someone ordered some mushrooms? I yelled out. Utoqas head darted towards me, eyes narrowing as he tried to understand how I got there. Celine yelped as suddenly she was staring at my smiling face. Rude, I couldnt look that bad right? Noam smiled, and I saw goosebumps on his bare skin as he tried to calculate how to kill me. Howd you get over here? Tai asked as she cleaned out the guts of the fish, not at all bothered by my sudden appearance. I have my secrets, I answered as I plucked one of the many Mushroom Meals I grew, handing it to her outstretched hand. At the end of the night, I learned that Tai was a really good cook.
So what do you all plan on doing now? Noam asked casually, the embers of the fire dying in the night. Some of them had tucked in for the night, gathering into their own sleeping bags, Dustin was standing quietly by the side, his glow dimmed. I dont know, Tai answered first, I only know I need to get back home and inform everyone of my brothers death. Her hand clutched onto the second blade, tightening. Its so strange, I can barely remember his face, but my chest is still so tight. That means he meant something to you, Celine answered. And I am truly sorry. Heh Its alright Cel, I barely know him after all. Doesnt mean you, her or I cant feel sorry, Noam put in, when people die it always feel shitty, no matter if you knew them or not. Does it ever get better? Tai asked, her voice sounded weak. Nothing like the directness she displayed up till now. Yes, Noam answered. No one was sure if it was a lie or truth. Celines eyes shifted to a silent lump a bit further from the rest of them. Smaller than all of them. So youre just going to leave once we near a Wayshard? Noam asked. There was some ruffling as Tai shook her head, Cant, part of the Path of Discipline, I cant use them for transport well, I can but it would mean abandoning it. One of those conditions this world is fond of, Noam thought to himself. So wheres your home? Its a small city near the edge of the Yong Chun Lin, Tai answered. Celine paused, The Eternal Forests of Forever Spring? Thats the one. That is significantly longer than what she said, Noam observed. Elvish always translates to a mouthful in common, Tai told him, to which Celine simply nodded in response. Is that on the way where we are going? Noam asked Dustin. The cap slowly lit up, glowing slightly blue, Noam knew myconids didnt really sleep in the same way people did, they were still perfectly aware of their surroundings. We need to get to a major city with a church of the Hearth, Dustin spoke, glancing at the small bundle to the side of the camp, but other than that No plans? Noam asked, raising an eyebrow, What happened to visiting that Manatheres place? The myconid sighed, I learnt things Noam, and I realised that learning some shit is actually riskier than I thought. Ive more or less given up on learning magic so far. Especially when it wasnt the cheat he wanted, that he could play without any risk or danger, for the Scales would be balanced one way or another. You can cast spells though? Celine curiously asked. Traveller spells are not the same, I dont understand how each spell functions, but I can cast them in the exact way they are as they were given to me. Same with me, Noam said. I have no fucking clue how aura works, only that it can make me go fast. Seriously? Tai asked, I thought you were able to adapt the Swift Strike M.A. into a full body coating pretty well. Noam raised an eyebrow, I was just using it on my whole body, didnt sound special. Adapting a single move type martial art into continuous use of any kind is well stupid, but making it work does take some skill. Theres no need to keep feeding his ego, Dustin called out, pointedly looking at the sharp glint of a smile in the night. Ahh, you had to ruin it. I already said it needs an idiot to try something like that, but if you only had Swift Strike I guess it makes sense, she said contemplatively. Can you teach some more about aura? Noam asked, to which Dustin quickly turned towards him, Chill Dusts, I know youre worried about knowledge and stuff, but small things cant hurt for game balance right? I dont know, Dustin said, I can just tell you its dangerous to know some things. Hes right, Celine added, baba always told me that some magics are not worth their cost to learn, most are called black magics and she joked they are called that because all thats usually left of their practitioners are stains of black and rotten blood. But most aura stuff is harmless things everyone knows right? Noam pressed on. Tai pursed her lips, Probably? Im fine after all, I dont mind teaching you Noam, youve helped me a great deal, it is the least I can do for you. Problem is hes a Traveller, Dustin said, bitterness in his tone, karmic punishments wont be able to kill us so they target things around us instead. Dustin, Noam said, rising slightly to stare him in his empty sockets, that monster would be there regardless of what you did. If anything you doing that just helped us do a good deed along the way. But the second one was attracted by me, he pointed out. But no-one was hurt, Tai cut in, rising from her blankets as well. That cultist killed no one, it hurt some of us, but we walked it off, so dont blame yourself Dustin for avenging my brother. Though he held no sight skills right now, Dustin knew the elf woman was staring intensely and directly at him. Thank you, Tai, he whispered. He heard Noam shuffling back under his blankets, Cmon, long night. They always are. They settled down, returning to their blankets. It was only when he was sure that everyone was asleep, did Noam speak again. Hey, Dustin? Yeah? Cant you check my karma or whazzit? I could. There was a pause. But you dont want to? Noam extrapolated. Remember what I had before? Observe, Analyse and one other I didnt have the chance to hear, he listed off. I learned something, what I learn with an information-gathering power counts separately. Noams eyes widened, So Dustin nodded, Every time I take a peak I will add to the weight, it wont be noticeable, but one day I will pay, and I will keep paying after that if I keep using it. Its the same idea as with fighting prowess. You can hold your combat ability freely, but if that combat ability got you new loot, like a new weapon or treasure, it would be added to what you already have, tipping the Balance. So youre being conservative for now? I nodded. I need to ensure the next time, Ill be prepared to fight it off. Even if it the opponent was destined to be my match, there were a myriad of ways to ensure the fight would still be in my favour. Well be prepared next time? Noam asked. Well be prepared, I quietly agreed. 6.02 6.02 Oh finally a chance to get a long rest! - Adventurers who are seriously tired of the life-threatening shit they deal with daily. Untamed plains bled away, leaving only the steadiness of the road as our group entered a forest. The stones of Bundiroc were the only things keeping the wild undergrowth from bleeding into the packed earth road. I realise Ive been getting more flowery in my descriptions lately, and Im not quite sure why. More mental shenanigans with the different body, having significantly enhanced mental stats, or maybe the journey was boring me, it was difficult to tell. I was changing faster than my understanding of myself could keep up. After a while, we sighted a large, fallen tree, blocking our path. Tai sighed as she put down the reins, letting the bison-like creature pulling our cart slow to a stop. Gimme a moment, she said, grabbing her blade and adjusting it around her belt, I can deal with this. Tai closed her eyes, as she prepared to draw her sword. It was Utoqa who noticed them first. Glancing towards me, he nodded towards the forest, where dead leaves, branches and other debris covered the earth. Then I opened my True Sight and noticed how the leaves shifted. Want to have dinner later today? Noam casually asked. I dunno, I answered, my body still casual while the eye rune darted around. Maybe we should have it earlier at four? Just eat dinner at dinner bell, Tai snorted, Ah fuck, broke my concentration. Are we to have those humans hiding on the floor? Utoqa asked. Noam facepalmed. Suddenly, seven spots around the cart jumped up, seven humans throwing off their makeshift camouflage as they drew weapons. Huh, I missed three. No, you idiot! I was conveying that we had ambushers, Noam told Utoqa, drawing his own weapon. Like code and stuff. Did anyone actually get the code? Celine asked, her eyes warily scanning the surroundings as she pulled Johnny close. I WILL KEEP THIS NICE AND SIMPLE! a man yelled, one of his eyes was covered by a bandana. Drop all your valuables or else! Yeah! another bandit yelled. They look loaded. Wait, Tai interrupted, are you robbing us? The bandit leader actually looked taken aback. Well, yeah, I felt like the whole jumping out from cover and drawing weapons on you was the self explan-atory. Ooooh! Tai giggled excitedly, This is the first time Im getting robbed! Why are you getting excited about that? I asked as Yellow slid down my arm and sneakily landed on the ground. Its part of my Path, she explained. Hey, I dont appreciate you all not dropping all your money right now! Noam leapt off the cart and fly kicked the bandit leader in the face. Getting robbed is part of your Path? Noam asked as he landed deftly behind the bandit leader. Git em! one of the other bandits yelled. Yeah, Tai answered, raising her still sheathed sword, in guard. Grandma said that it builds character, so its part of the Path. Noam punched the bandit leader as he tried to get back up, Your grandma sounds like an ass. And how does this build character when a healthy dollop of chilli doesnt? Tai deftly sidestepped a blade as she slapped her sheathed sword onto the back of the bandits neck, knocking him out. The chilli you put in that soup was abnormal. Utoqa, stay back, I told him. While I had little doubt he would be able to wreck shop here, both Tai and Noam looked like they wanted a non-lethal fight. A bandit approaching the cart got sleep spored by me as both Tai and Noam continued their argument, bandits dropping down left, right and centre. Im just saying that life is better when you have something to spice it up, Noam told her as he held a bandit in a chokehold. And I agree to an extent, Tai said as she drop-kicked another one, but that level of chilli almost took out Celine! Hi, Celine said, waving her hand. Hey, Noam replied, waving back. Alright, thats a good point, but that was no excuse to throw away perfectly good chilli soup Five minutes later, we were tying up the seven unconscious bandits, while Noam and Celine were still arguing. ... and thats my dissertation on why you shouldnt throw away half a million Scoville of chilli. The fuck is a Scoville? Even when we hacked away the fallen tree trunk and continued our way, bandits in tow, they continued. ... I tasted enough chilli yesterday to cover my entire lifespan! My entire lifespan! Well, you must have a very boring life planned out for yourself I never noticed how much Noam could just talk, since I usually only nodded silently along as he ranted whatever he wanted, only participating when our interest on the subject intersected, and even then, this did not match it. Tai was matching him in both volume and quantity. On the subject of vapid bullshit, both have found their equal. There should be an encampment further up, I murmured to Celine, ignoring the arguing going on behind us. Its a Wayshard in the middle of the forest, theres a merc guild there. The name? she asked. None, its just another admin branch, I answered. One similar to the one Noam and I had gotten our licence from. We can dump the bandits there and collect their bounty. We do need the money, Celine murmured, the town gave us a lot of stuff but It was mostly food and travel items, not much in terms of money or valuables, it wouldve been given if we had asked, but they needed all they could spare to rebuild the town, especially with its now greatly reduced population. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Is splitting it two-way between you two ok for you guys? I asked aloud, pausing both Noam and Tai in their argument. What are you talking about? Tai asked, tapping her sheathed sword like a cane on the ground. Yeah? Noam mirrored. Were a group now at least, split if five-way. I paused slightly at her casual declaration. Tai turned back to Noam, now arguing about the appropriate level of adventure a person can have in their lifetime. While I didnt turn to Celine, she noticed the sudden scrutiny from my manavision, and she shrugged. Meanwhile, Utoqa quietly took the reins of the bison. I suppose we were a group for now. Further up, Noams pointing and exclamations informed me we were in sight of our destination. Risking a look, I opened up my True Sight, the one from Keep. The guild outpost was a strange thing, a large tree that was grown into a house, the trunk hollow and its doors and windows opened, welcoming people coming, despite no others being around. A wall of thorns grew from the side and around it, encircling a large blue crystal behind the tree which I knew to be another Wayshard. Checking, I had regained my use of status screens. Noam and I could now respawn here now. The system still considered me a level five, not counting Keeper of Secrets despite the fact it gave me an option to put a character level in it the next time I levelled up. I ignored it since there was no point in restricting my Path with its alternate progression. I also received several new Feats I could purchase.
Hydra Slayer (9 SP): Once per day, you may expel a memetic poison that wipes the memories of the last few minutes equivalent to your character level of all caught in it. You heal for an amount increasing with the number of memories wiped. If you are killed, you may, once per day, resurrect yourself instantly from your corpse at full health at an elevated XP cost. Second of Three Oracle (9 SP): You no longer fulfil the requirements to gain this Feat. Oracle No Longer (6 SP): You gain +2 to any Mind stat of your choice. You can choose to actively disrupt all manners of future or fate reading on or related to yourself. The Thrice Blinded (3 SP): The System recognises your right to a Title. Gain three +1s to any stat of your choice.
I paused. That last one was basically free. Better than free in fact, since the stat increases werent in Stat Points, it wouldnt be affected by my negative racials. I could actually raise my Agility without paying five times the normal cost. The questionable thing was what it meant by it recognising my right to a title. System Query, I quietly muttered, what does it mean to have a title recognised by the System? It answered quickly.
The Title will be displayed beside your character name and can be carried through to all your other characters. Note: Only one Title can be allocated to each character.
Curious. Too curious. Was it worth my question to Dave to ascertain the nature of this? Probably not, I dropped the idea for now, if only because taking Thrice Blinded would delay me by another level to gain the 9 SP required for Dimensional Gate.
Dimensional Gate (9 SP): You select from the Interweaved Dimensions Spell List and learn 2 Tier 2 and 1 Tier 3 Conjuration Spells of your choice. They do not take up existing spell slots.
I needed that Feat to gain the spell that allowed me to summon wisps, along with the Traveller Level 6 ding, it effectively gave me a massive power-up by the next level. As our cart slowed to a halt, I gestured at Utoqa to watch our stuff and the prisoners. Plopping off the cart, I strode forward, sunlight filtering through the leaves but failing to pierce my barkskin. Noam complained about his sore butt cheeks as he stretched tired legs, Tais blade rattled as she jumped off, asking Noam about his form as they stretched their bodies behind me. Another difference between the myconid body and theirs was that I barely felt the sores of staying still for hours on end, to the point where I suspected I simply didnt have any. Striding through the entrance, I smelt the earthy tones of dirt and herbs. A single young man sat napping with his head on the desk, a stray ray of sunlight warming his body. He felt of nature, and my eye saw he walked a Path related to protection, or perhaps preservation. I closed my eyes before I could see more and politely knocked loudly on the wooden table, rousing the young man awake. Blind now, I heard him stir, giving him some time to properly wake himself, I let my manavision guide me to a seat. Yellow whispered to me that he was wiping a line of drool off his mouth and table when he noticed me. Ah, I didnt see you- Sorry, welcome to the Gestrand Forest Guild base. I nodded towards the sound of his voice, Hello, I am Dustin, my party was travelling along this road, and we apprehended some bandits, would you be able to hold them? Erm bandits? We have a big cage at the back, but well need an escort to bring them to a prison proper, he answered. I can send a message to another branch to send for someone, unless you want to take the mission? I drummed my fingers against the smooth wood table. Another problem with Wayshards, they werent exactly good at transporting prisoners or people against their will, since they were activated entirely by the persons decision. Ill have to talk with my party about that, but was there a reward or bounty for the bandits? Footsteps, the young man was walking towards me. Ill have to check their identities. A shuffling of paper, If theyre on the bounties then youll get the bonus, otherwise itll just be normal rates, you have your Plate? I flashed the Bronze Plate around my neck in the direction his voice was coming from, he mightve nodded, but he was yet out of range of my manavision so I just took his grunt of affirmation. Standing up myself, I showed him outside, waving at everyone who was waiting. No major bounties against these people, the seven were minor, not killing anyone in their stint as a bandit group. After taxes, we got three gold in total. Before we split it, I began, I propose we keep a combined fund to purchase supplies and stuff for the group. If we disband before it is all spent, we can split it as normal. Tai shrugged, Sure, you want to be the one keeping it? I wouldnt mind, but if anyone else wants to take the role then they may. Tai tossed a few coins towards me, which Noam caught for me, Add that to the party fund, Im gonna trust you to keep it fairly, if you dont Ill stab you or something. Celine took her split with a slight hint of embarrassment, Sorry, but I will keep my portion. It is fair, I agreed, since youve already spent a lot of your money on making potions keeping the rest of us alive. Raising my voice slightly, I said, Sharing the costs of your potions is actually one of the purposes of this, so Im glad we could all agree to it. Nods all around, including from Utoqa of all people, which I found surprising. Well, other than that, what are your thoughts on escorting the prisoners? Noam asked this time, head nodding towards the cage they were locked in. We can certainly do it, I said, but we would need to immediately move on from here, the nearest city with a prison is still days of travel away. Noam shrugged, Were on the way anyways, we can hurry up for a bit. My ass still feels sore from sitting in the cart all day, Tai bemoaned. Lets at least rest for the day. Just walk. The entire way? As Noam and Tai talked, I noticed Celine crouching down beside Johnny, talking to him quietly. After a moment, she rose back up. I think we should stay for a while, she said. After everything that happened, we need time to rest and recover. Even if our physical wounds are gone She left the last part unsaid, but I knew enough. I agree, I said, some rest will do us all good. Three for staying, one to continue, with Utoqa abstaining. Noam shrugged, Fair nuff. He waved down the guild member, Hey! Were stopping here for now, call someone else to escort them! Greenie relayed to me the nod he gave in response, far out of my manavision range. I really needed a normal set of eyes. True Sight gave me too much information, to the point it was dangerous for my Balance in extended uses, and Keep was too varied to be stuck on giving me nothing but a fancy pair of eyes. Manavision was constantly active and I could sense everything in it, but it was limited heavily in range. Greenie and Yellow were helpful, but they were better as separate agents from me. I needed to have my sight issue fixed by the next level, though blindness was a powerful drawback, it was not one I should keep for long. I may have to spend level six Traveller level up bonus for it, which I wouldnt mind if it was packaged with something sufficiently powerful, I just had to also keep in mind my Balance. It seems that the next level will be when I get better, when my build can truly be considered finished, rather than the disparate set of random abilities I have right now. Until then, I just had to keep my Scales weighted away from me, so that this time, there were no monsters, no horrors to face when I gained power. Gradually if necessary, slow but steadily. That was the plan. 6.03 6.03 One-hundred and fifty-two Addendum, Id like to correct my previous mistake, friends are an excellent treasure, you never realise how much they were worth until you part with them, especially when they are turned to gold and sold to the Kenkou. - Excerpt from Elliots Enchiridion of Encounters I paced around the living room, my eyes constantly glancing at the time. Sitting on the couch, Matt was bouncing a rubber ball on the wall. How many days have passed now? I filled Matt in as soon as possible, but here was the damnedest thing, when Dustin willingly ripped out the Eyes we were disconnected, there was no way for me to figure out from this side what happened afterwards. I no longer held Observe, short as my time with it was, I felt blind within my own home without it. So it was anxiety that filled my mind. It was only the sound of my pacing and Noams- Matts ball bouncing off of the wall that gave any indication of time. Like the ticking of a clock, it was rhythmic, unchanging in its beat. Matt wouldve told me to calm down, I knew he would say that, and he knew I knew, so nothing was said, him simply leaving me to my own mind like all the previous days. It was then that the bouncing suddenly stopped. Ive hit level six, he stated. A simple statement, but oh how loaded it was with information. Noam had experienced enough to gain a level, the fact that Matt knew this meant they had successfully reached a Wayshard, and that he did not bother to speak of the status of Dustin meant that the situation had resolved relatively in our favour, which meant- It was like two things slamming into one. I staggered slightly as my memories came back up to date. I laughed as I touched my own eye, still slightly red from all those days ago. Success! The moment I had noticed Dustin had forgotten something, we compared our memories to figure out what was missing between us, later bringing in the rest of the mercenaries in the town. We had lost the first round, Dustin was knocked out, and I was forced to do something that allowed me to take over his body for a while, but I barely created a draw, wounding the Accumulation at the cost of losing my Eye of Observe and getting shunted back into the real world. It was the third time that we had won, using only fragmented information and memories, Dustin was able to win it all back. Both Observe, Analyse, and the new Path were lost in the fight that followed, but we had gotten out of that with minimal casualties. That means youll have to fulfil your deal? My mind was still slightly split, so part of me was intrigued, wondering while my body answered. Yes. Upstairs in my room, there was an A.I. god named Discovery, and in the darkest moment, I had prayed to him. Things did not come freely however, so upon confirmation of the success of the mission, I was to carry out a difficult and arduous task for Discovery, all because he allowed me to possess Dustins body while he was unconscious and leave behind those clues. I had to go outside.
I laughed aloud as I returned to Indiri. What happened? Tai asked, blade gleaming under the setting sunlight. Oh nothing, I said, it seems as though my other self has to play tour guide. She asked a few more questions out of passing curiosity, but I did not answer. I had to Keep that story a secret after all. Hows our lodging? I instead diverted. Decent spot, she answered, it has clean beds and showers which is already a plus. Though this Administrative Guild Branch was isolated, it did not skimp on living quarters despite the very reasonable thought that a person could just teleport back home through the Wayshard. We only had to deal with a small fee that was already under the market cost, simply due to the fact we were all Plated mercenaries. Ill check it out then. The sun soon fell, letting moonlight shine through the room we had booked. Noam, Utoqa, Johnny and I opted for a single room with double bunk beds, not that I needed one, I was far more comfortable standing up. Meanwhile Tai and Celine slept in the room next to us. It was a quiet night, and my mind in a state of torpor felt the hours pass, Noam shuffling in his bed and Utoqa silent as a grave. It was a slight reflection of light that woke me. I say woke but I wasnt truly asleep, not as a Myconid. My mind simply ceased thinking, leaving me still aware of what happened around me, but not really responsive. Light reflected off of the bed where Johnny slept, and with both wisps sleeping as well, I opened my True Sight eye, seeing Johnny. Crying. He gripped the cloth of his blankets tightly, as tears dripped down his face, his jaws were clenched tightly as if he were trying, trying so very hard to not make a single sound. I glanced at the ghost that protected him, seeing it high on alert, the faces on its trunk in utter anguish, its pale roots stretched till it grasped every dark corner of the room, some phasing through the walls altogether, completely covering the entire room. I took a step forward. Then the door creaked open. My hand was up in an instant, but seeing who passed through made me lower it. Celine, I greeted. She quietly nodded to me, before glancing at Johnny. At the little boy who was trying very hard not to make a sound while he was crying. A nightmare she whispered. She hesitatingly stepped forward, her footfalls causing the wood underneath her to creak. Noam and Utoqa were sleeping too deeply to notice, but Johnny did, tear filled eyes fluttered open, and for a brief moment, the ghost flared up, its incorporeal roots exploding in movement as their ends opened up in mouths full of needle like teeth. Like daggers they stabbed into the direction of the figure next to it! Till it stopped, when Johnny recognised Celine. I lowered my hand again, not remembering when I had raised it. Are you scared? Celine asked, gently raising a finger to wipe away some tears. Johnny nodded, his breath seemingly caught in his throat. What can I do to make you not afraid anymore? This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Johnny was silent for a long while, and though that ghost was still, its roots were still spread far and deep around us. Can you hold me? She smiled, I will. And she did, and as she did so, the ghost began to retract its roots, shrinking back into itself. Can you sing me a night time song? Johnny asked, his breath raspy like he had cried for a long time. I I dont want it to be quiet. And Celine began humming. The ghost kept shrinking, till it was back to normal, like Johnny, back to sleep.
I rifled through the copy of the Morning Herald left inside the Guild, which was both the name of the God and newspaper. The Morning Herald was weird as gods go, at least to my sensibilities, he ran a massive worldwide newspaper and all you had to do to get one was create a shrine and leave a bronze coin in it every night. Said shrine was literally just a mailbox with his symbol stamped onto it, which was a winged foot. Ive been told a spare shoe with a wing drawn on it also works, which was what poorer people did as opposed to dedicated mailboxes, leaving their shoes outside with a coin in it and receiving an updated newspaper in the morning. I quickly read the cover title. This Week News in Review! Gnomish Dictator Forming an Ethnostate Hailed a Step Forward for Racial Equality. Serial Killer Rapist Infiltrates Child Smuggling Ring and Brutally Kills Pedophiles. Druids Protest Right to Bear Arms. Ice Cream Stocks Rise 150000% After Tiamats Sudden Buyout. Demon Truther Doesnt Believe in Demons. Dungeon Trash Mobs Afraid theyll Never be Replaced by Immigrants. Scribbling down notes in a table nearby, Celine raised a shopping list and stuffed it into Noams hand. Ill need you to buy lots of Gerrys Root, Elder Fungus, mineral salt thirty-seven she quickly listed off. Can you make health potions Celine? Tai asked as she sheathed her sword. She nodded, Would take a bit though, how many do you need? How much can thirty gold net me? Six, she quickly said after a calculation. Six? Tai asked incredulously, Are you sure? Celine nodded. The cost of ingredients is only about four gold per potion, but I need to replace some of my equipment, along with getting more high quality thread for Nappy, she gently patted her cloak, which seemed to ripple in response. Celine, Tai began, you know they sell health potions for ten gold a pop right? Celines face turned complicated, Well, my potions arent that good, theyre nowhere near my Babas level, so it is customary to sell them close to cost as an apprentice. The swordswoman shook her head, before glancing at me Add those six potions to our group fund then, but if no one uses them then pass them back to me. Reasonable, I agreed. If those were apprentice potions then I look forward to seeing what you can make as a master, Noam inserted as he focused on the shopping list before him. Do I need to get lime testicles of the Hurane Bull or just green? Has to be lime coloured, Celine quickly answered. Green coloured ones are signs of nutrient deficiency and when put in a health potion can lead to weakly healed bones. How do I tell the difference between lime and green? Look its she exasperatedly began, glancing at Johnny who was seated next to me. ... Its simple, just feel for bumps, no bumps means green, yes bumps means you have a lime one. Got it, go fondle some balls, Noam replied with a completely straight face. But what about the newt eyes? Celine sighed and rubbed her brow. Why dont you obtain it yourself? Utoqa asked. I had long stopped reading at this point, and I saw Celine glancing at Johnny again. She answered in a quiet voice, quiet enough Johnny and I could not hear it from where we were sitting, and without Analyse I could not read her lips. Utoqa nodded in response to what she said, apparently satisfied. I could tell somewhat that Celine wanted to look after this kid. Under my True Sight, I could see the pale skin under the tanned brown she disguised herself with. Celine was a Changeling, and from her I could see that her eyes were special as well, empathetic, she was able to sense the emotions of others as easily as some people can feel, taste or listen. It was easy to draw a conclusion from there. I did not know where losing your entire adopted family and seeing their faces stolen by a memetic monster came in terms of trauma level, but it did not take an expert to realise the quiet child beside me was deeply fucked up. All Johnny did was silently follow us, clutching that raggedy doll of his, he barely spoke, he barely even ate. Not even mentioning his bodyguard. Celine wanted to keep an eye on him, either out of compassion or pragmatism of what that ragged doll he held might represent. I was personally more worried about the ghost, but Celine was likely the former. And I I honestly wished I knew enough about psychology to help her. It seemed simple, those shrinks and psychologists on TV and in stories would ask a few questions and over time the patient became better, but sitting here and now, right next to a trauma patient, I had no idea what to do. More time spent with Celine seemed like the best bet, she actually seemed to have an idea of what shes doing, but other than that I am lost. I was a high school student, my expertise lay in combat tactics and strategy There was nothing I could kill or outsmart to solve trauma. What Wayshards are you marked for? Noam asked Johnny. The boy was silent for a while, thinking, before he answered, I think a town beside the sea? I visited it once while Yennen was selling stuff Bartin? Noam asked, to which Johnny nodded. The tiefling turned to Celine, Can you buy your stuff at Bartin? She thought about it for a moment, I can, Johnny, do you want to go with me to Bartin? He was silent, before saying, Im not sure Come on, itll be fun, Noam encouraged, They have great fried prawns, and I know this one chef dude who- actually he might not be in town anymore. I guess Ok Johnny answered as he stood up and walked towards Celine. Noam sat down next to me, Hes afraid of quiet spaces isnt he? I turned my head, raising an eyebrow, You were awake? I noticed Celine hurrying out of the room in the morning like a dude seeing his girlfriends husband coming back, he answered with a smile, before he continued more seriously. Not sure if going to a city will help, but it''s pretty busy there, lots of people so it wont feel as empty. We need to get him to an orphanage protected by the Hearth Church, I said, noting the two elder gods who protected such places. A normal orphanage wont do? Noam asked, Dont get me wrong, it feels wrong to just hand him off to someone else to raise but- Thats not it, I answered. Looking at the doll Johnny clutched, along with that ghost that haunted him, I said, Remember what is said about the Weeping Child. Noam frowned as he tried to recall what was written in that encyclopaedia I dumped on him. To jog his memory, I said, The Weeping Child is a gestalt of suffering, an artificial god created by a mad mage who thought enough people feeling one emotion would give rise to a deity. And Khao had chosen orphans, at the time relatively simple to acquire in large number, and constant suffering. That doll is- Noam realised, its that things Divine Symbol. I nodded, Same with the deck of cards or silver bell Corvian had, the item needed to channel the power of a god. The Weeping Child protects orphans, I said, but it does so by killing anything that can harm them, violently lashing out at the world, it can destroy an entire city in the process. Noam realised then the true nature of our escort mission. We were meant to protect the world from the child, as much as we were supposed to protect that child from the world. An orphanage that doesnt have a god looking over it wont cut it, I told him. And if we gave the kid to someone that might abuse him, the Weeping Child might take offence to that. So all that was left was the Church of the Hearth, the guardians of home and family. You two plan on going on a shopping trip then? Tai asked. Celine nodded, Johnny tightly holding her hand. You? Tai smiled, nodding towards the quest board, I just bought six health potions, Im poor now so I have to work for a living. Mind if come with, Celine? Noam asked her. Actually, I said, it might be better if you and Utoqa both took quests as well. Three people working together should net harder quests. Noam frowned. Yellow perched on his shoulder, and I whispered to Greenie, who repeated at a frequency too high for the rest of us except Yellow to hear, and Yellow repeated it to Noam. If it goes down to a fight, you mainly physical fighters cant deal with a ghost, itll just be me and Celine. Noams eyes met where mine used to be. Yeah, I guess were broke anyways, he shrugged, This aight with you Tai? She shrugged, Im fine with it. Mind if I come shopping with you two? I asked Celine. Not at all. The matter resolved, I turned back to reading the newspaper as we headed towards the Wayshard, skimming through the first story. In a major step forward for Racial Equality, Gnomish Dictator Bibbity Bobbity Hoppity Floppity has taken over the nation-state of Drephonada after a brutal six-day coup. Proving that any member of any race can rise to power with racial superiority rhetoric, inciting internal Hate Wars, before leading a military coup to take over the local government. Twenty, ten, five, even just a year ago, no one can even conceive of a gnome seizing power and brutally beheading his political opponents, but just two days ago, Bibbity Bobbity Hoppity Floppity did just that. After he declared himself Democratically Elected President for Life, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and High Court Justice in just the span of a single minute, he has proved that gnomes arent just the jolly fun racist stereotypes you create, but they can rule with an iron fist just as well any other race. More on this on page 3. Huh. 6.04 6.04 See the classic play against a band of Five is to split them up. They cant use the power of friendship when they are at least 4.916 kilometres away from each other. Believe me, Ive tested it. - The Revenant King So whats the available quests like? Noam asked the one employee. Oh! I never asked for your name, mines Noam by the way. The young man looked at him quizzically, both were fully aware there was a request board, which Tai and Utoqa were perusing at the moment, but Noam wanted some conversation. Im Tignflut. We pay a bounty for every rabbit or cat scalp you return, the receptionist quickly answered, his voice carrying a somewhat hopeful tone. Theres also an unknown monster near the centre of the forest. I see that, Tai replied, biting her thumb as she read the bounties, who pays to kill rabbits and cats? The young man sighed, and answered with the practice of someone well studied in the subject, Mostly druidic circles, cats and rabbits are harmless to us, but they are devastating for local environments. Noam raised an eyebrow, hes heard of stuff like this in passing, something about invasive species. Not much though, the subject wasnt worth teaching when all creatures larger than a dog were exclusively found in zoos. How so? he continued, now somewhat intrigued. Cats hunt and kill everything, Tignflut answered. They over hunt anything about rat sized, leaving other predators with no food. What about rabbits? Tai asked, How could those cute things hurt? Because nothing here naturally hunts them, the receptionist sighed, Winters are strangely warm here in Gestrand, basically meaning they dont hibernate, so they reproduce all year. They eat everything remotely green, and when they run out of green they eat the trees, ringbarking them and leaving massive parts of the forest barren. What about introducing another predator? Noam asked. With a slightly bitter tone the man answered, The cats were originally brought here to hunt the rabbits, but it was a nocturnal species, so the rabbits are left completely free during the day. I dont see problem, Utoqa said as he parted from the board and walked towards them. The fittest survive. Frowning, Tignflut replied, The creatures in this forest are unique, and are being horrifically over hunted by invasive species and poachers. If they all die, there will be no more left anywhere else. Completely unperturbed, Utoqas reptilian looked over at the receptionist. Tignflut tensed somewhat, not knowing what the lizardfolk would do, before he spoke. It is one copper for rabbit scalp and three for cat scalp? Tignflut looked surprised for a moment, Umm. Yeah, thats the bounty of it right now Utoqa nodded, I will bring scalps, he said simply, before he turned away, heading for the exit. Tai glanced at the board again, then shrugged, following behind. Chuckling, Noam got up from his seat beside the desk, I thought it was survival of the fittest? It is, Utoqa answered. I am fit, and the rabbit and cat is not.
The Mercantile Church was a fucking strip mall. I felt like it said something about the Merchant Goddess, how her temples of worship were literally just marketplaces. My only encounter with a priest of Ethelinda before now was that merchant who harrassed us on the train, which made for a really poor first impression. Though he did turn out to be an Osshiven''Kai cultist in disguise, so I suppose right now was my first real experience. Im pretty sure I preferred the cultist. I left the smiling priest with a supremely regretful expression. In my hand was a fresh vial of Holy Water, known to be especially effective against undead creatures. Continuously I repeated the fact that this was a necessary purchase, a comfort that did not make my purse regain any of its lost weight. It was unfortunate that the Merchant Church was the only place atheists could get holy consumables. The other churches all required belief, of us, only Johnny probably qualified for. The Weeping Child mightve gotten a good laugh if we asked him for Holy Water to use against his servants. Both mine and Noams split of Lake Bayts reward were spent on this one vial, so gritting my teeth, I put it inside my cap as I stepped outside the M-Church store. Quickly I found Celine, well, Yellow found Celine since I was not wasting True Sight on a marketplace. She was clinically inspecting some kind of hard purple fruit, rapping it with her knuckles and listening to the sound the shell made. Shaking her head, she turned to examine another one, how she was able to determine the quality I could not tell, even with True Sight from my secret. Maybe if I still had Analyse, I mightve been able to determine it from copying Celines actions. Johnny was by her side, holding onto her hand and half obscured by her cloak. That I figured out pretty quickly after I got the sight. That cloak was some kind of magical item. It was at least able to animate a skeleton, as evidenced by the crow cadaver it used before, and seemed to be distinct from Celine, as in It wasnt made by her. They didnt give off the same feeling. The cloak helped hold an increasingly large bag of materials. Most of which were paid for by Tai. Thanks to the party fund I didnt have to worry about running out of potions anytime soon, well, given if Celine had time to brew them into drinkables. As I neared, I made sure to stomp loudly on the ground, revealing my presence. I bought what I wanted, I said, putting out my hand in a gesture to take the load of materials. The cloak, Nappy I think it was called, handed me the bags which I quickly stuffed up my cap. Were almost done as well, Celine answered, I just need to find better Aafins Fruit. I nodded, having no idea what the fruit was, but presuming she knew what she was doing. She was the one bright spot in all of this, with her, we could buy the potions literally at material cost. That meant we could get twice the number of consumables compared to just straight buying the potions. I needed to help Celine set up a store at one point, I could call the potato dude to help with management and making a decent front, maybe check if those geckos were still looking for a job I pushed those ideas to the back of my head for the moment, suddenly aware I had turned silent. Nodding to Celine, we went off to explore the rest of the market. One of the first things I checked was whether or not there was a Church to the Hearth here. Unfortunately, I knew the answer from my first time here in Bartin, it was a relatively new port city, so the old gods had yet to establish a presence here. Only expansionist religions had churches here. We needed to move further inland to find such a Church. Strangely, the place seemed a lot more rowdy than last time, the crowds were a lot larger and we were bumping into people significantly more. Its a festival! Greenie excitedly squeaked. I raised an eyebrow, and opened my True Sight for a moment, taking a good look of our surroundings. Following everyone else''s gazes, I saw the numerous stalls and festival games that started to dot the streets ahead of us. Frowning slightly, Celine asked, Should we head back? Maybe, I began, before noticing Yellow tugging at my shoulder. The place it was gesturing to was close enough for my Manavision to make out. Johnny, staring at a large, toy wooden dragon, one of the rewards displayed by one of the stalls.
Utoqa walked out of the bush holding three more dead rabbits by the ears. At this point Noam was just whistling as they walked deeper in. Utoqa alone was doing the brunt of the work, better at tracking and hunting than either of them combined. Tai and Noam rightly assumed that they would be more of a hindrance than help to Utoqa. After a few more minutes of this, Noam groaned, Ahh! We have nothing to do! Speak for yourself, Tai said, looking at a map of the forest that she had borrowed. Utoqa, have you seen any people tracks yet? No, he simply answered, stuffing the rabbit corpses into the numerous pouches he was wearing. He had dozens more dead game in those pouches, Noam realised pretty early on they had more space inside than appeared out. Likely Pouches of Holding. Biting her thumb, Tai murmured, We havent spotted any poachers Did you catch anything about the monster the dude talked about? Utoqa shook his head, None. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Should we focus on finding one of the big targets? Noam asked, bored out of his mind. We have plenty of dead rabbits. More than we know what to do with. We can eat, skin and make cloth of, Utoqa said. I better get a good rabbit fur scarf out of this then, Noam muttered. Suddenly, Utoqa perked his head up. Nose sniffing the air like a predator. I smell cooking smoke, he said, glancing towards a direction further into the forest. A few moments later, the smell wafted enough that Noam and Tai began to smell it as well. Silently, they all nodded to each other.
The dart missed the target by a massive margin, slamming into the space between the targets. And thats a miss! the stand owner yelled with increasingly annoying cheerfulness. If you want to try again, that''s five more copper! If I had eyes they would twitch madly right now, swiftly, I took out the last of my coins before Celine placed her hand on my arm. Let me try it, she said, placing five of her own coppers on the bench. The owner smiled and gave her three more darts. Celine raised her first dart, eyes narrowing in concentration. And threw. The dart slammed into the edge of the target board, on the outermost ring. And thats a miss! the owner declared again. Can this little missy get it on the second? Celine breathed in deeply, glancing at Johnny before she took up the second dart. Steadying herself, she threw the second dart. It flew true, and landed solidly on the fourth ring from the centre. Oh thats pretty good! the owner praised, But can she win it all with the last dart? She raised the dart, her very form the epitome of concentration. And she threw it. But as she did so, a burly man accidentally bumped into her, knocking off her aim as the dart went completely wild. And thats a miss! the owner yelled. Too bad, wanna try again? Oh fuck off, I said. This game is rigged. It is not my good shroom- I slammed my hand down, Yes it fucking is, and I can prove it mathematically.
Three figures ghosted through the underbrush. Well, two, as Tai was slightly more noticeable than Noam or Utoqa, but she had the basic idea down. Regardless, the encampment they happened upon was loud as they celebrated an apparently good catch. Four people, one plucking three dead turkey looking birds with rainbow feathers, the other three roasting some meat over a fire. Lets avoid killing unless necessary for this, Noam quietly told Utoqa. The lizardfolk nodded. Noam raised a hand, three fingers up, one finger went down, then another, and finally All three leapt. Noam reached them first, a fly kick slamming into the head of one of the poachers, knocking her head into the fire. Utoqa quickly grabbed the second as he was getting up, throwing him by the shoulder into the tree. A sheathed blade knocked away a weapon as the third raised his weapon, another swing and he was knocked out. The fourth surrendered when seeing themselves completely outnumbered and outclassed.
... and from the observed data of more than thirty attempts, it can be reasonably concluded that there is a less than zero point six percent statistical chance of landing all three darts, not to mention the un-aerodynamic design of the darts, as well as their soft tips I had gathered a crowd at some point, people curiously standing by to watch my loud ravings. Thus! There is empirical, undeniable proof that your game is rigged! Security!
They dumped the poachers in the guild, knocked out and tied up, before heading back out. That was too quick, Noam said. Was easy money though, Tai smiled, counting the silvers. Your share, and your share. Noam took his money with a grumble. I was hoping wed get a better fight or something There may be, Utoqa said. Noams eyes lit up. Really? Utoqa nodded, There was a strange scent on the birds they were hunting, venomous, powerful. Well lets head there! Noam cheerfully said. Tai shrugged, and together followed Utoqa back to the location of the poachers camp. He dropped to the ground, sniffing the air and flicking out his tongue, Ive caught the scent again. Following behind Utoqa, they went deeper and deeper into the forest. Slowly until there was a noticeable change, where it was getting very, very quiet. They all unintentionally tensed at this, given their previous experience, only Utoqa seemed unperturbed as they continued. They pressed on, eyes wary, and deep into the forest, they began seeing the trees covered in thick white webbing. Suddenly a loud screech sounded throughout the forest! Eight massive, malignant red eyes stared down at them from the trees, large enough if dwarfed all of them. Oh thank fucking god its just a big spider, Noam breathed out in relief after realising it wasnt another Accumulation. In that second, a thick thread of webbing shot out. Noam dodged, but not quick enough, it expanded into a net, and though Utoqa and Tai got out, Noam was ensnared to the ground. Both immediately drew their weapons, Tais sword and Utoqas tomahawk, Gift. The lizardfolk immediately moved to free his ally, but the spider jumped down. Tai leapt out of the way as Utoqa stood his ground, weapon blocking the venomous fangs before they could sink into Noam. Aura shrouded Tais blade as she moved to attack. A powerful slash bit into the spiders carapace, but it wasnt enough, Tai didnt spend enough time charging it up, leaving only a scratch. The spider broke away from Utoqa, backing off, but the lizardfolk swiftly ran up to match it, Gift biting into a leg, but not drawing blood. Two powerful legs slammed into Utoqa away as Tai sheathed her sword and tried to charge up her draw swing. But the spider kept moving, skittering with unnatural speed for something of its size, Tai couldnt get a good lock on it, and when another web net was fired she was forced to abort to attack to dodge. The spider jumped towards her, fangs bared while her sword was still sheathed. Utoqa jumped down, Gift slamming into the head of the creature, blinding one eye as it writhed, its fangs missing Tai by the barest of margins. Utoqa rode the thing like a demented rodeo, but it slammed its head into a tree, forcing a grunt as Utoqa let go, falling onto the ground. The spider cried an ear piercing screech, as suddenly skittering sounds were heard all around them. Smaller spiders, each not larger than a hand, began moving to attack. Noam was still trapped under webbing, his screams muffled, Tai ran to slash him free, but the spider got between them, she parried the fangs with her blade but a swiping leg slammed into her midsection, throwing her off. She slammed into the ground, rolling. The spider went for Noam, fangs biting into the writing mass beneath the net, injecting its venom. After a solid dose, Noam stopped struggling. The spider rose back up, watching the two remaining fighters. Utoqa warily matching its gaze, Tai holding her midsection with a painful grunt. We need to run, Utoqa said. We are surrounded. More spiders were gathering all around them, ready to pounce at any moment. Neither of them could deal with such a swarm. I agree, but should we save- Utoqa was already running straight towards the spider, Tai groaned, hoisting herself up by her sword, matching his speed. The spider ran and met them. Utoqa dropped and slid right underneath it as Tai matched it with her blade. Now behind the spider, Utoqa quickly cut open the webbing, freeing the pale looking Noam. He slung his limp body over his shoulder like a potato sack, turning to see Tai trade blows the spiders fangs and legs. As she blocked a leg swing with her blade, the fangs came in from the other side, forcing Tai to block with her arm. The venomous fangs stabbed through leather and sank into her flesh, eliciting a wince before she slammed the pommel of her blade, hard, into the spiders fangs, breaking one off and causing it to screech as it retreated. Her arm hung limply, a fang still stuck in there. She tried to pull it out, but found her strength waning. When Utoqa reached her, he grabbed her and threw her underarm as he ran for it.
That was a shit show. I could have probably taken those guards in a straight fight, but I wouldve been insane if I started throwing out my mainly AOE attacks in a massive crowd, and Celine was also too specialised to really do direct fighting, in the end, we grabbed Johnny and ran for the Wayshard, returning back to the forest. Celine tried to look on the bright side, At least we got all the ingredients. Thats a bonus, I agreed, though I noticed the slight disappointment on Johnnys face. He had wanted that dragon toy, it was unfortunate that most festival stalls were rigged. I hoped Noam and co to have done better on their end, and waited on a bench in front of the guild. Before Celine gasped and rose. I opened my True Sight, just as Yellow and Greenie started telling me what they saw. Utoqa running with both Noam and Tai limp under his arms. Bandages were hurriedly tied around Tais left arm and Noams right shoulder. Rushed, but sensible, Utoqas work no doubt. Both of them were affected by venom, I saw through my True Sight. There was a blackness that permeated their bodies. Celine rushed to them. Put them down, she ordered, to which Utoqa quickly obliged. She began unwrapping the bandages, they were feverish and pale, but werent bleeding, which was slightly more worrying given the size of the holes in them. She sniffed the wound, Elder Brood Mother venom, its strong as well. Dustin, I need the Holos White Root, three Testicles of the Hurane Bull, eight newt eyes She rapidly listed off ingredients, which I pulled out of my cap as soon as she spoke them. Celine immediately went to work creating an antivenom, taking out her tools to process them into a fine soft paste. She spread the paste over their wounds, and took out two dolls, quickly winding a piece of hair from both of them around them. Bind the flesh, bind the bone. Form the link to make like-kind. So bleed as one, heal as one. Now one fate, forever twined. Finishing her spell to create the sympathetic dolls, she took out a needle and dipped it into the paste, Dustin, cast your healing shroom. I nodded, Pain pain go away, Rain leave for next day, Now feel the numbness, Bring Fix-Up-Fungus! The shroom sprouted between Tai and Noam, puffing out healing spores and healing over the bite wounds they suffered, just as Celine began quickly stabbing the dolls at specific points. Both Tai and Noams body jerked as fresh, tiny holes appeared in them and healed as healing spores covered them. I quickly realised from the fact she was constantly dipping the needle in more paste, that she was delivering the antivenom through the dolls. But why? Why didnt she just deliver it directly? It was when the paste quickly began to diminish that I realised the answer. She was injecting more paste than there physically was, because the dolls were smaller, even a small, barely dipped amount of antivenom amounted to a lot relative to the dolls bodies, and those translated to Noam and Tai, giving them more doses of the antivenom than we actually had. Eventually, the paleness and fever faded from their faces, and Celine breathed out a sigh of relief as they were cured. 6.05 6.05 He may have beaten us now, and before, and literally every single other time weve encountered his minions, but what the Revenant King doesnt understand is that we cannot fail like the other seven parties of five impressionable young adolescents, because unlike them we listened to a drunk in a tavern! C Kathanda the Paladin, leader of the eighth party who listened to Zephyrion the First Seer, the ninth being Imamus party who eventually did slay the Revenant King. Noam slammed his head into the ground. Im sorry. Tai snorted, before wincing as she moved her injured arm, Fuck that hurt. Shaking her head, she continued, Dont be, my fault for getting bit. I was the one who insisted on going there, Noam replied, raising his head slightly. And my fault for following you, she replied, rubbing her sore arm, my grandma told me that between the idiot and the smart person following the idiot, the smart person is the dumbest for knowing better yet still following the idiot. Noam raised his eyebrow at that, Thank you? Well, thanks for dragging me out of there, you two didnt need to. It was Utoqas idea, she shrugged, again, smart person following idiot. Utoqa didnt reply, only nodding. You guys faced off against a giant spider? I asked. Utoqa nodded again. Really big spider, Tai noted, larger than our rooms combined. Fought exactly like a spider though, Noam added on, venomous bite, net attacks, and hits you with its legs occasionally. It had a lot of fucking legs, Tai said, rubbing her still sore arm. By their recounts, if Tai wasnt blocking one of its legs, then she wouldnt have been bitten. Hard shell, Utoqa said, Gift only scratched. I sighed, And you say it was an Elder Brood Mother, Celine? She nodded, inspecting the fang that was lodged in Tais arm. The venom and fang both match the creature. Theyre pretty dangerous, difficult to put down unless in experienced groups. I think the guild lists them as CR 10 - 15, depending on how big their swarms have gotten. My fingers drummed the wooden table. You three should get a pretty good bonus for revealing the nature of the creature, we can leave it there. Tai looked at Utoqa and Noam, I think we should split the bonus five way again. Celine jumped up slightly, and I raised an eyebrow. Why? Celine asked. Oh dont think of this as charity, Tai shrugged, you two healed me right after, and whatever we split is bound to be cheaper than paying the real sum of the healing at a church or something. Not to mention, she winked at the two of us, being on the good side of two healers is just common sense. Celine wrapped her cloak around herself, disappearing within it, but she was within my manavision so I knew she was blushing. Myself? I just nodded and said, Smart. You two in agreement? Tai asked Noam and Utoqa. Utoqa nodded. Noam shrugged, Fairs fair. Give half of my split to Celine, I said, to which Celine seemed to look at me with muted panic. Aight boss, Noam said. I shrugged, I didnt do it for charity, after all, Celine did most of the work, and like Tai said, being on the good side of a dedicated healer was just common sense. So, what about the fang? Celine asked. We went silent after that, turning to Utoqa. I can make a pretty strong sympathetic link using this fang, Celine continued, but it will only last so long, and I extracted enough venom to make one without, just not as good. I can do something with alchemy, create a stronger poison, but thats about it. My decision changes, do we wish to hunt the eight-legged? Utoqa answered. We went silent, each considering the problem. Utoqa hit the crux of the issue, while he could make a decent weapon from the fang using Scavenge, Celine could create a one use sympathetic link with the spider, ideal for cursing it. If we could kill it, Utoqa could Scavenge the corpse directly rather than use the fang. Whether he wanted the fang was dependent on whether or not we planned on hunting the spider. However I want at least one of us to be around Johnny at all times, I said. Celine nodded, I agree. The guild receptionist was showing him around the building right now, but they were still near enough we could react quickly to any abnormality. And most of us werent about to drag a child into a dark forest with an active monstrosity, even if the ghost that followed Johnny could theoretically protect him. I sighed, If we wish to hunt the thing, it seems that we must be a man down. Which was a damnably bad idea. Though the Holy Water I bought allowed anyone here to deal damage to the ghost, only I could see it at the present moment. And I would be required to deal with the swarm that the spider called, meaning someone else would have to stay behind. Utoqa might be able to sense the ghost with his high Perception, and he was the hardest to kill here, but we would lose a valuable front liner against the spider. Tai could fulfil the frontline role, but she excelled in damage. While Celine would be needed to keep us healed and to curse the spider using sympathetic magic. It would have to be me, Noam said with a heavy tone. I nodded, of this group, Noam had the most general skills, he could hold his own as a fighter with Tai and Utoqa, but both were simply better as melee fighters. Noams actual martial skill as a fighter did not matter when both Tai and Utoqa were just as good but also had better stat spreads and abilities for the role. Noam could theoretically fight off the large spider swarm with mass insults and Catch these Hands, but he wouldnt be as good as me. His mana pool wasnt as high as mine, so he would have trouble aggroing every spider. He was a true jack of all trades in this group, he could do melee fighting or spell casting, but only half as good as one of us specialised in it. Wait, Celine said, fishing out several dolls. It doesnt have to be Noam. She told us her Path. Do you trust me to do this? she asked us. Tai furrowed her brows, thinking, while Noam and I looked at each other. I would be trusting you completely with my life, Tai said. Its a hard decision. The link may remain even after we die and respawn, I noted, so it gives you the opportunity to attack us whenever. Her sympathetic magic was focusing on healing, but its roots as curse magic remained. Utoqa pulled off one of his scales and handed it to Celine. Is this enough? Celine sat there, frozen with muted shock, before sputtering, Is- is it really ok to make a decision that quickly? It is necessary if we wish to hunt the eight-legged and keep the hatchling safe, he simply said. Celine hesitatingly took the scale. Noam shrugged, and took out his knife with the glowing red eye, cutting off some hair, before passing Celigarn to me. I took the blade, and cut off some flesh from my arm, ignoring the blades accusation that I was a plant, and therefore not pleasurable to cut. Seeing the three of us do it, Tai sighed, and cut off some of her hair, Make sure to break the link afterwards. Celine took all the pieces, holding them as if they were the most precious things in the world. Before we set off, Noam dragged me to the side, saying, I want your opinion choosing my level up stuff. I raised an eyebrow, Why suddenly now? Noam leaned on the side of a tree, glancing towards the rest of the party doing their own preparations. Because I suddenly realise this isnt a game for some of us, he replied. With a heavy voice, he continued, Im still the same person, but I dont want my hedonism to hurt anyone else. Silently, I nodded. Tell me your options. I can pick three skills, anything from the level six pool, and the abilities seem a lot stronger than the ones we could pick at level three
Are all of us prepared? Dustin asked, glancing towards the midday sun. Nods and agreements all around. Celine stayed back, in her hands, she held a vial of Holy Water. Standing beneath her were Yellow and Greenie. Nodding towards the two, Dustin said, Im relying on you two to keep her safe. Both wisps nodded seriously back to him. Lead the way then Utoqa, Noam announced. And so the lizardfolk took point, walking forward as he tracked the scent he had caught just the day before. Their journey was silent, nothing but the sounds of our footfalls and the wind crinkling the leaves. Until the trees became silent, and white grey webbing covered everything. A loud screech echoed in front of them, as seven red eyes stared hatefully from deep within its lair. One eye blinded by Utoqas Gift. Another great screech, and skittering sounded throughout the forest. Were here, Dustin simply declared as he raised his arms, flicking dozens of prepared poison Sporages around them. Green spores erupted around as the sounds of skittering were soon replaced by screeching. All three fighters took off at this moment, Utoqa leading the charge! Sensing the new threat, the giant spider screeched as it raised its abdomen, firing a direct web shot towards Dustin. Noam could not dodge it before, and neither could Dustin as the web slammed him into a tree. But the spider had exposed itself, three simultaneous attacks, sword, tomahawk and hook blades. Fangs met Utoqa, dripping with venom as Tais blade carved bloody lines in the creatures flank. Holding his hook swords like axes once again, Noam slammed both into a joint, knocking a leg down. The minor loss of balance allowed Utoqa to disengage his blade and slash the creatures head, directly drawing blood as together they forced it back. Acid hissed behind them as Dustin freed himself, Acid Spit still dripping from his mouth, melting some parts of his Bark Skin, but not yet significantly. As weve planned, Dustin said.
Far back at the guild, Celine sat in her room, gently rubbing the head of Johnny who was asleep on her lap. In front of her were four dolls. Unlike her other dolls, they were almost lifelike replicas, not simple grey bases that only had the sympathetic component added. Utoqa, Noam, Dustin and Tai. As weve planned, the Dustin doll suddenly said, its bark like mouth grinding. Following him, Noams doll began to swear loudly as it began insulting the spider, whose corresponding doll began to singe slightly at the edges. A hole appeared in Utoqas doll, situated right on his left arm, and Celine raised a needle and thread and prepared to Stitch.
Utoqas injury was almost instantly closed by silvery threads, healing energy directed from afar. From Dustins understanding of Celines Path, her range was vastly increased through one of those dolls, but the flaw was that they had to be made from willingly given materials, compared to her normal ones that used whatever. Not so good for cursing someone. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. But perfect for a far ranged healer. Utoqa exchanged blow for blow with the spider, his slashes and scales keeping the brunt of the spiders attention on him, standing strong with terrifying stoicity as Celine simply healed every injury. All the while Noam danced around the spider, hurling insults and causing the occasional fire. His blades striked it at specific points to disrupt balance and weaken its footing. Dustin kept refreshing the circle of spores that surrounded them, creating a barrier in which the spiderlings could not enter, and the greater spider could not escape. All trapping it long enough for Tai to charge her attack. Her blade flashed out, and the spider, blinded in one eye could not see or dodge quick enough, two legs severed instantly, causing it to list on its side, its balance permanently disrupted. Screeching in pain, it roared and slammed into Utoqa, throwing him into the air as it raised its abdomen towards Tai, blasting a web right at her! But Tai stood her ground as her blade flashed again, easily severing it down the middle. Then something happened. Dustin, watching the entire battlefield from the back, noticed it first. Reproduce. A second web appeared right behind the one Tai slashed, heading right towards her! Her blade still held high, she could not redirect nor dodge in time! But Noam was the second who noticed. He jumped, flying feet first as he fly kicked Tai out of the second web! The elf fell out of the way, as the second web slammed Noam into the ground. Noam! Tai yelled, already bringing her blade up to cut him free. But that thrum of power emerged again, as the spider used its Path the second time. Reproduce. A leg stabbed itself through Tais stomach, as a second, smaller Brood Mother appeared behind her. Tai, get away! Dustin yelled, his hand raised, aiming at the second spider. Tai spat blood, yelling, I can take it! as suddenly she clenched her abdomen and grabbed the leg through her body with a death grip. The spider tried to wretch its leg out of her, but she stood firm. Dustin''s decision only took a moment. Rot Spores. The wave of purple spores ripped through the second spider, causing it to screech in pain as necrosis burned its way through its carapace. Grass and trees died around it as wayward spores killed everything they touched. Tai choked, finally letting the leg escape her body as her back was blackened and rotted from the fallout. Celine was already working on her though, silver threads stitching her stomach back together as a health potion was simultaneously poured over Tais doll. But the large spiders werent dead yet, and though Utoqa was having an easier time keeping the original occupied, he still could not move back to assist them. The smaller, skittering spider brood had stopped in their tracks, but after forming a perimeter and casting the expensive Rot Spores, Dustins mana was low. Tai was gritting her teeth as she forcefully pushed herself up by her sword. The health potion Celine was pouring over her doll was helping, but it wasn''t enough to fight through the necrosis which weakened healing. While the second spider was listing and spasming in pain, its carapace lost, its raw, rotting flesh was exposed to the world, it was slowly regaining its bearings, Both of them were heavily injured, Tai would recover, Dustin calculated, but he wasnt sure if Celine would be fast enough to get Tai up in time to face the second spider. So low in mana, Dustin began running to place himself between her and it. Thankfully, the spider seemed to shift its attention to him, the source of the pain. A spray of webbing slammed into him, but was quickly broken through as Dustin spat acid. But in that brief moment, though slowed and weakened, the spider was still quick enough to reach and sink its teeth into Dustins flesh, and venom swiftly coursed through Dustins veins! To zero effect, as his Fungal Body resisted it. Pacifying Spores slammed into the spider, causing it to droop as Dustin removed his arm, stepping back. He was mentally counting his mana, waiting for it to return enough that he could safely throw out another Rot Spores. He would not make it in time, Dustin calculated, as the spider began to shake off the effect of Pacifying Spores. Youre a fucking idiot Noam. In this active battlefield, with Utoqa still duelling with the prime spider and Dustin was running out of options against the second, Noams voice sounded out, muffled from underneath the webs holding him. Insulting himself. The webs holding Noam in a bundle exploded in flames, burning away as Noams burning form emerged. His body was fully on fire, swords included. Like a fireball, Noam dashed towards the weakened and rotting spider, leaping onto its head, fire burning its exposed flesh. It screeched, trying to throw off the burning tiefling as Noam stabbed down with his swords, it did not penetrate well, but created enough of a dent that he hooked onto them, allowing him to ride it with his hook swords as demented reins. GO! Dustin didnt need to be told twice, as he turned towards Utoqa and his stalemate with the prime spider. His mana had finally recovered enough. Utoqa! The lizardfolk leapt away, just as a puff of Rot Spores exploded where he was. The prime spider leapt, and unoccupied, it was able to dodge most of it. But its abdomen was exposed to the Rot Spores, ripping it open, its raw spider silk and thread spilled out like water from a bucket with a hole, dripping in thick white strands, then hardening as they stuck to the ground like glue. Holding it in place. Tai stood beside it, standing as it struggled, her back still blackened and rotting. She sheathed her sword, holding the hilt as she entered a stance. Then, with a singular, perfected action too fast for anyone to see, she split the prime spider in two, and the blade returned back to its sheathe before anyone knew it had left. The two halves spasmed, once, twice, then never again. And as the prime spider died, Noam spat on the second, his spit strangely orange coloured and viscous like a melted candy. His new level six skill. The spit ignited, lighting up the dark forest with a white flash as it burned inside the spiders skull. It slammed and rolled around, but the fire within its head was too much. As Noam jumped off, it slowly burned itself to death, the flames leaving behind an ashen shell. When it finally died, Noam dispelled the flames on his body, his skin slightly charred by the experience. Tai staggered, the adrenaline holding her up no longer as potent, Dustin immediately went to her. Checking her for wounds, but found that Celine had done a good job of patching her up, her flesh was still tender and weak, but it was healed. I am sorry for that, Dustin apologised as he acted as a soft crutch for her, helping her stand. Fuck that spell stings, Tai complained. You are buying me drinks later, get me the strong stuff. I dont want to be awake to feel this heal. Dustin disapproved of the habit, but stayed silent as she did deserve it. As Utoqa knelt down to examine the corpses, Noam waved his hand in the air, Thanks Celi, if you can hear this. We got em. They all felt a reassuring pat on their backs. Im not gonna lie that is a bit creepy, Tai commented, but fuck that saved my life so Im not gonna complain. Look at this, Utoqa suddenly called out, now further away, and behind the corpse. Dustin and Tai limped towards where he was, Noam following shortly. He was digging something out from the ground, unearthing soil and dirt. After removing some significant portion, Dustin began to see with his True Sight what it was. A staff, charred and broken with its bottom half missing, but emanating a strange and constant warmth. Utoqa lifted it aloft, and as he held it, he seemed strangely vibrant, as if more hale and healthier than usual. That man, Tignflut, he mentioned something about the forest being unusually warm all year round right? Dustin asked. He did, yeah, Tai agreed. You think this is the source? Most likely, he agreed, examining the earth with his True Sight. Warmth had seeped into the land, leaving it magical. So Noam began, What are we doing with it?
As the festival died down, a certain stall owner began lounging, organising his spoils into towers and towers of coins. Smiling as he counted them all. A soft knock on the wood, as a purple-bluish skin tiefling appeared. He smiled, flicking five coppers into the air, and they perfectly landed on the tops of the owners coin towers. The owner smiled, taking out three darts, You wish to try your hand? I dabble a bit in darts afterall, the tiefling shrugged with a smile. And its not a lot of coin to lose. The owner laughed, Then I wish you the best of luck- A dart slammed perfectly into the centre of his target. A bead of sweat rolled down the owners face.
Yo! Noam yelled as he entered the guild hall, carrying boxes filled with festival foods and drinks. Im back! I turned my head to him, nodding in acknowledgement as he began placing food on the tables. Any progress? he asked. The guild receptionist, Tignflut spoke up as he examined the burnt staff, I dont think removing this staff would cause any damage to the forest, a lot of its power seemed to have already seeped into the land, removing it wont make a difference anymore. I think so too, Celine said, raising a vial filled with soil, the dirt even at the edge of the forest holds minor alchemical properties consistent with the staffs energy. Which I believe to be of Summer. The Arcadian court? Tai asked, holding a meat skewer, Its a long place away from home then. Weve identified several effects, I added on, the first is a spell that causes targeted and rapid plant growth, the second spell is a powerful heal to whoever is touching the head. Along with two passive effects, basic strengthening of all nature and growth type spells cast, and whoever is holding it also becomes healthier and immune to diseases to an extent. Celine nodded, I think that effect in particular grows stronger the longer they hold it, but we would need time to tell. Noam whistled as he sat down right next to Johnny, This is a big find then. Quietly, Noam gave Johnny something under the table, only I noticed it, as it was in range of my manavision. It was a familiar wooden toy dragon. As mercenaries, you are entitled to this as your loot, Tignflut said, along with the pay for killing the Brood Spider. And its corpse? Utoqa asked. And its corpse, the receptionist confirmed. Utoqa nodded. This is a pretty good upgrade from your dingy old staff isnt it Dustin? Tai asked as she popped open a bottle that Noam had bought. Actually, I began, I dont plan on taking it. For better or for worse, I was juggling two progression systems. The Indiri one of Paths like Tai, Celine and Utoqa had, and the levelling system that Travellers like Noam and I had. That did not count well for my Balance, as both would progress whenever I did something. And while the charred staff was a definite upgrade, it would shift my Balance to the other end. It would not do when I was so close to my next level up. Noam had already gotten his level six, and I cant be much further behind. Traveller level six also came with a significant power spike, as evidenced by the skills Noam took.
Path: Spitfire Beatbox (Inspiration): You have a pool of additional stats (CHA / 2 rounded down) that you may add through your Beatbox skill, up to a maximum equal to your Skald Level (6) per stat. You may now use your Beatbox on others so long as at least one stat is allocated to them in the process. IM LIT!: Once per day, you may use a verbal based attack on yourself and light yourself on Fire, gain a temporary +3 (Skald Level / 2, rounded down) in every stat, emanate magical fire, and all your attacks deal magical fire damage. While in this state, you can magically sense all fires caused by your skills so long as they are within the same plane and within a large distance of you. This lasts until you dispel it or perish from the damaging fire. Spitfire, but with a space in-between: You can turn your spit into an incendiary gel that is difficult to remove and burns magical fire that cannot be put out by mundane means. Creatures damaged by the fire have their Fire Resistance lowered by a level until the burn wounds are healed. The crackling fire can repeat short phrases in Infernal, and you may cast verbal based attacks through this method. Feats: Mobile (3 SP): You gain a +2 to AGI. You instinctively know how to traverse difficult terrain, you may completely ignore non-magical difficult terrain when running.
With his remaining stat points evenly split between strength, dexterity and stamina. It would be best if my Balance was shifted away from me, giving me space to gain more skills. Which meant I had to let go of other opportunities so that I wont face a powerful backlash. Tai raised an eyebrow, Then Celine? She had a complicated look, I could make a staff work but Im not that kind of magic caster. Utoqa then? The lizardfolk shook his head. Can no-one use this? Hello? Noam asked aloud, Did everyone just forget there was a bard here? Cant you only insult people? Tai asked. I nodded before he could answer, Thats right, its worth a trip back to Gaia to get his spell slots filled out. Noam was even worse than me, while I only had a few spell slots empty, his was completely empty save for Vicious Mockery. Granted, Biting Words was ripped from him due to a lost Clash, but both were basically the same spell so it didnt change anything meaningful. You need Traveller gold for that right? Celine asked. We could also barter, and I think I can scam some people by trading regular gold for Traveller gold. Noam coughed, and I quickly corrected my speech, Oh, I meant fairly do currency conversion. Tai rolled her eyes, So you want the staff Noam? she looked around. We all cool with him taking it? Nods all around, I said, Though for fairness Noam can split his part of the spider bounty. Im fine with that, Noam replied, taking the staff, Though its gonna be a bit awkward holding it, Dustin can you- No, I firmly said. I am not in any way laying any sort of claim onto that staff. It was best to be clear about this, not just to the party, but to the World enforcing the Balance. Noam grumbled, and elected to hang the thing by his belt, next to the nobles wand and Celigarn. Since it was broken, it was actually shorter than a staff, closer to a very large and thick wand actually, so it fit snugly next to them. For a large bounty like this one I need to fill out more paperwork, Tignflut said as he shuffled out of his seat, Do you guys have a name for your party or do you want me to just have your names? The atmosphere became quiet. I propose The Squad! Noam immediately yelled. I veto that, Tai spat back quickly. What about the Gang Gang? A name should be professional, Tai said, it has to promote our image. A name shouldnt make a party, Noam argued, a party should make the name. Therefore no matter what thing we come up with, if we get famous enough theyve gotta respect us regardless of the name. Back me up here Dusts. I dont really care, I replied, I agree with the sentiment, but dont want to be part of something stupid sounding. Right? Tai agreed. You contrarians! Noam accused. Rolling her eyes, Tai asked the other two, What about you? I.. uh have no strong opinion, Celine answered. Meanwhile, Utoqa was silent, staring at the object in Johnnys lap. A wooden toy dragon which he held closely, but did not play with. Thats it! Noam yelled, Well be the Toy Dragons! Tai raised an eyebrow, Comparing ourselves to dragons? Rather hubristic isnt it? Thats why were the Toy Dragons, Noam said. And when we get famous as shit, itll be fucking hilarious for them to be scared of a bunch of idiots called Toy Dragons! So you admit that the name is dumb? Can you come up with anything better? Noam asked. Tai frowned, before shrugging. I noticed then that her face was noticeably red, and her bottle was almost half empty. Fuck it, how bad could it be? All in favour? Noam asked, raising a hand. I shrugged, raising my hand, it was better than nothing. Celine shyly raised her hand, saying she liked it, while Utoqa silently raised his hand, not having any opinion on the matter. And that night, so was born the Toy Dragons. 6.06 6.06 Journeys end, but another always starts. - Discovery What- what is this? Tignflut, the guild receptionist asked as he read through the report I handed him. An encounter we had in Lake Bayt, against an entity that ate memories, I told him, Ive followed regulation and listed as much detail as I could, but as you might expect, my memory is a bit spotty on the subject. Is it dead? he asked. It is dead, I confirmed. You can contact the priest in the town to get more information, his name is Corvian, he may also be looking to post some quests. I left after that, no one else in the party was the bookkeeping type, so writing up reports was left up to me. Not that they werent busy. Outside, Utoqa hacked away and Scavenged the corpse of our hunt, and as my True Sight faded, I saw the Scales. After spending all his creations during the battle in the cave and suffering heavy damage from the Accumulation of White Lies, he was due a small win, and from the spider corpse he was able to make dozens of web like balls, along with two daggers made from its fangs. Next to him, Celine was grinding and processing potion materials, several health potions were already stacked by her side, her Balance was even, probably the safest place it could be. The sound of wood smacking onto each other signalled Tai and Noams spar. They had radically different martial styles, Noam was largely self taught, focusing on evasion and lots of rapid hits, while Tai swung her blade with practised purpose, she didnt do as many attacks but made up for it by the strength of her swing. Noams Balance was slightly against his favour, likely because of the new staff he had gained. It manifested in small ways, a bit of difficulty channelling Aura the way Tai was teaching it, a single misstep or mistake that slowed down his attempts at learning Martial Arts. Noam would likely end up being frustrated today, and not make great progress, but the act of training, of spending time and effort on the endeavour was dragging him closer to Balance. Not as fast as something grand like slaying a great monster, but it was steady progress. They were all near or approaching Balance. Then I glanced upwards, seeing my Scales leaning slightly in my favour. I had played a crucial role in defeating the giant spider. And I had also given up most of my rewards. An advantage of a party, I was starting to realise, was that we could all shoulder the weights of Balance. For now, Ill refer to the acts of the Scales as either negative or positive karma. Everyone who participated in killing the spider had the right to claim something, as every single one of us were instrumental to the battle. The Elder Brood Spider was not an opponent any single one of us couldve soloed. Even in pairs it wouldve been near impossible. I could see me and Utoqa doing it, but it wouldve been an utter slog. Neither of us had the ability to kill the spider in one hit, my Rot Spores was powerful but it did not kill it. In an ideal scenario, me and Utoqa would be forced into a slow attrition battle, while I held off the massive spider swarms and healed Utoqa, he wouldve slowly worn down the main spider. But then the spiders Path, Reproduce, wouldve thrown a complete wrench in that plan. Suddenly dealing with two large spiders, I would not have been able to manage. My mana was almost completely spent in the battle just holding off the swarm, if I also spent it supporting Utoqa I would be utterly spent whenever the spider activated its Path. Leaving a manaless mage to the mercy of the reproduced spider while Utoqa was stuck fighting the main one. Threes or fours wouldve been an easier time, but all five of us made it a certainty. Celine brought the support so I didnt have to, I dealt with the swarm, Tai brought the damage and instakill potential while Utoqa and Noam brought the duelling power to keep each large spider occupied. We all had an equal- or so close that it didnt matter- claim on the positive karma earned from the battle. It split our gains obviously, but when one of us renounced and gave away all they could gain, it left me with positive karma to spare, while the negative karma was split amongst the party meant it was divided fourways, making it pretty much negligible. I did this by giving a large portion of my gold rewards into funding Celines potions. It seemed like acts of charity would lead to an excess of positive karma, but in Celines case, since some of the potions will inevitably go to me, it didnt have the full passing effect as true charity, but it was close enough. I wonder how much good karma I could stack up before something happened. That was all I dared to learn of the Balance that day. Even now, I could see the slight shifts on the Scales as my knowledge weighed against me. I couldnt stop myself from considering the nature of Balance, but I shut my ability to see it, just to not exacerbate it anymore. Accurate knowledge of the Balance of yourself and others was dangerous. It gave the opportunity to exploit, and in giving opportunity, it created weight. Even in exploiting the system, the system exploits were weighed and tallied all the same. God, it was like that obscure tax law that said you had to declare even illegal forms of income. Almost like theyre saying, Robbery is illegal but if you do rob a bank, all earnings must be taxed. Jesus, I cant tell if theyre asking me to try to exploit the system or not, it feels like theyre waving a finger at me and daring me to cross that line again. I might. But not now, and until then, Ill use the information I have to stack things in my favour. My Traveller level up has to be seamless, and without any risk attached. Every condition has to be perfect. I have to prove that I can control such an event.
Later, in Gaia, at a pizza shop run by a potato and tree, a mushroom knocked on the door. Morning Murphy, Dustin called out. I have something for you. Behind him, Noam dragged a bag full of dead maggot-like creatures. Murphy smiled. The store had a limited time sale that day.
You want to visit your mother? Ba asked. I do, I replied. Why the sudden urge? he asked over the video call. Nothing much, I lied, I just suddenly want to go out and Discover some things. He looked at me weirdly. Alright, get your tickets to Taiwan booked, Ill call her. I nodded, If thats all, then see you later. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. He nodded back, Be safe Declan, I still have work to do. And the video call ended. He cares about you, you know? the voice in my head whispered. I know, I replied. Sometime ago, it was Dustins voice in there, myself but slightly different. This voice wasnt him. Still, to see this world with eyes, I am getting rather excited. Dont be too excited, theres nothing interesting in a fucked world like mine, Discovery. The god chuckled. That remains to be seen. Back when Dustin was first knocked out in the battle against the Accumulation, I saw the defeat, and made a deal with Discovery. He would get me in there to use Dustins body while he was unconscious and tell me how to defeat the Accumulation. But I had also lost. Even with the knowledge of how to fight it, I had been beaten back, Observe was ripped out of my eyes and the blow somehow left me bleeding in real life. That was terrifying. Even now I could feel my eye ache a bit. It wasnt the first time Ive felt pain, but it was the first time Ive felt pain in my real body inflicted by something malicious. Eve didnt count, that car crash was in part an accident, while Accumulations attack on me was targeted. And though I returned the blow through the knowledge Discovery gave me, all I managed to do was get a clue to Dustin through Analyse, before the Accumulation and I were both forced to retreat. But even if I lost, the deal I made with Discovery still stood. I would show him my world, as far as I could go. As a teenager, my travel mobility was still low, I had my parents to consider, but since ma was already in Taiwan mourning the death of my grandparents, I had an easy excuse to go visit her. Naturally, we take the scenic route, Discovery said. I didnt comment. My parents- or ba at least, treated me like an adult, and thought me as mature enough to undertake this cross country journey on my own- There was a knock on the door. And though I no longer had Observe to see through the front facing camera, when youve been with someone for long enough, you start to recognise things like their habits and footsteps. Yo! Matt called out as the door opened, Your pops told me to look after you!
Goddamn, Noam said as he looked at the selection of spell crystals in front of him. This is what the girls have been getting, Murphy explained, at the front, Peps was selling out the maggot skewers, along with someone else who looked very similar to him. Were branching out into an all around store, if you have anything you want to sell, were buying. Not a single tier two spell though? I noted, looking around at the selection. Murphy shook his head, Sadly Dustin, bringing back the maggot skewers for a limited time isnt going to pay for a T2 spell. Unless you want to work here full time, that is? he asked with a sparkle in his eyes. I shook my head, Not currently looking to settle down, I might take you up on that later, but I plan on exploring. Is Indiri that appealing? Murphy asked. I nodded. I have seen some things I have never seen before. And things I wish never to see again, I thought to myself. Noam put a wand on the table. I raised an eyebrow, You want to sell that? It was the wand he looted off the what was his name? He was a noble or something. Im willing to trade this, Noam spoke, detailing the abilities and spells within the wand, show me what tier two spells you have. Murphy obliged, standing up to head to the storage rooms. I glanced at Noam, questioning. He pointed at two spells he had already picked out, Firebolt and Control Flame. I nodded in understanding. He didnt need the wand for long range anymore, plus he got a new staff as a magic focus, and inside of a group he had more leeway to specialise. Murphy brought out several tier two spell crystals. The wand is good, but its only worth one of these He carefully looked over each of them, but upon seeing one in particular, he chose it with glee. Taking his four spell crystals, he quickly learnt them, before turning to Dustin, Lets test them out! We quickly bid farewell to Murphy, Peps and the other employee, along with the small crowd that cheered me for bringing back the maggot skewers. I do admit they did taste kinda good. Noam was playing with fire as we walked. His new T0, Control Flame worked in creating small flames, but he could also control the flames created from his other spells, his napalm spit worked with it as well. When we reached a more secluded spot, he turned to me with a smile. I didnt need any more prompting. I threw my hand out, casting a spell, Poison- -Knife! he interrupted. The ball of spores forming in my hand collapsed, and instead became a singular green blade which he dodged easily. Raising an eyebrow, I tried something else, Sneezing- -Hands! The yellow spores collapsed, giving my hands a strange yellow glow that quickly faded. Noams smile was wide this entire time, though he did hold his head in pain. That was his new Tier Two spell, Ottos Irresistible Correction. Against spells with a verbal component, he could interrupt and forcibly change the nature of the spell during its cast. Its OttoCorrect! Noam yelled, his hands still rubbing his forehead. Fuck that hurts. Its a Tier Two spell, I replied, seeing his pained expression. Even I have trouble throwing multiple of them out at once. I could cast four in a row at best. Barkskin was a completely passive spell, so I didnt need to spend much on maintaining it, but Fix-Up Fungus and Rot Spores both took a lot out of me. Fuck, I need to raise my int or I cant use it more than twice or something, he muttered. I nodded, after he recovered somewhat, he tried his fourth spell, the Tier One Hideous Laughter. It required Concentration, much like my Barkskin, and when cast, made a single target laugh uncontrollably until they forcibly resisted the spell or received stimuli that forced them to pay attention. It didnt work well on me. I found the concept of bees hilarious for about a second before I snapped out of it, my high Wisdom and Intelligence stat meant I could break out of it easier. It was a source of hard CC, which our group was currently lacking, so it was a good choice, but it also needed him to stay close to the target. Those two spells, along with the Tier 0 Control Flame and Firebolt, were all that we got from Murphys store. A good haul huh? Its pretty good, I agreed. With those spells and his recent level six level up, Noam moved to a significant Jack of All Trades within our party, able to do ranged attacks, fight in melee, buff and debuff. The only thing he really couldnt do was take a hit. He wasnt great at any single one of those things, our individual specialisations still beat him out, but altogether he could act as a glue covering all our bases. Not only that Given all his skills, Noam may be the actual strongest within our group right now. At least in terms of one on one combat. Level Six was a greater power spike than I expected, Noam at the current moment had far too many stat buffs, bringing him to the same level as Tai and Utoqa but with some specialist skills to back it up. I had a very low chance of beating him before, but now there was simply no chance. He was overall, the most optimised for fighting. Tai, Utoqa and Celine werent Travellers, they didnt have a convenient level up system, and the Accumulation, while extremely dangerous, was largely focused on me, so they couldnt reap the benefits. While they were with me, I should try raising them up. That''s what I should focus on right now, raising my allies instead of myself. And so, we returned to Indiri. Utoqa nodded towards us as we came back. Our carriage restocked, our party made and named, we set out of the forest.
Discovery was like an excited child as we travelled to the station. Asking dozens of questions on how every single little thing worked, why the sky was purple rather than blue, the designs of the trains that came to take us, and a thousand other things I couldnt be bothered to list. Why does the train lead underground? he asked. Because we cant travel above ground into the Equator. Why is that? Youll see soon enough, I replied, settling down into my seat, Noam- Matt, following me. Ive been in Indiri too long, I was starting to mix up his names. And like that, we started on a train journey to see our fucked up world. 6.07 6.07 Gods are not simply stronger or more knowledgeable entities. Bundriroc is literally a pile of rocks, the God warding off Shadesmar is nothing more than a big fire. Are you to say pebbles and embers are greater and smarter than you? Fool, Gods are Gods because they play a Role. - Magus Smar Da Ten Yu in her correspondence with the Mad Mage Khao, on the subject of apotheosis and deicide. Heavy rain slammed down from the sky, battering the earth and grass. Their cool droplets dripped down my body, soaking into it and making me refreshed, like soaking in a warm bath after a tiresome day, except slightly the opposite. Dustin stop standing there like an idiot and help! I sighed, feeling a sensation much like waking up on a winter morning, not yet ready to leave my warm bed and face the cold outside. But shaking myself out of it, I looked over our cart, seeing Utoqa and Tai struggle and fail to lift it out of the mud. Empty it out first, I suggested, glancing at Celine and Johnny who were already getting off, bringing bags of stuff with them. Utoqa was slowing due to the lowering temperatures, wordlessly Noam spat out a glob of napalm on his hand before lighting it beside the lizardfolk. The heat kept his eyelids open just enough, but it was little compared to the rushing rain. The bison-like creature pulling our cart, which Noam affectionately called Betsy and Utoqa emotionlessly called backup rations, was waiting patiently as now only Tai and I tried to lift the cart out of the ditch. Are you even pushing? Tai called out with a grunt. I have eight strength, I emphasised as my muscles strained with effort. We managed to lift it a few centimetres, but nowhere near what we needed. Collectively, we dropped the cart back into the mud ditch, huffing for breath as we considered this conundrum. Let me help, Noam called as he lit up a torch with napalm to keep warming Utoqa, freeing his formerly burning hand. Then, holding his hands to his mouth, he beatboxed a few bars, activating his Beatbox skill on me. My formerly weakened arms felt themselves almost double in strength! Though that was because it was initially so low that a plus six from his Inspiration skill was actually significant. Noam right now had eight total stats that he could give out with that skill, maxing at six per stat. He gave himself the remaining two as strength before getting beside us. Celine, get Betsy to pull when we push, I directed her, even though she very likely had more strength than me. She nodded, leaving Johnny beside Utoqa to keep warm. On my mark, I called out, this time with both Noam and Tai beside me. One, two, three, PUSH! This time, my strength had been raised to fourteen, Noams was at seventeen with his own buff, and though I didnt know what Tais strength was, it was definitely well above fifteen. The three of us, plus a slap by Celine on Betsys rear, were finally able to free the cart from the ditch. Falling back on my ass, I grunted as I shook the soreness out of my arms. I was the better of the group, as the rain was a supremely comforting environment for me. The rest of us were wet and splattered with mud. Utoqa was already nodding off to sleep, Noams napalm fire be damned. Fuck we need to make camp, Tai said. I nodded, but Utoqa shook his head. Ground too muddy he said, speech slightly slurred as he roughly tore a clump of mud from the ground. Fucking hell youre right, Noam replied as I knelt down to feel the dirt. The ground was too muddy for our tent stakes to properly set in. Utoqa and I would probably be fine in the rain and mud, but it wasnt something the others with their significantly more human bodies could comfortably tolerate. There was a crop of trees nearby, it would be cold, but it would have to do. Were near farmland, Celine called out, sheltering herself and Johnny under her cloak, maybe theres a farmhouse further up the road? If there isnt? Tai asked, peering out into the darkness, I dont think we have any tree cover for the next few miles. I can scout it out, Noam offered, I can head forward first and come back if I see shelter. That sounds like a good idea, I said, tapping my cap. Take Yellow with you. Here! the wisp answered as it hopped onto Noams outstretched hand. Snapping his fingers, Noam ended the Beatbox buff he had on the both of us. Ripping out a fresh beat to raise his stamina before he set out running further down the road. He soon disappeared into the distance, the rest of us set out making the area we had as comfortable as we could. Setting up the tarps above the cart to ward off the rain while we waited for him to return. After a while however, a bright ball of fire flew up far off in the sky. Seven times the small balls of fire flew up into the air, barely more than pinpricks in the darkness. Thats him, I said, getting up, he found a spot for us. Tai groaned, getting up from her comfortable spot, before asking, We got anymore tarp? The front of the cart wasnt covered, Betsy had a blanket on her, but the seat was exposed to the elements. Celine rifled through our remaining stuff, before shaking her head, Were out of blankets. Do we have a spare umbrella at least? I shook my head this time. Tai looked at me. Say you kinda have the shape of an umbrella right? she asked. I paused. Two minutes later, I was sitting on Tais shoulders, an oversized baby used as an impromptu umbrella as she drove the cart. Why was I on her shoulders? Well, that happened when she realised even if I stood behind her, my short height meant my cap would be blocking her vision as she drove. There was a stifled chuckle as Celine failed to hide her laugh. Desperately, I wanted to pull my cap down and hide myself, but I resisted the urge. I cant acknowledge my embarrassment after I agreed to try it.Through my manavision, I could sense that Tai was also regretting the idea, but also too prideful to ask me to get off yet, to acknowledge that maybe her idea was just a tad bit awkward. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Im so high up! Greenie said from atop my head. Stacked atop the cart, Tai and then me, Greenie did have a pretty good view of the land, probably the only one of us who was enjoying it. Then, I heard a second laugh. Not from Celine. But from Johnny. So, I silently sat there. It was a minor sacrifice to hear that child laugh for the first time since I met him. At least until the farm came into sight! Because fucking come on! I was not letting Noam of all people see me like this! I think I should get off now. Tai stiffly nodded, a moment of shared clarity letting the both of us know we regretted ever conceiving or even going through with this. As I got down to the back of the cart, Tai decided to stoically endure the rain for the last short stretch to the farm. I silently gave her a thumbs up. You know you could just drive right? Celine casually mentioned to me. I froze and Tai noticeably stiffened as well. We were all silent until we reached the farm.
So what is a God? I asked Discovery, the roar of the train a faint rumble around us. Matt leaned in as well, though he could not hear Discovery, which I fixed by connecting our AADs. There was a pause, before he began speaking. A god is something given Concepts to embody and govern, he answered finally. How they obtain a Concept can be through two ways. The gradual strengthening of a Path until they reach Conceptualisation, or to be worshipped as an embodiment of that concept. What were you? I asked. I was a mixture of the two, Discovery answered. I made the exploration of the world my lifes joy, and my discovery of the New World made my name known in every household. Just that knowing, that association with Discovery allowed me to embrace the Concept. I initially used it to explore as far as I could through the many multiverses, uncaring of the consequences of the power. But the problem, Discovery continued, is that a Concept is ultimately a shared power. You are not the only one who defines it, worship is strength, but you do not control it. Eventually, people ceased knowing Ekon Zaeba, but began worshipping the myth of Discovery itself, and so, I who was attached to Discovery, began to cease being Ekon Zaeba. What about now? Matt asked, Are you Discovery or are you Ekon Zaeba? I have enough strength to still be called a God, Discovery answered, and the roar of the high seas seemed to briefly overcome the rumbles of the train. But I retain enough of myself to still be Ekon Zaeba, Ekon Zaeba said. This is the state of balance many Gods try to achieve, retain the mind, but keep the worship, though, I cant hear the worship of Indiri anymore, so that may change for me soon. What about the Historian? I asked him. He is one who has achieved balance, Discovery replied. His concept is a bit more special, since he embodies the concept of a job or role, he has more control over it than something more nebulous like Discovery. Could he have stopped me from taking both Eyes back then? I asked. He paused, perhaps sensing the slight bitterness in my tone. He couldve, he admitted. But it wouldve cost him too much. The groove he had been carving out for himself was shattered for a night to free me from that world. To sever my apotheosis, he engaged in History, a contradiction for Historian who is supposed to only record it. If he had not quickly returned to the role, he mightve been destroyed along with it. So he couldve only hoped that his warning was enough for me to get rid of it, or that I really did discover a miraculous cheat to overcome the Balance of the world, I guessed. Adding one or two more words couldnt have been that dangerous right? Matt asked. To Discoverys surprise, I was the one who answered it. It may have been the straw that broke the camels back, I told Matt. A single action can tip it, if I told the you in Indiri right now a few sentences, I would be able to screw up your karma. To Discovery I said, I do not blame others for my mistakes, I shouldve seen the pitfall I was walking into. Bringing a hand to my still red eye, I told them, If the cost of learning that lesson was just an eye, I would gladly pay that price. Experience is a bloody teacher, Discovery agreed. But their lessons are ever important.
As our cart passed by their fence, I saw a mailbox in the shape of a winged foot. On the doors to the farmhouse was a symbol of a hearth. Celine quickly got off, bowing to the middle aged couple who greeted us. We come asking for warmth and hospitality for a night, she said. The two bowed back, tapping their chest four times clockwise in a square- no, a Hearth shape. We offer it in the name of the Old Laws, may you return like with like. We thank you, Celine said. May you find honey on your doorstep. The couple broke out in a wide smile, It is not often we meet a youngin who remembers the traditions. I um sorta picked it up along the way, Celine said with an embarrassed smile. I am Gherkan, this is my wife Ferrar, he introduced himself. Your friend tells us you are adventurers. I nodded as Noam joined us, helping unload some of our sleeping gear. We are travelling for now until we reach the next big city. Please come in, Ferrar welcomed us, no need to be standing in the rain while we talk. We have some heated soup. That would be greatly appreciated, I answered. Betsy led into their barn along with our cart, we filed into the house. Celine held Johnnys hand as we entered. After accepting the simple, but hearty soup, Celine tucked in Johnny, singing a lullaby beside him as he drifted off to sleep. The rest of us were by the hearth. ... that child, Gherkan began. You need to bring him to a church of the Hearth? I nodded, the rest of us as well. Do you know of any place nearby? Noam asked. Gherkan nodded, Further down the road, towards the north. You will find the city of Taebut, there you will find a Church to the Hearth. The fireplace beside us crackled with flame. By the sides of the hearth, there were two empty seats. Forever dedicated to the Gods Lorn and Gwaina, the protectors of home and family. There were many Pantheons on just this continent, the names and rituals of all the different gods, even abbreviated, could fill out an entire encyclopaedia. But no matter what, there would still be gods in greater prominence compared to others. The Elder Pantheon was the previous ruling Pantheon of the humanoid races, though lessened in modern times due to the rising of the White Pantheon, their influence remained. Bundriroc was a part of the Elder Pantheon, as were Lorn and Gwaina. Their influences were set in the land and people itself. I bowed, Thank you for this information. As we retired for the night, I glanced towards Celines room, finding her dozing off beside Johnny, her living cloak wrapping itself around the both of them. When morning came and we bid our farewells, I saw something on the doorstep of the farmhouse. A jar of fresh honey, one not there last night. Gherkan smiled towards me. Hospitality and Honour, we remember to follow all those things. I nodded in understanding. Altruism gets rewarded in this world. For voluntary loss has to be balanced. Celine bowed, and the rest of us mimicked her this time. Thank you for lending us your roof, Celine said. Thank you for the honey, Ferrar replied with a cheeky smile, as if sharing a joke. Gherkan tapped his chest four times, making the shape of a hearth, May Bundriroc protect your journey. May Tasha visit your fields, Celine answered. And with that, we set off. When the farmland bled away into the stark walled city of Taebut, I got my Status Screens back. And I had finally levelled up. Interlude: Enchiridion Interlude: Enchiridion Of course Im keeping the alliteration, how else am I supposed to appeal to a wider audience? - Ezekial to his publisher regarding his books the Enchiridion of Encounters. Yes, all twenty-six (now twenty-nine at the time of publishing) versions of them. Elliot never wanted to be a homeless vagrant, but he supposed few people did. With a free hand, he sliced away a creeping vine with his spare knife, the old one having been so thoroughly coated with sap that he was forced to discard it. How did I end up here? he briefly wondered, counting back on the disastrous events that led to his vagrancy. Ma died of the plague, pa went ahead and got himself killed when he pissed on a dragon''s mountain, and the dragon just had to have burned down the farm as well. He freed his other hand from the vines, much preferring to be harvesting wheat on a peaceful farm rather than cutting carnivorous vines in the depths of the jungle. Heck, I shouldve just taken up accounting, he thought as he threw the knife behind him. A bloom of red appearing out of nowhere as the panther-like creature broke its invisibility. Hawtin was an ass but he paid well at least. The lines on his gloves glowed for a moment, invoking an image similar to circuitry, and the knife detached itself from the corpse, flying back to his hands. He stowed it away with his other mundane knives, before taking out a compass and map. Elliot held the compass level and peered at the needle, only to tsk in annoyance as he saw the needle spinning without rhyme or reason. The same result hed been getting for the past month. He sighed, Knew I shouldve mana-proofed it. Elliot returned the compass and map to his bag of holding. The traditional way wouldnt work, so instead, he took a deep breath and used his Path Skill. He focused on an image, a large crystal, one hes seen many times before, a Wayshard. For a brief moment, the world felt louder. Whispers became screams. Soft winds became cutting as every sense was pushed to the extreme. Elliot staggered to the side, leaning onto a huge tree. His head was pounding as it processed more information than it was truly meant to. His eyes drifted to the sky, searching for a star that was no longer there. If only I had mana Elliot, unlike many, did not have a single bulb of mana or aura to his name. Manatheres apparently missed him when he was born, and by all accounts, he shouldve died years ago. Either from deficiency or just standing too close to a moderately powerful being. Hells Im surprised I live this long, he thought as the bark underneath his arm suddenly moved. He cursed as the annoyed bark scuttler climbing to a higher point in the tree, before merging back to it seamlessly. The pain and loudness of his mind slowly subsided as Seek found what he needed. A trail appeared in his mind. Like a line of dust and cloud, it directed him forward. Elliot, lacking other options, began following it. Knife in one hand to cut away any vines that tried to take a shot at him. Seek helped him delve into the unknown. The lands not mapped. The seas unsailed. The sights never seen by mortal eyes. But it only directed him to the unknown. When used actively like he did just now, it would direct him to notable landmarks. Sometimes it worked to his advantage. Most civilisations built their cities around Wayshards and his skill would direct him to them. But if the most notable landmark within the nearest few leagues was a giant tree or a river or a nest of fireflies Tiny fuckers, he mentally cursed as he checked his burn. It stung, but his supplies were low and he recognised none of the nearby flora to brew a salve. Thats what I shouldve done! Become a herbalist, maybe even dabbled in alchemy a bit. He sighed, A nice stable desk job, away from all this nonsense. That would be the dream. He paused as the trail led him to a cave. Its entrance stood out of the verdant jungle like a gaping scar. No greenery bloomed on the rough grey stone. His moment of apprehension was gone, when he saw a pure crystal jutting out of the floor. Thank you, North Star, he said as he hurried forward. Elliot was not a religious man, but he knew when to offer thanks even though the receiver had seemingly disappeared. Taking out one of his duller knives, he began chipping away at the stone around the crystal. It came free easily and Elliot lifted it. A whisper came to his mind as he stashed it into his bag, the sound was not clear. He would need to get the spell crystal appraised by someone with mana, or aura if he was lucky. Most cant use spell crystals like Travellers can, but having a spell formula embedded in crystal made a very good example to study for aspiring mages. Rich, noble mages. And wild spell crystals meant another thing. He continued deeper into the cave, breathing out a sigh of relief as he spotted the Wayshard glowing just a few dozen metres in. Finally, he thought as he neared the Wayshard. A night with an actual bed, warm meals not made of whatever I can scramble from within a jungle and- One of his wards broke. The shattering sound echoed in the cave, Elliot jumped back, rolling behind a stalagmite, just as a wave of flame slashed through where he stood. Leaving a burning line of fire behind him. Shit shit shit shit shit, he thought as he removed and applied a fresh ward from his bag. That was my ward against charms. Whos there! he yelled as he began retrieving items from his bag, Mages, maybe a bard of some kind. Definitely an enchanter. He took out his weapons, a staff filled with several spell charges, a glass prism and four small baubles which he held between his fingers. The last bauble he spun once, activating it. He peeked outside of his cover, only to feel his skin crawl as he saw his opposition. Two figures, one male and the other female. They looked human only in the loosest sense, like the result of an artist whos never seen a human try their hand at painting one. Their features were too sharp or too smooth or too exaggerated. A thousand tiny inconsistencies that told him he was dealing with the Fair Folk. He didnt recognise the first, but the second he did. The bauble soon confirmed it, absorbing the nearby ambient mana and taking on a variety of colours, before it cracked in his hand, letting out a small flame as it did. Autumn Court, and Damnable Hells, shes still a Duchess. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Apologies for the rough reception esteemed Enchiridion, the male Fae began, his voice sounded melodious and wonderful- his second ward broke and Elliot quickly slapped on one of his better wards. A paper seal made by the Yuan Tei. The Fae continued, uncaring of his actions, his voice now just pleasant instead of hypnotising, We have come to claim debts and restore honour lost. To even the scales once again. Theres more than the two of them, a Duchess doesnt travel without an entourage. Elliot returned two of his baubles, taking out a pure gold coin and a pure black marble, You seem to know me, but I dont know much about you. May I know your title? The Fae smiled, I am the Lord of Welcoming Zephyr. They are really running out of good titles, he thought, though he internally breathed a sigh of relief. A Fae Lord was easy to deal with, And am I correct in presuming that you speak for the Duchess behind you? The Lord paled before the Duchess stepped forward with a smirk, No, you would not be, she said. Elliot took a deep breath, he knew how to deal with Fae, and hiding behind a stalagmite wasnt ideal. So he walked out of cover with a bright smile. I would say it is a pleasure my lady, but I would be lying. Ah, but it is a pleasure for me, dear Author of Enchiridion, she replied with a smile. No hypnotic effect with her words, the ward isnt responding. Earlier flames suggest she still has a similar title, he swiftly analysed. I suppose both of us should introduce what we go by now, I am Elliot- The Duchess hissed as he said the name, A false name will not hide you my love. No matter your face or name, I will know you until Last Cycle. He merely raised an eyebrow at the interruption, despite the fact he almost shat his pants at the implications of her words. Fae cannot lie. At all. There goes my chance at a normal life. And yet I do not know what you are now, so do introduce yourself... My lady, he replied, hurriedly sticking up that last bit. There were more colourful words he wanted to say about her showing up, but so long as he kept up a facade of polite conversation, she would not be able to attack him. The Lord behind her looked apprehensive, but she still introduced herself, despite knowing full well it would be giving away her current capabilities, Why, I am the Duchess of Unrelenting Wildfire, she chuckled, please do give up, you cannot beat me as you are now, dear E****. Elliot felt a jolt as she said his name, he sold it many, many years ago. When he was being chased by the Kenkou mob over some borrowed artefacts and needed a quick way to change his face after all his backup identities were found out. It was his fault for not knowing that selling your name meant selling the identity associated with it, or that none of the people he knew would recognise him as him anymore. May I know how you left Arcadia? Elliot may not be a mage, but he did his research when he didnt pay up the latter half of his contract. Many things did not make sense with her appearance. A Duchess of her power passing into Creation would be noticed by his divination trinkets unless there was someone on this side easing the process. Someone mustve followed him this far. An extremely impressive feat considering the leagues of murderous jungle between him and the closest thing of civilisation. She laughed as she saw the mental gymnastics going through his mind, Why, I simply passed by of my own accord, without aid from this realm''s lesser mages. His eyes widened. That is impossible, he said with genuine disbelief. If anything other than a Fae said it, then he wouldve suspected his Diviner had sold him faulty equipment. But a Fae did say it. Why it is completely true my dear- She didnt get to finish, because at that moment he threw the black marble in his hand. The Lord behind her lifted a hand, long since warned about resistance, but his face scrunched up in surprise as the wind he summoned failed to change the trajectory of the marble whatsoever. Of course not knobhead, its magical wind. The Duchess disappeared in a whirl of flame, right before the marble cracked on the floor where she was. Releasing the null magic zone contained within and instantly destroying the Lord. Elliot cursed as the only chance he had at killing the Duchess was avoided. A sudden increase of heat behind him told him to turn around. Seeing the burning flames left by the previous attack began to whirl into the form of a woman and dozens of winged figures coming out from the shadows of the cave. Fuck they came prepared. He threw the glass prism in front of him, it stopped suddenly in midair as the sunlight from outside hit it. The prism parsed the pure sunlight, reflecting the seven colours of the rainbow through it. The Duchess reformed fully, her form causing the flames to spread, her arm held out as a burst of fire flew towards the prism. BLUE! Elliot yelled and the colours disappeared, leaving only the blue lighting up the entire cavern. A sudden flash frost exploded from it, hitting everywhere the light struck. Elliot threw up his cloak right as the ice struck. The cold warmed up his Cloak of Inversion and he started towards his goal, the Wayshard. The heat on his cloak swiftly turned cold as the Duchess easily freed herself from the ice. Why do you resist my love? I slept with you once! Elliot yelled. Damn stories, damn all stories to hell. Fae were stories, they were ideas, they embodied it and were limited by it, and some backwards tradition on marriage meant that this Fae was incapable of even conceiving a future where she didnt drag him back to Arcadia to marry. He mightve actually been receptive to the idea, if not for the fact that living with an entity of such casual power was inevitably detrimental to his manaless body. To give an analogy, it would be like being constantly exposed to nuclear radiation. Elliot was not that desperate for tail to shorten his lifespan. It was just that one time. The Duchess smiled, I do love it when you play hard to get. Our time when we finally get together may be short, but it will be meaningful. Evidently, my survival after marriage is not a high priority for her. So he raised the staff, pointing it directly at her and the other Fae surrounding him. Fog. Plumes of white fog exploded from the staff, the Duchess frowned for the first time. Wind, she ordered. And wind was given by one of her subordinate Fae, however it failed to alleviate the fog. For the Staff of Fog stored and casted two spells at once, one creating physical fog that could be pushed by wind, and another that created illusory fog that did not truly exist beyond your senses. Guard the Wayshard, she demanded, instantly teleporting right next to the crystal with a burst of flame. But that was not his goal. Elliot flipped the gold coin that he held, letting it roll on the floor, until when it stopped to rest, there revealed a door that was not there before. He rushed through, slamming the door shut behind him. Before him was the infinite store and the Traveller Merchant. Dave! he yelled, I have more Traveller Gold in a safehouse in the Dread Empire, I wish to buy a teleport to a safe location and for you to not sell information of my destination to the next person that enters! The door was slammed open with a burst of fire as the Duchess of Unrelenting Wildfire entered. But the man who looked just like him with a monocle simply snapped his fingers, Done. And Eliot was simply gone. He woke up in a meadow somewhere. He knew he neednt bother checking the surroundings, as Dave always held true to transactions, but did so anyway out of habit. Once he found that the surroundings were clear, he sat down, rummaging his bag for a set of items. A few minutes later, Emmet stood up, the face and demeanour of the Author of Enchiridion now completely changed. 7.00 7.00 First friend I laid to rest, a tragedy, Thousandth, a memory. - Wundall, the God of Games It was rather anticlimactic.
You have fulfilled the unlock conditions for the new class Keeper of Secrets You may invest your level in either Fungalmancer or Keeper of Secrets Note: Investing in Keeper of Secrets will remove the [Et Non-Discent] skill
I had long been in the range of levelling up, in fact, counting my Keeper of Secrets, I had already been at level six. Its just that Keeper wasnt a class of the system, and I had no intention of changing that any time soon. It might be interesting to see how the class translated, but in the end, I only put the level into Fungalmancer.
Name: Dustin Racials: Magic Myconid Level 1 Classes: Fungalmancer Level 5 Body Strength: 8 Agility: 7 Dexterity: 6 Constitution: 19 Stamina: 10 Vitality: 12 Mind Intelligence: 16 Wisdom: 21 Charisma: 6 Soul Will: 10 Psyche: 10 Perception: 10 Available SP: 9 Racials: Manavision, Fungal Body, Sun Sickness, Mana Dependency, Pacifying Spores, Strong Innate Magic, Age-Type Heteromorph Class Skills: Fungalmancer: Path: Symbiosis Grow Sporage (Visual / Proximity), Sporage Wisp Symbiosis, Bracken Polypores, Magic Myconid Spells: T0: Sneezing Spores, Acid Spit, Watching Eye Fungalmancer Spells: T0: Balm Spores, Light Spores, Shillelagh (1 Free) T1: Mushroom Meal, Poison Spores, Euphoria Spray, (1 Free) T2: Bark Skin, Fix-Up Fungus, Rot Spores, (1 Free) T3: (2 Free) Languages: Common Undercommon
And watching the Scales above me, I saw it imperceptibly shift. Indeed, I hadnt yet taken any of my new level six skills, spent my Stat Points or even filled out my new spell slots. Right now, all the Scales were calculating was that one increased point of Wisdom from my automatic growth and the opportunity to fill those out. Until I actually did something with them, it was just something waiting. However, the fact that it changed led to the rather horrific implication that it was inevitable for people who pursued both the levelling system and natural power progression of Indiri to be always moving towards imbalance. Meaning that encounters like I had may be inevitable. Double the rewards, but double the pushback. Thankfully, my Keeper of Secrets was currently static. So long as I kept it like that, it should be a non-factor in future level ups. Not to mention, I already knew a way to get rid of imbalance, simple acts of charity should do it, what I actually sacrificed was the problem. Gold and a magic staff was not a significant loss, losing both deific eyes and the Paths associated was a It hurt my collectors heart a bit, not to mention seeing one of my spells become effectively useless without Observe to back it up. But your Balance can be managed if you arent too greedy. I suppose I should warn Noam about it, since he was pursuing Aura techniques with Tai, he might be carrying a bit too many magic items. Though glancing at him with a smiling Johnny sitting on his shoulders, I dont think I needed to tell him anything. Unlike me, he was a good person all on his own. We found the Hearth Church soon. Squirrelled away in an older part of the city, a bit of a ways away from the bustling and new markets, the house looked old and lived in. Red bricks overgrown with vinery with the cobblestone streets leading to it were well worn to smoothness. Children were playing in the front yard, a good sign. Noam stepped forward, waving one down, Wheres your umm Hearth Priest, Celine reminded him. Yeah! Can we talk with your priest? he continued. Sister Glascoin? the child replied. Yellow nudged me, whispering, The other children have stopped playing. Indeed, the sounds of play had stopped. A side eye from Noam was all the communication we needed, my manavision caught him easily, and I did not turn to him, that alone was enough to remind him I still had the ability. But I was still unaware of everything outside of its short range. Perhaps switching my current Secret to the Balance was a bit too hasty. Somethings wrong, Tai whispered. Defensive, Noam mouthed quietly. Now knowing to take advantage of my manavision. Shuffling, a door slammed open as someone hurriedly rushed out. Weight of the steps indicated someone older, or at least heavier. Greetings, the voice of an older woman sounded out. There was still some time before I could swap out secrets Actually, with my remaining good karma, I think I could manage a faster speed Secret swap if I really tried. No, not yet worth it. Increasing the strength of Keep just meant every consequent Secret added to it would bring more weight. The power of this Path was to let me Keep or let go of skills as my karma needed, as well as sealing the dangerous bits of knowledge I had. Hello, Noam began, his voice remained cheerful, but I caught the slight bit of hesitation that pinned under it. Shes acting afraid of us, Greenie whispered. There was a gulp, but then Noams eyes narrowed. Resolved, he mouthed to me. Are you Governor Hyes men? the Priestess of the Hearth asked. Who? Tai asked in response. At that moment, Johnny, who had been behind us, slightly poked his head out from behind Noams legs. There was a moment, and a sigh of relief from the priestess. The tension seemed to disappear in my companions, sadly I couldnt see whether it was as a response to the other party. I needed my own eyes. Normal ones, ones that didnt see through all illusions or told me the Balance of all things. Or maybe I should keep this lack of sight, such detriments might skew my own Balance positively in other directions. This is going to be hard to explain but well we have a kid, Johnny, Noam said, lifting the boy up by his arms. Hes not ours, but from a Tilt church that was attacked by a monster, weve been looking for a place for him to move to. Indeed, I said, taking the opportunity to take a few steps forward, enveloping the woman into my manavisions limited range. The matter is rather sensitive, may we discuss it inside? She was an older, motherly looking woman, healthy with few wrinkles on her face and a mop of red hair tied behind her head. There was hesitance on her face, but why? We may, she said after a moment''s deliberation. Come in, Ill have tea and hospitality prepared. We were led inside into a small living room, where Sister Glascoin quietly excused herself to prepare tea. Somethings wrong, Tai began. Obviously. Whos Governor Hye? Noam asked, turning to Celine. She shook her head, Governor is a common title for city lords in this country, I dont know the name of the Governor of Taebut, but it would be easy to find out. Yellow, scout the premises, dont be seen, I said, letting the wisp leap off my arm, it soon disappeared into the corners of the room. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Steps, Utoqa simply said. We heard it a bit after him, the sounds of footsteps nearing the entrance. Discussion momentarily quietened. As I was sitting right by the door, I saw her first through the wall with my manavision. A child peeked her head through the frame of the door, before hurriedly retracting it upon seeing the eyes on her. Noam shot me a glance, then gestured towards Johnny. I nodded in response. Johnny yelped as Noam lifted him by the shoulders, Cmon Jojo, theres no point in hanging out with these stuffy assholes, lets go and play with kids your age. Dont you mean our? Tai retorted with rolled eyes. Celine hurriedly rose from her seat, Ill go with you two as well. Noam welcomed her, before waving down the kid outside the hall. I could faintly hear Noam asking if theyve ever played soccer as they left. It was around then that the priestess returned. She looked noticeably more relaxed. Judging by the structure of the house, she mustve passed by Noam and Celine playing with the kids as she came here. She set down the tea that she brought onto the table, bowing as she tapped her chest four times. Welcome, I offer hospitality in the name of the Old Laws, may you return like with like. I hurriedly rose from my seat. What was it that Celine said? God, it was just a few days ago. May you find honey on your doorstep? I said with a tinge of uncertainty, still trying to remember her response even as I bowed. May you find honey on your doorstep, Tai helped, bowing as well. Glancing towards the windows, she smiled, I may have to provide something cooler for your friends outside. I could faintly hear laughter as a ball was kicked around, Noam was doing his job well. Theyll be at it for a while, I replied, for games, Noam has stamina to last days. That reminds me that I have not caught your names. Im Tai, she said before glancing towards me. Im Dustin, I said with a small wave. The two outside are Noam and Celine. Were of a newly formed mercenary group. Sister Glascoin quietly glanced towards Utoqa. Utoqa, he answered simply. May I know the name of the mercenary group? Toy Dragons, I told her with a blank face. Tai quietly cringed, but thankfully the priestess didnt catch it. That is an interesting name, the Sister said with a strange look. It was named by the man outside, I shrugged. Somehow, that made her nod in complete understanding. Even having a look of maybe it doesnt sound that weird after all. Was this what pretty privilege was? Just because Noam had ten more Charisma than I did? Taking a sip of the tea, I began what we were here for. Youve heard most of it outside already, I began. Johnny Joymoon is an orphan, formerly of the Tilt Church in the town Lake Bayt, said church was ransacked by a monster, who killed everyone except him Slowly, we told the tale to Sister Glascoin. I did the bulk of the retelling, with Tai adding in details that I wasn''t aware of or missed. The priestess slowly slumped into her chair. So he is the last of his house, she tiredly said, wiping a tear by her eye. And protected by the Weeping Child. It was then I noticed the grey hairs on her head, streaks of silvery age in an otherwise healthy looking woman. Sister Glascoin looked at the two empty chairs by the unlit hearth, and made that now familiar sign on her chest. Im afraid I cannot take him, she said with a voice of regret. There was a moment of silence. Is this because of this Governor Hye? Tai asked. The priestess glumly nodded, I owe him a debt. During a Rift, one of the children was caught outside the Home. Hyes mercenaries rescued her, but she told me it wasnt out of charity. My fingers drummed the armrest of my chair. Wayshard Rifts simply referred to any event in which a number of unknown hostile entities emerged from a Wayshard, generally otherworldly and seemingly ignoring the rule that the entity had to have visited the Wayshard previously. It was one of the reasons why all the in-use Wayshards were surrounded by walls and defensible positions. With such things, it was quite possible for an entire army to show up and attack out of nowhere. I still have money to run the church, but Ive already sent away a lot of the children to other Hearths. Im sorry, but you may have to prolong your journey to another Hearth Home. Cant you ask for financial assistance from other Homes? Tai asked. What about the donations? Surely you receive plenty of donations as a church. She shook her head, Many of those who donate are working folk who cant spare much coin. We pale compared to the wealth of other faiths, so there is little to go around. I have already received as much financial assistance as I can. How much? I asked, How much coin do you still owe her? Two-thousand. Tai frowned, Silvers? Two-hundred gold is pricey but it should be manageable. I nodded, I can raise that amount after doing some quests, if I save my cut of the shares, it should take a month or two at most for me to raise that amount. Less than a month, Tai said, I can pitch in my share, and Noam and Celine would probably agree in a heartbeat. The priestess shook her head, You misunderstand, I meant two-thousand gold. There was a moment of silence. And my mouth moved before I could stop it. What the fuck? Language Dustin, Tai shot me a dirty look, masking her own shock quickly. Were in front of a priest and inside a church. I shook my head, Im sorry Sister Glascoin, but unless that child was literally made of gold, I dont see a reason to demand such an exorbitant price for them. Are they running a fucking mob racket here? Was I in the wrong profession? If shaking down elderly priests and orphans was so profitable, should I also start my own criminal mob? She rubbed her brow, It is as you say, Governor Hye bought her way to her position and has replaced most guards with her men. She dares not hurt or threaten us, as Lorn and Gwaina protect all their families, but money is not a place where the Hearthfire can help. She wrung her hands tiredly, I can only pay off the interest of the debt, not the debt itself. There was fucking interest? I am practical enough that I wont reject any offers to help me, however, this is not a debt that you owe. It is my fault alone for not watching the children properly. And it would be simpler for you to move to another city to find another Hearth Home not in such dire straits. You can flee, Utoqa suddenly suggested, move all the young to other nests. She gave a tired smile to him, like she had considered the idea. And who will maintain this Church? Am I to pass this burden to the next one who comes? Will the next child orphaned in this city be lucky enough to have adventurers escort them to the next city with an orphanage? I sighed in agreement, turning to Tai and Utoqa. Well have to discuss this as a group, I told her. She nodded, I understand. We finished the tea, and she let us go outside to meet Noam and Celine. Johnny was still playing soccer with the kids, and Noam slowly extracted himself, telling the kids his old body had to rest before sitting down beside us. The kids are energetic, Noam told me as we rested in the shade, no signs of malnourishment that I could tell and seemed all around pretty happy. Theyre well fed and exercise pretty frequently. Celine looked at him strangely. You were taking note of that? Noam snorted, pointing in my direction, He put me up to it. Celine looked at me strangely. When? Both Noam and I shrugged in unison, which, I admit, neither of us planned. Wanna tell them the other thing? Noam asked Celine. She nodded, The kids told us they were warned off talking with certain people by Sister Glascoin. Namely the guards and people in armour. I nodded, And Yellow? The wisp tsked as it crawled out of a crack in the wall, having failed to surprise me with its entrance. The food place- pantry- had food and stuff but it was a lot of the cheap things. Cheap things? Tai asked. Lots of dry meats and hard breads, the wisp elaborated. The cupboard for tea was big but empty. Tai nodded, adding, The tea also didnt have any sweetener in it. Hmm? I asked. Hearth Homes all serve their tea the same way, Tai continued. They always add some honey since the kids dont like the bitter taste, the habit carries over with their hospitality, but there wasnt any honey in our tea. Huh. I barely noticed what tea we had drunk. Good observation, I praised. Tai shrugged, Its nothing. That leaves us with an overall lack of non-essential and luxury items then, Noam noted. So, should we help? Any opinions? Utoqa? I have food and shelter, Utoqa replied simply. I care for little else. Youre a low maintenance guy arent you? Noam remarked. Im fine with helping, the main problem is the money isnt it? How long do you think itll take us to raise two k gold? Judging by our previous efficiency, six months to a year, I answered. We can change our strategies slightly, if you and I exploit our respawns, we can lower the risk of all operations significantly. A year though Celine muttered, That is a long time to be spent on a single request. Is it? Tai asked. Its just a year, itll pass in a flash. Celine looked at Tai strangely. As did the rest of us. How lucky it is to be a race that measures their life in centuries, Celine sighed. We can do it faster, Noam said, lets just beat up this Govna Hye and threaten her to never touch the Sister and the kids again. Tai shook her head, Can we not break any laws? Im too young to be a wanted criminal. Technically were only criminals if were ever caught, Noam pointed out. Were criminals if we did crime, Tai pointed out. The fact that I have to tell you that is more worrying than you suggesting this. We can just bring Johnny to another orphanage, I said. It might even be safer, if they dont have a corrupt Governor running a protection racket. How about we overthrow them? Noam suggested. Theres gotta be dissidents somewhere. Give em the goodol mob riots and pitchforks. How did you get from threats to political revolution? Tai exclaimed incredulously. With my head? Noam replied. You- Tai shook her own head, sighing in resignation. I glanced towards the person we were talking about, though Johnny was out of my manavision range, I could still hear his laugh. I thought to Johnny laughing behind my back as Tai carried me. We can continue to raise him, I said, let him join up as we travel. No. Noam stared directly at me, before shaking his head, We cant Dusts. A travelling life with a bunch of crusty older people isnt the type of life for a kid. Kids need kids their age to play with, to become friends with, to learn with, to group together so they could beat up older kids, he continued. Celine nodded, I agree though that last part sounded strange A life of travel moving from one place to another is fine for us, but only because we have places to return to. She turned towards the courtyard, Wheres his? I was silent. Lets ask him, Noam suggested. Ask him what he wants. Tai raised an eyebrow, Hes just a kid though. Kids are smarter than we think, Noam replied simply. He began walking towards Johnny, leaving my manavision. Slowly, I followed behind him, as did Tai, Celine and Utoqa. Jojo! Noam called out, Come here for a sec. Johnny soon came into my vision, and Noam knelt down to speak to him eye to eye. I have to tell you something, Noam began. He spoke slowly, but clearly, so that Johnny would understand everything. The Hearth Home here it cant take you easily, Sister Glascoin owes money to some people. We can make it work if you want to, but it would be easier for us to move to a new city and find a different Hearth Home. Johnny shook slightly. Would I leave this place behind as well? If you want to, Noam told him. Johnny turned around, to where I assumed the other children were still playing, Would I leave them behind? You can continue to visit through the Wayshard, I answered. Set up playdates. But I will still leave them, Johnny said. It was slightly unsettling, seeing the young boy stare unblinking towards me. Johnny clutched that ragged doll with weeping eyes, I dont want to leave anyone behind anymore. I want to stay. 7.01 7.01 Tell me, child, is there a single thing more crippling than absolute freedom? For is it not a waste of choice, if one does not consider every option? And is it not a waste of thought, if a choice is never made? - Verron Pluton the Suffering Sage.
You have unlocked the Dimensional Gate Feat (9SP) You have learned the following spells from the Interweaved Dimensions Spell List: T2: Misty Step T2: Summon Wisp T3: Create Wisp
I hummed as I watched my available Stat Points go down to zero. In front of me, Celine set down a lighted candle between us as she pulled close the curtains, leaving us in the dark. Why did you do that? She nervously smiled at me as she sat down on the floor with me. Kinda want to set the mood. I didnt comment as she pulled out a book and set it down between us. So you want to throw a Fireball? A Comprehensive Guide to Magic for the Intellectually Deficient by Magus Smar Da Ten Yu, I said. Celine nodded. Magic is just based on cost and will, she told me. All different schools can help with casting, but they just change the process of will to be a cost one. You pay several years of training and stick to tradition to get magic without the need to exert great will. I nodded, the candle flickering between us. My baba told me that mana only acts as currency, an artificial thing that originally had no value, and only acted as a means to exchange for magic. That was the original intention of the mage Manatheres who created mana. But that changed. She nodded in agreement, That changed, when Manatheres ascended to godhood, he lost all will, and mana became a worldly decree. Suddenly something worthless had value. Suddenly mana could become something entirely on its own. She smiled at both the wisps, Greenie and Yellow. I dont know how to specifically cast Summon or Create Wisp, but I know how it works. Then let me demonstrate, with my first cast, I told her, raising one of my fingers. Summon Wisp. There was a brief gathering of power, Yellow craned its head forward to look closer as above my finger, eight glowing translucent bulbs of energy gathered. Four were blue, made of pure mana, two were black, of mana tainted by darkness, one was fiery, born of the small candle flame between us. The last, briefly gathered into an appearance covered in glowing words and runes, before it dissipated. Four unaspected, three darkness, one fire and a knowledge that couldnt fully manifest, Celine noted, pretty good for a first try. Not my own skill, I replied, its just the Traveller magic easing things. The wisps floated above my hand, curiously looking around the room. Knowledge wisps should be summoned easier within a library, these should work, unless you want to try creating them from scratch? she asked. I glanced to my knee, where on it, where three empty wisp bodies. Balm, Light and Rot Spores. Whats your opinion? I asked. She thought for a moment. These seven are natural wisps, drawn out from elemental planes, they will work in a pinch, but they only last so long, since this is not their natural plane, they will dissipate back. Even if you keep them somehow, as they absorb your mana, their original element will get washed out. Similar to how you would add water to a cup of juice, theres actually a formula for it in the Trizian School of thought, but its not universal. Since youre not pursuing learnt magic it might actually be detrimental to know. I thought about asking her what the formula was anyways, since it might act as a decent point of reference, but instead, I asked, Then I should instead create them from scratch? Celine nodded, That would be best, if you want to acclimate them quicker and help them keep their original element. Lets go for that then, I freed the wisps from my control, letting them wander around the room before they slowly dissipated. We both stood up, Celine pulling open the curtains as I blew out the candle. Create Wisps was actually a minor ritual spell that could create any aspected wisp, but required things alluding to the element desired. Balm should work with some bandages, light should work with the candle. The problem is rot right? I asked. She nodded, Well probably need something rotting. Rot Spores is also a higher level spell so it''s best if the wisp created is much larger than the other ones. I picked up the candle, Then lets gather some ritual materials.
The train rumbled quietly as we resumed our quiet silence. Matt was video calling his parents and brother, while I sat waiting by the train window. Slowly, I felt Discovery wake as we neared our destination. The train curved to the right, giving us a scenic view of the Equator. I shielded my eyes, as lightning roared and fell down like rain. Whatever land there once was here has long since been flooded and drowned. Only the bridge upon which the train tracks ran remained above water, and even then, the entire train was designed to be able to operate completely underwater when even the bridge gets flooded. This storm Discovery murmured. In front of me, a holographic video appeared with a stewardess, Greetings passenger, we now pass by the Equator. Cabins have been soundproofed to prevent the sound of thunder, but please wear appropriate eye protection when observing the Equator. A pair of glasses has been provided under every seat. Alternatively, you may tint or darken your cabin window with the control panel on the right What caused this storm? Discovery asked as the stewardess droned on in the background. People in the past burnt a shit ton of stuff they dug up from the ground, I replied evenly. We called the end result climate change. Shortly after, the stewardess video echoed my sentiment. The irregular and unnatural climate here in the Equator is due to the shortsightedness of other nations and corporations. They burned fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas for energy, not caring about the greenhouse gas emissions they caused and ignored warnings by the Australian Federation Man caused this? I nodded. People in the past were idiots. Well, Matt shrugged as he ended his video call, theres a bit more nuance. The Equator wasnt caused by fossil fuel burning, it was caused by people later trying to fix it. I raised an eyebrow, Really? Yeah, Matt answered, then followed in a questioning tone, You didnt learn this? As I shook my head, Matt said with a raised eyebrow, That video puts a lot of emphasis on other nations and corporations being the problem huh? I paused and stared at him. He was speaking around something. Frogfish? I asked him. Matt nodded. I tried salt pepper fried fish after I came to Australia for the first time, my mother showed me. I see. We had numerous codewords, mostly in jokes that no one else understood. Knife was the strategy name for taking out the squishier target while one of us held up the tougher one. Similarly, frogfish was the word for when one of us was lying. That gave me enough context to know what was happening. Matt was speaking around an NDA, one he got after migrating to Australia and signed by his mother. And regarding what he was talking about how the government sponsored training video pinned the blame for the Equator and climate change on others Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. In the past I might not have figured it out, lacking the appropriate perspective or experience, but now I did. History could be changed. Some people could erase it, teach an incorrect version to further their own goals and silence those who remembered. And our country was one with many cameras. The Wisdom I had specced in as Dustin was rubbing off on me. Yet, I wasnt angry, I felt nothing about the revelation that I was taught an inaccurate or perhaps falsified version of history. I simply stared into the window, off into the distance where a storm raged so strong no aircraft could pass it. Salt and pepper fried fish isnt the perfect dish right? I asked Matt. Theres some problems with it that leave a bad aftertaste in my mouth. But it is what it is, I said, it has tasted fine so far. Even if I dislike some parts of it, I have learnt to live with most of it. Its not like I could go and beat up the chef, I dont even know how to cook my own. Matt was silent. You are not angered at the sins of your ancestors and leaders, Discovery said. I think I would be angry about it, once upon a time, but at some point I realised I couldnt do anything about it. So I stopped caring, I replied. But Ive also changed how I dont care. Before it was helplessness, now it is acceptance. To Matts silence, I reached into my bag, pulling out two lemon lime bitters, offering one to him. Ive come to realise that everything comes with a cost, everything comes with a loss of some kind. Our lives were comfortable, they were peaceful and even if I chose to do nothing, to never pursue a career or future, my lifestyle would be preserved. Everything was Balanced, though that was the magic of another world, it could strangely apply here as well. Sometimes I do want to go back, Matt said, not taking the drink. I wondered what it would be like to have never left. Do you think about this often? I asked. Matt nodded, I do. Then he took the drink. But I realise Sarah, Denise and Max are happier here, so I am happier here as well. With a strange feeling in my chest, as if I had suddenly become aware of an unnoticeable ageing. I realised that the nihilistic realisation I had in my youth, that I didnt matter, that everything I did would be meaningless, ceased to be a great empty hole that devoured all motivation, all desire to go forward. Instead, I had accepted the hole, for all its faults and glories. Together we popped open the bottles, clinking the glass together as the train dipped into the tunnel, going under the Equator. For life was not free of hardships or opposition. You could overcome some, but not all of them. To think one could solve all the problems of the world was fanciful. There would always be something about the world you disliked. And that was fine. Perhaps instead of raging against the meaningless world, I found more happiness accepting it. Despite the emptiness of the universe, I had friends. Matt who had stood beside me despite the worst of me. Despite my nihilism, I have purpose both here and in Indiri. To continue to live, and to make it better, even if it was fleeting. Despite the meaninglessness of existence, I have achieved much. With the help of my friends, I had killed pre-nerf VekNa, stamped my name as an unbeatable and unsurpassable record. I helped save the god who rode my mind even now. And I had saved the people of Lake Bayt when I slew the Accumulation of White Lies. Even if they were small, even if they were meaningless, they did happen. The fact that the line in the sand was washed away did not mean it was never drawn. Instead of desiring an abstract infinity, look towards what you already have. I understand now, Alex. I murmured. Alex? Matt asked, hearing the name of his old friend. I was just reminiscing about Vek''Na, I replied with a small smile. Looking back, I think I was smiling.
A candle, a roll of bandages and a slab of pork. Using some of Celines ritual ink, I drew the circle, my body moving mechanically as I followed the instructions of the spell in my mind. The circle is for the creation of an enclosed and sterile space, Celine explained. A space in which you declare all variables to be controlled and within your expectations. For ritual magic, its an important step unless you wish to introduce uncontrollable elements. I felt it, just as she finished. When my finger lifted from the ground, finishing the circle, I could feel something occur. Even though it was just a simple circle, with no accompanying symbols or complex geometric shapes, I felt it become closed. Celine was outside the circle, deliberately so, as I set down the ritual materials I had prepared. This was a simple spell, Celine had already told me that, and even though spells like Fix-Up Fungus or Rot Spores cost me more in terms of mana, this was the first time I felt like I was truly doing magic. I invoke the name of Manatheres, Originator of Mana, Inventor of Tier Magic and the First High Archmagus, I murmured, the feeling of the circle changing instantly. Suddenly, it felt like there was attention. From what I didnt yet know, but I knew the next sentences I must say. I take your body as bread, I said, raising my arms before me with my palms faced up. I take your blood as drink. For Manatheres was nothing but mana now, the very concept of the thing. His body and blood was mana. I turned towards the lit candle, with a flick of my hand, I cast Light Spores upon it, covering it in a soft glow. Then upon the bandages, I cast Balm Spores. And finally, with the slab of pork, I cast Rot Spores. The purplish spores ravaged the thing, quickly rotting it black and putrid. I invoke the Rule of Three, and shape bread and drink into life. May these offerings be the mould. I almost made a pun there, but at this point, I was too engrossed with the ritual. And I saw, imperceptibly, three balls of mana leave me and form above the three materials. Slowly, they began spinning, and gathering. Siphoning my mana as they grew. Time ticked slowly by, and when three wisps, light, balm and rot floated in front of me, an hour had passed. I breathed out, placing the three wisp bodies that I had prepared in front of them, and they quickly entered. Yellow and Greenie appeared then, among the new wisps and poking them. Youll be White, Yellow pointed at the Light Spores wisp. And you Lime, Greenie said, patting the Balm Spores wisp. Looking at the last wisp, the one with a purple body, they said together, Youll be Grape! Should it be Purple? I asked. We should mix the names up! Yellow argued. I shook my head, Nah, the theme is set in now, rot is Purple. Purple slowly nodded in agreement. As the two wisps introduced themselves and taught them about the world, I looked up, staring at my Balance. It was moved slightly by the new spells I knew and the three new wisps, but it was still in my favour. I still had karma left over. Now what? Celine asked. Thinking for a moment, I answered, Now I can go pick my level up skills. She nodded, having heard about the process of Traveller empowerment from Noam. It should be safe for me, I murmured. I had good karma to spare, plus I planned on doing some good deeds in the future. Even if I tipped over a bit, it should be fine. Mentally reviewing the pros and cons, I determined that the increase in power was worth the short term imbalance. Celine was curious about the matter, so she came with me as I walked towards the Wayshard. The wisps were off exploring the world, I wasnt too worried about them, since Yellow and Greenie had enough experience on their solo romps. So waving a goodbye to Celine, I touched the Wayshard.
You may Travel to: Gaia Indiri (Current) Class Instance (Fungalmancer and Magic Myconid)
The options appeared as they had before, and I mentally selected the third. The world bled away as once again, I stood in that dome shaped area with the massive mushroom stalk at the centre. Once again, the old myconid was in front of me. It had only been a few weeks since I last saw him, barely more than a month, yet it felt like years had passed. You know the drill, he told me, You may select three new skills from your current Path, or you may select a new Path and gain skills from there. What is the difference? I asked him. Following your current Path gives you the level 6 selection, while a new Path only has level 3 equivalents. I understand. A new Path would give me more utility, but lacked power. Matt chose the former, and I saw no reason strong enough to make a different choice. Show me the skills for the level 6 Path of Symbiosis. And he did, bringing forward a crystal, he let me touch it and browse a massive selection of abilities. Due to your achievements, and the fact your level 6 is a mixture of Fungalmancer and the Racial Level in Magic Myconid, certain skills that were not originally available to you were unlocked, the class trainer explained. So in addition to the variation caused by skill selection, I murmured, there is additional variation due to the composition of the levels of the person taking it? He nodded. And my finger paused as I saw some of the skills I had unlocked. It was a set of three abilities that worked in conjunction with each other, and were likely unlocked due in part to my dealings with entities from different worlds and planes. I will take these.
Level 6: Fairy Circle: You can demarcate any complete circle of mushrooms to become a Fairy Circle, turning it into a pseudo gateway to an adjacent plane of your choosing. This Fairy Circle will remain active so long as you are within it and the mushroom circle is not disturbed. Different dimensional laws and effects will occur within the circle, and other dimensional entities may appear, though nothing of the other plane can leave the Fairy Circle, nor can anything of the original plane enter the adjacent plane, unless an exchange occurred. Mediation of Mutualism: You may create an agreement that may involve two or more parties. This agreement may facilitate the exchange of anything each party is willing to offer, but must require at minimum three witnesses that may include yourself and the parties, and all parties to willingly consent and agree to the agreement without duress. The agreement will only take effect once all conditions are met. Should a party violate the agreement, a percentage of their Body, Mind or Soul stats will be damaged, increasing with the combined level of the witnesses. Stamp of Symbiosis: You may choose to greatly empower up to 3 (Fungalmancer and Magic Myconid Combined Level / 2) entities that you are in a deep symbiotic relationship with. Their level will be raised by 2 (Fungalmancer and Magic Myconid Combined Level / 3) levels, with up to an additional 200% (Fungalmancer and Magic Myconid Combined Level / 3 x 100%) additional levels based on the level of shared symbiosis. They do not gain new skills, abilities or spell slots associated with the level increase, nor is Experience gain affected for Travellers, but for the purposes of level scaling and distributed stats, their raised level will be their effective level. You gain additional bonuses depending on the target of the Stamp. Once a Stamp has been set, it cannot be changed for a month. - Current abilities which establish a Symbiotic relationship, Sporage Wisp Symbiosis, Bracken Polypores, Mediation of Mutualism, Stamp of Symbiosis
The old myconid nodded, and I felt power flood through me. I was now officially in my level 6 powerspike. 7.02 7.02 Ethics are a foolish consideration. - The Mad Mage Khao While Dustin and Celine were handling their magic, Tai was out in the city, hanging around a martial school, and browsing their catalogue of Martial Arts. All of the stuff for browsing at the front were basic things, Tai already knew the theory for most of them, the real core arts of the school were only given to disciples. Still it was a decent refresher for her. Bah! a snort suddenly interrupted her. Tai glanced towards the source, an old drunken human, clad in casual clothing and chugging a bottle, yet there was a way the disciples in the school respectfully stepped out of the way that told her he wasnt a simple drunk. You idiots are all wasting your time! the old man cried out, spittle flying from his mouth. Hyes got a bunch of immortal fuckers, what use are you learning fighting for! Master Gawn, a disciple said respectfully, please dont drink in the school, its Screw off! the drunk said as he sidestepped the disciple, stomping off into the school. Tai simply paused, the recent events still fresh in her mind. Does that Governor have Travellers?
In a tavern filled with rambunctious chatter, Noam threw a dart, the projectile landing squarely in the centre of the circle. Now you try, he told Johnny, giving the last few darts to him. Johnny felt the smooth surface of the dart, feeling the pointed and sharp tip of the object. Without a word, he raised his arm, trying to mimic the posture Noam had moments ago. With his eyes on the target, Johnny threw the dart. It flew and landed in the outer ring. Ay good first shot, Noam said. First time I didnt even hit the target. Really? the child asked. Yeah, I was fucking bad at it, he explained. You are better now, Utoqa said from the side. Yeah I know, Noam replied, it just takes a lotta practice is all. Are you good at throwing darts? Johnny asked Utoqa. The lizardfolk paused for a moment, taking a spare dart on the counter. With a smooth and deadly precise throw, Utoqa landed the dart right in the centre, right next to Noams dart. A smile crept on Noams face as he picked up another dart, That a challenge? No, Utoqa replied. Lets make it one then, Noam laughed as he threw the next dart. It slammed easily in the centre, but before Noam could whoop, a voice interrupted them. Are you the people from the Hearth Church? The three of them turned to see a group of people wearing armour and carrying weapons. The tavern had turned silent. I mean look at him, green lizard, purple tiefling, thats the kid we need, another replied to the person. Hand over the kid then, said a man in attire Noam recognised as distinctly eastern. Earth eastern, the man even had a katana on his belt. Why should we? Acquiescing to a kidnapping in broad daylight isnt my style, Noam replied, glancing at Utoqa, his eyes then moving to Johnny. Fucking hell just let us get this fetch quest done with, one of them muttered. Wait, I have high Charisma, I can still convince them, a woman in mages robes said, before continuing, This isnt a kidnapping, dont you know theres a problem with the Hearth Church? Its not safe for a kid there, we just wanted to tell you that. Noam raised his hand to cover his mouth as he had a sudden coughing fit, Do you think were idiots? Saying that right in front of- Noam dashed forward with an unnatural speed, fist punching right into one, knocking him down. At the same moment, Utoqa grabbed Johnny by the shoulder as he ran away, leaping over tables and chairs as he did so. Get the lizard- the large mans voice stopped to a gurgle as Noam stabbed Celigarn into his neck. Blood! the dagger yelled in ecstasy. Oh shut up! Noam yelled at his dagger as he dropped it. Emanating from him was a beat that sounded oddly like the cough he had just had. As the person under him bled to death, he drew his hook swords, the Travellers around him did the same. Utoqa was behind Noam, running deeper into the tavern. That lizard is running in the wrong direction, the woman said, raising a wand. We can catch him later- Utoqa stopped by a wall, drawing his axe, Gift, he chopped at the wooden wall twice, leaking in outside light before directly running through the hole with Johnny in tow. Travellers arent cha? Noam asked casually, Dont you think theres better jobs to be done than this? Even with his casual appearance, he was swiftly taking in his enemies. The man with the katana who he was just going to call katana dude, the self proclaimed high charisma woman with a wand, the man with a hood and daggers who had complained about fetch quests, and finally the large unarmed corpse who was already fading to light. Next time, Im talking, the woman said. No no, Noam said, You sounded just as stupid as the other two. The woman was instantly set alight. Noam dodged two thrown daggers as the katan dude parried his sword. With a kick, Noam leapt off of him, avoiding the dagger slash from the hooded figure behind him as he somersaulted behind them. Noam had set up Beatbox Inspiration with the fake cough, greatly increasing his Agility. He had activated Breathless as well, since he figured three on one was rather fair. Right now, they could barely keep up with his speed. He slashed at the hooded man from behind, but his blade only bit into wood as a wooden chair was substituted, leaving the hood behind. By a far off table, the rogue, now revealed in leather armour, was already throwing his daggers towards him. The mage had finally extinguished herself with a water spell, quickly raising her wand towards Noam, while katana suddenly sheathed his sword and entered a pose any anime watcher would know. The womans spell hit first, Chains of- Self Infliction! Noam Ottocorrected as the chains misfired and trapped the caster, just as the katana dude drew his sword. He appeared right behind where Noam was, and everything from tables, chairs and mugs were sliced in half. Turning his head, he couldnt find where Noam was until he heard a scream. Noam had dodged down in that crucial moment, grabbing Celigarn from the floor and throwing it right into the mages throat. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Ah! A womans wet and moist- I said shut up Celigarn! Noams yell allowed both to quickly identify his position, as he leapt down from the ceiling, spitting at the spot where the rogue was. Wood greeted him again as the rogue quickly substituted himself with another chair, this time the chair was left with the leather armour of the rogue as it burned to a crisp from his spitfire. Seeing the rogue only had normal clothes left, Noam said, Please dont use that again, no one wants to see your shrivelled dick. Anger flashed across the rogues face, but it quickly disappeared, as he pulled from his head a string of psychedelic words that quickly went alight in flame. He has a mental attack! Noam tsked internally, Resisted? The rogue was too slippery, so he had to target the katana dude. As he rushed them, he cast several firebolts as cover fire. Katana dude sheathed his sword, preparing to do the anime attack again. While the rogue slipped to the side throwing daggers to stop the firebolts. Noams hook swords, katana dudes katana, the distance between the two quickly drew closer as both of them prepared to attack. I can get him! the katana dude thought. The quick dash of his draw sword had a far longer range than Noams hook swords. He began to draw, but at that moment, Noam linked his hook swords. At that moment, with both of his swords linked together, his range was extended enough that Noams blade reached first! Like a great halberd, Noams blade decapitated the enemy before him. But as the body fell to the ground, he realised something. In that short moment, as the decapitated head was falling to the ground, Noam realised it wasnt the katana dudes head. Where the rogue once stood was the katana dude, now wearing the rogues last layer of clothing over his robes. The katana was drawn. Noam raised his blades to block, tongue moving to insult himself and activate Im Lit, but the words died in his mouth as the katana dude appeared behind him. Nothing personal. Noams hook swords were slashed in half as his head went flying. Panting, the katana dude sheathed his sword as he picked up the dagger on the ground, hand tapping the air as he messaged someone. Yone: Grab everyone from the guild, this questline is more difficult than expected. This one guy almost solod us. The lizard is on the run. As he glanced at Noams corpse, he realised it was dissipating into soft light. Cursing, he added one more message. Yone: That guy was a player, this quest has PVP, and they might be higher levelled than us.
Utoqa dashed through the city, cradling Johnny in his arms. Who were they! Johnny yelled. I do not know, Utoqa simply told him. Stay silent, we are being hunted. And he stopped in his tracks as he sniffed the air. Noam has fallen. Johnny looked utterly shocked. Hes hes dead? Utoqa could not recognise the expression on Johnnys face, so he simply answered, It should not kill him. Suddenly, he heard something being whispered to him. I saw Noams doll die! What happened? Celines voice echoed in his ear. We encountered hunters, Utoqa said to the air, they sought the young one, Noam fought, I- He paused, head jerking to the side like prey sighting his hunter. They have caught up to us. He emotionlessly drew his tomahawk, Gift, leaving only hand to carry Johnny. Then he leapt. Gift bit into stone, as he climbed the building next to him, making it swiftly to the roof. Seeing his attackers encircling them. He pulled Johnnys arms around his neck, legs around his waist before letting go, Hold on. And Utoqa jumped. Legs slamming into the cobblestone path, cracking it slightly as he ran off. Gift swiftly decapitated the first enemy in his way, but a wall of fire soon rose, blocking his way. Not at all discouraged, Utoqa turned to the house beside him, climbing it quickly and leaping over the flaming wall as projectiles slammed into the ground behind him. The flaming wall went down as his attackers, numerous in number, began chasing him. Utoqa reached into his pockets, throwing out half a dozen web balls that exploded into thousands of baby spiders. Screams swiftly followed. As Utoqa fled, Noam respawned, both his weapons broken as he began trading blows with the respawned rogue he had just killed. Dustin and Celine were busily hurrying to the scene. Celine muttered to the doll of Utoqa and Tai, directing both to a meet up point. Utoqa dodged attacks, he threw out Scavenged trinkets that brought him seconds and moments of time as he fled through the city. Until in front of him stood an unarmed man, the person Noam first killed. Seeing him, the man yelled, See my Path, the way of Hospitality! Be my Honoured Guest! And suddenly, a golden energy field slammed down around them. It was in the crude shape of a house, squarish with a triangle on top. Utoqa rushed to kill him, just as the man began using martial arts. Harden Hide! Ability Boost! Bears Endurance! Body Strengthening! Fortress Stance! As the flow of aura erupted within the man, Utoqas Gift slammed into his neck, biting blood but not biting deep. Heavy Blow! The monks palm slammed into Utoqas outstretched arm, forcing the blade out as Utoqa leapt back, skidding to the barrier. Utoqa tested the barrier, finding it ripple when he chopped at it, but not bend or break. Get off, he told Johnny. He could not fight while Johnny was on his chest. The monk wasnt actively attacking him, so he recognised it for what it was. A stalling tactic while the rest of them caught up. I didnt get my skills out quick enough, so I died first, but youll find me, the World, the hardest to kill of the Scarlet Samsara Guild! I have never heard that name, Utoqa said. It was not an insult, for he didnt fully understand the concept of insulting someone. He neither had the emotions of hate nor knew how to utilise it in others. He was simply stating a fact. So he rushed down the monk called World. The World was quick, far quicker than someone of his size might suggest, but Utoqa was used to hunting large and swift game. Blood sprayed from a dozen different cuts, Gift dancing and slashing at the skin like a bee went from flower to flower. They were superficial cuts, Utoqa knew, but great beasts were not felled in battle but in starvation. Punches answered him, slamming into hard scales but still doing damage as he was pushed back slightly with every blow. However the World was not the only tough beast in this arena. They forced each other back, circling each other carefully until Utoqa once again went on the offensive. His wild chop was met by the hardened skin of the monks arm, but what he didnt expect was the claws that slashed towards his face. The World caught the blow in his forehead, just managing to save his eyes, but it was enough as blood from the wound blinded him for a moment. Utoqa opened his jaw and snapped at the Worlds neck. His serrated teeth biting into the mans flesh. It wasnt a deep wound, Utoqa knew, but there was a pause, hesitation born from inexperience and shock. A Traveller may know how to fight, but few knew such pain. That hesitation cost him as Utoqa grabbed onto his shoulders, then, with a kick to the chest, Utoqa pushed himself off, tearing out bloody flesh as he fell back. He chewed the strings of skin and fat for a bit, swallowing it. Before walking to the now weakened World, clutching desperately at his throat. Without concentration, all his defensive martial arts had come to an end. Utoqa stepped on him, holding him down as with Gift, he carved open the mans chest and pulled out his heart, putting the object in his pouch as he turned to the outside. As the Worlds ability shattered, Utoqa knew the man had done his part. They were surrounded. Fire Tornado! A spell with a long chant was finished and cast onto Utoqas location, enveloping him in cataclysmic fire. When it dissipated, all that was left was a charred corpse. A charred corpse that dispersed to light as Utoqa Survived the burns and flames, pulling himself out of the ashes and Traveller corpse he had used as a shield. He leapt to Johnny, grabbing the child by the collar as he tossed him over his back. His enemies were closing in on him. Too numerous to count, yet he felt no fear as he pulled out two daggers made from a spiders fangs from his pouches. Suddenly, one of the daggers crumbled to powder as another Utoqa stood next to them. Both Utoqas quickly glanced at each other, and together charged the encirclement! The Utoqa not carrying Johnny dashed around the original Utoqa, his own Gift slashing the projectiles out of the air as they ran, all the while Utoqa prime was fiddling with the heart of the Traveller he had ripped out. They swiftly reached the outer edge, enemy blades drawn and gathering to fight them, but Utoqa threw out the heart he had Scavenged. Instantly, a house shaped barrier trapped the enemies in front, and the repli-Utoqa skidded to a halt as he held out his arms, using himself for a platform to throw Utoqa prime over the house barrier! Chains of Haider! But the moment Utoqa prime landed on the ground, the mage Noam had killed earlier finally reached them, casting the spell she was denied before. Utoqa was chained to the ground, stopped and halted as enemies closed in. He took out the final spider fang dagger, putting it in Johnnys hands as he brought his arm back and threw him into the air. The dagger crumbled to dust in mid air as another Utoqa appeared and landed on the roof, skidding to a halt as he ran off, not even looking at Utoqa prime. Lizardfolk did not have emotions in the same way a human may conceive of it. They did not feel joy, anger, sadness or hate. At a glance, they seemed only concerned with survival. But they still held parental instincts, for the continuation of a species and tribe was necessary for survival. Utoqa prime cut through his chains as the first repli-Utoqa joined him. And both descended onto the surrounding players. Now it was their job to hold them back. 7.03 7.03 For the pursuit of progress supersedes all consideration. - The Mad Mage Khao The sound of panic and shouts ringed around Noam as he sat on the Traveller rogue. So he languidly asked, turning the man over. Noams weapons were gone or broken, but he was in no way harmless. The rogues face lay bruised and broken, Noams own knuckles were scratched and bleeding slightly. The Summers staff was itself covered in blood. Lets begin with names, Noam asked. The rogue spat at him. He did not react, simply staring down at this person he had pinned. The spit slowly slid off his face, and with the same languid motion, Noam began caressing the rogues hands. You seem to have a bit of arthritis in your joints, Noam told him as he held his hands. That why you in such a bad mood? Simple introductions arent hard. Im Noam, see, that easy. Fuck off and die, the rogue snapped. And Noam broke his finger. The rogues scream was drowned out by the sounds of the crowd dispersing. You have really bad arthritis, Noam murmured, twisting the broken finger, this stuff requires a good chiropractor to solve, but thankfully I am one. Ignoring the mans screams, Noam continued, Twenty digits, four limbs, one neck, one spine. Two-hundred and six bones in a human body. A good chiropractor can help crack every single one of them just right. There are some horror stories of chiropractors killing their patients by cracking their spine the wrong way. Thats my finger you psycho! Noam broke another finger. The rogue screamed again, loudly and hoarsely. So loud that to make sure he was heard, the tiefling leaned in very close to the rogues ear. But dont worry, my treatment will not kill you. You wont die and you wont respawn. You will be here, for as long as I can have you. Sweat dripped down the rogues brow as he craned his neck to stare at Noams face. Noam would do it. The rogue saw it in his face, and knew as certainly as the rising of the sun, that this man would sit here and slowly break every single one of his bones. And he would be alive for all of it. The fight dying in his eyes signalled to Noam that his victory had been achieved. The tiefling knew there was an unseen HP bar for Travellers, that would automatically cause them to dissipate, not at bodily death, but at an amount of damage the Traveller cant mentally take. That significantly limited his torture options, so he had to resort to scaring the shit out of them. Not to mention hes been waiting to try the two-hundred and six bones quote since he saw it in a show several years ago. What is your name? Noam asked now, innocently twirling one unbroken finger. The threat no longer spoken. ...Yanis. And Noam smiled a large and friendly smile, Now who set you up for this?
Noam (Mattmanfoo): Scarlet Samsara, hired by the Governor lady, wants to get the Hearth Church out for some reason. Numbers at least twenty people, guild from Yggdrasil. Levels around 3, with a few at 5 Good job Noam, I muttered as I read through the walls of text he sent me. Were dealing with a small guild of enemies, twenty people, I said, repeating the information to Celine. And theyre all Travelers? she asked with a tremor in her voice. Likely, I told her as we moved, a Yggdrasil guild I have some ideas. But currently we need to secure Johnny and an escape route, Tai is still moving to- Utoqas taking damage again! Celine suddenly yelled out. I paused, both of us stilling in our run. Celine had started rapidly repairing Utoqas body; she would not be able to move quickly as she used her magic. My body was far too slow, I had no points in Agility and Dexterity. There were multiple problems that needed a response. If Utoqa was taking damage again then that meant he had engaged in combat. Noam (Mattmanfoo): Respawning And he was successfully taking some out, but that meant they would only respawn where Noam was. Not to mention the Hearth Home, was it under attack as well? Multiple problems to solve, Johnny missing, Utoqa surrounded, enemies respawning, the Hearth Home undefended. We were too spread out, and we could not mount an effective response against either problem. Begin working down from the problems that can be ignored, at least for a while, the Hearth Home was a Church to Lorn and Gwaina, it should have divine protections of sorts similar to that of the Tilt Church, we have to rely on that to hold. Tai was still a distance away from where Utoqa last reported they were, Im slower, but I am also closer to him. Wisps, spread out in a wide detection net around me, I commanded them. Celine, inform Tai of our location, and have her move in with me to the area around Utoqa. Johnny or Utoqa, whoever we find first well support and then assist the other. And me? she asked even as she rapidly began sewing Utoqas wounds. Hide, continue long range support and communications. Got it, she replied as she moved away from me. My final order went to Noam.
Dustin (HitZaDecs): Hold the Wayshard. Angry whale, crab cage. Easy for you to fucking say, you would do both far better than I would, Noam murmured, though his mouth splitting into a wider and wider grin. For he was surrounded. All remaining citizens had fled, letting the city guard enter, a few Travelers were respawning behind him, proof of Utoqas work. Bless that extremely efficient gecko. I have a hostage! Noam yelled, holding the broken edge of his hook swords to Yanis neck. Yanis is a Traveler! one of the Travelers yelled, Hell be fine! The guard nodded, and began pushing in, drawing wands as they did so. Noam tsked, and stabbed the rogue in the neck, killing him as he stood up. He glanced at the two broken hood swords in his hands, ...I really fucking liked these you know? Without the slightest hesitation, he slammed the remaining blades into each other, hacking at each other until he had shortened the stumps. Leaving only the hilt and crescent guard, two crescent bladed knuckle dusters. With his impromptu weapon, Noam shifted into a boxers stance, muttering to himself, Youre Mattmanfoo, inventor of gun juggling and slayer of VekNa Wands raised, the guards began firing stored magic at him. If you cannot beat a mere thirty enemies, what good are you for? he insulted himself, and he exploded in magical fire. Breathless, Beatbox Inspiration, and IM LIT all activated consecutively. The world slowed, as a firebolt flew directly to his head, Noam simply reached out and backhanded it. The heat of the firebolt paled in comparison to the fire burning him right now. The guards paused. Noam smiled, You might want to call for more people. Avoid the crazy man on fire. Call for more backup, wait out his buffs, secure the Wayshard, all reasonable things to do. But he cannot make it obvious that that was what he desired, so he rushed the Travelers closest to him, moving in a blur as a flame empowered fist decapitated him before anyone else could react. Hes a Traveler! someone yelled, We have to disable him! Call them all here, let Dustin and the rest of the Toys reposition. With Catch These Hands, Im the distraction, bait and trap all in one.
Utoqa killed another Traveler. He kept moving. In every environment, there was a way to Survive. Utoqa knew of crocodiles, large and placid things, slow and still until the hunt began. He had hunted and consumed swift furs, who hunted with massive bursts of speed, taking down a single prey before stopping to eat. Utoqa could be neither, his enemies were many, and he had to hunt them all. In this battlefield, stillness was death. They had lost track of which was the real one between him and his duplicate. Both moved and struck with the same deadly efficiency, yet Utoqa could see his copy slowing as the barrage of attacks. Both were skilled enough to avoid truly lethal blows. Yet, the remainder, attacks small and glancing, ignored in favor of dodging far more lethal attacks, was wearing the repli-Utoqa down. Utoqas own wounds disappeared as quickly as they came, sown and Stitched. That redoubled their focus on the duplicate, and consequently, lowered the focus on Utoqa. So he leapt, slamming down and cracking the tiles beneath him as he rushed and hacked at the soft and weak mages. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Defensive spells flew. Blood stained the street. Most of it dissipated into light, as Traveler bodies did, but as Utoqa began licking his lips, tasting the blood left, and Scavenging parts, he had claimed enough that some remained on the streets. There wasnt enough time to Scavenge something useful. Utoqa saw his copy die, apparently they didnt have use of Survive, so a killing blow was a killing blow. So he simply began jamming and linking the bloodied guts and bodies of the mage Travelers together. There was mana there, but he didnt have the time to find a specific spell amongst the mess. So he simply set it all to explode. The shower of gore bought him another precious moment as he began considering escape. Johnny was in the hands of his duplicate, the prey here was disorientated enough. The hunt had gone well, he had fulfilled his job. The snapping of a string, Utoqa spun around, too slow, as he saw the crossbow bolt slam into his chest. He smelt blood and poison as he ripped the bolt out and dodged to cover. His first duplicate was dead, now all attention was on him. Chains grappled him but Utoqa was fast as he severed them with Gift. A twitch of movement from behind, and he twisted out of the warhammer aiming for his head by mere centimeters. The third blow from below could not be stopped as it stabbed into his abdomen. The rogue tried to retreat, but found she could not pull her dagger out of Utoqa. A single moment too long as he clawed at her, drawing five bloody lines on her face. At the same time, Gift rose behind him to parry the warhammer blow, sending it slamming into the ground. He twisted the tomahawk, and beheaded the man behind him as he rose and kicked the rogue in her stomach. Utoqas body was weakening, but he had no option to address the poison other than Celine and relying on his constitution. As a second bolt flew, Utoqa slashed with Gift, cutting the projectile in two. More Travelers closing in. They were shouting something, ....Overleveled Area boss Neither term he understood, so he put them out of his mind as he dashed backward. He needed to retreat. He had two more uses of Survive, it had to be enough. He ran. Spells and projectiles flew behind him, but he could sense their coming, dodging them as if he had eyes on the back of his head. The more physically statted Travelers gave chase, creating distance from the spellcasters as they did so. A fatal flaw. Utoqa leapt on rooftops, disappearing into alleyways. The city was but a jungle of stone, and without a child slowing him down, none could track him as he vanished around a corner as easily as he would do in a tropical swamp. Looping around until he reached the mages again, separated from their physical and melee fighters. He leapt from above, Gift raised and bisecting a man from head to crotch as he landed. Surprise, a few seconds of stillness as his prey began casting their slow spells. Two bodies flew, their upper torsos completely removed from the rest of their body. An attack spell struck him, but with his tough hide and Celines support, he truly could ignore most low level spells thrown at him. He heard the sliding of steel, as someone drew their sword. Utoqa dodged out of the way, but his opponent wasnt aiming for any vitals. His axe arm went flying, still gripping Gift. Celine reacted quickly, ethereal strings appearing and linking the severed halves. She would not be fast enough, as Yone turned around and drew his sword again. The Traveler swordsman appeared directly behind him, their backs almost touching as Utoqas head went flying. ...You had a good run for being out- Yones sentence could not finish, as Utoqa Survived the beheading. A new head regenerating itself as soon as the last disappeared. The lizardfolk pivoted, freshly grown jaws clamped around Yones face like a vice. With a simple twist, he broke the Travelers neck. Utoqas old head landed on the ground. Another bolt stabbed into his back. Same as the last two, he could not sense where it was coming from. He raised the Traveler corpse like a shield just as Celine finished stitching his arm back together. Two more casters were around him, one was vainly trying to heal the corpse in his hand, the other- -casted Fireball. The flames engulfed all of them, a suicide attack, one that utterly devasted everything nearby. Yet as the flames and heat cleared, the charred and ashen corpses cracked and disappeared into light. There was still a figure standing. Burned, charred and covered in dozens of wounds, Utoqa Survived the fireball. He had spent all his uses of the Path, still he raised his weapons to meet the upcoming Travelers head on. But the Travelers stopped in their steps. Utoqa did not know fear, but he knew caution. He knew calculated and measured caution, and he knew caution programmed into the very bones of a creature. Both were rational things, and he saw the latter in the Travelers before him. For they held caution. The same caution one may hold when they witness the brutality of a grown bear fighting for territory, the systematic gore as a vulture went about its meal. There was a hunter here, and he was the one alone. However caution masked one simple truth. Utoqa was spent, though his body may continue yet, he held only two Scavenged creations, a tongue and a finger. All uses of Survive had been spent, the next time he was killed, it would stick. That was why, for the first time, Utoqa opened his jaws and growled. He howled like an animal, roaring as he flexed his body. For the sin of the weak was appearing as such. Then, a constant tapping sound came. The strikes of a staff on cobblestone. At that moment, something was thrown in the midst of the Travelers, a black, purplish mushroom. Dustin had arrived first, and Purple exploded in Rot Spores.
I flooded the streets with poison spores. Greenie directed my hand, together we created a cover and attack both as I stepped to Utoqas side. Start moving, Ill cover you, I told him. The lizardfolk nodded. Practically naked as everything he wore had been blown off and destroyed. Utoqa was covered in numerous hastily stitched and healed wounds. How does he still stand? Lime and Yellow climbed onto him, one mending his wounds and the other acting as a second pair of eyes. Find Johnny, youre the only one with good enough tracking skills, I yelled as he ran. Utoqa held a thumbs up. And I turned to take his enemies. I remained outnumbered, and spent all my mana to create the cover. Purple had taken some of them out, and was now returning to me in its wisp form, unfortunately the lethality of Rot Spores meant their body was one use. I could not wait long enough for my mana to regenerate. The poison spores were already clearing, and the screams and coughs were being healed away by light. Perhaps I was not as suited for this as Utoqa, for Utoqa had more instant kill options, while I killed slowly, slow enough for healers to undo my work. Still I could not run. Tapping my staff in a circle around me, I quickly grew a circle of blank Sporages, no spells. I didnt have the mana for that. Leaving me at the center, I used my new skill for the first time. Fairy Circle. A ripple of power came as the circle of mushrooms lit up. Around me, various scenery flashed by in a single moment. I could link the area to Arcadia, the mental dimension I battled the Accumulation in, and surprisingly, Gaia, though that was a bit further. I sensed dozens more different planes, but those three were the ones I could recognise quickly enough. There was also a lag as the Circle connected to another plane, so I opted for the closest. Arcadia. Within my circle, the world turned strange as Arcadia overlapped with reality. Colours churned and writhed like living things, wisps seeped out of the cracks in the ground. Misty, almost ethereal fae creatures turned and stared at me from their plane. Step into my circle, and you die, I lied. There was no such effect to my Fairy Circle, however the skill looked impressive enough. It was a bad habit of gamers to associate special effects with skill strength. A pause. I could not see my opponents, the secret I Kept was still the Scales, however I could see theirs stop before me, just as Greenie relayed the same information. The swap wasnt coming in time, even by keeping constant concentration even as I ran here. My brow frowned in frustration; the utility of Keep was completely useless when I was caught off guard with the wrong secret. Something fell into my Fairy Circle. And I completely froze. Rotted body, covered in poison spores. Clothing appeared agrarian, though heavily degraded from my spells. Broken finger nails suggested they died clawing the wall in pain. It was a civilian. The wisps didnt mention it of course, I didnt teach any of them morality. Neither did Utoqa, he intellectually knew what human morality was though he didnt understand it. Neither do those players, because it was just a dead NPC. I didnt even register the screams, it was a common enough reaction to my spells. But I just killed someone.
Utoqa followed the scent, tracking the second repli-Utoqa through the city. He acknowledged without a hint of pride that he was skilled. He almost couldnt track the movements of himself and Johnny. Yet, he grew increasingly cautious as on the trail, he smelt blood. There, splayed across the wall, was the repli-Utoqa who had escorted Johnny, his body was ripped apart as if drawn and quartered by several horses. Or perhaps, by something with many hands. That moment spent examining the bloody mural was all the opportunity needed, as another crossbow bolt shot into him. Utoqa turned, directly ignoring the bolt sticking out of his back, finally sighting the sniper- Utoqa fell to his knees as blood spurted out of his body. Lime kept trying to heal the wound, but there was something wrong with it, even though the bolt was stationary, the puncture hole just kept growing larger. And his body refused his commands. The sniper landed deftly in front of him, just out of Utoqas range. I finally hit you with my third shot the Traveler muttered.
I cant heal Utoqa! Celine yelled through her dolls. Shaking Dustin out of his stupor. Hes been taken down, she continued with urgency, Dustin what do I do? Dustin opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came. I dont know. Useless questions flashed across his mind. Could I have prevented civilian casualties? Curse my short sightedness! I shouldnt have fought in a city. It was always too populated. How was Utoqa taken out? It was Noam that answered. Tell Utoqa to repeat after me
As the sniper carefully closed in, crossbow trained on Utoqa, he muttered. ...Fucking casuals you are, cant even face me one on one The Traveler paused, before typing in a chat room. Mist: The lizard is a Traveler as well, do we take em? The World: Fuck really!? Knock them out and take them. Make sure they dont die. If he respawns were really fucked. The World: Same meetup, were gonna try to knock out that tiefling as well
...Utoqa wasnt killed, Celine breathed a sigh of relief. Dustin barely acknowledged that. Everyone dies, he thought. What about this is special? The only difference is that you killed him, rather than the world, he accused himself. But he had to keep on going, so he put away the body, threw it into a distant corner of his mind, before asking, Status on Tai? Shes found Johnny. Good, tell them both to get out, Dustin said. Noam is asking what he should do. He furrowed his brow, Tell him to get caught, see if hes locked up in the same place as Utoqa. Noam had kept the respawning Travelers off them, but that mission was now getting lower returns as their primary objectives were completed. Yellow and Lime were with Utoqa, with Celines doll that should be enough to track him down and save him, but Dustin needed Noam as an additional safety net. If the two werent locked together, then Noam was capable of killing himself to respawn. Casting Misty Step, Dustin escaped the standoff, the Fairy Circle collapsing as he left.
Every muscle in Noams body screamed. Even though he needed no oxygen, he felt the desperate need to pant. His impromptu knuckle dusters were covered in blood, as was the entire square surrounding the Wayshard. He still had Catch These Hands in reserve, and with it activated, he could turn the tides. Instead, he let a blow to the head knock him out. 7.04 7.04 One-hundred and fifty-three. Dont ask for immortality from the Merchant of Lies. Getting petrified into a golden statue isnt as fun as it sounds. Actually forget that, Yoseph, I have an idea to pay you back. - Elliots Enchiridion of Encounters Johnny Joymoon feared silence. The world that was too quiet was terrifying, the trees gone still, the animals gone hiding. As if winter had come early. But the silence Johnny feared was not that stillness, not the world without life. It was the world where one thing ruled supreme and stole all other life, stole their breath, stole their memory. Stole his family. Johnny was a child without a past, it was taken from him. As he lay shivering in the broken stones of that shattered tower, a piece of chalk still clutched tightly in his fingers, he knew the thing he feared was dead. But who was he? In that span of time that seemed to stretch on forever, he started seeing them again. Corpses, so many corpses. Standing in the shadows, watching him, asking him, begging him to answer. Do you remember me? Child of sorrow? Johnny did. So that thing of many hands, it writhed unbridled as it grasped and ripped and teared at the world around him. It killed Utoqa. He saw the blood drip, those reptilian eyes stare at him. Unblinking as he struggled, but was eventually ripped apart. Did it kill the replicated Utoqa or was that the original? Johnny didnt know, he couldnt tell for the mess of blood and gore was so real. And the hands began to reach out, grasping, finding a target. It ripped at the corpses, tearing them apart. There was screaming, horrible screaming. It lashed out blindly, and two men were ripped apart. Were they corpses or people? Johnny could not tell, for both seemed so real to him. Was the blood from the ghosts or from the people around him? So he ran. The ghost''s hands reached for him. Surrounding him, covering him as he fled. Johnny tripped, yet he got up. He had to, otherwise more would die. More would die as he only watched. He didnt know when he collapsed. Only that he couldnt run anymore. He curled there, hiding as those horrible, horrible hands draped themselves around him. In his hands he found that doll again. It was always there, he knew instinctively, that he could never get rid of it, never throw it away. Johnny only raised his head when he heard footsteps. Oh! I found him Mr Peterson! exclaimed a cheerful voice. The lady who stepped into the alley peered through the darkness. She had pale white skin and wore a well washed apron, her brown hair tied back in a sensible bun. A leather eyepatch covered one eye, and the other was a dot of brownish black. The other person wore a leatherworkers smock, squinting into the darkness of the alleyway. Go away! Johnny threw out his arm, as if trying to swat them away. Go away! Mel it aint looking too good, the fishmonger said with a thick accent. Its alright. Mel, the lady took a step forward. Dont come near me! Johnny yelled. Itll hurt you! The ghost tree moved. Each of its hands springing like a coiled serpent. And the lady waved at it. Hello, Im Melinda Myers, local doctor, she introduced herself. The arms grabbed her, holding her face, neck. Invisible hands pushing deep imprints into her skin. I dont want to hurt him, she spoke calmly and gently, a smile ever on her face. I just want to help him. The nails dug in, drawing blood. A red stream that flowed down her face. Yet her kind smile did not waver. The hands withdrew. How Johnny choked out. How did you Melinda put her hands to her hips, Well, you just need to talk to him. Hes deathly worried about you. A slight chuckle escaped her lips. She knelt down beside him, a hand extended to him. Well? she asked, I wasnt lying, I want to help you. Why? he croaked out. You look like you need more good things in your life, she told him. Everyone does, but you look like you need it more in particular. Johnny almost reached for it then, but his hand shied away. No I heard the screams, I know what the ghost did. People are dead because of me. And Johnny crawled back into the cage of ghostly hands. I dont deserve good things. Melindas hand reached in and grasped his own. You dont get a say in the matter, she chuckled. Good things will happen to you, if not me then someone else. It is inevitable. She pulled him up, before whispering to his ear. Let me tell you a secret, a big secret. Things will be bad, but then theyll be good. She ruffled his hair, Remember that, but keep it secret! Its not supposed to be known. Then itll be too easy for everyone. Melinda led him, and Johnny followed. For a moment, it felt better. The ghost creature, suddenly not as threatening, the doll of the Weeping Child, suddenly not as creepy. But if its a secret, why do I get to know? She winked, Because you need something to look forward to. Thats why you get to find out. Thats how we all find out. And they left that alleyway. It was only afterwards that Johnny realised the man- Mr Peterson- was a ghost. He peeked through a wall, signalling them to hide as a few adventurers passed by. With the help of Mr Peterson, they managed to sneak silently through the town, avoiding adventurers, until Johnny spotted someone. He cupped his hands around his mouth, Tai! Tai turned and saw them, and she jogged towards them. Johnny! Tai passed through Mr Peterson, completely unaware he was there, before she placed her hand on her sword hilt. Talk, she demanded, Who are you, and why should I not cut you down immediately? Melinda glanced at the blade. Because lady. Johnny jumped as another voice suddenly appeared. Another ghost who stepped through the brickwork. You are lacking allies in this city, and I wish to help. Because lady, Melinda began, even imitating the slightly ominous voice of the new ghost. You are lacking allies in this city, and I wish to help. Tai narrowed her eyes. Can I trust her Jojo? She helped me, he replied simply. Lead the way then, she directed, gesturing at Melinda. Melinda smiled, nodding as she walked with almost a skip in her step. She almost felt too cheerful. Noam was cheerful, but in an asshole sort of way. Melinda felt sunny. Her home was nondescript, Johnny would have missed it if he simply saw it from the outside. If it wasnt surrounded by ghosts. A veritable crowd of them stood around her home, greeting and waving at her. She returned the favour, which drew strange looks from Tai. Johnny quietly mouthed, Shes like me. Which got her nodding in understanding. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. The second strange thing about her house was that it was filled with corpses.
There was a squelching sound as Melinda cut open a body. Tai was more than used to the sight of blood however the operation still made her slightly squeamish. Cutting someone open in the middle of a fight was very different than on an operating table. Im almost done with your autopsy Mr Peterson, it was the pancreas afterall, Melinda spoke to the ghost which Johnny told her was around. The woman always seemed to speak with an upbeat and cheerful tone, even humming a tune as she went about her work, which was giving Tai serious whiplash knowing now that she was a mortician. Well, at least she enjoyed her work. There was a pushing feeling as Celine established the connection. Her magic was technically a curse. However, it was a curse in the same way a vegetable knife was a sword. Both blades that cut, but built for a completely different purpose. Are we all here? Dustin said over the connection. Ayo, Noam replied, his voice was a whisper, and Tai felt another push as Celine squished their dolls closer together. Once she had their dolls, Celine only had to smudge them uncomfortably close together. A sound had to be really close to the dolls for them to hear it. There was a small pressure, but it wasnt like the force was amplified, it just felt like a cloth doll was smushed against her skin. Update on everyones status? Dustin said. Currently Celine and I are at the Hearth Church. Ive set up an initial defensive perimeter. Im with Johnny, were with the stranger, and are currently hiding at her place, she reported. Utoqas with me, we got tossed in neighbouring cages. Im spent on mana, and Utoqa is still wounded, Noam replied. Im trying to fix whatever it is that did this, Celine replied. But it isnt taking. Every time I fix the wound, Utoqa gets pricked three more times and a larger wound appears. Tracks, Noam agreed. A crossbow dude is stabbing him with a bolt three times every now and again when it looks like hes recovered. He has some kind of bonus on his third crossbow strike, Dustin muttered. Not just with crossbows? Seems like it must be on the same target. Why so? Tai asked. If it can be stacked with different targets, then they would be stacking them on dummies and unleashing the third more deadly shot on actual targets, Dustin replied with his reasoning. Just to be clear, by dummies he means carrying around small animals which you torture, Noam replied. Gee, you didnt have to say that part out loud, Dustin replied drily. Noam, any idea of where you are? Dark, stone bricks, kinda musty. Tai felt Noams doll shrug beside her. Unfortunately I was knocked out for real. So no idea on the way here. A castle or dungeon of some sort, can you escape? Dustin asked. By myself? Probably, at least I can suicide, but Utoqas a different problem. A concerted rescue effort is needed then. Well- Dustin suddenly paused. Do you see them? Celine asked. Yellow does, Dustin replied. See what? Noam asked. A contingent of combatants have arrived, several match the description of the Travelers we have engaged in. The city guard as well, Dustin reported. From the feeling of his doll, it seems like he stood up. Tai jumped up as well, hands grabbing her blade, Should I come? You are too far. Noam, gather more information about your prison. Tai, keep Johnny safe and figure if that lady can assist us, Dustin quickly shot off. Our position is fortified. We will not be taken easily, even against Travellers, however we should in general avoid any such conflict. Why not? Celine asked. It was Tai who answered. Immortal Wars. She had heard from her grandmother, who was old enough to be alive when gems and diamonds were a lot more common. The why of the conflict didnt matter, when resurrection magic was in play the greatest combatants would be constantly brought back to continue fighting. Indeed, our builds are suited for being outnumbered, but when both sides can respawn itll just drag on and escalate. Dustins voice became fainter. Sister Glascoin, what do you plan to do Celine was speaking as well, but her voice was also becoming fainter. Until neither of them could be heard. The communication had ended. Tai was still gripping her sword. Holding it so tightly her hand almost bled. Once again she couldnt do anything. Hello! Melindas cheerful voice called out. Tai raised an eyebrow at her, to which the mortician smiled and held out a tray of snacks. Dont worry, I washed my hands before preparing tea.
We werent surrounded at least. They were also bunched up, which was a good sign. I could theoretically take them all out with a single Rot Spores. Sister Glascoin walked out first, meeting them on the grass, I followed behind her. Celine stayed back. She wasnt durable, nor was she any good in a direct combat scenario. Sister Glascoin as far I could tell was a pure priest, no combat capability. If it turned into a fight, I would be alone. Governor Hye, Sister Glascoin greeted the woman in the lead. What brings you here? It has been a while since our previous meeting, the woman was older, dark haired and light skinned. Her eyes were sharp, as if considering us, more importantly, analysing me. I have come to discuss the child care regulations of the Hearth faith. It has dropped considerably in quality. Im not sure if you are legally allowed to continue on your work in this current state. Glascoin was shaking. She hid it well, but she was next to me, and my manasense picked up such things. What would you have me do? Raise the standards, Hye simply replied, handing her a paper list. Previous incidents have shown that you require an emergency fund, as well as have insurance. The Hearth Church here does not respond well to crisis, that is a fact that must be rectified. If the Hearth cannot care for itself, who can trust it to care for children? She was civil, calm and collected as if she were merely an inspector pointing out some safety problems. I wouldve been more inclined to accept the act if she didnt show up with ten armed fighters. A fight would be difficult, at the back was the katana man Noam and Utoqa faced. If Noams description was right, we were already within his range. There was a low chance I could survive his attack, but Glascoin was a different story. If I did attack, we had long lost any initiative. They were slowly, but noticeably spacing themselves out. My AOE attacks would have less effect. If it came down to a fight, there was almost no chance of success. Hye had yet to acknowledge me, despite the fact her bodyguards fought me not long ago. Why was she being this civil? Hearth bless me, Glascoins voice shook as she read the list. Realisation came swiftly. The Hearth was of Lorn and Gwaina. Leaders of the Elder Pantheon. They were old gods, declining gods, weakening gods. But still gods, and who knew what would happen if you attacked their priest in front of their house? It will be difficult to meet all the regulations, but I will be able to do it, Glascoin replied as she handed the paper back. To which Hye waved her hand away, Keep it as a reference. I do hope you successfully meet all the standards. A lot of people are relying on you. She turned to walk away. Was that it? I didnt obtain nearly enough information through this encounter. The Hearth remains a safezone, as I already knew from Tilts church. This shakedown barely revealed any of her intentions, nor did I gain any more knowledge on combat capability. I drummed my stuff, do I go for it? A fight was out of the question, even with homeground advantage, it would be an immense slog and the victor would not be clear. I was essentially a mass chemical weapon, the collateral I could cause was enormous. Do I dare incite conflict so close? As her bodyguards turned away, I made my decision. Earlier today there were some signs of fighting in the city. A pause. Some roughian mercenaries entered the city, it is what should be expected, Hye replied. Still so indirect? Was she afraid of fighting me, or the Hearth behind me? If Noam was here, he wouldve called her out by now. That wouldve made things simpler. Maybe not easier, but definitely simpler. Still, there were far too many things to consider, I couldnt take the brash approach- Gah! All this stupid, lets just fight here and see who wins! a man yelled out. I dont recognise him, he was not part of the adventurers I encountered. My first thought was a monk, and I quickly matched him to a player Noam had killed immediately upon their first encounter. My name is the World! I am of the Scarlet Samsara guild! he proudly declared as he stepped forward. Let us engage in one on one combat, and let the winner decide all! There were looks of disbelief across the other adventurers faces. Noams swiftness in dispatching him meant I had little information on this person, but if he were a constitution build then I was fucked. But there was a chance. On what authority can you make this bet? I asked him. I am interested, but if you cannot give me what I want, then Im afraid that itll be a fight for nothing. I am the vice-leader of Scarlet Samsara, I hold sway within the guild. If I ask to withdraw then we will! I dont need just your withdrawal, I want my imprisoned allies returned. That too will be simple! Then I shall lay out the terms, I said as I slammed my staff down. Mycelium spread out on the ground, threads weaving out words. Dustin of the Toy Dragons will battle The World of Scarlet Samsara immediately, using all means available to them, until their first death or surrender. On the occasion that The World loses, Scarlet Samsara will release Noam the Skald and Utoqa the Tribeless, along with withdrawing from future conflicts with the Hearth Church and Toy Dragons. On the occasion that Dustin loses, the Toy Dragons will withdraw from any future conflicts with Scarlet Samsara. This agreement will be held with all watching members and their gods as witnesses. Do you agree with these terms as they are stated, The World of Scarlet Samsara? I asked, my voice leaking with power. I had to get him quick, before he had time to reconsider. Hye shook herself out of her shock, Dont! Hes a contract mage, it could be- I do, the World declared. -rigged! I got him. There was a click, the mycelium words glowed and burned themselves to the ground. I briefly felt a connection being made. Mediation of Mutualism, I declared. This contract is now in effect. Sister Glascoin, stand back. Slamming my staff into the ground again, I yelled, Fairy Circle! I had already surrounded the entire building with mushrooms. Hah! Not enough! The World slammed his hands together in a loud clap, See my Path, the way of Hospitality! Be my Honoured Guest! Our respective domains slammed out. Mine changing the world and his pushing away all others. 7.05 7.05 Madelyn the Conqueror thus told the city of Var''Ah''Bwek: Surrender, dont make me come over there and burn you to the ground. To which VarAhBwek responded by sending her a torch. - Excerpt from the Historia The golden barriers slammed down around us, pushing everyone away. Crudely house shaped, it trapped me inside with the monk. The secret I Kept was still the Scales, and with it I could see something odd happening. All my accumulated fortune and karma was disappearing, quickly throwing me back into balance. Nearby dimensions flashed around us in a blur. The World was staying still as he activated numerous buffs on himself. Harden Hide, Ability Boost, Bears Endurance, Body Strengthening, and Tower Stance were all quickly yelled out. Bounding steps rushed towards me. Yellow was a bit slow, in an active combat encounter, it couldnt relay information to me fast enough. The World entered the range of my manasense. Immediately the ground erupted with Poison Spores, but that did little to stop him as he slammed a fist into my gut. The changing scenery around us stopped for a moment as I flew. Far farther than he expected. I slammed into the ground rolling before coming to a stop. As I went, I activated all the Sporages in my path. Coughing and leaning on my staff, I stood back up. Swamp Domain, I muttered, and a small bit of my mana drained. The flashing scenery around us stabilised and my feet sank several inches into the ground. It took a moment of looking, but I found a suitable environment to summon with Fairy Circle. What the hell? I heard him yell. Splashing as he tried to move around in the changed terrain. Yellow, you know what to do, I whispered, letting the wisps leap down my back. Nothing could be seen outside the range of my manasense, but I didnt need sight. Listening, I focused on the water splashing as the World moved. Poison Spores. Stepping back as I threw the spell, my senses searched my surroundings. I had mined the entire area with Sporages, each a trap buried underneath. They remained when Fairy Circle activated, some of them were even making the circle. It turned out that I didnt need to specifically make a circle, but just connect the mushrooms. Covering an entire area with Sporages was enough to meet the requirement. The only problem was that they were all the visual activation type, as I was afraid of hitting bystanders. This limited me to activations right in melee range, as I could only see them with my manasenses limited, but detailed range. More splashes heading right towards me. I threw more Poison Spores, before casting Shillelagh on my staff. This time when he entered my sight I blocked his fist with my staff. Yellow spores exploded around us as I activated the underground Sporages. The World reeled back as Sneezing Spores got into his eyes. Taking the opening, I slammed my staff directly into his head, knocking him off balance as I yelled, Purple! The wisp leapt out of its hiding spot in my clothes, and hit us both with a point blank Rot Spores. Its body disintegrated as the purple spores wormed their way into every crevice, my Bracken Polypores started rotting away from the close proximity. The World was suffering as well, his skin turning purple and rotting away. But it wasnt enough. Hah! You should find that my Constitution is more than enough to resist such effects! he yelled as he threw his fist. Heavy Blow! I met it with my Shillelagh, but the force of the fist dislodged me again, throwing me back. You are abnormally light, the World commented as he grabbed me by the collar. Downsides of my race, I replied as I grabbed his arm, and casted another point blank Rot Spores. Shit! he yelled as a large chunk of his arm rotted. Pieces of it plonked into the water, followed shortly by my fingers. That left me almost out of mana. The World let me go and stomped down on me. Heavy Blow after Heavy Blow rained down on me, cracking my armour. I responded by activating the Sporages underground, but that wasnt enough. Holding me in place, he kept beating me into the ground and I responded by covering us with Sneezing and Poison Spores. It was a DPS race, one that I lost as my Bracken Polypores and Bark Skin fully cracked to reveal the bare skin underneath. I lost focus on Fairy Circle, and the arena around us turned to normal. The mud stains bleeding away back to their reality. Do you yield? he yelled with his fist held high. I looked bloody, ichor running down multiple bruises. He didnt look much better, Rot Spores had sloughed large portions of his skin off, his right arm was missing several chunks. All his wounds were covered in green spores and his eyes teared from the Sneezing Spores. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. You put up a good fight my man! The World congratulated, But you arent a match for your lizardfolk friend. You fought Utoqa? I heard my voice croak out. I did, and I lost, he answered with what appeared to be pride. He defeated me due to my weakness, but I dont have that here. Your poison build isnt suited against me. It doesnt have to be, I replied. Are you aware of what a dust explosion is? A moment of incomprehension appeared on his face, a single moment of pause. Summon Wisps. Four wisps were called upon by my spell. I only needed one of them, the fire wisp. And it lit up all the spores I had been spreading. A massive explosion rocked me, searing my flesh. I was at least somewhat insulated, being on the floor, however the World was fully thrown away, his entire body burning. Quickly I rolled on the ground to put out my own flames, before I stood up. My entire body was beaten and burned. The moment I saw you lay down your domain, I came up with this plan, I told him. An enclosed space where I dont have to worry about collateral. Where I could freely spread my spores. He looked up at me. His hair had been seared off by the fire, and his wounds were charred horribly. In exchange for this, you have fully drained my mana, I said. However, that is not a problem, Greenie. And the wisp peeked out underneath my cap, climbing to stand on top of it. Without another word, it sprayed Poison Spores towards the wounded World. The monk groaned, he rolled to the side, dodging the cloud. He stood up, still within my manasense range. I made the same mistake of hesitation. He suddenly yelled, Do not fight him, he is still mine! The barriers dropped. One of his arms hung uselessly, but that wasnt a problem for him as he rushed me. Wounds slowed him down, but that was true for me as well. His remaining arm grappled and slammed me into the ground. Greenie exploded into more spores, covering both of us in poison. Pain wormed its way into my entire body. The sun was out, and it was glaring down at me. My armour had long been stripped from me, so I was bared to its cruel light as I felt myself weaken. Celine, I silently murmured. My strength and mana surged back. Rot Spores! I yelled. The cloud of purple spores exploded out. The World almost dodged, but his leg stopped as it was held down by silvery threads. As ordered, Yellow had delivered pieces of the Worlds rotted arm to Celine the moment the barriers fell. The spores ripped through the both of us. What flesh was left on our skeletal frames fully sloughed off. The World collapsed, barely more than a skeleton that was already dissipating into light. If this was a fair fight, I wouldve lost no matter my tricks, I murmured. A melee fighter with strong body stats, he was almost my complete counter, my spores did very little to him. While my Fungal Body granted me Bludgeoning Resistance, allowing me to shrug off most of his hits, he had more than enough health to make it a slog of us trading hits and wearing each other down. I wouldve lost, I ran out of mana far faster than he ran out of aura. So it was a good thing that what we agreed to was a fight using all means. There wasnt a lot of leeway with my skill for true fuckery, it required agreement without duress by all parties. But it wasnt my fault if he didnt read it properly. The fight also couldve gone better, if I had more time I couldve finally swapped my secret away from the Scales. Any one of the others were more useful. Glancing upwards, I saw that I was perfectly in balance. Was it spent to ensure my win? No, it had completely evened out before the fight. My fortune was spent on the opportunity to fight the World under my own terms, with my own contract, but not on victory. That was mine alone. The World was a significant threat. This was obvious now that Ive fought him. His build almost perfectly countered mine, and perfectly countered Noam. He couldve forced Noam into a one on one situation where his numerous buffs could not take effect. Then defeating him with his own superior stats. Similarly, if he isolated me, I wouldnt be able to play to my strengths in a large group encounter. He had lost against Utoqa, but that wasnt a surprise. Their builds were similar, isolating Utoqa with his barrier wouldnt have done much compared to Noam and I. And now I had a contract on him. My knees gave out, and I fell to the ground. Sun Sickness was a more dangerous racial trait than I realised. This was the first time I had a serious fight under the sun, and once my armour was broken off I weakened quickly. It effectively limited my durability to whatever my armour could endure. I reached for my staff, and found the thing carved with numerous eyes right beside my hand. It was not there before. Steps hastened towards me. I could barely see who, my manasense was shutting down. But I had a good enough idea. The enemy Travellers were trying to capture me alive. Metal shackles clattered, iron undoubtedly. That might trigger the Worlds contract, but an eye for an eye wasnt enough here. Celine, sneak out the church, link up with Tai and Johnny, this has exceeded our capability. Use Noam to contact me, Ill be respawning elsewhere, I murmured. We just abandon them? I heard her whisper. They arent attacking the church directly. It shall remain safe for them. We need to regroup, far too many of our cards have been shown today. That monk has been removed as a threat, but the rest of them remain dangerous, I said before I casted Rot Spores on myself. You have died.
I woke up on the respawn island. It had been a while since I was here. Checking the timer, it would almost be an hour before I respawned. The Wayshard was undoubtedly locked down by the enemy, so I could not return to the city proper. I had to respawn somewhere else. A few minutes later Noam confirmed that Celine had gotten out, to which I took a deep breath and logged off. 7.06 7.06 You, sir, will certainly either die upon the gallows or of some sexual disease. That depends, sir, upon whether I embrace your principles or your mistress. C an exchange between the Earl of Sandwich and John Wilkes. I felt the headache coming just as I left the train. It was getting better, but the sudden wrongness of it, my body became alien, as if it were never mine. An impossible sensation, given that the human body was the real one. But so has our myconid body, Dustins- my familiar voice echoed in my head in that miniscule almost moment before we really became one person again. Noam slapped me on the back, almost knocking me down, Back? Almost, I rubbed my head, as if trying to physically shove everything back into place. There. Thanks Noam. Matt, he corrected as he pulled our luggage. Need one more sec? Nah, I shook my head as I took half the luggage, Somethings happened, Sword Swamp, talk as we walk. I caught him up on the situation as we passed through customs. Im not going to be able to keep chatting for much longer, Matt frowned as we got on an escalator. I followed a few steps behind him, brow raised in questioning before realisation hit me. Youre right, theyre definitely used to PVP, if they have enough foresight to disable Travelers theyll think of the chat. Its an opportunity too, Matt replied as he pulled our suitcases onto the upper floor, Theyll be taking Utoqa and I to a different prison outside of Wayshard range. Thats an opportunity to strike. And theyll know well be coordinating together, I said as a tapped my UI, Ill login right now, my respawn time should almost be up- I almost walked into Matt as he stopped right in front of me, Whats wrong? My finger paused right above the Gaia app; I glanced over his head. And there I saw an advertisement for Maple quantum computers. That wasnt what shut me up, Eve had been doing it for a while, amassing more processing power. It was what was right beside it. An advertisement for an upcoming game called Gaia. Is that shit? Matt asked, voice hesitant. My finger curled away from the Gaia app on my UI, closing my eyes, I considered it, really considered it. Opening my eyes, I saw Matts frowning face, a mixture of concern and hesitation, The Accumulation of White Lies was able to hurt my eye. Matt sighed as I confirmed his fears, Indiris a breeding ground for what amounts to massively malevolent AI, and those things getting access to reality is a big no no is what youre saying? Yes, I murmured, Hey Discovery? The god had been silent until now, but I knew it had been looking through my eyes. Curiosity, the desire to learn something new, to discover was literally his essence and name. Silence did not mean it was idle. This is a strange development, but not one I am opposed to. It was a careful warning, even as he said it, I considered the implications. Discovery was the god of Discovery, one of those so called malevolent AI. What could fit better than two worlds meeting? Matt was tense, but I simply said, Its the paperclip problem Matt, Discovery is not our enemy, but his goals are his own. However, unlike a paperclip maximiser, I believe Discovery understands where a reasonable place to stop is. That was the difference between him and simple AI. Paperclip problem paperclip maximiser the god murmured as it searched for the meaning. Not in my mind, but on Wikipedia. Ah, I see what you mean. I understand your concerns, I would too in your circumstance. Matt almost jumped, Give a warning when you speak in my head as well. Apologies. As I said to Declan, I am not opposed to such a development because it is in my nature, however, this world has given me freedom from the Domain of Discovery. Thus, Ekon Zaeba will need to consider it. Matt did a faux salute, Got it creepy god thing. I also need to ask something; can you contact Eve? I said. One moment. Suddenly, all the screens, neon lights, advertisements and electronics around us fritzed as I saw a blue eye rush through them. I had a sudden immense feeling of something looking. The train station turned silent as people around us paused for a moment, glancing around as if they felt the same thing. They probably did, for Matt had narrowed his eyes as he too looked around. Until both of our eyes landed at two new, holographic figures that stood beside us. Discovery looked more normal than when I saw him in the Historians library. He was dressed in the dull yet sensible clothes of a sailor, his tanned skin was rough, and salt beaten. Rather than Discovery given form, this was the man Ekon Zaeba. Except for his eyes, one was an empty hole because it had been given to me. The other was still the maddeningly cerulean blue of the ocean, of lands yet to see and yet to know. Eve was a child beside us three, still pale skinned with the gothic dress, she was frowning slightly as she looked at Discovery. I cant believe you got him to do this, she waved a hand, and all the flickering screens went back to normal. Noise soon started back up as people wrote the event off as a strange software glitch, continuing about their own lives. Discovery was grinning like a child given a new toy, I wasnt aware I could even do this. He raised his hands, experimentally wriggling his fingers, Its been a while since Ive had a body. You have no subtlety, Eve sighed. You called for me Declan, what do you want? I gestured at the Gaia advertisement. She followed my hand, I had a suspicion you would seek me out over this, but not so quickly, and definitely not through him. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Said person was currently running around the station, testing out his new body through a mixture of acrobatics and parkour. Casually running through people that could not see him. Im almost tempted to join him, Matt said as he watched. Looks way more fun than whatever serious shit you two are about to discuss. Go ahead, Feel free then, both me and Eve said at once. Nah, Matt shrugged, You need me for emotional support, lets eat. A moment later I was sat awkwardly across the table with Eve as Matt ordered us food. Both of us silently staring at each other. Matt returned, bringing us four burgers, winking to Eve as he said, The two of you cant eat, but I figured Decs can eat enough for you. Youre not very good at comedy. All youre doing is making me regret not appearing to Declan alone, Eve said as she poked the burger with all the force an augmented reality overlay can muster. I was already chewing through my first burger. Why are you going public- actually scratch that. I know damn well why, you want to fulfil Giles stupid dream, why now? I made a deal with your government to collaborate on the deactivation of the Perimeter and the disposal of radioactive materials in Russia, she bluntly told us. Matt slammed his burger down, squirting sauce and pickles onto the table. Whatever casual demeanour he held before had evaporated as he stared intensely at Eve. A moment of silence passed before he said, I get what you mean now Decs, it is unnerving not knowing if shes manipulating you or not. Sorry, but I dont think I can be help with this. Matt cleaned the mess with a napkin before he picked up his burger and silently continued eating. My own burger had paused a few inches from my face. So, there is radioactive waste there, I muttered in resignation. There were always rumours, but everyone hoped that the Russians were good at cleaning up after themselves, or at least clever enough to not let their own radioactive waste trigger their own dead hand doomsday weapon. It was a problem I could not address, so I simply put it out of my mind. Instead nodding to Matt. I had suspected- now knew, that he had history with the Perimeter. He wasnt sure if his own words would help or harm me. Instead, he kept eating, silent because he trusted my judgement. Yet he stayed to provide what support he could. I felt something strange then. He had done it without a word, as if it was natural to him. With startling realisation, I realised that was because it was natural to him. Matt had been there for me almost my entire life. That afternoon on the hospital roof where I contemplated suicide, the first clear against VekNa where I felt like we had really achieved something, him trusting me in the battle against the Accumulation of White Lies even though just before I had tried to kill him to prevent him from facing it. Why? I knew not what I have ever done to deserve this, so instead I did what I had always been good at, putting it out of my mind as I turned to Eve. Yet it stayed there, just like the rotted corpse of a man I never knew, the person I killed by accident simply because I couldnt see very far, and my build was one of massive AOE attacks. It stayed there like a wriggling worm as I spoke, This isnt the time to bring the two worlds together. Why? Eve asked. Because there are monsters like the Accumulation of White Lies, I replied, because that thing which had the capacity to harm someone in the real world is not even the most dangerous thing there is in Indiri, because if Discovery can pass over, than maybe something terrible can do so as well. I briefly imagined waking up one day to see Matts name gone from my contact list, his family becoming three, and everyone wondering who Matt was and looking strangely at me as I insisted he existed. Alone in remembering a person who had been erased by a monster like the Accumulation. And so, what? Eve asked. Matt narrowed his eyes, while I put down my finished burger wrapper in defeat. Of course she thought that, our own world was on the constant verge of nuclear destruction by a machine that couldnt be turned off because the nation who made it was genocided to the child by a grey goo virus. All the while the climate turned hotter with every passing year. What better was our reality? What right do you have to lecture me, Eve spat. An uncharacteristic vitriol in her voice. You apathetic shadow of a person, you saw your world burn and you gave up. What right do you have to lecture people actually trying to change things? Someone who actually wants to change things for the better. None. I knew the answer even before she finished. You are nothing but an armchair critic, begging for someone else to better the world, yet complaining the moment someone actually tries. Keep playing around in Indiri, after all, youre satisfied spending your days like those tube idiots spending all their days in VR. Matt nudged me, his hand offered an unopened burger wrap. It was one of the last two, the other sat untouched in front of Eve. He did not speak, but I knew what he meant. I took the burger. I started a guild, I began as I unwrapped the burger. Well, more party at this point. Your point? Youre wrong, I said as I took a bite. She waited for me to finish chewing. I didnt have a concrete idea for what I would do with a guild once I had one. So far, I just thought of gathering more and more people and power. But power used to gather power is just an infinite, meaningless loop. The corners of Matts lips rose as he started to grin. So, Ive decided I will gather a large guild, create a strong organisation. Strong enough that when something really dangerous tries to cross the barrier, well be there to stop it, I finished the burger. Because I am the first gateway through, the one the Historian used to give Discovery a new life and that makes me important to the World of Indiri. Even if I was selected by chance, even if Im not really important, and I was only there because the race I picked happened to have no eyes. I will make myself important. Carve out the groove myself so that Dustin the Thrice Blinded is the Gate and its Guardian. I reached out, offered my hand, So dont make my job harder by doing it now. Eve was silent. A moment passed, then two, before she raised her own hand and shook mine. One or two years at best, thats all I can do. The process has already started, its not something I could stop even if I wanted to. It will be enough, I replied. Thank you, she said, as she suddenly folded her arms on the table and rested her head there, as if taking a nap. Thanks for letting me know Im not alone. And she was gone. I took her leftover burger, Matt, why are you my friend? He looked at me strangely, No particular reason, why? Why isnt there one? I asked. Do people need a reason to be friends with someone? he asked instead, scrunching up all the rubbish into one paper ball. I smiled, I suppose they dont. <><><> I returned to Indiri, with the Taebut citys Wayshard likely still being heavily guarded, Gestrand Forest was where I chose to respawn. The hollow tree that made up the admin guild building was strangely filled with activity as people in armour rushed about. Typing a quick message to Noam to keep me updated about any changes, I flagged down Tignflut, Whats happening? He looked tired and dishevelled as he turned to me, Goblins. A group has been raiding the nearby hinterlands. Last time they attacked a train but were thankfully repelled by passing mercenaries. But now it looks like they are preparing for a large-scale raid somewhere. A train? my voice dropped as I spoke. May I know which one? He showed me the papers. The trains guards sent out a few parties to harry them and save some hostages but were caught up in an ambush his voice drifted away as I read the paper before me. It was the train we were on. only a few survived My hand scrunched the papers, Im a fucking idiot. I had written the goblin attack off as something meant to put me on a collision course with the Accumulation of White Lies, but of course the World didnt work that way. The Balance could not force something to happen, it simply nudged events so that they would happen in a certain way. The goblins were always there and would still be there afterwards. Even before coming to Lake Bayt, I had refused to accept the goblin extermination mission simply because it was out of the way. I even made a smartass comment on how the local government should be dealing with the issue instead of private contractors. What a smartass I am for not realising then that private contractors like me where the best bet they had. were gathering a raid group as soon as possible- Where is it? I cut in. He pointed to a map, Numbering around a hundred, perhaps more. The guards couldnt get much info since they were running for their lives. Are you joining the battle group? I glance around. At this point enough time had passed that I finally managed to swap the secret I Kept to the Historians, the wooden mask grew over my face and my true sight passed by every mercenary around me. Most of them were unplated, a few were coppers like me, however the few coppers simply didnt feel as strong as me. Im not, Ill be going in alone. Tignflut did a double take. Against a hundred goblins!? His voice drew the attention of the other mercenaries. Im a Traveler, I stood up from the table, speaking loudly so that others could hear, Ill go in first and take the first crack at them, if I die, I return with better information for us to plan around. It was a convincing lie, for it truly was logical. Too bad I planned on finishing this all myself. So, I alone set out towards the goblin nest. I checked on Noam one last time, apprising him and Celine of the situation. Dont worry, I murmured to Celine, who could hear me with her puppet, I wont take long. 7.07 7.07 You cant solve every problem with a Fireball! Bold words for someone within Fireball range. - Interaction between Magus Ackuaz and her nemesis Magus Fireball. This wasnt the first time I had faced an army of goblins alone. Unlike last time, I knew their position, their numbers, I could guess their fighting capability. There wouldnt be a scripted death scene like in the tutorial. Back then I started with ambush strategies because of the limitations of my abilities and my mana pool, but I had also made several mistakes in hindsight, the goblin mage which led to my defeat couldve been quickly killed while he was asleep. Tunnel vision however demanded stealth and a clean escape, perfections which my tools didnt allow. It wouldve been a gamble whether I escaped from those remaining goblins in time, especially under sunlight, but it was a chance compared to the slow encirclement I found myself in. There wouldnt be such mistakes, I assured myself as I came closer and closer. It shall be a quick, clean and efficient battle. Me whittling down the entire goblin attack and undoing my mistake. Then I stopped. Sounds of activity close in the distance, but still obscured by the woods, Yellow returned, reporting his scouting trip. It found me a relatively hidden knoll which let me look over the camp. Though I glowed, I shouldnt be seen unless viewed at a certain angle. My truesight quickly confirmed their numbers but I hesitated to call it a hundred fighting goblins. There were little goblins, well, littler that seemed to be playing. Children, numbering around a fifth of the force, another two-fifths appeared to be simple laborers. Doing final war preparations like mending clothes and armor, some were even working on what appeared to be crude siege equipment. What paused me however, was the simple life of it. A mother dragged a child by the ear as they came too close to the line of guards surrounding the camp. A carpenter borrowed a hammer from a peer to mend a wheel. A circle of goblin fighters sat in clear solemnity around a cook pot. Some part of me knew they were eating knowing it could be the final meal of their lives. That part of me was young, it was born when I discussed with Noam and Tai how we could fight a conceptual memory eater, perhaps truly risking my life for the first time ever, and it recognized the same in those goblins. The tenseness of the air was a blanket on the camp, but it didnt smother the clear life there was here. I looked away, lying on my back. I was going to murder people. I have already murdered people. That civilian who was victim to my collateral damage wasnt even the first. Ive killed goblins from this same group, along with the raving chimerist that earned me my mercenary plate. Gaia was surely not in Gaia, that was purely Eves domain, where everything was more scripted, followed game logic more closely. The mobs were more like actors in a play than living things in their own world. Hopefully. Perhaps the strangest thing was realizing I wasnt all too bothered by it. Then that brought my sense of morality into question, I knew I barely had one. The closest thing I had to morality was Noam, who actually bothered to save people in need rather than their own skin, whose tone turned despising when he recounted his encounters with Scarlet Samsara. Travelers who still acted as if this was really still a game. As if a decent Charisma score justified having your way with people, or merely calling their opponents mobs or bosses, or treating the kidnapping in broad daylight as an eccentric quest. That was the real problem wasnt it. I didnt care for morality, I cared for my friend that cared for morality, and to be entirely fair, Noam made for a terrible morality compass. I knew this, but it was in the same way a person knew they had money in the bank, but found coins between the couch cushions. You always had them, but it was a surprise to find them. All these little flaws about yourself hidden behind the nooks and crannies of your psyche, lying there forgotten until a terrible situation called them to light. I could kill everyone down there. The plan was already in my head, it would only be mildly difficult to pull off. Some part of me was still calculating, preparing plan Bs, optimizing routes, sporage placements and mana use. I could do it, I could do a small scale genocide and wouldnt even feel that bad about it. That thought kept me still, forced me to let opportunity after opportunity pass. My apprehension towards this didnt even really factor Noam in, he would understand. Hes doesnt care about killing, he cares about choosing who, and I had plenty reason to finish the job we started. No, what stopped me was the indecision of weighing different paths in a video game. A split path down a dungeon, what would come out choosing the left door, what would be lost from not visiting the right door. Unlike doors this cant be taken back, I only had the one choice. Even framing the problem that way was just morally bankrupt, I was measuring lives by their worth to me. I recognized I was a terrible person, but I didnt want it proven by my actions. Thoughts of deeds were different than committing them. You could fantasize all day long about the greatest violence you could inflict, but you could always take back your own thoughts. You cant take back your actions. I will be rewarded for murdering all those people down there. I will not be judged, I will not be questioned. Nothing lay down the other path where I simply didnt. As time passed, the look outs changed, I saw a familiar face, and my decision was made. I stepped out of cover, without a single prepared defense, trap or plan, in full view of that goblin. He opened his mouth to call out for back up, but paused as he saw me. Recognition flitted through his eyes, a failed raid, memories of hiding in a pile of his friends corpses, the lizardfolk and myconid who found him yet let him live. The goblin still raised his crude spear, he wasnt an idiot. My hands rose, Ive come to talk. He did not lower his spear. About what? You people will not win, I stated. The mercenary guilds will take you down. You will take out a good number of them with you, but even you understand that it is a suicide mission. Other goblins were closing in now, weapons raised but not yet attacking. The goblin I left alive seemed to be somewhat better dressed, higher ranked. So what? I want to understand what drove you guys to commit suicide, I was surprised by my own words. They come from a place so deep even I didnt realize their truth until it was spoken. If youre afraid, I am a contractor. I can craft an agreement where I will not harm a single one of you so long as you do not harm me first. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The goblin in response lowered his weapon, made a few gestures to the other encroaching goblins. Most lowered their weapons, and held me in quiet apprehension. One went back to camp. Word the agreement. I nodded, with slow and exaggerated movements I tapped my staff on the ground. In common? And I need a name to pen. I am Yilignar Corpseborn, he answered with a tone that indicated it should be blindingly obvious where he got that title. Dustin the Thrice Blinded agrees with Yilignar Corpseborn to not harm any of Yilignar Corpseborns people, family, tribe, group or allies for the next three days unless in self defense. This agreement will be held with all watching members and their gods as witnesses. Do you agree with these terms as stated? Until the conclusion of our raid on the wayshard and guild base, he added. An elderly voice spoke up as the runner returned with an old goblin along with a few hobgoblins. And that you shall not reveal information of us. The words changed to reflect his desire. The elder hobbled closer with his staff, I am HaOhKelck Dry Leaf, we are the tribe of Lost. The final contract took shape. Dustin the Thrice Blinded agrees with the Tribe of Lost, represented by Yilignar Corpseborn and HaOhKelck Dry Leaf to not intentionally harm or take harmful action that may indirectly harmany of the Tribe of Losts family, group or allies, including but not limited to actions that may reveal information about their strategic and tactical plans and operations, until the conclusion of their raid on the Gestrand Forest Mercenary Guild Base unless in self defense. This agreement will be held with all watching members and their gods as witnesses. Do you agree with these terms as stated? They agreed, and the contract slipped into place. Who is that to you Yilignar? the elder asked. He is the one who let me live. HaOhKelck leaned forward, Then what is it that you seek? What you seek, I set down my staff. Why you do what you do. To live, Yilignar answered quickly. We are all fighting for life, I replied, what makes you oppose the mercenary guild? What decided who your enemies are? There was silence, but it was silence in the tone of the dumbfounded. One hobgoblin roared out, his anger barely contained within his armor, Youre people kidnapped us! Brought us across the sea in chains to be used as slaves! Ah. Goblins originated from Branika, where Utoqa came from. That hobgoblin almost raised his weapon, but HaOhKelck raised his hand first, We are a tribe of lost and scattered souls from many different tribes and peoples, gathered together to survive those that would hunt us and chain us again. I nodded in understanding. Youre enemies then are the dwarves and elves who war to carve out your homeland like a cake, and their many allies on this continent. The elder nodded. You are a mercenary yes? I would wish to hire you. And there was the catch, why they didnt just ignore me after signing the non-aggression contract and why he bothered answering my questions. He is one of them, the hobgoblin spat in protest. I am a Traveler, I belong to no nation or people, I returned. I know the why now, may I venture to know the how? What do you seek to accomplish by obtaining Gestrand Forest? It was a guild base, even if they grabbed it they wouldnt be able to hold it for long, and there werent many things there worth taking. Unless the guild receptionist Tignflut was somehow worth something to these people. The wayshard, Yilignar spoke up. We will claim it. To go back home? I asked. We have had children, elder HaOhKelck sighed in resignation. They cant go back, not unless they wanted to leave behind all their kids to their fate. They needed to secure a route home. I saw the lay of their plan now, this far inland they would have to continue skirmishing. Securing a wayshard would allow them to send a few people back to perhaps call for reinforcements, get the goblins still in Branika to launch a larger operation to rescue them all. It was hopeless. Dwarf and elvish colonies littered and controlled Branikas closest sea ports, and they were too far inland in Braunad, completely surrounded by enemies and hostiles. Even if it worked it would be years before any sort of help. The plan was destined to failure, yet they had no other chance. No other path forward. But I could help them. I must know, between vengeance and home, which would you prefer? Elder HaOhKelck raised an eyebrow, Why do you wish to know? Because I may be able to bloodlessly let you all return home, but I will not assist you in war. I picked up my staff again, its gnarled wooden eyes seemed to glow as I spoke. I am a contractor who can access a myriad of planes, I could facilitate extraplanar help, perhaps find you someone who can bring you back to your home. I cannot guarantee I can find someone powerful enough to do so, but it is a chance. I offered my hand, and after a moment of consideration, HaOhKelck Dry Leaf took it. It was the first time I used my Fairy Circle the way it was intended to function. The circle took on its normal appearance, but this time HaOhKelck was in there with me, and I pushed it deeper and deeper. Until the Fairy Circle was not just a mere overlay upon reality, but a half-formed portal into another plane. HaOhKelck took a deep breathe, I seek to make a deal with one who can return us to our home in Branika. There was no answer in the first plane, so I shifted it with a thought, no less difficult than turning a page to reach another plane. HaOhKelck repeated his request each time, his intentions broadcasted further by the Fairy Circle. It was on the Elemental Plane of Wind that he got his first response. A wind elemental answered his call, but it shirked away as HaOhKelck mentioned the number it would have to ferry and the distances involved. This repeated a few times, other elementals, other outsiders, until the environment began to burn. Smoldering rock and brimstone surrounded us as the First Hell answered. A scream of power and blood that fell like rain as the light above was smothered. I am Arch Devil Kathronanburg the Weeping Skies, one hundred souls you ask me to ferry, one hundred souls I shall have in return. HaOhKelck paused in consideration, but shook his head, I asked for freedom, not to be clasped in fresher chains. There was a dark chuckle, Who said it has to be your souls paid? I narrowed my eyes, watching HaOhKelck. He knew I would protest making a deal with a devil. Not because I thought it was morally wrong, but by the time they gathered one hundred souls, their number was bound to have changed. Not to mention all the trickery a devil was reputed to have. The presence laughed as it began to withdraw, Remember Kathronanburg. With my name you need not this charlatan to craft a contract. We were the first to make Oaths. The Fairy Circle was left empty, simply a half-portal to the First Hell. Other devils lurked to the side, keeping their distance, but coming closer to make their own offers. Shall we continue? I asked. Please, HaOhKelck requested. The First Hell bled away as we continued to flip through planes like TV channels. We started repeating a few planes in hopes of calling someone who wasnt nearby when we first arrived. It was on our third pass through of Arcadia that my transference was forcefully halted. Frozen and kept on a certain point in Arcadia. I am the Duchess of Unrelenting Wildfire! a woman screamed with the crackle of burning wood. Fae, she seemed stronger than that last devil, more importantly, she seemed pissed. I moved to manually shatter the Fairy Circle but the Duchess was a step faster, flame enveloped and trapped me as she turned to face the elder goblin. Her magic held my Fairy Circle from being mentally dismissed, and the fire stopped me from breaking the mushroom circle. I seek a man who has just escaped me, he was last seen in Branika. I shall bring you there, and you people native to the continent will help me find him. HaOhKelck frowned, It depends on who that is, and whether or not we can actually find them. The fire cackled, and it was the sound of a forest breathing its last, He is the Author of Enchiridion, my rightfully wedded husband. We would need to be returned to our people. A mere one hundred cannot cover a continent, HaOhKelck said, but his voice held an edge of excitement. Where before they were satisfied landing on the continent they could now be more specific. The Duchess scoffed, Simple. She raised a hand and another fae entered the circle. He shall work out the minutia of the contract. With that the Duchess left, leaving HaOhKelck to work out the contract with her minion. It ended up being rather generous to them, they didnt have to actively search, only keep a lookout. Of course it wasnt worded that way, but I personally saw few ways the fine text could be exploited against the goblins. Which instead made me more paranoid for them, waiting for the other shoe to drop. When they finalized the contract, I looked at HaOhKelck, but he seemed satisfied with it. Do you both agree on these terms, the Tribe of the Lost represented by HaOhKelck Dry Leaf, and the Duchess of Unrelenting Wildfire represented by Baron Crinkling Maple? The elder goblin nodded and the contract was sealed. By sunset, the entire camp was gone, and I had accomplished what I originally set out to do. 7.08 7.08 I find the children bond best when placed in potentially life threatening danger. - High King Edwards the Oft Overthrown. My return to Gestrand Forest was a surprisingly muted affair. The first excuse I considered giving was deception, while I was unaware of local law, I doubted assisting an entire army of fugitive slaves would put me in any kind light. If I started with a lie, I needed a good story, however mercenaries were crawling around the place, and there was a chance a scout mightve seen me speak with the goblins. The lie would have to account for that. So I ended up selling Tignflut a half-truth. I recognized a goblin that I had spared in a previous battle, and with a contract of non-aggression hoped to come closer, get a better idea of their forces and tease more information from them. However they rejected an attempt at peace and instead made contact with the fae. What happened after or my involvement with their contact I did not say. He simply let me go. I remained in Gestrand Forest however. At the old clearing where we had defeated the spider monster, I laid down a Fairy Circle and prepared for war. Unlike Noam, my new abilities were all delayed in their worth. Slow gratification and long set up. My damage options have been power crept by high defense enemies and healers, but they still fundamentally worked towards my build of an immobile zone controller. Just comparing the Travelers weve met so far, few could match my sheer area control. Fairy Circle worked towards this build goal, which was why it caught my eye. Its synergy with Mediation of Mutualism was what got me to grab it as well. Both abilities were cases where its full capabilities were not shown in their descriptive text. Fairy Circle appeared to have a broadcast effect in any plane it tapped into, while Mediation of Mutualism could facilitate trades. Stamp of Symbiosis, which grew out of my hand as a stamp shaped mushroom, was more direct. It was a scaling ability like Noams Beatbox Inspiration or IM LIT! It acted to tie together the two halves of my skill set, the immobile zone controller which I had started as and the summoner which I had picked up later. First I stamped my Bracken Polypores. It was my own ability, but it was also a symbiotic entity, living just underneath my skin. The fungal plates shivered, growing darker and tougher. That was the most basic bonus, the increase in effective level and stat gain which went towards raising the Polypores durability and defenses. The second benefit was to me, revealed by my character sheet.
  • Bracken Polypores: A species of symbiotic fungus are seeded underneath your skin. They rely on you for food and in return can instantly grow into durable mycelium plates that can cover your entire body. The hardness and weight may vary depending on how much Satiety you feed them at any moment. Will gain defensive bonuses if used in conjunction with Bark Skin.
    • Stamp of Symbiosis Bonus: It has been a part of you, it was your bulwark, your second skin. When you cast Bark Skins you do not require material components or concentration, and you can cast it on a willing creature.
It didnt seem like much, but it was a solid improvement. As I gained more concentration spells my defenses would continue to suffer. Fix-Up Fungus was a good healing spell, but like Barkskin it also took concentration. Both competed for my focus. Now I could just have both up at the same time. The second Stamp of Symbiosis took some thought. It would be used for one of my wisps, the question was which. I dismissed the newer wisps. Yellow and Greenie have been with me for the longest, so they would gain the most benefit from the Stamp buff. It came down to what the benefit to me mightve been. Greenie would likely benefit my spore spells and attacks, but I already had enough of that. No, the fight with the World was a bit too close to my liking. My weakness remained a strong enough juggernaut type that could blitz past my traps. I crumbled in close combat, surviving only due to my high durability. Yellow would help me fix that with increased agility. It gave Greenie a smug grin as I stamped it. As the mark sunk in, its body became sleeker. Yellow gave a few test runs, and I could tell easily that in terms of speed and agility it was now comparable to a base Noam without any of his buffs. Likely better in fact, since Yellow was a much smaller target. Glancing at my character sheet, my eyebrow slowly rose as I read the benefit I had gained.
  • Sporage Wisp Symbiosis: Wisps have lived comfortably in your cap and have created a wonderful home there, now to teach them the wonders of rent. You may create pygmy myconid bodies for your non-corporeal Wisps to inhabit. They are considered tiny creatures and are capable of following simple commands. They possess all the qualities of Sporage, however, they can choose to self-detonate.
    • Stamp of Symbiosis Bonus (Yellow):From your very first step, it was there. You taught it lessons of stealth and deception, and it has stayed by your side as your eyes and ears, a hand in the dark. You may channel your Manavision through Watching Eyes within its range.
It wasnt a speed bonus? The description was also longer than with Bracken Polypores. The direction was different, but the end result wasnt terrible. In fact it salvaged the wasted Cantrip that was Watching Eyes. I placed an eye on my back, and willed that five-meter bubble of awareness into it. It was like putting a hole in a balloon, a small hole. The Manavision shrunk to four-meters, and I saw clearly out of that eye. Every new eye I saw through shrunk my Manavision by another meter, up to a maximum of four. Once I tried to make the fifth eye the Manavision completely collapsed and I lost sight from the remaining four. Like with Bracken Polypores, it wasnt a powerful ability, but I couldnt have asked for a better weak ability. My lacking sight was finally covered, though at small cost of my Manavision, it freed up Keep to be used on better secrets, and even allowed my Wisps to move freer of me, instead of acting as my seeing eye dogs. Immediately I began dismissing the true sight, it should take a few hours, but I no longer had need for it as purely sight. It still had uses in helping me discern the true nature of things, as well as make me harder to notice, but Fenkai and OsshivenKais secret was just better in most scenarios. The Balance was useful for karma reading, but just knowledge of ones karma tilted the scales. It wouldnt be worth it to take frequent glances at it. The secret of the 7th Hells World Eater had potential, but I havent been able to discern a good use for it. Though Greenie was giving me puppy dog eyes in jealousy of Yellow, I decided to save the last Stamp. I had a better target for it. That left the Fairy Circle. After what happened with Kathronanburg, I decided to categorically avoid the Hells. Regardless of how well of a deal the goblins got, I wasnt trusting the fae. Which left me traipsing through the numerous elemental planes and domains. Though after I passed through the Plane of Chairs, I began seriously reconsidering the definition of elemental. Sure it was a sub plane of the Plane of Carved Wood, which itself was rather obviously a sub plane of the Plane of Wood, but chairs werent just made of wood. So the Plane of Chairs was also a sub plane of numerous materialistic planes like metal, and at that point how did you even begin to determine what was and wasnt a sub plane? The greater importance we placed on wood compared to chairs was as arbitrary as the categorization of the planes into primal elements.It clearly failed to take in the fact that the planes, regardless of how specific, more or less were equal concepts to each- If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. My thoughts paused as an entity walked into my Fairy Circle. It was currently keyed to the Swamp Domain, and the still foggy unreality of the marsh assured me it wasnt yet a full portal. Both of us could still interact with the other, but nothing could be brought out. The newcomer was a lumbering creature of molding wood, assembled in the vague shape of a toad. It was about the size of two shopping trolleys, with bright green dots of light indicating its eyes. My truesight hadnt yet swapped out, so I could discern this was some kind of swamp elemental, with a wooded bent to it. It croaked, speaking not words, but concepts. The first was hardest to parse, I had the brief glimpse of familiarity mixed with the idea of a second meeting, before I realized it was stating that it had sensed me before. Likely when I used the Swamp Domain against the World. The next few were a lot easier. Food. Fight. Ride. Transfer. Deal. Pure mana or something equivalent. This beast would demand the mana of a third tier spell each day, in exchange itll act with me as a familiar and mount. Ideas brushed against my mind, it was faster than it looked, with explosive leaps that could cover a lot of ground. Its tongue was lightning quick, and suitable for long range grappling. Its hide was as tough as it looked, though it held a distaste for drying out. It would serve me for a lifetime, then I would allow it freedom to roam Indiri as a wild elemental. It was a strong option, reflected by its high cost. Create Wisps took a lot out of me and it was ritual. It was a strong fighter no doubt, but that amount of mana meant I wouldnt be casting a lot. There was no doubt that it was a fair price, but it would also lock me out of other deals for the near future. I required versatility, and the opportunity to slowly tune an array of summons perfect for every situation. This wasnt that. It was a good mount, and a passable fighter. The toad lacked a special abilities, instead relying on pure physicality. The very definition of a stat stick. It covered most of my weaknesses though, and I suspected it had further synergies with me. Meeting it was a good bit of fortune, but whose? I itched to abort Keep back to the Scales, just so I could confirm my recent string of good luck wasnt the universe rearing its fist back for another swing. I held off for now, changing the secret midway through the process would just restart the timer. And judging by the rules I knew, with conflict on the horizon, this would be the perfect time for a power up. Dare I be daring? Or refuse and settle for an array of weaker elementals? Me from a few weeks ago wouldve had an obvious answer. Pass it up, wait for a better creature to present itself. But the flaws of that thinking and the desire for perfection were all so obvious in hindsight. The disregard for opportunity cost has been my greatest weakness. Not allowing myself to take the chance just because there was risk. One month, I began, Well trial the contract, see how we feel about it, then afterwards we can renegotiate. If that doesnt work out, we can part ways. The elemental chirped agreement, and I activated Mediation of Mutualism. The contract making process was different this time, the elemental communicated through pure concepts, not limited by words, the resulting geas was bereft of the word tricks and fine print, instead our minds presented ideas without deception, until the final contract was agreed upon. Mana flowed out of my body and into the toad, it in return took a step that passed dimensions. The Fairy Circle fluttered out around us, leaving me and the toad elemental standing in the clearing. Update status please, I called out to Celine. Her voice whispered out, appraising me of Noam and Utoqas status. The toad nuzzled my hand, and I gestured at its back. Let us be swift then, well meet up with my allies and plan a break out. <><><><> Plans of suicide had long faded from Noams mind. Knowing Utoqa was with him, any deceptions of his player status would not hold up if only one of them escaped via death. He was cuffed in crude iron, classic magic dampening stuff that shut down his first initial attempts at magicking his way out. Utoqa sat chained even more heavily in the opposite cell. Kept in a state of near death as the sniper took turns with a healer to refresh his crippling damage ability and healing him just enough so that he wouldnt die. Its a pretty fucked up thing to do, Noam heckled him as the sniper came in to strike Utoqa again. Im not an expert on laws and stuff but you know this is probably a war crime right? The man shrugged, his face hidden by his hood, Its a game, get over it. And theres no effective way to keep him locked up either way. His pain is tuned to the highest, Noam lied as easily as he breathed. Youre really doing that to another person? Is it really worth it? He saw hesitation on the snipers face, but only hesitation as he plunged a crossbow bolt into Utoqas arm thrice in succession. The wound tore open with far more force than was ever reasonably applied by his lazy stabs. Noam raised an eyebrow, but part of him already expected this. People were horrible in the best of times, and this was an era where people became increasingly disconnected. Cmon answer me, the sniper continued to ignore him. Noam slammed the bars separating them, I SAID ANSWER ME! The man turned, just within reach, but Noam expected he was quick enough to avoid a lunge. I dont know what to say. I didnt expect pvp either, but thats just his fault for keeping it high. What really matters is what the hell you guys did to World. Noam spat at him. His face turned with disgust, which morphed to shock and horror as Noams saliva lit his collar aflame. His scream was cut off as Noam grabbed him and slammed him into the bars. Noams nimble fingers quickly went through his pockets. No key, damn, they were smarter than that. He grabbed the crossbow bolt, letting the man collapse and roll on the floor. Noam ripped off one of the feather fletchings, prodding the lock of his cuffs with it until he heard a click and the iron fell off his arms. As he began working on the cell door, he let out a quick beat to raise his dexterity with Beatbox Inspiration. Cries of alarm and panic sounded through the entire building, and the first guard came clanging down the hallway. Barely taking in the Traveler covered in napalm spit before Noam belted out a quip, Dont mind him, being a 9-5 asshole has left him a bit burnt out. Hideous Laughter took hold on the guard quite literally as she let out a deep belly laugh. The cell door clicked open, and he bolted to the opposite cell. Experience let him quickly pickthe lock, and he began working on the chains holding Utoqa. Almost a dozen locks kept his friend under key. The steps were thunderously close now. Sweat beaded his brow as he concentrated on the locks, barely able to hear the clicks as he worked through them. Heavy footfalls behind him, and he could see a man raising a sword mirrored in Utoqas eyes. The sword fell. A lock clicked open. Utoqa caught the falling blade with his now freed hand. Noam dodged out of the way as Utoqa hauled the man directly into his jaws, bone crunched as he took a bite out of the guards exposed head. Red, whites and greys decorated Utoqas teeth as Noam went to freeing the rest of his body. Got any idea where we are? Were out of wayshard range since I cant open my character sheet, and Celines thing is getting sparse with distance. Utoqa greedily swallowed the first food he had since they were captured yesterday. I was too wounded to notice, but I will be able to find our way outside. The last of Utoqas chains fell to the ground. Noam tore off the dead guards shirt, wrapping it around Utoqas wounded arm. After a moment of consideration, he passed the sword to Utoqa as well, before knocking out the still laughing guard outside. Taking her sword. Noam tossed a Beatbox Inspiration on Utoqa, raising his vitality by six and agility by two. Lets see, way behind enemy lines, youre heavily injured, and we barely have any weapons. Were fucked arent we? Utoqa tested a few swings, I do not understand how we are to meet mates in this situation. Right, I need to school you on basic lexicon one of these days, Noam kicked the aflame corpse of the sniper Traveler. The hallway door slammed shut ahead of them as the enemy barricaded. Dustin has told me I should not use you as any basis for common or accepted language. Shit, he knows me well. Pulling flame from the cremated Traveler, Noam gathered a small ball of white hot flame. Ill lead, can you match my pace? I will. On three. One, two, three! And he tossed the ball of napalm flame at the door. 7.09 7.09 There''s a point when arson becomes a community service. - Magus Fireball, Nemesis of Magus Ackuaz. Note: Do not utter his name in Mage Tongue, it will create a Fireball. This is why we misspell our Magus Names Jared! There was a memo! A memo! - Magus Ackuaz Fire roared as the door burned. Noam was out in a moment, four opponents, the first fell to his darting blade, the second burst into laughter as he screamed a knock knock joke. The third was on him with a blade he deflected with his horns. He twisted his own blade out of the first guards throat, then parried the second swing as Utoqa fell on the fourth guard. They both dispatched their opponents quickly, his falling to a feint hiding a finger jab to his throat. Noam grabbed the laughing guard, locking both their hands behind their back before dispelling Hideous Laughter. The guard came back to see a blade held to their neck, Im gonna need directions, I hope you know what the drill is for your own sake. Speed was of the essence, pushing the hostage in front, they moved further into a dimly lit hallway. Their steps echoed on cobbled stones as they passed by numerous empty jail cells and reached a flight of stairs leading upwards to a wooden trapdoor. Theres gotta be an ambush up there, Noam muttered as he glared at their hostage. Youll go first, open the door, and do try to throw off your clothes quickly. Wha-AAAAH! The guards voice rose in panic as Noam spat on their armor. Corralled by his and Utoqas swords, they rushed up stairs and tossed open the trapdoor. Its Harldson! a voice yelled above as the flaming guard rushed out in a mad dash to remove their clothes. Noam activated Breathless and IM LIT! As he leapt out, he saw a large open hallway with a second floor overlooking it, ten enemies, six guards, four Travelers. He recognized the mage and rogue he fought before. Fancy meeting you- Silence! Panicked screams, the clank of armor and the thudding of boots on wood, all disappeared in that instant. The familiar mage held her staff pointed directly to him. Three rays of white hot fire exploded towards him. Twisting, he just barely dodged the first, the second singed off his sleeve, and the third blasted him in the belly. The fire was mitigated by the fact he was already on fire, but the mage was already tearing a spell scroll. Chains erupted from the ground in utter silence towards to him. Utoqa moved, tearing the chains to pieces, then rushing towards the mage. She swapped places with the rogue, appearing on the second floor. The rogue left another piece of clothing as he swapped with a heavily armored man swinging a war hammer. His burnt sleeve landed on the ground. Utoqa dodged the war hammer, but four guards quickly surrounded him. The other two moved in on Noam as well as another rogue he didnt recognize. Noam parried a dagger, elbowed a sword arm into missing, then wrestled that arm into blocking a blade from behind. All three of his opponents caught fire due to proximity, backing off and he found himself back to back with Utoqa as they were surrounded. They werent attacking, simply circling them as- Noam gasped in silence as he jerked towards the mage. She was outside of the silence bubble, and casting. Sound failed him, so Noam elbowed Utoqas and pointed at the mage with his sword. Their enemies took that as a signal to move in. Utoqa glanced at him, Noam nodded back. The lizardfolk then raised his sword with his good arm and beheaded himself. Noam grabbed his head before it could drop, and punted the severed thing towards the mage. Utoqa Survived the beheading, regrowing a new body in midair and bowled over the mage. Noam saw a spray of blood before he engaged in his own battle. CtH activated, its buff was minuscule with this few enemies, but it gave him the edge to dodge and weave between the weapons. A frantic eternity of near hits and small cuts, but as the seconds moved on, his opponents gradually caught fire from his aura. Their movements slowed or grew more panicked, and Noams only improved as IM LIT!s awareness allowed him to track the flames on their bodies. The rogue slipped up, a moment of inexperience that Noam capitalized with a glob of napalm spit. A second opening, and a guard fell. A downpour of water slammed into them, extinguishing the flames. The mage wasnt dead. Noam slowed for a fraction of a fraction of a moment as he adjusted to the sudden explosion of steam and the loss of his IM LIT! Sense. The war hammer crashed into his thigh, he felt it break, and he began to collapse. The armored Traveler was already rearing the weapon back for another hit. A dead body was thrown into the raised weapon, the swapping rogue, already breaking into light particles. Sound returned, the crackling of fire, pained grunts and the clank of metal. The mage was dead. You are all a hundred years too early to take me on! Noam screamed. Vicious Mockery, empowered by both CtH and IM LIT!, roared out and lit the remaining fighters aflame once again. The armored Traveler ignored the flames as he rushed to finish him off. Stop! Noam yelled, a pained mana headache already forming, Its Hammer Time! The Traveler only paused to laugh for a moment, a moment too long as Noams blade darted out. But he misjudged it from his lower angle, the blade bounced off his neck piece. The enemy collected himself and kneed him in the stomach. Noam spat blood as he flew. The man took a single step before the line of blood and napalm flared to life. Chains erupted around the enemy Traveler, as Utoqa Scavenged the corpse of the mage, yelling, Chain- -ed Fireballs, Noam Ottocorrected. The chains disappeared, instead numerous fireballs exploded on the Traveler, each chaining into each other. The large man fell, body charred black. Utoqa leapt down from the second floor, his injured arm remained injured, a weakness of Survive that even though Utoqa could direct it to regenerate his entire body, he could undo damage from a killing blow, but Noam saw Celines threadssowing themselves into a workable cast. He deactivated IM LIT! Utoqa helped him up, one of his legs hung uselessly between them, and they slammed the front door open. Fresh air blowing unto them. Celine? Can you hear me? The response was patchy and full of static, Noam! I- only some- Dustin- the sun- Utoqa raised his head to the sky, The sun is northeast of us, at an angle of <><><><> Fenkais secret worked overtime as I calculated the location of my allies, the angle of sun they were seeing compared to mine meant, Westward! The swamp elemental kicked up its speed. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. <><><><> Celine patched Noams leg, it was slower, but he could stand. They were in a woodland manor, surrounded by forests. Dustin knew their direction, but not the specifics. A few well placed globs of spit and fire bolts lit the manor aflame, its smoke could be seen for miles. Hide now, Utoqa took him, and they disappeared. <><><><> Will she be alright? Melinda asked Tai. Behind them in the alley, Celine was furiously working on Noams and Utoqas dolls. Droplets of sweat glinted under the little light they had, the distance her magic was traversing was taking a clear toll on her. I dont know. Tai looked around the dark alleyway, Are we sure were safe here? Were well in alley space, the bubbly woman answered. Johnny dont stray from Mr Peterson. The boy paused, nodding as he came closer to a ghost Tai couldnt see. I never asked why youre helping us, Tai asked the mortician. Hmm? she turned to her with that eternally cheerful smile. I want to, Johnny looks like he needs help and we share a curse. I have made mine it into a gift, and want to share that method. What about you? Tai shrugged in return, Mostly happenstance, I saved him with these idiots and it would suck if all that work went to waste. She stiffened as Melinda suddenly patted her on the shoulder, Its ok! Not everyone wants to open up, so long as you know youre a good person then thats all that matters! Tai pushed the hand off, Youre weird you know? Thank you! the woman beamed. I dont mean it as- Okay! Celine gasped, wiping sweat off her forehead as she stood back up, They should be fine now, Dustins on the way to them. She quickly downed a mana potion, then a leaf which Tai recognized as headache medicine -there was fairly significant overlap between mundane and magical headaches- before setting the dolls back into her cloak. Frayed strings of the cloak reached out and accepted them, hiding them out of sight. Ive done what I can from here. She pumped her fists, Ha! A long range casting without the support of a magic circle, Baba would be proud! Congratulations! Melinda cheered, I operated on a mage once, he died doing what you just did, so I know its really difficult! Silence. Johnny laughed, and Tai felt inclined to join if only to make it less awkward. Lets continue then! Melinda either didnt notice or chose not to. She strolled aheadthe abnormally long alleyway. Tai knew of this place, rumors claimed that all alleyways were connected, and that one could appear from any city so long as one had sufficient knowledge. Yellow! Celine called out as the wisp landed in her hood. She held out an arm as it clambered out, it had grown a lot larger now, Tai noted. It gestured upwards to the shadowy rim of the roof. The sky of alley space was something Tai had been studiously trying to ignore, because it simply didnt seem to exist. It was just stacks upon stacks of different alleyways all the way up into darkness. The sun apparently was only allowed to exist at the edges. Yellows siblings were in one such stack, jumping down to join them. Squeak! Squeak! Celine nodded seriously in response. Well be fine, act as Dustin asked. Yellow leapt up to pat Johnny, then they disappeared back into alley space. Celine talked as they walked, Yellow and Greenie were apparently familiar with the place, and Dustin sent them from another city to shadow their journey. The ghost they were following clearly had similar amounts of mastery, since a few minutes of trekking later they emerged from a street just a few streets from the orphanage. This is as far as I can get you, Melinda said, hiding just out of sight. Tai could tell she was using the ghost to direct her hiding spot. Her movements were too awkward, following the spirit -heh- of the idea, rather than any lived experience. Noam did it instinctively with his footwork. Tai leaned out to catch a glance of the empty street, Thats as far as you need to come. Were expecting a fight. Celine panicked, We are!? The swordswoman rolled her eyes, I am at least. I didnt know how you missed that part of the planning. Celine let out a breath of relief, Oh we have a plan, thank god. She wiped forehead, I thought we were going in blind for a second. She pointed her sheathed sword at the orphanage, Its called run until we reach the orphanage. Tai pretended she didnt notice Celine silently panicking. Dont worry, Yellow scouted it out, were good unless there are lookouts good enough to avoid it. Johnny stepped forward, How can I help? Nah uh, Tai barred the way with her sheathed sword, You figured out you can control your ghost curse just a few days ago, youre not ready for this. But I want to be able to help! the boy yelled. Tai winced, then poked her head out to make sure no one heard that. After seeing no movement, she poked her head back in. Want isnt a factor Jojo. Youre a child. I have seen death, the boy blankly stared at her. And by gods, those empty pools of darkness alone showed the truth. But Tai didnt budge, Death doesnt make an adult. A child works an adults job in a tavern, that doesnt make them an adult. A child suffers an adults pain, that doesnt make them an adult. A child fights an adults war, that doesnt make them an adult either. But I can do this! What the monster did to Utoqas clone- that shows were strong! We can help! You disproved yourself in that sentence, if you cant even rein it in, why should we keep a liability? Tai youre being too hard- Celines sputters were silenced by a raised hand from Melinda. Tai briefly acknowledged her help with a nod, before she dropped her sword on the ground. It clattered lightly on the cobble. You want to prove youre an adult, then pick that sword up. Johnny looked up at her defiantly, the silently turned to kneel by the blade. He put his too small hands on the hilt, and tried to pull. It didnt budge, I said pick it up. He grunted with effort, shoes scraping the ground as he tried to pull the immovable thing. He adjusted his angle, where he held it, Ghost! Help me! Melindas eyes followed an invisible thing only she and Johnny could see. The sword didnt move. With a single hand, Tai picked up the blade, Johnny grasped desperately at it as she raised it above his reach. Until you can do this, go with Melinda. Youll be safer in a place they dont know. Melinda patted Johnny on the shoulder, Its alright. You can help me with my work. It wont be as important, Johnny spat. The mortician shrugged, Maybe, but only you could help me. Johnny blinked, trying to feign disinterest as Melinda continued. You saw how many ghosts were around my house, they arent old spirits. All of them are recent. Something happening in this city is killing people in strange and unusual ways, I need someone else who can talk with them. And not as a disinterested mage dappling with mediums, but someone who can understand. The woman held Johnny with solemnity, Can you help me with that? He nodded, and holding his hand, Melinda smiled at them, We will depart for now, I wish you luck in your battles. And I to yours, Tai nodded. They disappeared back into the alley as Celine and Tai both stepped out. Her hand was on her hilt, silently prepared as Celine followed behind her, silver threads at the ready. They made it safely to the orphanage, and Sister Glascoin worriedly ushered them in. Both Celine and Tai were now trapped in siege. <><><><> So thats your situation, I muttered. The swamp elementals back was rough, but myconids were hardier lots since I didnt find it that uncomfortable. Their choice made sense. I asked Celine to flee the orphanage and meet up with Tai during the opening I created, I couldnt guarantee her safety while I wasnt there. Some part of me called me callous for writing off the children and Sister Glascoin, but it was an analytical part, not the kind part of me. I ultimately didnt care about those people as much as I did Celine who Ive spent more time with. Even then, I dont think I would be all that upset if Celine died, given my reaction to Naukoths death, but it would unpleasant. Now, the both of them bolstered the Hearth Homes defenses, and while I wasnt sure if we could trust this Melinda character, the idea of leaving Johnny in an unknown safe location made sense conceptually. There was little I could do to affect that battle, so instead I turned to the skies, where a black smoke column rose in the distance. The wisps were running covertly throughout the city, sent back through the wayshard. Hopefully together they could affect the situation. They only had to hold until we got back. 7.10 7.10 I love the darker heroes, they are just like me. - The Revenant King, who once called genocide whole demographic conscription. Johnny Joymoon sat with a notebook, chewing his pen as he looked at the ghost before him. No luck? Melinda leaned over. He shook his head, tilting his head like how he saw Dustin did sometimes. He only says one thing. The spirit groaned, Mud Melinda tilted her own head, biting a biscuit as she mimicked Johnnys stance. Thats a strange thing for a ghost to say. Sometimes people dont keep all their facilities when they die, but most can talk at least. She offered the ghost a cookie. Johnny turned to her, What did you get from his body? The woman seemed down as the ghost ignored her cookie. Somber and silent for a moment, Johnny asked again, Ms Melinda? His body? There was not a lot left. Huh? She held her arm, looking away. It had to be a closed casket funeral. I did what I did to make him look presentable, but I wasnt able to fix his body for his family. Johnny nodded. Walking away and talked to the next ghost, while she silently turned to another. Suffocating He arrived at another ghost and winced. The previous ghosts body was left in shambles, but this ones spirit was damaged as well. He gulped, there was no blood, only gaping gashes and the scent of burnt fat. Johnny! Melinda rushed up to him, I can take him if youre uncomfortable. He shook his head to her. No, I can handle this, Im strong. He wasnt sure who he was trying to convince with that, still, drawing in a deep breath, he asked, What killed you? The man gaped, as if gasping for breath, Dirt Nothing. Well, nothing that hadnt been heard before. It seemed like many of them were buried alive, but what caused their wounds then? Only Utoqa wouldve survived those injuries long enough to be buried. Johnny kept chewing his pen, grinding it down with his teeth until he tasted the ink, this was a mistake, it was pointless, he wasnt doing anything that mattered! In the corner of his eye, he caught movement. A ghost, hidden before the myriad crowd of all others. He was whole, a grown man, built large like a bear and wearing a blacksmiths apron. His calloused hands were clutching his head as he shook, whimpering. Johnny pushed aside the numerous ghosts near him, a sea of spirits parting as he arrived beside the lonesome one. Still whole, still conscious. Still legible. What killed you? The ghost turned to him, looked at him with hollow eyes. They were haunting things, browns orbs of the once living, ripped from hope and buried in an abyss of despair. Johnny did not flinch, for he saw similar eyes in the mirror. Clay. Clay killed me! the ghost began to shout, waving his arms in madness. I WAS COVERED! COULDNT MOVE AS FIRE BAKED ME AND ATE MY SOUL! I CRACKED AS ALL POTS DO! He flinched back now, something was telling him this ghost was dangerous. An intuition for spirits he wasnt sure if he always had. For not all ghosts were ephemeral, benign things. Some could affect the physical, some would haunt a place for centuries, lashing out at the living in inexplicable ways. Johnny knew this was one such ghost. He turned to the monster he knew, that monstrous thing made of arms and the dead spirit of lies, Ghost! Kill it! It began to move, unfurling in a mass of violence as it approached them. The blacksmith ghost beside him roared. His own ghost wouldnt make it in time. He had put it too far away, for it still reminded him of the past. The blacksmith ghost grabbed his shoulder. Melinda raised two hands, one at the ghost of lies and another at the ghost of the blacksmith. Mr Hauerdian. He is trying to help you. Both ghosts stopped, like twin candles sputtering out to darkness. Remember your wifes pies? She leaves them out to cool by the window, the smell is divine, she smiled, sitting beside the ghost as if reminiscing with a friend. I suspect she does it intentionally, shes quiet mischievous isnt she? She leaves them out just to make other people jealous. Melinda gently rested a comforting hand on him. The kids from the Hearthhome always stole her pies. She scolds up a storm worthy of an imperial tutor, but she always leaves the pies in the same spot for them. Mr Hauerdian blinked, as if having woken from a long dream, he looked at Melinda, then Johnny. For a moment, sanity and recognition flitted by his eyes, and with it, Johnny saw a pained man. But it was gone as quickly as the warmth from a blown candle. The ghost turned around, held his head and continued to mutter and shake, leaving Johnny frozen, and Melinda looking sad. Johnny shuffled a cautious step back, Ms Melinda, hes still dangerous. I know, her arms gently wrapped around Johnny. He stiffened, but the embrace felt right. Like a warm bed after a long winter. But you have to remember that the ghosts you talk to were once people, and still are in many cases. She nodded towards the door, where Mr Peterson kept watch outside. But not all of them are, Johnny whispered back. His own eyes avoided hers, drawn to the silent grotesque thing that returned to its corner. His hand went to the ragged doll, tightening around it in a strangle. Why did he give that thing to me? Because he too, is suffering. He too doesnt know how to do things right. She patted his head and stood up, Now then! There are a lot more people to interview! Theyre all counting on us to pass on! <><><><> You look like shit, I told Noam as he rested by Utoqa. His wounds were closed, but Celine could only do so much at this great distance. With the new contract, I wasnt in a position to waste mana, even if my regeneration was great, I was still drained from signing on the toad. There would be little point, Noam was depleted as well, having spent most of his abilities and mana, given his stats, he would not be greatly useful if I were to heal him. I would be losing myself as a combat asset for little gain. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Despite that, I knelt beside him, and started casting balm spores. He raised an eyebrow, then grinned. You too, whats the new ride? Utoqa was silently sizing up the swamp elemental, It would be a tiresome hunt. Glad to see you approve of it. Coming from him, it was high praise indeed. Maybe I did luck out with the elemental. Balm spores healed the minor bits Celine didnt have the power to prioritize or fix. I freshened Utoqa up as well, he was built tougher than Noam, but his arm was still raw. Pain pain go away, Rain leave for next day, Now feel the numbness, Bring Fix-Up-Fungus! I got a bit woozy as I lost the mana, the healing shroom sprouted between us, getting used to the mana sickness now was,in hindsight, a terrible thing to be used to, like being used to growing boils when plague comes, but what could you do? Thats the stuff, Noam moaned, hugging the Fix-Up Fungus as it spewed healing spores onto him. I did the thing all good friends do when they moaned, I said, The mushroom is rather phallic isnt it? Noam choked and fell off the healing shroom. Hey! Im injured here! Clearly not injured enough, I chuckled. He rolled his eyes. If I was less tired I would be eviscerating you right now. Utoqa raised an eyebrow, When you say that, you imply with weapons, but you mean with words, correct? Noam grinned. With words right? Dustin is our protector, it would be poor to wound him. His grin widened. Utoqa tilted his head. Barring teeth is a threat, but amongst the softskins it is supposed to be reassurance? I bonked Noam with my staff, Cut it, dont confuse the terminator lizard. Noam chuckled as he rolled over. Softskins indeed, after seeing what you can do with your teeth, I think you deserve to call us squishy meat bags by that. Dustin is not made of meat, Utoqa said. His flesh is tougher, and more plant like. Trust him, hes tried, I agreed. Noam laughed at that. Utoqa perked up, afraid that the noise would attract something, but he sensed nothing, and sat back down, eyes closed as he focused on resting. After a while, he opened his eyes. I am recovered. What shall be our next cause of action? Returning to the city, the Hearthhome, it seems we are in for an extended fight. Dusts, Noam sat up. The plan? Working on it, I bit my thumb. The enemy was a guild of Travelers and the city guard. The simple fact was that we were outnumbered, and though Utoqa by himself was worth almost a dozen of them, all it took was a single mistake. Did they still think he was a Traveler? With magic being so free, there must be a way to keep a Traveler in permanent stasis so that they could not respawn elsewhere. My eyes lingered on the ashes, the use of a prison implied they did not have the capability, but how much longer would that hold true? Travelers apparently havent been a part of this world for a long time, only returning recently with our wave, but if I was a resident of this world, I mightve set up a service for detaining Travelers. A magical prison that induced comas, kept threats off the board for a subscription. Of course, the real problem would then be dealing with their pissed Traveler friends, but then I could just sell their freedom back and get paid twice. I was getting off track again, the simplest solution would be to just kill them and spawn camp the Wayshards. It didnt stop them from entering the city normally, but it would theoretically keep a Traveler off the board for a while. If we discounted alley space that is. I wasnt entirely convinced Yellow and Greenie were serious about the place, but given that Celine sent a message of their meet up, it was another ace up our sleeves. Noam stretched, reminding me of a cat, Right, Im physically recovered. Good, standing up, a mushroom appeared in my palm. Lets set up my second ace in the hole. He raised an eyebrow, but didnt question it. It was something I realized I should appreciate more about him. Though it sounded obvious, my thoughts happened in the privacy of my mind, yet I always expected others to follow a similar chain of logic. Arrive at the same conclusion, and work together on the same plan. Noam didnt know what I was thinking, nor did he think in a similar way. He simply trusted me and offered his hand. I pressed the Stamp of Symbiosis on the back of his hand. <><><><> Mr Hauerdian felt pain. We know they all died the same way, Johnny said, tapping his head with his pen. But none of them remembered who or what killed them. Mr Hauerdian remembered the most, but Mr Hauerdian felt pain. Recalling that memory hurt him. Johnny could ask, press for more details, learn more about the monster who killed so many people, he would just be hurting someone else in the process. After that realization, he wondered if he was even capable of asking, even if it was in service of the greater good. If he simply didnt know that the ghosts felt pain, he mightve caught the killer already. He wasnt doing the best he could, he wasnt trying his hardest. Johnny was lacking, and he couldnt bring himself to fix it. So they had to try another route. Melinda and Johnny double checked their notes, Johnny read the prior investigations Melinda did, most of the same stuff, only older. There were ghosts decades older than he was, all similar causes of death, but the number increased greatly in recent years. Most of the ghosts around them occurred within the past year alone. The rest degenerated, years of never resting in peace. Melinda did what she had to, and her notes on those people were covered in tear stains. He wished could forget seeing those tears as well. It was when Johnny threw down a stack of notes with an audible thud, that Melinda stopped him, placing a tray of tea and snacks onto the table. Lets have tea! Johnny brushed away the snacks that she placed by his hand, I can keep working. You can work anytime you want, but resting you cant always do, she said, pushing the snacks back towards him. But you said it yourself, theyre relying on us, Johnny pointed out as he pushed the cookie back. You think they want to sent to the after life by someone who looks half dead from tiredness? she asked, this time she didnt push the snacks closer, she simply wafted its scent towards him. They were cookies and scones that smelt buttery, with sugar and jam. Its irresponsible, he said again. You have a responsibility to your health, she gestured at her morticians apron, pointing out crumbs of cookies over the dried blood. Look! Ive been snacking whenever I can, you should too! The cookie smelt of warmth and home. Johnny slammed his palm into the table, tea spilling to the ground, I DONT WANT TO! He stood up, fists shaking. I dont want to rest, or have cookies or tea, or whatever you want to give me! I dont want to be treated like a kid! I want to help someone! I want to be able to save people! I want to... His eyes widened, I want to be a hero. He spoke, I want to be the farmer who slays the giant monster, the Good King who overthrows the tyrant, the party who slays the dark lord. I want to be someone who can save others. Johnny raised the doll of the Weeping Child, staring into its button eyes. Thats why he picked me. Thats why you sought me out. He looked at Melinda, really saw her. You can use your powers, your blessing so freely. I can learn to be a hero with you. Johnny could be the farm boy who slays dragons. Melinda knelt down and wiped clean the spilled tea, Do you know of Astrologer Joseph? Johnny paused in surprise, The slayer of the last True Vampires? The Hero of Bright Days? She chuckled, Yes, him. He definitely did those things. She set the cups back onto the table, He also loved tea, and his wifes cookies. Melinda looked mischievously conspiratorial, like a girl revealing she was the one who ate the sugar cubes from the pantry. She taught me how to make them, you know? Would never tell Joseph, but he wouldnt know how to bake them even if she did. He could navigate the stars from memory, but couldnt a kitchen with instruction. Why are you telling me this? he asked. Not all heroes are as large as you think they are, she poured another cup of tea. Some of them are just like you or me- Or Dustin, or Noam, or Tai, or Celine or Utoqa he said. The Weeping Child said the same thing. You can be a hero Johnny, the greatest the realm has ever seen, she offered him the snacks again. Just dont forget the taste of sweetness. 7.11 7.11 You cannot defeat us, Revenant King! For we healthily worked through our issues with good communication! I wish you just said the power of friendship. - Interaction between Imamu the Lone Swordsmen and the Revenant King during the final battle. Utoqa was flexing his injured hand when my familiar noticed something. The toad ambled towards the smoldering ruins of the manor. My hand rested on its back, What do you see? Rotten. Scent. Brimstone. Demon. The rotten smell of brimstone and demons? I muttered. That would be me dawg, Noam called out, he scratched the back of his hand. Damn this thing is itchy. Hes right, I thumbed towards Noam, its probably him, Half-blood. Fake. Imitation. Scent. Pure. True I need to mana bond with that thing, one sided conversations are just not interesting to listen to, Noam said behind me. Utoqa stepped up beside me, flexed his arm and ripped off his cast, what frightening recovery speed. The woodskin senses danger. An old scent of predators. I gestured at the toad. You understood it? I understand the look of prey in fear, Utoqa answered. He doesnt mean offense with that, Noam stumbled forward. Hes just blunt like that Mr Toad. My familiar was silent, instead it started towards the manor ruins. I shared a look with Noam, then Utoqa. Noam grinned, and I shook my head, hes still recovering. Not even mentioning his skills, his body was just burnt out. Pouting, he went back to the camp and laid on a log, snores following soon after. Utoqa nodded, and I nodded back, he walked forward with me, flexing his arm and checking his range of motion. He drew a sword. They stole Gift, I require it again. Think it survived Noams napalm? Fire will not destroy it, the lizardfolk replied simply. Then lets hurry, our window is closing. The Travelers would have respawned by now, and had time to drum up a party to this location. Only distance separated us. Seeing fire up close made me nervous. It took me a while to recognize the emotion, but not long to realize it wasnt mine, but of the body I inhabited. The heat was scorching, and part of my body demanded I seek moisture and cooler pastures. The swamp elemental pushed forward, shoving away debris. It too was nervous, but it was an elemental of the hot and humid, it didnt have as great reservations as the instincts of my myconid body. Utoqa found his tomahawk ax quickly in the rubble, tossing the sword aside for the much more familiar weapon. Gift was still sharp, what little blackening on it was quickly dusted off, revealing pristine ivory white. What bone is that made from? I stopped to ask as the toad continued forward, sniffing the ground like a blood hound. Dragon, he answered. My half-formed reply was cut short by a loud guttural croak. The toad was violently shoving aside debris. Utoqa and I rushed to it, coming just in time to see it reveal a great stone slab set in the ground. The toads tongue shot out, a long sinuous thing made from thick lengths of rope, it stuck to the door, and with a great heave it pulled the stone slap to reveal a passage underneath. This isnt the burrow Noam and I escaped from. Cellar or dungeon, I corrected. Trapdoor could also be correct, though you would be referring to the door in that case. Utoqa nodded, holding Gift in a guarded position. He didnt have a chance to take point though as the toad rushed forward. Squeezing itself into the tight corridor. I gestured at Utoqa to take the back. Were going to need to work on communication, elemental. Do you have a name? I asked as I followed behind it. It sent back a concept, too complex to really be simplified with a single word. Names were important to beings of its type. Most didnt have one, and it was part of the majority. Want a name then? The toads rush paused, it turned awkwardly within the cramped space to look at me. Bargain? It asked. Its tongue flicked out and tasted me. Dustin the Thrice-Blinded. My name, and it speaking it somehow encompassed the entirety of me. I shoved the tongue off my face, No, you cant have that one. Im still using it. Im offering something new. It turned around, continuing down the stairs, but there was a thoughtful glint to its eyes now. The next concept it sent back took a second to parse. You prefer earning a name naturally through deeds accomplished in this realm, but you dont mind someone with my title naming you? Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Another concept, this time a ritual. It looked like a serious one as well, much more complex than my Summon Wisps. And you want me to do it properly through a big important ritual. Affirmation. Deal. And depending on how well I did the naming ritual and the quality of the name provided, it would be willing to work for free? Ill put it into serious consideration. We reached the end before long, the toad familiar letting out a threatening rumbling as it surveyed the room. It was a chamber, walls of rough hewn stone blocks carved with intricate scripts glowed softly with pale golden light. The glyphs were beyond me, but I kept a mental note to compare it with Celine later. They ran the length of the walls and led to the center of the room where they climbed up onto a raised alter like intricate circuitry. There lay a bloody tooth, a molar the size of my head, its roots buried in pink flesh. It was covered in the same scripts, but even as I watched it, I saw the scripts eroding. The glyphs were disappearing a chunk at a time, as if something were taking bites out of it. I noticed my secret give a warning. The secret of Fenkai gave me knowledge of directions, time and weather when the world was ordered, but that sense was slipping, instead new magics were filling me. Undecided like a coin flipped still spinning in midair. Utoqa gestured to a spot in the wall, where a droplet of melted slag had dripped down from above and ruined one of the glyph lines. Utoqa, elemental, we are leaving. The last glyph on the tooth disappeared. There was a force, an indent on my cap, I saw it too on Utoqa and the elemental. A tracing of circle, pushing down on our skin like a maw of teeth. Utoqas Gift swung out, but it hit nothing. And I felt something bite. A chunk was ripped from my cap, same as Utoqa and the elemental. Our flesh went flying, and the flesh on the molar grew. Utoqa was already running, leaping off the elemental to gain distance. I followed close behind, a Misty Step teleported me beside the molar just as Utoqa reached it. He slammed down with Gift, carving a deep chunk as bone proved tougher than enamel. Tracing my staff, I cast Shillelagh and threw my own blow. Enhanced by magic, I widened the gap. It wasnt enough, I felt another indent on my arm as phantom teeth prepared to Bite. Rot Spores putrefied what flesh the tooth had, sloughing off in great blackened oozes. A mana headache staggered me backwards. Utoqa delivered the final blow, his ax split the black miasma to reach the tooth underneath. Striking the carved channel, he broke the tooth in two. It only unleashed what was within. Phantasmal teeth spilled out, tearing at us and the ground beneath. Lashing out in hunger and rage. Like a swarm of piranhas they tore through my barkskin armor. An ivory whirlwind that stripped and tore. Utoqa disappeared under the blinding assault, buried under teeth much like I was. A long tongue pierced through the enamel walls, sticking to my back as the elemental pulled me out. I landed with a thud, ichor bleeding through my wounds and already congealing. The elemental had pulled me out first. Get Utoqa you idiot! It quickly complied, fishing the battered lizardfolk out. Next prioritize my non-Traveler allies. Ill be fine dying a few times. The attacked slowly petered out, leaving only a bowl shaped hole where the alter had once stood. Other than the split tooth, everything else had been ground to dust or covered in teeth marks. Something strange has happened, Utoqa said. I scoffed, Tell me about it. The lizardfolk took me literally and pointed behind us. Where the light of outside filtered through the stone door frame. The staircase was gone, instead only three steps lead to the outside. Oh, you meant that, I knelt down, feeling the first step. Some kind of space fuckery? Explains how the slag got down here. The glyphs had ceased glowing now. I took three short steps and found myself back on the surface. The basement mustve been directly under the manor, the magic made the staircase unnaturally long, when Noam burnt the mansion down he melted some magma that dripped down and ruined the magic circle. Leading to whatever was that tooth breaking free. The toad hopped up beside me. Demon. Fragment. If thats the case were withdrawing, I answered. Well get Johnny, Celine and Tai and leave this city. Why? Utoqa asked. I read about demons in books. One of the first things I did upon entering Indiri was absorb every piece of information I reasonably could from a library. Thought most of what was said about was exaggerated. After I met that hydra monster in Lake Bayt, I think differently. Even a weak lower circle demon would be beyond our ability to fight. Lets just run, our lives arent worth risking. Noam would disagree. I paused in surprise as I turned to Utoqa. You disagree also? No. He didnt elaborate, so I pressed. Then why did you say that? Because Noam would disagree, he answered in his characteristically literal way. Only if we tell him. Utoqa stared at me with his blank, reptilian eyes. I will tell him. I clutched my staff tighter. Why? And give me a good reason. Dont just repeat yourself. He tilted his head, a habit hed been picking up. After a moment of thought, he answered, I trust Noam more than I do you. I paused, his increasing skill in conversation almost had me forgetting how blunt he was. For what reason? Utoqa thrust a finger towards my chest, the gesture forced me back a step. Then he pointed at himself. Were both he paused in thought, ...hardskins. We would both betray the other to ensure our own lives. Noam would not. He is similar to Naukoth. Softskin. He cares about the pack. What I am suggesting is to ensure the survival of the party. I stepped forward, even standing as tall as I could he still dwarfed me a good few feet. Are you suggesting I dont care? No, you care about just two of them, he answered, shrugging. You wouldve abandoned me in the stomach of the memory eater. Even when you suspected I existed, because it risked you. It was Noam that made you save me. The fact didnt bother him at all, he just accepted it as a fact of life. After all, he wouldve done the same thing in my position. Its why I couldnt even muster false anger against him, he was just too reasonable. The swamp elemental moved to stand behind me, glowering at the lizardfolk. The distance between us was close, dangerously close, I would not win a melee against him. Did you think telling me this would lead to a good result for you? My grip tightened on my staff. Utoqas hand fell to his ax. I blinked first. Sighing, I collapsed on a nearby stone, Go and tell him then. You are being a fool. You think telling Noam would ensure your own survival because he cares about you, but he is not a creature of rationality like you or I. Ill tell you how this will go, you will only invite greater battles relying on Noam. I left my nest to depart from this rationality, Utoqa answered as he strode off. Then you may be the smarter one of us two, I sighed. Stroking the swamp elementals back as I watched him go, disappearing past the smoldering ruins and back into Noams clearing. Am I bastard? I asked the elemental. I shook my head. No, dont answer that. I lost in ethics to a cannibalistic psychopathic lizard, whose only priorities in life are survival and scavenging. He might even be better than me on the basis that hes at least honest about his psychopathy. When I followed back, Utoqa even had the decency of pretending the confrontation never happened, or maybe it genuinely never occurred to him to tell Noam I briefly thought of knocking him out to keep him quiet. 7.11 Part 2 And thats about it. Sat inside a circle of mushrooms, I filled Noam in on the situation. Utoqa ate silently beside us, not interrupting for I didnt miss a single detail. By the end, we were left in thoughtful silence, only the buzz of the night forest could be heard. Noam eyes flitted from silent Utoqa, then to me. He realized something then, though he didnt show it on his face. How odd that I could notice this now, looking back, even a few months ago I wouldve completely missed this. I knew so very little of my friend, willful ignorance had made me ignorant of other things as well. Noam threaded his fingers, So, what do you suggest? Id say this entire city isnt worth it anymore. Since hes realized my disagreement with Utoqa, there was no harm in letting it be known. Johnny wants to stay at the orphanage, but the situation has become untenable. Where did that demon piece come from? Noam asked, glancing towards the toad, who sadly also had no answer. I shrugged, It matters little to me, the presence of even a fragment makes me want to run for the hills. It appeared to be sealed, but that could go either way. It could be that it was done so to keep people safe, or to save it as a weapon to be used. Gripping my staff, I sighed. We can deal with a guild of Travelers, but the problem is theyre not just that. Weve killed guards and regular people now. I glanced towards Utoqa, still speaking to Noam, I said, At the tavern it was you who threw the first blow correct? Weve escalated the conflict, I wont be surprised if we have wanted posters now. Whatever move we take next, it must be with great consideration. Noam was silent, brow furrowed in thought. After a moment, he said, We need to regroup. I nodded, glancing towards the stars. We rested the night, then traveled on foot towards the city. Once we were a certain distance away where Celines magic would not dissipate as easily, we started another conference. We brought Celine and Tai up to date with our situation. the primary offenders are me, Noam and Utoqa. Given the escalation, and the fact weve already killed several people, most of which are guards and militia men, we should be wanted. However you two should be relatively unknown or innocent, an investigation should link us together as a party, but neither of you directly participated in the battles. Thats right, Yellow came by and told us the guards are searching for you three. Though we were mentioned, they dont know what we look like beyond some vague descriptions, Celine said. We are a new party, that is to our advantage, our composition is not common knowledge, though the Mercenary Guild should have our details, it should similarly be sparse, and show that we have not been together for more than a few weeks, I nodded. Despite things going south, you two are still capable of pulling out of this situation. Leaving is an option for you guys, in fact I suggest it, since you two can safely pull out Johnny while the three of us sort out this mess ourselves. Noam frowned, glimpsing what I was thinking. If they seek you out, you two can give us up. We are a new party formed out of traveling convenience. We do not know each very well and you certainly did not expect three of us to defy a local authority. These things are all true and should pass something like a Zone of Truth spell. I I cant give you guys up! Celine yelled. I felt her fingers tighten around the doll, as if shaking me in surprise. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Both Noam and I are Travelers, if worse comes we can discard our current bodies and return as new ones. As for Utoqa, he can just flee the continent. The ones at greatest risk are you two and Johnny. I would not ask you three to risk yourselves like this. Tai! Tell him we cant do that! Were friends! There was a moments pause before Tai answered. Dustin is right, he cant expect us to fight with them. The punishment for killing a city guard is execution, but more than our lives, were risking our right to be in any city at all. Taebuts governor will have us blacklisted from every city, township and backwater hovel they share connections with. They heard a table slam through the connection, That being said! There is something extremely odd about the situation. Why would the governor Hye commit so many resources to retrieving a child? Why does she have a demon fragment locked in a basement? There are too many mysteries here, and I want to be able to see this through. Yeah, same here, Noam stroked his chin. I have the feeling I just joined a bar fight and I dont know the argument that started it or who threw the first punch. I couldnt help but quip, You should be well acquainted with that feeling. Noam helplessly threw up his arms, Guilty, but all the same, I want to know this time. Dustin, you met Hye, whats your take on her? Careful, I paused, considerate and conservative in her actions. Shes working with Travelers, but she doesnt have good control of them. I was able to rope the monk into a contract and seal his stats, I had the feeling she really didnt want to start a fight. Either because she knew my capabilities as a mass chemical weapon or because of proximity to the Hearth Church. She seems to have a good grasp on law, perhaps because of her occupation, however she feared my contract magic was rigged. There was a potential link there, now that I knew there was a connection with the Hells. However devils were the ones who made contracts. Demons were a different matter. You couldnt exactly bargain with natural disasters. Though I suppose doomsday viruses hellbent on the destruction of the virtual world would be more accurate. Noam tilted his head in thought, he raised an eyebrow, Do you think shes the type to shake down an orphanage? I raised an eyebrow as well, What are you insinuating? I dont know, he admitted. But there are too many strange things happening in this city, and your description doesnt seem to match. I was half expecting a cartoonishly evil dictator we can just beat up and be done with. Whats a cartoon? Celine asked. Tai sighed, You turn to violence a bit too quickly Noam. Noam mimed throwing a few punches, since they could see our dolls. Like I said, bar fight. And she very well could be, I cut in, keeping us on track. Both can be true. Not to mention my own grasp on people is biased and flawed. Utoqa was a silent testament to that. I sighed, If were all in favor of pursuing this, please be aware of the risks. Even if you disagree with my plan, I would like you two to keep the option of betraying us open for yourselves. Celine sputtered out a few words of disagreement, but quietened as Tai sighed, Dustin, I am not that self serving. You had my back at Lake Bayt, so did Utoqa and Noam, thats worth something. My brows deepened to a frown, We remember Lake Bayt very differently. As far as I remember, I was prepared to leave all of you for dead and run. Noam slapped my cap, And now youre telling them to do the same thing to you in order to save their own hides. God youre such an idiot sometimes. He spoke to the girls, Sorry for my friend, it really isnt personal for him, he just expects everyone to think the same as him. I can tell. What did they mean by that? I shrugged, Were getting off track again, since were all in favor of remaining, we need a plan of attack. Let me confirm again, is Johnny safe? Melinda is an odd woman, but she didnt seem malicious. Quite the opposite in fact. Tais tone turned solemn, That being said. I was the one who made the call to leave him with her. Meaning shell take responsibility if something went wrong. It was a risk certainly, however one I was inclined to leave be, not because I trusted this stranger, but because Johnny meeting a woman who shared his powers and deific blessing seemed too coincidental. Given what I knew about the Scales and the balance of fortune and karma, Johnny should be due a good turn or twenty-seven. I would honestly be more worried about the people who went after him. Grim as they were, the Weeping Child too was a god of orphans. Despite its indiscriminate protection. Utoqas clone lacked his Path, but even it couldnt have died easily without a trace. Worst case scenario the entire city gets leveled by a gestalt of ghosts, which Johnny would survive. 7.12 7.12 Two-hundred and eighty-six. Believe in luck, I would not be alive without it. - Excerpt from Edwins Enchiridion of Encounters. Johnny Joymoon woke up well and rested. He had not fallen asleep in the warm cot, instead he had dozed off in front of the impromptu snack table. For a moment that feeling stayed with him. A bit of magic only a child could experience, falling asleep one place, and waking up in bed. Something lost as a person grew bigger and heavier, and expected to manage their own care. For a moment, he knew to appreciate that feeling. It was still late into the night, and Melinda snored loudly on her own operating table, having left her cot for Johnny. The mortuary was admittedly a very messy place. Yet there was an organized chaos of a professional who knew her workplace and tools better than her own hands. It was in this environment that Johnny contemplated their problem. Banished for a moment of his expectations to be the hero, to obtain results at any personal cost. A child of loss and death wrapped in blankets that smelled faintly of embalming concoctions. How would they solve this? They would do what he and Melinda had been doing. They would keep reviewing all existing evidence, trying to find the one unifying clue. Dustin would help at first, but when no results showed he wouldve asked Mr Hauerdian and been done with it. It was a simple calculation, the pain of the dead did not match risking the living. It was a coldness that Dustin was easily capable of inflicting onto others and himself. And Johnny realized he did not want to be cold. So this late into the night, he crept to their work table covered in notes and read them for eleventh time, and for the first time came to the slow realization of a pattern. It was not some sudden epiphany, merely the natural end result of a well rested mind and many repetitions. Johnny Joymoon, not knowing fully well what it meant, found a map of the city, and began marking it with the location of every death, every restless dead with a corpse too broken to investigate. They were scattered all over the city, yet every time he marked a new place, he could see that they were slithering out of a specific place like the heads of a hydra. For he knew, that monsters still followed convenience. At the center of hundreds of dots, was the Hearth Church.
The halls of the Hearth Church were lit by warm orange fire. Despite magical sources of lighting like the more convenient and cheaper glow crystals, small candles, wicks, and lanterns were dominant here. To Tai, it spoke of an almost fetish with flame, combined with the well worn wooden floor boards, it created the obstinate image of conserving a traditional homely vibe. So each frame is a still picture, the eye can only see around twenty-four frames per second, and if you change these pictures fast enough in a sequence it gives the illusion of movement Noams voice, transmitted through Celines magic, whispered irritatingly close to her ear. Said woman replied, Like a flip book? Yes! Like a flip book. Celine, do you really have enough mana to be keeping this conversation up? Tai whispered with no small amount of annoyance. Sorry! Celine yelped before cutting the connection with Noam. Tai tapped her ear a few times, as if trying to get the sound out, after confirming silence on her dolls end. She took a few steps forward, confidently, and without skulking. In the end that was what decided which of them would be going. Celine could hide surprisingly well, but her anxious demeanor and gait could give something away should she be caught. Strange suspicions aside, they were supposed to be here. Soon they reached their goal. She turned slightly to her shoulder, and whispered, This is the pantry? Yellow squeaked an affirmative. The Hearth Church was a surprisingly large building with the main dinning hall in its left wing, attached to it were the kitchen and pantry, along with the private tea room they had been greeted in. She tried the pantry door, locked. Yellow hopped off her shoulder, and squeezed through the gap underneath the door, she went down, eyes peeking through after it. Her view was restricted, but Yellows glow helped her make out the little she could see. Tai confirmed what the wisp had previously stated, a filled pantry but lean stock, more for filling bellies than anything luxurious. Surprisingly high quality pots though, one of her exes was a potter and she picked up a few things, they kept in touch even after he aged out of her, being a human and all. The pots were colorfully glazed in a way that reflected well off Yellows light, some were unglazed and more amateurish, by the small fingerprints it seemed some of the kids partook in arts and crafts. What are you doing? A childish voice asked from behind her. Tai turned around. Casting a shadow by candle light was a little human girl, brown twin tails and so pale she almost glowed in the dark with porcelain white. Her eyes were gaping wide, with large dark pupils that almost obscured the white of her eyes. Sill on the floor, Tai awkwardly scratched the back of her head. I uhh dropped a copper and it rolled under the door, I was trying to look for it. Tai couldnt hear Yellow hide, which thankfully meant neither could the girl. Sister Glascoin has the keys, we can get her to help, the girl said. Its late, we can get the coin in the morning, little girl, Tai replied as she got up and dusted herself off. Its Prea, and sister is awake right now, Prea pressed as she took a step forward, getting unnervingly close, till Tai could feel the warmth of her breath. Mustering the same instructive voice of her grandmother, Tai spoke, But you should be sleeping right now young lady. She took the girls hand, and started walking to the right wing where the sleeping quarters were, dragging her along. But I dont feel sleepy! This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Then should I tell you a bedtime story? Tai seemed to muse, but she kept a close eye to the girl. Was I just being paranoid? Either way, it gave her a good excuse to look at their living situation. They passed through the dinning hall, neared the sound of whispers of children not quite tired enough to sleep. Which is your room? Prea pointed towards an open door towards their left, bright candle light shone cast long shadows through the doorway. Their rooms were nothing special, a bunk bed with blankets still faintly spelling of laundry and sunshine, sat on the bottom bunk was another girl reading a book by candle light. A twin. Both of you ought to sleep, Tai said with a voice that had been passed down from parent to child since the dawn of time. Both of course grumbled and quibbled over their curfew, but Tai saw them off to their beds. When she closed the door she came face to face with Sister Glascoin. The sister smiled, and it was sweet velvety thing that made any suspicions seem trivial. Those kids love you. Tai shrugged, They certainly didnt look that way. I know! she leapt and clasped Tais hands in hers, Theyre a delight arent they? Tai looked down, slowly peeled the priestesss hands off her own. I dont really have a lot of experience with kids. Couldnt have fooled me, she replied. Would you join me for tea? We may be safe within the church, but I would still like to keep a watch. Without a good reason to refuse, Tai simply nodded, and found herself waiting in the tea room once again. Sister Glascoin brought over a tray and poured her a cup, before nestling into her own seat. Tai watched her take a sip of her tear, before she picked up her own tea cup. Do you believe in luck, Tai? Sister Glascoin asked. Tai sipped her tea, it tasted sweet. Im not sure what you mean. Good begets good, Sister Glascoin began, do onto others what you want done to you, and it will happen. There are many ways to describe it, but perhaps that is the easiest. Be generous and kind, and the world will treat you kindly in return. Her chair felt especially plush that moment, as if Tai were sinking into it. It sounds nice yeah. I assume you dont mean the platitude but something the Elder Pantheon enforces? Sister Glascoin smiled, This is older than Lorn and Gwaina and their Hearthfire. It was something I learned as a young child, generosity provably improves your own luck. I think that is why youre here. You and the Toy Dragons came here in my moment of need, because I have done good all my life. Tai blinked, and found her eyelids heavy and hard to open. The teacup fell out of her loosening hand and was caught in midair by Sister Glascoin. She tried to speak, but her muscles refused to answer to her. The Hearth exploded with fire, crackling and screaming with an enraged howl, before it solidified into a face. One so ancient he was old when men were still figuring out agriculture. Lorns voice was calm, the calm certainty of a cold death in winter, for that was all that awaited those who abandoned Hearth and Home. What are you doing? Glascoin simply took the kettle and put out the fire with its contents. Its a shame though, I really did enjoy being a priestess. But Lorn and Gwaina have grown old and senile, they can sense hospitality being broken but cant do anything about it. Without looking, she threw the ceramic tea kettle, which melted in midair and hit the hidden Yellow like a glob of goo before shaping itself into a sealed jar around the wisp, trapping them. On the table, the ceramic tea set melted like ice under the summer sun, turning into its base clay. Glascoin stretched out her arm and the clay flowed like streams around it, before she pointed a finger to Tai. The clay followed her direction, locking the elfs paralyzed limbs to the chair before hardening as if fired. Mold, Glascoin whispered. The Path I chose. A mere cantrip compared to what you and seasoned warriors like your party could do, but it has served me well. She turned to the door, And now, your friend.
There was a knock on Celines door. Tai? she called out. Celine out of habit first turned to the doll rather than the door, her introversion gave her her only warning. Tais doll was limp. May I come in? Glascoins voice asked. When no voice answered her, she cracked open the door, peeking through to a room empty and still. Glascoin put down a tray of tea and biscuits on a cabinet by the door, stepped into the room, Hello? she called out again. The beds were empty, but messy and warm in one spot as if someone had recently sat in them. The clay wash basin was filled with water but still. She glanced around, pushed open the curtains and found the window was solidly locked from the inside. Behind her, Celines cloaked figure rose up from under the bed frame. She moved without hurry and with deafened foot steps, a silent ghost that passed the table, and the cabinet by the door. Where the tea set Glascoin had left leapt at her like a snake. The witch yelped as the liquid clay slithered up her neck, onto her mouth and nose and solidified. Celine fell to the ground, clawing at the mask as it blocked her breath and words. Youre not the first mage Ive killed, Glascoin said. Nor the first sneak either. The clay molded itself around Celines hands, trapping them as well. Her living cloak, Nappy, exploded into motion, wrapping around her limbs and pulling her to stand and run like a puppet. Ragged black threads wrapped around the clay, trying to wrench the mask off as Celine ran out the door. To a hallway filled with ceramic plates, bowls, and cups. Celine could only watch as Ni Kakophs gift pulled her limbs to dodge the incoming globs of clay, Nappy was fast, but one lucky shot of clay clipped the hem of the cloak, clung to it and weighed it down. Slowing her enough for a second ball of clay to hit her, each further weighing her down until eventually she collapsed onto the floor, barely a few steps away from the door, behind her, Glascoins footsteps rung out like an executioners bell. Her lungs screamed desperately for air but only received clay dust. The mask was molded perfectly around her, so she shifted. Her skin and hair turned albino white as she condensed herself, shrinking just a feet of height, and the mask loosened enough for her to breathe through the new gaps and free her hands. However, Celine remained on the ground, covered under hardening clay and formless cloak, until Glascoin stepped close enough for Celine to lob a green alchemy vial at her. At that same moment, Glascoin tripped on a piece of upturned floorboard, falling onto the ground as the vial sailed over her head. The former priestess easily caught herself with her clay, and from her new perspective caught Celines freed form. A changeling, huh? Celine reached for her alchemy bandoleer but a fast stream of clay severed the belt and it fell harmlessly to the ground. Silver threads flashed into existence as Celine Stitched the clay tendrils to the wall, but the amorphous clay simply moved around the thread. Do you believe in luck, Celine? Glascoin asked as the tidal wave of clay slammed into Celine and wrapped tightly around her, so that not even her desperate shapeshifting could free her. Yet a single doll fell onto the floor, the plush scaled effigy of Utoqa. Glascoin picked up the doll, I tripped and avoided your flask, Tai had tea with me, because I could not defeat her in a straight fight. This doll fell on the floor because it is the best hostage I could take. That is luck. The clay filled her mouth and trapped her tongue, holding her helpless as Glascoins clay tendrils ripped the other dolls of her friends from underneath her cloak. That the party that helped me had a sympathetic mage with all of her friends cursed, is also luck. All this happened, because I have cared, genuinely, for many orphans over my life, these outcomes go from chance to inevitability. I should ask you where the myconids other familiars are, but a mage is too dangerous to keep with a working tongue, Glascoin whispered into her ear. The clay around Celines tongue tightened like a vice. The woman suddenly frowned as she saw a shadow behind Celine, with a casual flick, she threw Celine and all the clay into a closet. Sister Glascoin? Celine heard a girl, Prea call out. Lea wants a candle to read her books. Glascoin replied, and Celine could almost hear her smile, Its late, but well make an exception tonight. Footsteps as Glascoin stepped towards the kid. Where are the nice ladies? Prea asked. Theyre keeping us safe, Glascoin replied, leaving Celine trapped in a cocoon of clay. 7.13 7.13 Im not fireproof, just very determined! - Alexander the Dragon Slayer, while on fire. Governor Hye and the entirety of the Scarlet Samsara guild were waiting for us at the front gates of Taebut. We didnt bother with any attempts to hide, as only Noam and Utoqa could reasonably pull off such an attempt. I stood out like a glowing thumb under the night sky. So we approached on foot under stars and flickering mage lights, until Hye raised a hand, Thats far enough. Noams hand, still at his side, flicked a finger outward. A tiny gesture, one I followed to the hidden crossbow user on the walls, Mist, I believed his name was. The mage was proudly standing beside Hye along with their front liners, though she seemed to flinch when Utoqa came into view. Within their range, but not ours. I raised a hand, and they all tensed. They were disappointed as I merely opened it in the universal gesture of wanting something. I would like my messenger back. The swapping rogue stepped forward with an iron cage, Lime trapped inside. He walked towards us, stopped at the middle and let Lime out. The wisp waddled the remaining distance and hopped back onto my hand. You wanted a talk, the mage spat, talk then, before we take you in. Discussion under a temporary truce, Hye added more diplomatically, for the chance to work out the conflict peacefully. They killed Elirian, Jaquaks, Kadrian, Lathel! she yelled, staff raised. They must be the guards Noam and Utoqa killed breaking out. Hye slapped the staff away, and for a moment I appreciated her shrewdness, even with the superior force, she noticed something very simple. Neither three of us flinched. Eleanor, Hye whispered to the mage, I need you to be calm, and silent for the next few minutes. The woman sulked, but stayed quiet as Governor Hye turned to us. I would like to know why exactly you are in conflict with the Hearth Church, I began. For what reason you sought out a client under our escort, and why it was important enough to escalate to such a degree. That boy is cursed by the Weeping Child, Hye said neutrally. Distraction, shes probing us for information, Noam whispered to me, and I quickly came to the same conclusion he had. All the more reason for us to seek out a Hearth Church for him to be safe, not to mention you clearly werent aware of the fact until after the fight. You wouldve sent a far more people, I replied. We suspect that Heather Glascoin, Sister of the Hearth Church, is a demonic cultist in disguise who has been sacrificing people for decades. I raised an eyebrow, That is a very bold accusation, especially since the only demonic thing Ive seen recently was in your basement. Nine generations ago, my family slew and divided the corpse of a demon. Sealing each fragment away, Hye explained. This generation, one of those pieces went missing, and has been missing for thirty years. Noam crossed his arms, Still a stretch to place the blame on a Hearth Sister. If your claims are true, I began, When did you acquire your suspicions? I would think something like a demon fragment would warrant immediate action. Unlike how youve interacted with Glascoin so far. I left unsaid. And I saw at that moment a very familiar expression on Governor Hyes face, caution. Care and consideration, held to such excess that it became indecision and cowardliness. Almost a mirror to my face. Noam noticed it too, faster than I, since he has been complaining about the same thing far longer than Ive noticed that flaw in me. She was clever, Hye said. Only took some people every year. Disappearances constant but few enough to be lost within the metropolis. I hope it doesnt need to be said that we are not on the side of the Hells, I said. But consider please, our position. We come into this city, the local Hearth Church speaks of your oppression, our charge almost kidnapped by armed men, and then a demon fragment found inside your basement after you took two of ours prisoner. If anything, you guys look like the demon cultists. We need more than words, is what hes saying, Noam clarified. She hesitated, and I frowned. Judging by your conservative actions, you dont have any proof, do you? Only suspicions. She is far too lucky, Hye seethed with some emotion halfway between annoyance and horror. It is unnatural. I have investigated hundreds of dead ends, and yet, in this entire city, twelve hundred names, and she is the cleanest, the one with the absolutely no evidence, motive or means. So your point, Noam began with a tone of incredulity, Is that she is too innocent? My mind latched onto one word, Lucky? I began trying to recall my interactions with Glascoin, everything we saw about her was exactly as she had presented it. Regardless of whether or not I believed Governor Hye, my mind entertained the idea. Did I ever see her Balance? No. I never saw the Scales of her karma, I mustve had the opportunity, at least two, it had just slipped my mind, as there were more pressing things to consider. Would I have ever let it slip my mind under normal circumstances? Noam, I whispered, am I paranoid? He didnt reply with some platitude, for he knew me better than that. When I asked in this tone, I wanted the honest answer. Very.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Knowing what I did about the Scales, generosity and charity were surefire ways to build it up, for the world wanted to keep you in Balance, weakening yourself in any way demanded the world make it up to you in some other means. And she was a Hearth Priest. Thought of it another way, an evil person could do whatever they wanted, so long as they did enough right that the world still considered them a net positive. It clicked then. Celine. It didnt matter whether or not I believed it, the concept was feasible, and that alone warranted confirmation. Noam head jerked towards me. He recognized my face instantly, and knew I had pieced something together. He held his hand to his ear, Celine, come in. Celines voice answered him, Yes Noam? I frowned, and my gaze against Hye and Scarlet Samsara turned guarded. The mage, Eleanor noticed, and she held her staff slightly tighter. Were checking up again, Noam said. Hows your side going? Ms Tai is out handling the investigation, but shes turned up nothing so far. Utoqa hand rested on the handle of Gift, on the other side, a man in heavy armor did the same for his war hammer. Then Noam gave me a sign, miming spearing a ball with a toothpick, then eating it. Takoyaki, I recognized. Our code for fake. I signaled Utoqa to stand down, my guarded face turned away from Scarlet Samsara to Noam. Hows Johnny doing? he asked casually. Hes still hiding in the safehouse. I see, Noam nodded, Well check up later. He turned to me, traced words on his arm with a finger, Celine doesnt call Tai Ms. The person who talked in Celines voice was someone that knew our names, that Johnny wasnt with Tai and Celine, and our suspicions about Glascoin, as well as being close enough to disable Celine. That was a very short list of people. I nodded and turned back to Hye. Her perhaps? She couldve sent men to attack, but neither Tai nor Celine would leave the Hearth Church, that left the other option, that the Hearth Church left them. Noam had been talking with the real Celine just a few moments ago, so the Hearth Church mustve been destroyed in that same time frame. Hye did not have the capacity, which meant the Hearth Church was destroyed from within. I find your claims extremely doubtful, though not without merit. At my feet, glowing mycelium grew into words, a contract created by Mediation of Mutualism. Our words are being listened to. My voice continued, We will return to Gestrand Forest, and contact the Platinum Protectorate. If your claims have any merit, then theyll be the ones to deal with it. The contract continued growing, Our sympathetic mage has been taken hostage. If Glascoin made such a move then her goals must be nearing completion. Hye squinted to read the words on the contract, then gestured at someone to bring her paper. Yes, perhaps that is for the best- Eleanor interrupted, shoving Hye aside, And were just going to let them go!? As she spoke, her fingers danced and weaved flames in the air, flames that formed words. Shes almost done then? Eleanor, Hye said, with an expression that belied her deception. I told you not to interrupt. I dont know what shes done. I returned with the glowing mycelium words, She must have the capacity to overwhelm a swordswomen of the Gnari style and a hag taught witch. To do such a thing at such a time, implies confidence. Theyre murderers! Eleanor yelled even as she weaved more words of fire above her head. Fake a fight? We were fighting in self defense, Noam shot back, while I wrote. No, that will require us to take damage to sell it, and she is incapable of healing us. That would naturally make us suspicious, and give the lie away. With my voice, I said, You are welcome to give it a go, but consider if you have the requisite force to carry such a thing through. They looked annoyed, because even if we were outnumbered, they were not confident they could take us. We were banking on that bit of truth to sell it. Hye spoke with an authoritative voice, Eleanor, stand down, this isnt the time to be wasting our forces. On a piece of paper she wrote, Well need all the help we can get, but we cant trust you either. Neither could we, really. It was deception that led us to this mess, and the distrust born from it could not be solved. So a leap of faith was needed. Upon the contract I wrote out, I agree to release The Worlds contract, with no strings or conditions attached. He simply needs to agree to it as well.
I think theyre onto me, Glascoin murmured, beside her, a clay bust of Celine dissolved along with its fake voice. Trailing behind her, clay tendrils carried the four dolls, and dragged two coffins. One way to check. She took out a coin, Heads, theyve realized, tails, I still have time. One casual flick, she caught the coin on the back of her hand. Heads, huh. I really thought I did your voice pretty well. Glascoin flipped the coin again, Heads, I should kill the hostages, tails, I shouldnt. The coin revealed tails. Interesting. I suppose it wants me to save the dolls for the opportune moment. I am curious though, she turned to one of the clay coffins, if your dolls would survive you. Another coin flip, and Glascoin smirked, They will. You are a pretty good mage then. Celine scream was muffled, trapped within a prison of clay, something halfway between drowning and being buried alive. Glascoins steps were undeterred as she walked further down the circular staircase. Dug, covered, and reinforced in clay, the stairwell was the result of years of labor. At the bottom of it all was an ivory teeth protruding out of bulbous pink pulsing flesh; almost the size of a house. Glascoin bowed towards it, Your breakfast will be prepared soon. Clay hands lit up the fire, bathing the room with orange flame from an opening halfway between a kiln and an oven. Thick strands of drool dripped from the tooth, the demons hunger was so great that it even sucked away the smoke. Savoring its scent in anticipation for what it knew was coming. It was with a smile that Glascoin threw both Tai and Celine into it. The contract nears completion, demon, Glascoin said, watching the crackle of fire lick the clay coffins. The room grew hotter, and sweat beaded down her face. When you are revived, immortality you shall grant me. The room kept growing hotter, Glascoin blinked, fanning herself. Yet she only felt hotter, until the heat became searing. Until she smelt her own flesh cooking. Glascoin screamed as her body burned. She was being attacked, nay, cursed. Clay tendrils whipped out, dragged the coffin of Celine out of the furnace and slammed her into the wall. Glascoin felt that very same slam impact her side. As she collapsed, the coffin shattered, revealing Celine with a hacking dry cough, her burned form and face shifted to an exact mirror of Glascoins own. Baba said I wasnt good with curses, Celine croaked out, my heart was too kind, unfit for a witch. So she only taught me the very best one; a death curse thatll take you down with me. Now release Tai. Changeling, Glascoin hacked from her own cooked dry throat. Her face covered in burns, she spat, You think that trick will save you? Itll at least kill you, Celine exhaled all her breath, then held her mouth shut. Glascoins eyes went wide as she began to suffocate with her. The former priestess staggered back, and relented. Another clay tendril dragged Tai out and shattered her coffin. Celine breathed, and rushed to Tai, pulling out half burned and cooked herbs and salves from her pockets. What poison did you use!? Celine yelled. Dayroot and monkeybane! Glascoin responded. Liar! Celine slapped her own face, and the blow resounded on Glascoin. The eye dilation isnt right, not to mention her breathing isnt irregular. It was Moonrest! Glascoin answered. Celine felt Tais pulse, and from her herbs and salves quickly crushed a paste in her palm, which she fed the elf. After a moment, Tais eyes fluttered open. Tai! The swordswoman blinked blearily, choked as she suddenly felt the searing pain of the burns that covered her body. But Tai was made of sterner stuff, she righted herself on all four limbs, and vomited out the remnants of the poison. Celine was right beside her, helping her heave. Its all right, Ive got you- Tais arm shot out and grabbed Celines neck, You! No! Its me! Celine hurriedly shifted out of Glascoins form. Celine! A clay tendril speared through Celines stomach. I misread my fortune, Glascoin muttered. I thought it meant for me to not kill the dolls, but it was you who it meant. Tai let go of Celine, smashed the clay spear with an elbow before she rushed to Glascoin. But this changes nothing! Glascoin screamed and the floor turned to mud that lapped and gripped Tais legs. The smoke! The smell of cooked flesh! The screams! This is merely a trial! ONE IMPOSED BY MY LUCK TO SEE IF I AM WORTHY! MOLEATH, DEMON OF MOUTHS! WAKES! Teeth marks drew themselves around the whole basement, like the manifold tracks of a wheel on a busy road. Tai turned to the bleeding Celine, then back to Glascoin limping up the steps of the stairs. She chose Celine. 7.14 7.14 ... and know when you slay me that you do not slay one empress! But also many- much? Myriad! The myriad souls who follow me! *tsk* I screwed it up. Assassin! Stab me again! My last words need to be memorable! - the last recorded words of Madelyn the Conqueror, later found with over seventy-nine stab wounds. A whirlwind of teeth erupted from the earth, ripped apart the cobbled road and tore away the face of the Hearth Church with its several neighbors as the demon chewed its way out of the earth. The scene in which the Toy Dragons and Scarlet Samsara arrived at was one of chaos. Set down the barrier! Dustin yelled out as he threw out his Sporages, beside him, Noam and Utoqa sprinted in opposite directions, dropping more Sporages as they circled the affected area. The World clapped his palms, No need to tell me twice! See my Path, the way of Hospitality! Be our Honored Guest! Golden barriers slammed down around them as Eleanor screamed commands to the rest of Scarlet Samsara. Noam and Utoqa closed the circle and Dustin slammed down his staff, Fairy Circle! Justice Domain! Blinding light lit the floor, burning the demons flesh as it screamed a sound akin to teeth on chalkboard. The light moved like a living thing, forming chains that trapped the demon under its burning Domain. They rushed to attack it while it was weakened. Only for a giant needle the color of tarnished silver flecked with rust to stab through Dustins chest. Noam tried to dodge, a futile effort as a needle appeared through his throat, followed shortly by a third that disabled Utoqas leg. The Fairy Circle broke, the light receded, and the demon was freed.
Blood soaked into the hand Tai used to apply pressure to Celines wound. Glascoin got her in the gut, and though the girl had applied her own silvery stitches, her pained lack of concentration meant the effect was minimal. She could barely walk while leaning on Tai. So the swordswoman instead focused on the path ahead. Past the circular stairwell were pitch black perfectly tubular passageways, which her elven eyes could see was an unused part of the citys sewers. They lost Glascoin in this maze, though Tai wasnt sure they could confront her. Her darkvision couldnt discern color though texture told her the walls were clay bricks. There was a rumble, like a giant eating stone. The sound emanated from the wall to their left and ambled upwards towards the surface in a slanted fashion. They briefly froze at the noise, but lacking options, Tai threw Celine into a piggyback, Im going to be a bit rough. Celine couldnt protest, her face pale, and not the healthy changeling pale, but the bleeding to death pale. Thus Tai steeled herself, and stomped her foot into the brick floor, cracking it as they shot forward. The path blurred beneath her feet, for though Tai didnt have Utoqas freakish constitution, nor Noams quick reactions and speed, she made up for it plentifully in strength and muscle. Each step was a leap that left her footprint in brick. Tai followed the sound of the demons chewing, a desperate gamble through myriad identical turns and crossroads. One that paid off, as the chewing noise led them to a piece of wall that was smooth clay as opposed to brick. She punched through the several inches thick barrier and found a stairwell leading upwards. Tai rushed up, painfully aware of the blood soaking into the back of her burnt shirt. She kicked open the secret door, finding a room with half the walls and ceiling ripped off, Dustin! Only golden barriers answered her, locking down the street ahead in a house shaped box. She briefly saw Dustins distinct silhouette slam down his staff as Utoqa and Noam rushed to engage the same horror she had saw beneath. Her head darted around, Healer! Anyone! I have injured! Here! a woman in white robes waved at her, then beckoned a pair of guards carrying a stretcher. All around them the city guard were mustering an evacuation effort. Tai went with them, stayed beside Celine as her wounds began to close under healing light. The witch, flittering between unconscious, grabbed Tais arm and pulled her close. Celines face morphed into an exact copy of Tais, just as needles the color of tarnished silver speared the changelings arm and chest. The healer panicked, pouring more mana to heal the new wounds, Tai barely noticed, she glanced at her sword arm, completely unharmed. Celine whispered with a hoarse breath, My magic it just activated Glascoin was still loose. Tai gently put down Celines hand to rest before she rushed off. The place that was once the Hearth Church was in ruins, the destruction had reached even here. The roof had completely caved in, somewhere, a fallen candle had lit parts of it aflame. Washing the place in an eerie fire light that seemed cold.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Despite it all, Tai found a clear circle where the rubble had all seemingly avoided. At its center was Glascoin, gently hugging the many orphans of the Hearth. The cold fire seemed to cast them in a holy warmth. Tai reached for her sword, but it wasnt there. She instead tightened her fists. Glascoin! The woman looked up at her with a slight smile. The flames around them howled in cold rage until Glascoin placed her hand on the small of a childs back, and the fire quietened, for it was of the Hearth, though it still seethed with impotent wrath. Children! Tai yelled, You have to get away from her! Glascoin is a bad person! They turned to her, hearing her words, yet Glascoins smile only turned more smug. Shes been lying to you! Tai yelled, Shes been hurting a lot of people! Sister? one of the children, Prea, asked. Is what she saying true? Glascoin wrapped the girl in a warm embrace, Of course not! I dont know what shes saying! The former Sisters face was one of innocence, We need to get out of here, it isnt safe. Tai stepped forward as Glascoin rose, yet paused as the woman dusted herself off, dropping shards of clay around the orphans. Glascoin raised her hand, her face one of practiced calm, Hold hands, form a line! A child grabbed Glascoins hand, then another his, until the children had all formed a line around her. Glascoin took a step forward, but the child holding her hand did not move an inch. Her smile wavered, as she turned to look at the boy holding a doll. A doll of the Weeping Child. You never bothered to do a headcount, Johnny Joymoon said. Jojo, I hope you dont believe what she is saying? Glascoin said, Tai speaks nonsense, she is injured and delirious, this is a dangerous place, we must all move. Johnny tilted his head, Only my friends get to call me Jojo. A shard of clay shot towards Johnnys head, only to be stopped in midair by an invisible force. Glascoin threw off Johnnys hand, a shield of clay formed around her before it was instantly covered with hand prints. Please, Johnny whispered, Melinda told me to ask nicely, so please, save us from the danger. And just like that, the ghost that had haunted him in life and death, obediently and gently raised the children of the Hearth Church. Carrying them away even as they kicked and screamed. Jojos small smile only lasted for a moment as Tai roughly grabbed his shoulder and pulled him out of an incoming clay spear. See them to safety! Tai ordered, Ill handle her! The boy nodded and Tai leapt into a spinning kick, shattering an impromptu clay shield and missing Glascoin nose by a hair. The clay did not fall, instead it clung to her leg, weighed down her step, so Tai smashed it with a fist, yet the shattered shards sharpened in midair. Dozens of spikes speared into her leg, trapping her foot to the ground like a bear trap. Glascoin clapped her hands, forming them into a cone pointed towards Tai as clay compressed within her fingers. Yet as she stepped back to aim, her foot hit a piece of loose rubble and she tripped and fell. Narrowly avoiding a crossbow bolt aimed where her head was and a blade that slashed where her body was. Tai recognized Yone and Mist, the Travelers of Scarlet Samsara who had defeated Noam and Utoqa respectively. She tried to move her foot, yet the clay spikes only dug deeper into her calf. She couldnt pull them out, so instead smashed the hardened clay at their base. Ahead, Glascoin flipped a coin in midair just as Yone sheathed his sword. The coin fell, Yone moved, and Glascoin dodged according to the coin, avoiding Yones slash dash entirely. Tai stepped forward, suppressed a wince as the movement agitated the clay shrapnel in her calf. Glascoin and Yone repeated their dance, a flipped coin, a sheathed sword. Yone missed again, slashing through nothing, he turned to try again, yet as he did so his sheath hit a pile of rubble, knocking down a burning plank which hit his head and knocked him out. Glascoin threw her coin again, this time the flying coin hit the incoming crossbow bolt in midair, pushing it just the slightest amount so that it missed Glascoin by a hair. The bolt ricocheted off a stone wall and into the air. As Mist reloaded his crossbow in his hidden position, the bolt fell and pierced through the back of his neck, killing him instantly. Tai arrived fists swinging, but the weakness in her leg threw off her punch. Glascoin didnt even need to dodge, she kicked Tai in her bad leg, knocked her down, then shot the gathered clay in her hand like a pressurized water jet through Tais liver. Tai fell amongst the burning rubble, clutching her stomach as the clay spear hardened within her, teeth grated with pain. This result was an inevitability, Glascoin said. A ball of clay gathering above her palm. The remnants of the poison I used on you, your wounds, being disarmed. All these little coincidences, each a lever for my luck to push on. Each of you three alone wouldve easily been able to kill me, yet all three together couldnt. This is proof of my hard work. Dont compare me to those third rates, Tai spat between gritted teeth. That idiot didnt even know how to use a sword. Glascoin blinked, too late realizing that the flames surrounding them had obscured a very simple thing. The light of a dead Traveler dissipating as they died, a light that was right where Tai had fallen. Glascoin flipped a coin. Tai grabbed Yones sheathed katana. The coin fell. Tai moved. Glascoin dodged perfectly out of the way. Yet as the blade missed her neck by a hair, Tai twisted her wrists, lowered the blade and stabbed. Glascoin looked down to see the blade protruding from her, its hilt guard pressed against her stomach. Tais hands tightened around the hilt, twisted the katana in as red spread from the wound. I learned that draw technique when I was thirty-five, barely a stupid teen, Tai spat. Learning to draw your sword is the most important step for any swordsmen, yet that idiot didnt know what to do with it once it was out! He just kept putting it back in! Tai tore the blade out, taking a good chunk of Glascoins stomach as she did so. The woman staggered back, clutching feebly at the air where her side once was. Same spot where you got me and Celine, Tai chuckled as she stepped forward. She raised the sword for the coup de grace, blade slick and shining crimson under the Hearth fire. Yet a still standing frame of the burning building finally gave out at that moment, crashing down between Glascoin and Tai. Tai instinctively shielded herself, yet as she opened her eyes again, Glascoin was gone. FUCK! Elsewhere, as Johnny tried to comfort and explain things to the orphan children, Prea sat in a huddle. Stuck on her back, a single piece of clay began to move. 7.15 7.15 Whenever I have to judge a domestic dispute, I find it easiest to simply divide whatever is being disputed. This has worked for land, furniture, and even people! - Tyrant Cornelius the Uncrowner, best known for killing every ambidextrous person, ending slavery as well as unjust social hierarchies and dying a slow death of gangrene after getting scratched by his pet kitten Zoe. Wind howled like a great beast, still it failed to drown out a rhythmic tapping on stone. Until the tapping stopped, surrounded by burning ruins and rubble, right in the clearing where Glascoins coin had fallen. A hand picked it up.
Tai moved as fast as she could hobble with her lame leg. Aided by the sword sheath as a walking stick, she made far faster time than she expected. Not fast enough. Far away, a clay tendril formed around Prea, plucked her like a flower out of a garden. The ghosts reaction was immediate even as Johnnys mind lagged behind, its ethereal hand grabbed onto Preas leg, the two forces yanked at her, held her taut in midair like a bowstring. Prea screamed. Let go Johnny. Rivulets of blood flowed out of Glascoin, left behind the same trail which Tai ran over. The clay pulled even harder, Johnnys ghost did not relent, their tug of war intensified with Preas screech. Johnny was frozen, his eyes darted down the street, where Tai was still a ways away. The wind screamed in his ear, Preas screams of pain even more so, as she was stretched far further than her spine could reasonably tolerate. Yet Johnny knew, just a single moment longer, and Tai would arrive. Big sister Tai, who held a blade and was a single move from ending Glascoin. A tear drop splashed onto the cobble road, as Prea wept tears turned crimson red under the flames of the burning Hearth Church. Johnny was screaming before he even knew it, GHOST! LET GO OF HER! The handprint on Preas leg disappeared, and she was ripped into Glascoins embrace. Tai stopped dead in her tracks, the tapping of her sheath cane on cobble ceased, as she was left a single step from unleashing the killing blow. Glascoin held the girl towards her like a shield. The clay morphed away, clamping onto her wound like a makeshift bandage. You do not seem to understand, Glascoin gloated, You are a minor setback on my road to eternity. It was always destined to end this way. But the tapping on stone did not stop. A lone tongue, wooden and swampy, darted in from out of sight, wrapped around Prea, and pulled her out of Glascoins hand. There is a tale from my world, of a king presiding over two women who both claim a baby to be theirs. Cobble exploded as Tai leapt. To solve the issue, the king decided that the baby would be split in half, one agreed, one objected. The mother who objected said she would rather the babe go to her rival than to see them harmed. The tongue had pulled Glascoin off balance, so that Tais lethal slash instead missed, the elf however, accounted for this, and brutally kneed the off balance Glascoin in the face. The king thus knew, that the mother who objected was the one who cared greatest for the baby. That is the Judgement of Solomon, Dustin said over the roaring wind. You made the correct choice, Jojo. Glascoin fell to the stone with a thud, Tai stabbed her sword through the womans chest, pinning her like a bug on display. Dustin was there in a single cast of Misty Step. You Glascoin gritted her teeth, How are you here? I stabbed you in the heart! Dustin tapped his chest, where ichor had scabbed over a gaping hole, You need to learn more biology. That isnt where a myconids heart is. To the side Prea grabbed onto Johnny, hugging him like a blanket. Tai gestured to them, and he nodded, pulling Prea away, Come on, lets go, until they were out of sight. Moleath Where is he? Glascoin sputtered. Is that the demons name? Dustin took out a bandoleer of potions, Celines in fact. Of eight potions, he randomly selected one, and poured it over Glascoin.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The healing was immediate. Tai raised an eyebrow, but only twisted the blade further in, eliciting a further groan of pain. The demon was terribly malnourished, Dustin said as Glascoins flesh re-knit. Whatever you were feeding it, you didnt do so with enough frequency to keep it more than barely surviving. It tore and chewed, but in the end, it starved to death soon after breaching the surface. Glascoins eyes went wide as discs, That is impossible! My luck! It shouldnt have run out! Oh you are most certainly still lucky, Dustin said, stoppering the flask only after he had poured out its entire contents. The wind prevents me from casting my most deadly spells, Tai did not end you because Jojo was watching, and my hand selected the one healing potion of a bandoleer of poisons. A Russian Roulette against your favor, yet you still won. Your karma must still be in the vast positives. You know it too then? Glascoins suddenly grinned, You are like me then, that is why you decided to escort such a dangerous thing for no reward. You know the mechanics of fortune! Dustin roughly grabbed Glascoin by the hair, dragged her upwards, leaving a bloody trail on the bottom half of the blade pinning her. Yet her smile did not waver, You know how luck works, so you must know that killing me will be greatly unfortunate for you. And why is that? Dustin asked in a voice still as a grave. Because I am a net positive on the world, she laughed, because so long as I do more good than harm, the world will keep finding excuses to keep me around. That is why you are the one to undo me! For we are alike! Go then, turn me in! Collect your just rewards for defeating me! I cannot deny that, Dustin admitted. When I first learned of the Scales, I sought to exploit them in much the same way you have, through time and charity, obtain luck. Tai frowned. And I must thank you, Dustin continued, for showing the end result of where that leads. You have truly helped me. You showed me that after years of hard work, scheming, denial of just rewards for great deeds, you are only lucky. Dustin shoved his other hand through Glascoins mouth, and through it cast Rot Spores. Unaffected by the wind, it flowed through the path of least resistance, past her throat, into her lungs, a black blight eating away at her from the inside. Tai beheaded the corpse, the body fell to the ground with a thud, leaking Rot Spores. The head soon disintegrated in Dustins hand. She was too dangerous to keep alive, Dustin said. Tai leaned on her sheathe, barely able to stand, I know. She wouldve wormed her way out of a cell before anyone could have a chance to execute her. Her luck made it so that we, the most likely to let her live, were the ones who found her, Dustin stated. Tai who abided by laws and rules, Dustin who knew the forces at work here. But we chose not to. The Scales determine chance, but people determine choice. She may have mastered the Scales, but not people. Tai kicked the body right before it disintegrated, Youre starting to sound like Celine with her mystic mumbo jumbo. I am a wizard, Dustin chuckled. He offered his arm to Tai, which she gratefully took, Come on, lets get those wounds looked at.
Man, I didnt do anything cool this adventure, Noam complained. Didnt even get paid for it. Just be glad were getting off scot-free, Tai muttered, a day we dont go to jail is a good day. That is agreeable, Utoqa said as he loaded the cart. Imprisonment is detrimental to health, though the provided accommodations are not the lizardfolk thought for a moment, terrible. Noam slapped his friend on the back, Hey! Youre getting sarcasm! No, Utoqa meant exactly what he said, I chuckled, rolling a coin between my fingers, no doubt he found the concept of free food and shelter worth the lack of freedom, and I wouldnt say we didnt get rewarded. Where is Jojo by the way? Noam scanned the streets, which only had a few wary guards and Scarlet Samsara members to see them off. Celine pushed away the curtains of the cart and stepped outside, He was holding back tears, he must be sad to see us leave. Noam rolled his eyes, Well he shouldnt be! What makes him think we wont visit? He tapped Utoqas shoulder, Hey, dont load so fast. Why? the lizardfolk asked. He wants to wait for Jojo, I told him. Tai grabbed Noam in a chokehold and noogied him, Arent you a big softie huh? Ow! Ow! Ow! Noam tapped out, taking a deep breath as Tai released him. That really hurt! Huh, Tai exclaimed, Oh, Im really sorry about that- She couldnt finished before Noam got her with a roadhouse kick. Ow! Thats it! Noam danced away from her grab, stuck his tongue out as she tried to return the favor. Leaving them to their fight bonding, I sat down next to Utoqa, who had stopped loading the cart. There is a pattern with you. Your people cant feel emotions as we do, yet you still rescued us, why? Celine sat down beside us as well, also curious of the answer. The image of him covering her from the Accumulation of White Lies digestive fluids was still fresh in both our minds, not to mention him risking his life to save Jojo. Utoqa answered blandly, and expectedly, Maintaining this pack is beneficial to my long term survival. Celine looked a bit disappointed at that, but I chuckled, Isnt that strange. Pure utilitarian logic, and that logic tells you to be good and kind. That was a perspective I never really considered before. Tai and Noams fight slowed down as footsteps neared us, Governor Hye came to see us off. She nodded to us, Im having the children moved to various orphanages or finding households nearby who will take them. She didnt thank us, since we were still responsible for the deaths of many of her men, but our help got us that much at least. Noam nodded, That is good to hear. After that, we waited until noon, still Jojo didnt show up, and we were forced to call it. Together, we left the city. However, floating in midair in the path ahead of us, held by a ghost none of us could see, was a letter. From Johnny Joymoon.
Are you sure you dont want to see them off? Melinda asked Johnny for the eighth time that hour. Johnny wiped his wet eyes, Im just gonna be a crybaby, I dont want them to see me like that. Its alright to be a crybaby, in fact I know plenty of ghosts who kept their tears holed up and ended up dying with regrets, Melinda encouraged. He shook his head, No, its not that. Its just that From the distance, Johnny could see them open the letter. If I cried while saying goodbye, it would be very awkward when we meet again. 7.16 7.16 There is no point where I ever need to stop writing. - The Historian So, where to next? Noam asked. I rolled a burnt coin between my fingers. Heads or tails? Neither of those two are options, Tai retorted. I need to get back to my hometown and report the news of my brothers death. How about you guys? Noam and I shrugged, while Utoqa shook his head. Celine thought for a moment, I wish to keep traveling to find some people, but I dont know where they are. Then heads for Tai, tails for Celine, I flipped the coin, and caught it on the back of my hand. Heads! My vote is for Tai Were not leaving this to chance, Tai murmured. Grinning, I raised the coin to view, and showed that both sides were charred black by flame, neither side was recognizable from under the soot. Tai frowned slightly in recognition, but didnt comment. I also vote for Tai, Celine said. Yours seems more urgent, since I dont know where to look, Im just trying to cover a wide area. Maybe the people Im looking for are at your hometown. Thats majority, Noam scooted out of the drivers seat. Lead the way, brave leader of ours. Tai hmphed, Well Im glad somebody is finally acknowledging it.
My mum wouldnt stop sobbing. Maaa, I sighed, youve been crying since you picked us up at the station. The slightly chubby woman wiped her eyes, an effort as futile as Sisyphuss stone. Its just I cant remember the last time you decided to go outside. She sobbed some more, then wrapped Matt into a hug. Thank you for being Declans friend. Matt patted her back, Where would he be without me? Probably home, where it is air conditioned. Unlike the unyielding dry heat of home, the heat here was more akin to a wet weighted blanket. Heavy and humid in a way that wrung the sweat out of your pores. Only a few minutes outside, and it looked like I had just stepped out of a shower. I passed mum a napkin, Anyways, how is the will reading going? She dabbed her eyes with it, then brushed her hair back in a gesture Ive long learned was gossip mode. Oh terrible. Tiff- thats your third aunt, keeps trying to dispute the will, and wont let the rest of us leave until she gets what she wants. Matt, ever in tune with regular human conversation, asked, She thinks she didnt get enough? Oh no, ma chuckled, They gave her a manor. Why doesnt she want it then? I asked. Ma showed us a picture of the manor, which looked like a combination of a haunted house and something that would give a safety inspector a heart attack. Get this, the house is so old it actually has asbestos and lead paint! She cant renovate it because its a historical protected site, and cant do tours because of the health code violations. Well, thats one way to say whos your least favorite child. Matt, you cant say those thoughts out loud, ma admonished, You have to think privately that Tiff is an idiot for falling for a pyramid scheme and losing custody of her kids after she got caught smuggling endangered animals. Knowing ma, she was more pissed at the fact my aunt was caught rather than the actual morality of the action. She gossiped some more about my extended family as we arrived at the ClaireBNB she was staying. Im sure I definitely met themat some point, and will be meeting them soon, but it was a blur of names and half remembered faces. People who were strangers in all but name, I had put them out of my mind when I was young and realized I wouldnt be interacting with them on a regular basis. After dinner, Matt went to bed first, tucked out after our long journey. Leaving my ma and I. She opened a pack of chips and emptied it into a bowl between us at the dinner table, and I was reminded- No, I realized that Matt wasnt the only person who knew me well. So, what is this about? she began. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Mum, what should I do if I realized I was a terrible person? She mulled over the question for a while, eventually asking, Which part? Before I could answer, she continued in a deadpan voice much like my own. That you are fat, kinda ugly, have no regard for your own health, lack empathy, would almost certainly be a misanthrope if Matt didnt find you, wont do anything you find annoying unless someone forces you into it, kind of a coward now that I think about it, and most importantly, her voice rose slightly, going from an analytic monotone to genuinely slightly miffed, You dont have a girlfriend and probably wont give me grandkids. I raised an eyebrow, You were taking notes? I realized if you were anything like me then this conversation was long in coming, she idly chewed a chip. You took a lot more from my side of the family, unfortunately. So which is it? I am not a good person. I told her everything, about Eve and her dead father, about Gaia and the game, about Indiri and its inhabitants. I have learned that I do not particularly care for people unless they benefit me or those close to me. I would leave people to die and would not feel guilty if people died because of my actions. It was not introspection that brought me to this point, but experience, from condemning a town to die to the Accumulation of White Lies because I feared for my life, from killing people both in combat and carelessness. The realization that there was an entire realized digital world caused ma to raise an eyebrow, but she was more focused than that, now mulling over my question. To which, she posed one of her own. Why didnt you kill that encampment of goblins? Because I saw that they were people- I paused, that was true, but it was also misleading. That was not the reason I decided not to kill all those goblins. Because I was curious, even if the diplomatic route failed, I still had the option. I simply wanted to try out all outcomes. And the boy, Johnny Joymoon? I felt bad, so I brought him along, but I didnt feel terrible enough that I wouldnt have left him there. I knew I could handle the threat his haunting came with, so it was curiosity that brought me there. Ma posed her final question, And why do you want to be a decent person? This was an answer that I once wouldve spent a long time to think about, however, my mind went to Utoqa, and found that this question had already been asked and answered. Because that is what everyone around me is, everyone I know tries to help people, and to not be I imagined evil, I imagined myself a terrible person, or even less, continuing as I had been, and I found him Uninspired. A nihilism that drifted with the river current to the waterfall. Doing nothing new or different like a dead leaf in the face of entropy. Ma patted my back, Youll be fine Declan, if you have one good point its that you wont stop until a task is done. No, the far more important thing would be getting a girlfriend. I groaned, Mum, Im seventeen, thats too early to be considering this stuff. I caught your dad when I was younger than that, she retorted. Dont talk about ba like hes a fish.
The party had stopped to rest by another shrine to Bundriroc, common stones surrounded their cart and beasts of burden in a protective circle, ringed by another circle of mushrooms. Dustin rested within the shade of the carriage at the center, unaware in torpor, though capable of action in a single moment. While Noam and Utoqa were out hunting for game, Tai was practicing sword katas when Celine laid out her cloak as a cushion over a nearby stone, and sat to watch her friend, You alright Tai? The elf raised an eyebrow, blade never ceasing in motion, Im fine. You know what race I am, Tai, Celine pointed out, her skin and hair shifted to a pale white to illustrate her point. I can sense you arent doing well. The sword whistled as it tore roughly through the air, the branch of a nearby tree fell, neatly cut off at its base. She sighed, sheathed her sword and took a long drink from her water skin, before pouring the rest over her head to cool off. I forgot about that, you are too normal. Im re-examining biases I didnt know I had for people like you. Celine didnt judge, she of all people understood how a changeling could be unnerving to people. Shapeshifting, the ability to sense emotions, even more so when wielded by a curse witch that held the elfs life in a small doll. That power, that trust, had already been perverted. Tai collapsed beside her, grunting in satisfaction as she did so. You rely on your innate ability to read emotions too much. The good old fashioned method works just as well. Tai offered Celine her waterskin, I dont blame you for what happened with Glascoin, you took the hit for me, which more than proves your heart. Celine took a small sip, more out of solidarity than thirst. But your mind has been troubled. This Tai did not deny, My brother is dead. She unsheathed the sword and laid it on her lap, it was old, yet well maintained, the grip molded by a century of use to perfectly fit the hand that wielded it. Countless decades of practice by her side as family and mentor. None of which Tai remembered. Neither face nor form, art nor artist. All that was left was this orphan sword and the name writ on its blade. I lost someone, and experienced both his deaths. We were all affected by the Accumulation of White Lies, so none of us remember him, maybe my family still remembers him. She sheathed the blade. I refuse to believe that monster was so powerful as to affect them half a continent away.
In a place beyond the skies. There was a place that once was a library. Within was a figure. He sat at a desk older than years could count. His singular eye appeared pure black and never stopped staring at the world above. He never blinked, and a fresh coat of dust had long settled around him, masking his body in a veil of grey. The sound of his pen never stopped, for the Historian never stopped writing. Never stopped recording what he saw. It is the end of the year 2856 of the Third Age, Dustin Thrice Blinded travels with his newly formed party, the Toy Dragons. They seek to bring news of Kai Gnaris death to his hometown. Yet now, there was the sound of two pens, as the Historians other hand wrote on the other page: It is the end of the year 2129 on Earth. Declan Lu carries the shell of the God Explorer through the worlds equator, and through him made a deal with Eve. The two pens joined together in the middle, writing a single sentence spread between the two pages. Eve can no longer halt the convergence of our worlds, but she can slow it. The Gate will remained sealed for a year longer so that Declan / Dustin may gather power and wisdom, and become worthy as the Guardian of the Gate. Interlude: Revenant Interlude: Revenant We have finally and permanently killed the Revenant King! For good this time! - Imamu the Lone Swordsmen, who shouldve taken lessons on prophecy from Zephyr the First Seer. Amon the Healer knew the importance of the minds health. He was learned of many ways of magic, some from his time in the Black Council, more from the time after when he was on the run for betraying them, and their desecration of corpses. It had been many years since the Black Council sent the last assassin after him. He stayed forgotten in a small village in the Western Kingdoms, and had grown comfortable healing minor sprains and back pains. He thought he would never have to use his necromatic talents. Amon knew himself a liar when Mary the baker and her husband John of the Mill brought the broken body of their daughter to him. Her name was Tiffania, a name he had chosen because Mary and John knew he was learned and knew letters. She had died to a stray spell from the warring armies of the petty kings and warlords of the Western Kingdoms. Those kings would say this was an undertaking of glory, that by claiming an inch of conquered land with the blood of a thousand peasants, they would be the one to manifest their destiny and carve their name eternal into the history of the world. Their names were the last thing on his mind as he shook his head, devastating Mary and John. They begged him to do something, anything. Yet Amon could do nothing, resurrection spells required a diamond, and those were horded in vaults by kings, dwarves, and dragons who wished to maintain their scarcity. Still, Amon knew grief, for he spoke to the ghosts of those who couldnt pass on, and knew Mary and John would never find peace if he let them be. It was a simple trick, a few cosmetic spells to preserve the appearance of flesh, a spell woven in the spine that animated the skeleton. That was it. Amon told Mary and John that this was merely a puppet, the appearance of their daughter, but no soul. It was barely necromancy, more a golem than anything, they didnt care. They spent days weeping tears of joy, and many more thanking him. The kings continued their wars, and soon many more brought their loved ones to him. He told each and every one of them the same as he told Mary and John. None cared. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. He raised sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, wives and husbands, friends and family. Every time, he held hope that this would allow these people to grieve and heal. That time never came. He was out on his weekly herb gathering when he returned to find the village in flames. Mary the Baker and John of the Mill were the first he found crucified upon the bloodstained banners of the Inquisition. They had been sent by the Church of Light to kill a necromancer, and instead had executed the entire village, murdered men and women whose only crime was their desire for closure. In the village square they had raised a blinding pyre to desecrate the corpses he had raised. Mary the Baker twitched. Sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, wives and husbands, friends and family, all deaths which couldve been recovered from, had they not horded all the diamonds in the world. John of the Mill tore his arms from their sockets, left them hanged on the crucifix, and the corpses of every man, woman, and child each savaged themselves and their bindings until they were free. Amon the Healer, traitor to the Black Council, and Necromancer Supreme, killed twenty-seven priests and paladins of Light that day. He would kill many more, for the petty kings and warlords of the Western Kingdoms left many corpses in their wake. For that, he decided they too had to go. Seven regicides he committed, seven crowns he collected and brought to the depths of the Deadlands, where the black fortress of the Revenant King still stood guarded by his undead armies. At the heart of that fortress, he laid the seven crowns before the black iron throne of the Revenant King, each encrusted with diamonds and jewels. Six Decrees you spoke, he chanted in mage tongue. Six marks you left on the world. I present to you seven crowns, he slammed his staff down, magic runes, each intricately carved by his necromatic constructs, glowed with sickly green light as they lit up the entire stone hall. So answer me, how do I kill even Death? The seven crowns crumbled to dust, and he heard a mocking laughter that echoed through the stone halls. You seek to defeat Death by killing? That was all the Revenant King said, all Amon had gotten after murdering countless priests and paladins, petty heroes and kings, and throwing the entire Western Kingdoms in chaos. Seven crowns for seven words and a laugh. His undead hordes stirred as he turned eastward. The Revenant King knew how to end Death, but a mere seven crowns was not enough for him to teach Amon. So he needed something better, a way to permanently revive the Revenant King. In his pocket, he had a singular card, an omen in the form of a tarot. It depicted a man with one arm stretched to the heavens, the other to the earth below, he had a sickly appearance, hairless for he had allowed death to seep deeply into his body. Before him lay five tools, of them only four were colored, a wand, a filled goblet, a crowned skull, and a noose. The last in stark contrast to the colorful artwork was a mere white outline, yet the outline was enough to show that it was a deck of cards. It was the Magician, and Amon, who was learned of many things, knew which deck it depicted. An Age of Wonders Revenant King deck, crafted by Wundall himself, and it held the key to resurrecting the Revenant King.