《Illuminaria [LitRPG Fantasy Healer Adventure]》 1 - Last and First Joe pushed harder against the bed railing with his untrustworthy toes. He had diagonaled his body across the hospital bed, scrunching himself over to where he could just about reach the bed controls. Now, he just needed to get his hands to work well enough to hold down the button to raise his head. The hospice room was lit by golden sunshine. Joe, who had been staring at the tiny holes in the drop ceiling for what seemed like forever, did not want to miss seeing it in its full glory. He just needed to raise the head of the bed, and he would be able to look out the window. Of course, the tumor on his brain was making the once-simple task far more challenging than it needed to be. His fingers fumbled against the cool plastic, trying to find the rubbery feel of the bed controls. Frustration at his physical failings mounted, but Joe buried those feelings quickly. As ridiculous as it was for pushing a button to be such a herculean effort, he knew he couldn¡¯t let it get to him. If he let the aggravation take hold, it would only worsen his tremors. That path would leave him stuck counting the holes in the ceiling tiles again. He focused and lifted his leaden arm once more. The array of tubes and wires was not helping. The line that supplied him with his meds was tangled in the sheets, causing small pricks of pain from the sticky tape and sharp needle. Even worse was the urinary catheter, which had reached the end of its slack; it was now pulling uncomfortably on his groin. All these small hurts were easy for him to block out. They were nothing compared to the constant torture inflicted by the growing tumorous rock inside his skull. If he could withstand that pain every day, the sting of pulling tape was nothing. His stubborn determination told him all this effort would be worth it, and so Joe fought on. Just one chance to look outside again. Even though he was already sweating from the exertion, he knew he was close. His fingers finally found the trigger to raise the head of the bed. With a hum, his perspective began to change. He could now see on top of the bedside table again. A picture of smiling faces greeted him, causing a wide grin to pull up the corners of his cracked lips. The bright-eyed Zoe was towered over by a joyous Mia while the goofball, Ripple, had his tongue flopped out of the side of his mouth. For the thousandth time, Joe wished that this level of the hospice center allowed dogs. He would give almost anything for one more furry hug or a sloppy kiss from his boy and girls. An uncomfortable tugging on his bald scalp began to pull his head sideways. Joe had agreed to allow the Cancer Institute to monitor his brain during these last days. They hoped to uncover some insights into how this type of tumor affected brain functions. Joe didn¡¯t mind wearing the sticky net. He was barely aware of much more often than not lately. On his good days, when he was able to focus, the cool wires actually felt good against his bald scalp. Today was one of those good days. He could think today. The sun was shining brightly. He missed the outdoors, so even a good look at it was worth all this struggle. Before he passed on, he wanted to see trees and sky one more time. Feeling a bit guilty for messing up their data, Joe pushed the control button again and felt something pop off his head. Which, of course, sounded the damn alarms. Cora must have been right outside at the nurse¡¯s station. She bustled into the room a second after the medical alert sounded. ¡°Joe? What¡¯re you doing? Wait. Let me help you,¡± the dark-haired woman in her mid-thirties declared. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. He probably should have just asked for help in the first place, but his voice had joined the rest of his body¡¯s rebellion against him. In his head, he thought, ¡°Heya, Cora. Sorry. I just wanted to look out the window, but the whole process turned out to be more of an ordeal than I expected.¡± What actually emerged was the single slurred word, ¡°window.¡± The nurse turned toward the large glowing pane of glass before looking back at him with a bright smile. Cora was a sweetheart. Joe couldn¡¯t understand how she could look after so many patients on their very worst days and yet never run out of her constant warmth and care. ¡°It sure is a gorgeous fall day out there, isn¡¯t it, young man,¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Hold on, Hon. Let me get your lines and leads untangled. And some more pillows, too. Then you¡¯ll be able to look out for as long as you want.¡± They both knew that was not actually true. Joe could happily watch the world go by for months, but he didn''t have months. His time to do anything was almost up. Still, he understood what she meant. The staff at Grace Meadows had helped him realize that part of hospice care was not dwelling on his end of days. It was about making the best out of what little time he had left. In minutes, Cora and Dave, who she paged for help, had everything straightened out again and moved his bed up the glass. Joe was on the third floor of the hospice center, the one reserved for the most terminal patients. As ominous as his latest accommodations were, he couldn¡¯t complain about the spectacular view from his room. A decent-sized lawn was surrounded by a couple dozen maple trees, each doing their damnest to outdo one another. Bright yellows and oranges were gorgeous to behold, but two of the trees, dressed in ruby reds, really stole the show. People in coats walked the paths or sat on one of the many benches. Some folks sported scarves, but Joe guessed they were more for the enjoyment of the garment than needed for protection against temperature. The day seemed neither exceptionally cold nor blustery. This would have been a perfect day to take the pups out for a long walk. At some point, he realized that Dave and Cora had left, and he felt bad that he had not thanked them for this gift. It was strange how much these simple acts of care meant to him. Gazing out at the world beyond the glass, Joe wished he could go and find out what was past the ring of colorful trees. Once upon a time, he wouldn¡¯t have stopped on the lawn; he¡¯d let his wanderlust carry him over the next hill and beyond. He had thought one day, he would have a chance to explore the world. Yet that had not been in the cards. He had a few years of college before he had to return home and take care of his family. By the time they had passed, his health had begun to fail as well. The state had learned of the environmental contamination too late for Joe. Now, in the care of the Grace Meadows Hospice Center, Joe could only let his imagination take him to the places of wonder his body would never be able to reach. For hours, Joe studied the people below, though he was pretty sure he nodded off more than once. Watching people was one of his favorite activities anyway. He loved guessing what they were thinking and doing. Joe opened his eyes and realized he must have dozed off again. The sun was heading down out of the sky. The number of folks below had dwindled to just four, and they were on the move, not sitting on the benches. As Joe watched them hustle along the paths, he felt something detach. He had the strangest feeling; it was as if he was floating. Like an unmoored boat, he was drifting away from the dock. It was finally time. Time to say goodbye. He would miss Cora and the other caregivers. They were good people who had tried to make this moment easier for him. On the other hand, there was a great deal he would be happy to be free of. He would not miss the smell of the disinfectants or the endless beeping of the monitors. He would not miss the bland food his condition restricted him to. He would not miss this defective shell he had been trapped in either. The headaches and tremors that made every day so much harder than it needed to be. As the world began to slip away, he only had one real regret: he wished his pups were here. Just one last feel of soft fur against his skin. The sound of a loving heartbeat. As he took his final breath on Earth, the very last thing Joe expected on the edge of expiration was a popup box.
Do you wish to travel to your preconceived afterlife or journey to Illuminaria?
2 - Who do you want to be? Surprised and more than a bit flummoxed, Joe sent a thought to the floating field in reply. ¡®Ummm. I don''t have much of a preconceived notion of what comes next. I always thought it was just lights out, nothing more. That makes the choice pretty easy, then. What is Illuminaria?¡¯ The text box hovering in the emptiness that surrounded him changed to read.
Further clarification is not recommended at this time. Instruction and optimization are available if you choose to enter Illuminaria. Do you wish to proceed to Illuminaria or to continue to fade from existence?
¡®That might be the most leading question of all time,¡¯ Joe quipped. ¡®Yes, I choose Illuminaria over non-existence. What now?¡¯ The area around him changed subtly. A darkening below him suggested a floor. A circle of lighter gray appeared on the surface of the floor. The pop-up box now read.
Choose a race. This is a fundamental aspect of your pattern creation. It cannot be changed except by extraordinary magical means. You can exert your will to move the list forward or back to see your options.
¡®Choose a race?¡¯ he thought to the boxes. ¡®What the heck is this? Am I joining an RPG for ghosts?¡¯
As it appears you require clarification in order to proceed, the following information is being made available to you at this time. The world of Illuminaria has been opened to qualified spirits of the departed. Illuminaria has existed for many relative centuries prior to the inclusion of the departed. Your experience in Illuminaria will be similar to a role-playing game but from a first-person perspective. Do you wish to continue?
Joe sent back a thought of ¡®Yes¡¯ as he considered the ramifications of that statement. Joe was a huge fan of table-top role-playing games. He had played a couple of the more popular computer-based MMORPGs as well, but honestly, he was really terrible at them. Joe knew he was a klutz and had a bad habit of overthinking everything. Whenever he was supposed to quickly target the monster, attack, and then dodge away, he would invariably scramble up the keystrokes. This meant he¡¯d typically open a random game window or emote some pointless gesture to the monstrosity before getting pounded into paste. His ineptitude with precision controls did not make him an attractive party member, which was fine by Joe. He preferred to play video games solo anyway. Pen and paper RPGs, on the other hand, were his second favorite things in the world. He loved these games because they allowed him to be all different people and let his imagination carry him into new worlds. Where he was a disaster with a game controller, with books and dice, he was a maestro. Even years later, after life had pulled him away from all of his gaming buddies, he heard tales of how they still told stories about Joe¡¯s amazing characters and his antics in those imaginary worlds. If this was a chance to become a new character, one not riddled with responsibilities and disease, then maybe there really was some higher power out there looking out for him after all. Joe couldn¡¯t imagine a better heaven than being given a second shot at life and a chance to experience the world, something his first life had denied him. The initial race option was unsurprisingly ¡®Human.¡¯ When Joe focused on the choice, the circle on the ground became occupied. There stood a Joe that Joe had never seen before. This Joe had his features, but instead of the thin, stooped, bald form he had worn these last several years, there stood a well-built man. He was no Olympic athlete but had a decent array of muscles; he was standing up straight, looking hale and hardy. For all intents and purposes, here was the Joe he could have been without his cancer. He read the human description in the floating window.
Race: [Human], +1 to three attributes of your choice. Racial Abilities: [Enterprising] Enhanced Skill Advancement. [Talent Diversification] +20% chance to meld classes.
There was a lot to unpackage there. Skills were a common game element, but he had no idea what ¡®melding a class¡¯ meant. Knowing he would likely have tons of questions, Joe decided to flip through the races first before getting down to particulars, especially since he was almost certain he wouldn¡¯t pick [Human] as a race. Humans were usually good choices for Min/Maxers, but that was not Joe¡¯s style at all. He had always played for flavor over features. If he was going to get a do-over for his last semi-miserable existence, he wanted to try something fun. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Joe flipped to the following race and was not surprised to see elves were next. If a game had any fantasy aspect to it, you could count on elves and dwarves showing up in the mix of races. Sure enough, dwarves were right after elves.
Race: [Elf], +2 to Dexterity, +1 to Perception. Racial Abilities: [Harmonious] Strong affinity with Beast and Wood magic. [Voice of the Wilds] Can communicate with beasts and plants to the degree that either is able.
Followed by,
Race: [Dwarf], +2 to Vigor, +1 to Strength. Racial Abilities: [Resilient] Resistant to magical effects. [Deep Dweller] Can see clearly in complete darkness.
While witnessing the elven and dwarfed versions of himself was fun, he was not sold on either of these two options. He had played plenty of elves and dwarves already. Having been a gamer for years and years, Joe was skeptical of finding a choice he would want from the standard list; he was a huge fan of homebrewed ideas. In middle school and high school, Joe typically played in multiple weekly games and went to gaming conventions whenever he could. He had played dozens of elves and dwarves, halflings and orcs, and all the other classic racial tropes, even humans, when he had to. While he enjoyed playing almost anything, none of the classic races were something he ever wanted to play exclusively. He spun through his options, hoping to find something that spoke to him. Gnomes were too tiny for his tastes. There were a bunch of gigantic races, such as Jotun or Fomori.
Jotun are the primary Giantkin race. Towering over the other races of Illuminaria, most Jotun stand between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 280 and 340 pounds. Originally hailing from the cold north, members of this race are enured to freezing temperatures and cold-based attacks.
The light-blue-skinned race brought to mind towering figures right out of Norse mythology. The fomori were more brutish in appearance and nature, somewhat ogre-like. While they both were interesting, Joe did not want to deal with ducking through doors or crushing chairs from now on. Joe found himself applying the phrase ¡°from here on¡± to each race he viewed. Many of the anthropomorphic races meant he¡¯d be shedding all the time. Joe had already spent one lifetime dealing with tumbleweeds of dog hair, so he was reluctant to sign up for dealing with mounds of his own shed. Some of the other animal-human hybrids had such strong pack-like or flock-like mentalities Joe felt socially claustrophobic just reading about them. He had been a part of a pack for most of his life, having had anywhere from two to seven dogs throughout his childhood and post-college years. Even so, there was a vast difference between being the caregiver for his four-legged hairy-herd and being confined to being one of the pack members. The insectoid races Joe skipped right over. They were way too alien for him. He flipped through the dozens of options several more times. Still, Joe couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he was not wowed by the idea of being locked into any one of these forms. How was he supposed to pick one thing to become for the rest of this new extension of his life? Having spent the last few years being locked indoors, trapped in hospital beds, and even imprisoned in his own failing body, Joe balked at the idea of being sealed into another box he couldn¡¯t escape from.
There has been an unexpected degree of resistance. No previous departed has been disinterested in all of the offered races. Customized solutions have been established to meld races when departed spirits were unwilling to pick between multiple options. No existing protocol has been established for no desired selection. Commencing customized solution. Do you accept the customized solution?
Joe realized that choosing was part of the problem. As long as he kept having the option to pick a race, he knew he would be able to think of a reason he might not want it. Accepting this unknown fate was far easier than making that immutable choice. Without looking at the avatar, Joe projected his thoughts to the unseen administrator, ¡®Okay. Go for it. I accept.¡¯ An instant later, he found himself out of the gray limbo. He stood beside a large tranquil pond in a beautiful sylvan setting. The sound of a brook gurgled soothingly nearby. Joe gasped a deep breath of air and marveled at how easy and painless it was to make that inhalation. As far as he could see, his new body looked human, but more importantly, it was strong and healthy. The constant stabbing pain behind his eyes was gone. If this was all just his dying brain winding down, then he was fine with that. This moment, even if it was an illusion, was priceless. ¡®Yet, what if it is real?¡¯ he thought. Joe¡¯s legs wobbled as that realization hit home. It was such a powerful thought that it made him dizzy. Joe swung his head between his knees, gasping big gulps of air. He debated sitting. While the soft grass around the pond looked inviting, Joe had already been lying around for too long. He snapped back upright and peeled off the simple garments he was wearing. Tossing them onto the grassy bank, Joe dashed forward a couple of steps before launching himself into a shallow dive, slicing into the lake¡¯s cool water. As the liquid slid across his body, a single thought rang through his mind. ¡®I¡¯m alive!¡¯ 3 - New Rules Released from the years of pain and delirium, Joe could not recall ever feeling this relaxed. Even though he had no idea what was going on, just being here, free from suffering, was the best day he had had in ages. His mind was as clear as the blue sky overhead. He was floating on his back in a perfect pond, under that perfect sky, utterly at ease. Sunwarmed waters cradled him in their embrace. He would have assumed this was some sort of Nirvanesque afterlife if it weren''t for weird mental messages. Currently, one such notification was hanging out in the corner of his vision, but its contents were locked.
You have received an achievement: This achievement cannot be accessed until you have unlocked your first class.
While his curious nature was having difficulty ignoring the enigmatic alert, this moment was too incredible to waste over such a minor quandary. Simply floating on his back, completely at peace, was worth a million little mystery messages. He had been unable to do anything like this for so long. Having spent years with constant tremors, he never could have stilled his body long enough to find the sublime balance between water and sky. He also would have been unlikely to be able to enjoy it if he had. For the last four years, Joe was forced to choose between drug-befuddled thoughts or blinding pain. In the end, he had to settle for both. The mind-numbing drug, at that point, could only shave the worst off the agony living behind his forehead. Not today. Today, his mind was awake, and the pain was gone. The world around him was so beautiful; he was having difficulty telling himself his eyes were wet just from the waters of the pond. If you had asked him yesterday, Joe would have told you he lost his ability to shed a tear during the chemo years. Once again, not today. Today was a whole new ¡­ everything. Not quite ready to head for shore yet, Joe let his mind wander. This ¡®Illuminaria¡¯ was very Earth-like. Around the lake was a hillside of green grass. He spotted oaks, birch, and pine trees nearby. Yet there were some obvious differences, too. There were several trees that were shaped like maple, which had a very un-maple-like silver bark. Beside them stood a stand of tall, thin trees with leaves that were almost blue in color. Around the shore were wildflowers whose stalks and leaves were built like daisies but had pink trumpets instead of white-petaled circles. One of the birds that flew past was a breed Joe had never heard of before. It had a brassy feathered body and wings, a charcoal gray head, and dark green legs. Another factor was the season. Joe had left Earth during the Fall foliage, yet here, the world had the ripe lushness of spring or early summer. Wherever he was, it was very much like the world he had always known, yet not quite the same. Supposedly, this world was something like a roleplaying game. If that was so, then Joe assumed he had to have some sort of stats and scores. Attributes were a fundamental part of every RPG he had ever played. ¡®Ok, let¡¯s see what I¡¯ve got,¡¯ Joe thought before picturing the words ¡®Character Sheet¡¯ in his head. Instantly, a window popped open before his eyes. The sudden appearance of this blue plane of information directly in front of him startled Joe enough that his head recoiled, dunking his face below the surface. Swinging his body vertically in the water, he sputtered and snorted water from his nose before he was able to give the window his attention.
Name: Joseph (Joe) Morris Race: Changeling Level: 0 Experience: 0 / 100 CLASSES ¡¤ Primary Class: None ¡¤ Secondary Class: None ¡¤ Tertiary Class: None
RESOURCES ¡¤ Health: 25 / 25 ¡¤ Stamina: 12 / 13 ¡¤ Mana: 18 / 18 TRAITS ¡¤ [Anyone] (Racial) ¡¤ [No one] (Racial) ¡¤ ??? (Achievement)
ATTRIBUTES ¡¤ Strength: 0 ¡¤ Vigor: 0 ¡¤ Dexterity: 0 ¡¤ Perception: 1If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡¤ Spirit: 0 Available Attribute Points Unspent: 2 SKILLS (Slots / Filled) STRENGTH SKILLS: (0 / 0) VIGOR SKILLS: (0 / 0) DEXTERITY SKILLS: (0 / 0) PERCEPTION SKILLS: (0 / 1) SPIRIT SKILLS: (0 / 0)
¡°Changeling? Huh? That must be the customized solution. I know what changelings are in folklore; they¡¯re shapeshifters that get left in place of stolen kids. Is that what it means here on this world?¡± Joe worriedly wondered out loud. He was more than a bit leery about being part of some fairy kidnapping culture.
Changelings are beings of Faerie heritage who have been placed among the people of Illuminaria, yet they are not part of any one race. They are not shapechangers so much as they are adaptive. Your racial abilities will allow you to become the unique you that you wish to be, and no one will know the difference.
Changeling: +1 to Perception (Changelings thrive due to their awareness of their surroundings and other beings). +1 to two attributes of your choice (No two Changelings are ever exactly alike). RACIAL TRAITS [Anyone] (Racial) You can gain exclusive traits from any race, ancestry, or order. [No one] (Racial) You are immune to assessment skills and highly resistant to divination magic.
¡°Ok, that¡¯s way better than the baby-swapping from folktales. I can get behind that. Thanks. I¡¯m impressed that you came up with such a good fit for me on the fly.¡±
Customized solutions are part of the reasoning behind incorporating the departed into Illuminaria.
¡°People come up with stuff you never think of?¡± Joe remarked, thinking about how his Game Master would always lament that the players never did what he thought they would. He would write the module assuming they would ¡®go right¡¯ and, sure enough, they would ¡®go left.¡¯
Correct.
¡°From what I saw of the other races, it seems well-balanced.¡±
Unbalanced solutions would be detrimental to Illuminaria.
¡°You would not believe how many designers forget that. Power creep drives me nuts.¡± Joe treaded water for a few more seconds before looking at the empty sky. ¡°You are far more conversant than I was expecting. What should I call you?¡±
Designations are irrelevant. You may think of me as the System.
¡°Really? I guess so. Though I have to admit, it feels weird interacting with an obviously intelligent entity and calling you System or Mr. Help Screen,¡± he scoffed, watching a flock of birds wing their way toward the horizon. ¡°Let¡¯s table that for now. What can you tell me about classes? I have an achievement, but I can¡¯t see what it is until I select a class.¡±
When you make a significant choice, you will be awarded the option of a primary class. At level 10, you can select a secondary class. At level 30, you can select your tertiary class. This initial class, as well as any further class changes, will grant you additional attribute points. Rarer classes and classes with higher mastery requirements will have higher attribute rewards than basic classes.
¡°So, should I hold out for the best first class I can find?¡±
While such is an advantageous practice for later class decisions, only basic classes are available as a primary class.
¡°Bleh. I guess that makes sense, though. I can see players getting themselves in trouble with a complex class right out of the gate. So, I should probably leave my two attribute points unspent until I find out what my first class will be.¡± Joe looked over the screen, finding that most of it made sense. He was accustomed to attributes such as Strength, Dexterity, and Vigor. Perception and Spirit were not ones he commonly used, but he had a pretty good idea of what they were for. The resources, Health, Mana, and Stamina were pretty straightforward. He was sure there were aspects of these he would need to know better, but that could wait until later. ¡°Hey. Why don¡¯t I have any skills? I can think of dozens of things I was good at. I used to be able to juggle one-handed. I was a certified AKC dog trainer. I was really good at Geometry.¡±
Skills in this regard refer to enhanced abilities as part of the system. For example, while your ability to understand the motivations of certain types of animals will help you in general with interactions with such creatures, [Animal Training] is how the system would display that skill if you were to obtain it. Aptitudes carried over from your prior existence are not quantified into your pattern.
¡°How come?¡±
Each person only receives a limited number of skills. Your skills are linked to your attributes. For example, [Identify], one of the most popular skills in Illuminaira, is linked to Perception. You would need to have an open point of Perception to learn this skill. The rarity of the skill determines how many skill points it costs. Common skills cost 1 point. Uncommon 2. Rare 3. And so forth. The linked attributes determine the number of skill points you can have linked to that attribute. For example, if you had a Strength score of 4, you could have up to four points of Strength-based skills.
¡°That is huge,¡± Joe uttered, realizing the implications. In most of the RPGs he¡¯d played, you were awarded skills or skill points that you could spend any way you wanted to. Having to balance skills and attributes would mean he¡¯d have to really consider which skills he was going to train. ¡°How hard is it to drop a poorly chosen skill?¡± Joe asked the empty sky.
While not impossible, doing so can be a difficult or costly procedure. Obtaining the means to untrain skills before reaching your tertiary class is rare.
¡°Ok. Good to know, Mister Help ¡­ nope,¡± Joe stuttered to a stop. ¡°I just can¡¯t. You need a name.¡±
I do not, but if my lack of one disturbs you, then I will reply to your chosen designation.
Joe lay back in the water and mulled over names. ¡°So, what do you call the guy who knows everything? Leonardo? Nah. I love Da Vinci, but I¡¯m going to be thinking Turtles the whole time. Holmes. Newton. Einstein. Hawking. Ooh yeah. Hawking. There was a guy who had it far tougher than I did, and was absolutely amazing anyway. What do you think of Hawking?¡±
I think you are enjoying the application of that name for me.
¡°Man. You are so literal,¡± Joe huffed at his unseen companion. ¡°Ok, Hawking, what do I do now?¡±
Go forth and enjoy yourself, Joe. This world is open for you to experience as you wish.
4 - Road Rage Eventually, Joe drove himself back to the shore with strong, sure strokes and flopped down on the grassy bank. After four years of hospital gowns, assisted bathing, and constant exams, the thought of someone coming along and seeing him naked barely registered. He lay back in the sun, letting its warmth dry him, before putting back on his new simplistic garb. The items were better than hospital pajamas, but not by much. He had a pair of tan canvas pants, an off-white linen shirt, a pair of simple leather shoes, and a belt. That was it; not one coin or real piece of gear to his name. Without even the most basic of equipment, Joe had a momentary worry about Hawking having dropped him in a dangerous zone but then dismissed the idea a second later. What would have been the point of saving his soul only to have him get eaten in the first hour he was here? Still, finding civilization before nightfall would probably be a good idea. The sun had moved across the sky while he was in the water, so he assumed there would be a sundown. Having some sturdy walls around him seemed like an excellent idea before creepers started popping into existence around him. Thankfully, the pond was on a hillside. Looking off the side where the ridge had trapped the water, Joe could see down the hill. At its base, a simple road meandered through the scattered trees. He had hoped for a map screen, but either that was not an option or just not available to him, given his current dearth of skills. Other than his character sheet, all Joe was able to open was a Quest screen.
New Quest [Let¡¯s Get Started] You have entered the world of Illuminaria. Choose a direction and select your first class. Reward: 10 gold coins 1 basic toolkit 1 starter weapon
Since one way was as good as the other, as far as he could tell, Joe turned right and started hiking down the wheel-rutted road, looking for whatever the world had to offer him next. As he passed through the first stand of trees, he spotted a dead sapling, still standing with all its bark intact. Joe couldn¡¯t help but smile. Before cancer had canceled his ability to go for walks in the woods, every time he stepped into a forest, the perfect walking stick always seemed to be right there waiting for him. His best friend, Bocie, used to get so mad that, in seconds, Joe would have an outstanding stick while he searched and searched, never finding anything close to as good as the ones Joe magically stumbled onto. He rocked the sapling as close to the ground as possible, listening to the cracking sounds. It was amazing how easy it was to get his new muscles to respond correctly. The thin trunk snapped off just above the roots, and then it was only a matter of a swift strike to his knee to snap the pole to the perfect height. The wood was a little drier than he would have preferred but still strong enough. This staff wouldn¡¯t last too long, but it would suit him just fine for the trek along the wagon road. ¡®Road¡¯ might be a generous term for the path he was on. It was not much more than a set of tracks over roughly level terrain. Joe was grateful for the extra point of contact the walking stick gave him. There were plenty of ruts and rocks which could easily snag a foot. As he walked, Joe tried to imagine what he wanted from this new chance at life. He had been cooped up and curtailed for years. What he now wanted most was some sort of adventure. He had never had a chance to see what his life could have been. He had just gotten his four-year college degree when his family¡¯s world began to fall apart. Joe had not planned on coming home that summer, vacillating between traveling cross-country or heading overseas. He wanted to see more of the world. Out of the blue, Keith, Joe¡¯s youngest brother, fell ill. Very ill. So, instead of traveling, Joe returned home to help his family. Within a year, Keith was gone; his parents and John, the middle of the three brothers, were showing signs of the same illness. The cause was identified as an industrial leak that had infected the groundwater. The whole neighborhood was moved, and a class action was filed, but it was too late, even for Joe. His years at college had lessened his exposure, but his return home had just put him on a slower path to the same inevitable end. Yet now, out of the blue, he had been offered a second chance, a do-over. Even better, it was a do-over in a world where he could pick who he wanted to be. Joe thought through his favorite characters from the various games he¡¯d played. The ones that most appealed to him were his explorer-type characters. He liked playing the scouts, who ranged ahead of the party, or skillful tomb raiders, with their bags of tricks to draw on. He was unsure how the class system worked, but when his chance to choose a class came up, Joe planned to pick something that would allow him to roam around on his own, seeking new places and solving quests. Magic would be awesome, as long as it didn¡¯t make him a glass-cannon. Joe smiled as he pictured creeping through lost temples, plumbing their depths for treasure and adventure. Still lost in thought, Joe crested a particularly large hill and saw people for the first time. Surprisingly, they were in both directions, in front of him and coming over the hill behind him that he had just walked a few minutes ago.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Ahead of him, he could see a small farming town maybe half a mile off. It looked like a typical old-world town, with small, quaint houses covered by slate or thatched roofs. Surrounding the homes and barns were fields of grains and grazing pastures. Behind him, Joe turned to see a rider heading towards him and the town. Sunlight glinted off brightly polished plate mail armor. A gold and white pennant fluttered in the breeze atop a long spear, which the rider was holding vertically. ¡°Hey Hawking, is everyone here from Earth like me, or are there NPCs here too?¡±
Neither supposition is correct. Illuminaria is primarily populated with two creature types: people and monsters. Each has its own growth model. There are no Non-Player Characters. Additionally, less than 1% of the people in Illuminaria were transposed from your world.
¡°So those farmers down there. They are people, right? Not monsters?¡±
Correct. They are people. They have the same attributes as you, utilizing the same class system as you do for advancement.
Joe stumbled to a stop, trying to wrap his head around that information. This was a complete shift from thinking this was a game. If everyone was really a person, then this was an actual world. There would be no automaton-like sprites, mindlessly performing the same actions over and over. Each being he met would have its own goals and growth. He looked back at the knight, speculating on what type of quest the warrior might be on. The mounted cavalier was closer than he expected. Joe wondered how long he had been standing in the road as he worked out this new huge shift in his current reality. Watching the horse''s gait, Joe guessed the rider would pass him before he reached the closest farm. He wasn¡¯t overly thrilled about encountering an armed rider before having the security of witnesses around him. When the knight was just some wandering NPC, he wasn¡¯t worried. But now that Joe knew no one was following some master script, it meant he could get killed in his very first interaction. That would be terrible game design, but since this seemed less and less like a game, it could happen. If everyone he met had agency, then he had to wipe the idea of this being a standard computer game from his thinking. Joe took a breath to calm himself. Good manners should carry him through, he hoped. Joe kept glancing backward, yet the closer the rider got, the more on edge Joe found himself. Suddenly, a notification flashed in the corner of his eye. It was rapidly followed by two more. Each one felt more demanding than the one before it.
Someone has failed to assess you.
A Knight of Amberwroth has failed to assess you.
A Disciple of Phealti has failed to assess you.
He threw a look over his shoulder, spotting the knight, who was now about fifty yards away and closing. Joe could clearly see the man¡¯s face bore a thunderous scowl as he stared at Joe. The armored warrior had lean, angular features and a close-cropped beard. If not for the disdainful sneer, he would have been supermodel-level handsome. Breaking out in a nervous sweat, Joe tried to stop looking back and concentrate on the closest villagers. The first farmhouse had chickens ranging around a fair-sized barn. A teen girl was dropping hay from the loft into a small cart her father was manning on the ground below her. Clothes hung on a line, fluttering in the light breeze. Between the farmhouse and Joe, a boy was picking berries from a large bramble patch by the side of the road while his dog lay belly up in the sun a few steps away. It was such a classic pastoral scene that Joe felt his tension ease. That was until the thumping of hooves on turf, sounding just behind his back, caused him to clench his shoulders. Joe turned and smiled up at the man, hoping to diffuse whatever was causing the nobleman to look so annoyed. Which didn¡¯t work at all. If anything, the rider¡¯s face grew grimmer. ¡°Your name, vagrant?¡± the knight demanded, stopping his warhorse at Joe¡¯s side. While the common-sense part of his brain bellowed for Joe¡¯s attention, an instinctual flare of anger surged through Joe. He had grown up in rural, small-town America. He knew all five of the local police officers personally. Heck, he had helped Sherrif Noonan paint his garage one summer for comic book money. None of those men and women would have ever spoken to someone with such hostility without any cause. Before he could stop himself, Joe scowled right back at the pretentious prick. ¡®NOBLEMAN!¡¯ Joe mentally shouted at himself, quickly smoothing his features. It was too late; the damage was done. Joe could hear the knight¡¯s gauntlets and reins creaking and grinding in his grip. The man¡¯s face reddened darkly, and his glare reached epic proportions. ¡°Good afternoon, sir. My name is Joe. Joseph Morris,¡± he replied as politely as he could. ¡°Where do you hail from, and do not lie. I will know,¡± the armored warrior snarled. Between the impossible question and the man¡¯s inexplicable hostility, Joe stammered for a second. ¡°I ¡­ I ¡­ I just got here,¡± he finally settled on. ¡°Newcomer,¡± the warrior hissed as if the word hurt him to utter. ¡°Very well. I shall not gainsay One Above, but know that his protection is not eternal. Your kind are not welcome under the sight of Phealti, the Lawhammer. Begone and be quick about it, outlander.¡± With a thump of his heels to the charger¡¯s ribs, the knight cantered away as if trying to distance himself from Joe as quickly as possible. ¡®What the hell was that!¡¯ Joe fumed, feeling himself glaring at the steel-clad back of the rider. ¡°You didn¡¯t mention that I would be hated for coming here, Hawking. That would have been nice to know.¡±
That was an unfortunate occurrence, Joe. The followers of the deity Phealti are sworn enemies of beings from other planes, such as feyfolk or demons. This knight has extended that edict to those who have undergone transference. Additionally, even with your [No One] ability, the knight could sense something of your fey-based heritage. A gifted ability from the God of Order.
¡°So you¡¯re saying that was a fluke.¡±
Correct.
¡°Okay, Hawking. But just so you know, that took a lot of the shine off your new glossy Illuminaria.¡± 5 - A Significant Choice Starting forward again, he watched the disgruntled knight ride down to the base of the hill, approaching the spot where the youth and his dog were by the bramble patch. Joe tried to shove away the sour taste the knight had left him with, but unwarranted scorn was a tough pill to swallow. At the rider came up on the pair, Joe couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡°Piss on him for me, boy,¡± to the farm dog, who was rolling to its feet. The hound took one look at the rider and seemed to like him no better than Joe did. It leapt to the edge of the lane and let loose a chain of loud, warning barks at the knight. The horse stared down the hound, too well-trained to shy away from the farm dog¡¯s warnings. Joe was too far away to hear what was said, but the knight snapped a command at the boy. The young man began extricating himself from the briar patch to get to his dog. But, before the youth could make it out of the tangle, the rider¡¯s impatience won out. Responding to a twitch of the reins, the warhorse turned and lashed out with an iron-shod hoof, kicking the dog so hard it flew into the thorn-filled berry patch. The rider just lifted his head and rode on, ignoring the howls of pain and cries of the child. Joe had not run in years, but he found himself hurdling down the slope toward the boy and the wounded dog, his walking stick tossed away to improve his speed. He had worked with vets before and had seen more than his share of injured animals. That kick could easily be lethal. The only positive point was that the dog was still yowling in pain instead of silent. Sadly, those sounds were fading as Joe slid to a halt at the edge of the thorns. The boy, who looked to be about ten, had reached the dog who lay just inside the thicket. The dense briars must have caught the canine. While painfully prickly, that flexible wall probably saved the dog''s life. ¡°Here, pass him to me, kid. What is his name?¡± The boy looked up through his tears, seeing Joe for the first time. ¡°Buck. Buckle. Buck.¡± ¡°Okay. As careful as you can, lift him up and pass him out to me. We might be able to do something for him.¡± Ignoring the sharp thorns, the farmboy slid his arms under the wounded hound and dragged himself towards Joe with a sorrowful determination. Joe winced as he watched the thorns grab and dig into the youth, but the boy had just a few feet further to go, and Joe knew Buck needed help badly. Joe pushed forward and found the thorns were even worse than he anticipated. They lanced right through his light linen shirt and leggings, cutting furrows in Joe¡¯s limbs and belly. Ignoring the lacerations, Joe stretched out his arms for the hound. He could already tell the dog had broken ribs. Hopefully, those broken bones had not punctured anything. As Buck was eased into Joe¡¯s arms, his hopes were dashed. He could see the skin of the dog''s belly was darkening to a deep purple. It was too soon for that to be bruising. Joe guessed that meant there was blood under the surface of the skin, internal bleeding. He sliced himself further as he backed out before carefully lowering the hound to the grass beside the road. His mind raced to think of anything he had learned that would help. Although he had plenty of second-hand knowledge from the nurses and his friends at the veterinary clinic, Joe had no actual medical training. There had to be something he could do for Buck.
New Quest [Save Buckle] Buckle cannot be saved by ordinary means. You could save him by becoming a Healer. Will you accept Healer as your Primary Class? Reward: BiteBark
Joe scowled at the screen. The Healer class was nowhere near the top of his list of preferred classes. It was close to the bottom. That was exactly the sort of class he didn''t want. It was not a self-sufficient ranger or shaman. It was not a highly versatile magical one like a mage or druid. Healers had magic but almost no versatility. It was also a class that would make him completely party-bound. A solo healer just didn¡¯t work. Being stuck depending on others would be like stepping back into his old life, having to have others care for him. To top it off, Joe had more than enough illness and injury over the last few years. He respected the nurses and doctors who had treated him, but he did not want to be one of them himself. He would much rather put that world behind him and start something new.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ he swore under his breath. Looking at the fading dog and crying boy, Joe knew he could not live with himself if he declined.
You have acquired Healer as your Primary Class. You have gained the following traits. [Awakened] +2 to Spirit. You have gained 2 common spirit-based skills. [Healing Touch] Heal a target for 2 health plus 2 points of Health for each skill rank you have with this skill. Cost: Modest Mana | Range: Touch. {Life} [Heartfire] Create a spectral campfire. Any living being in Close range of the manifestation regains 1 point of Health for each skill rank you have with this skill every minute. The fire lasts for one hour. Undead creatures in this area will take damage instead of gaining health. The flames radiate a gentle aura of warmth and comfort. They will not burn their surroundings or living creatures. Cost: Moderate Mana | Range: Close. {Brilliance} [Nimble] +1 to Dexterity. You have gained 1 common dexterity-based skill. [Simple Weapon Aptitude] You are proficient with basic weapons, such as clubs, daggers, handaxes, and staves. Your damage and parry rates increase with each skill rank you have with this skill. Passive {Expertise} You are now level 1. You have gained 1 unassigned attribute point.
A bloom of light appeared a foot away from where they were kneeling, and another pop-up window flickered for his attention, but Joe ignored both. He placed his hands gently on Buck¡¯s side and willed the healing to begin. He felt a sense of warmth gather into his fingers, hovering just up against the skin of the wounded dog. The power stopped there, not advancing any further. Joe looked at the battered ribcage and tried to imagine it whole, but he didn¡¯t know enough about anatomy or medicine. Panicked, he narrowed his focus to just one small spot of skin, the torn flesh ripped in the outline of a horseshoe. ¡°Close the wound,¡± Joe growled. And it did. Before his eyes, he saw weeks of healing transpire in a second.
You have restored 2 points of Buckle¡¯s health. You are unable to determine Buckle¡¯s current health. Your skill [Healing Touch] has increased to rank 1.
Joe suddenly felt a little dizzy, which he somehow knew was due to his decrease in mana. He had never had a resource below 100% before, except for a few stamina points from the dash down the hill. Tired from running was something he was familiar with. This was different. The blurry sensation passed after a second, and Joe willed another burst of healing into Buck. He looked at the spot where he could see a broken rib and cast again.
You have restored 4 points of Buckle¡¯s health. You are unable to determine Buckle¡¯s current health. Your skill [Healing Touch] has increased to rank 2.
Again, the lightheaded feeling returned and faded quickly. Joe popped up his resources and saw he had only used about 10% of his mana. He had plenty more healing, but he wanted to try his other abilities as well. Both he and the boy were covered in stinging thorn slices. Looking at a spot next to the three of them, Joe pointed and willed it to catch fire.
You have summoned a [Heartfire]. Creatures close by during the next hour will gain healing over time. Your skill [Heartfire] has increased to rank 1.
A ring of small stones appeared on the ground, and a bright bundle of flames began to dance within them; a sense of warmth and wellness radiated from the campfire. Joe could feel the pain from his cuts start to fade away. While [Heartfire] worked on all three of them, Joe decided to give Buck at least one more. The dog was breathing easier now, but it still gave small whimpers of pain after every breath. Joe tried to imagine applying the warmth to the area just behind the hound¡¯s ribs. This was harder to picture, but his first two heals helped guide him. After a few seconds of concentration, the restorative magic followed into Buckle¡¯s side
You have restored 6 points of Buckle¡¯s health. You are unable to determine Buckle¡¯s current health. Your skill [Healing Touch] has increased to rank 3.
Buck looked considerably better, but Joe still thought the dog was hurting. Not sure what to target, Joe gently spread his hands across the damaged area. ¡®Here goes nothing,¡¯ he thought and tried once more.
You have restored 5 points of Buckle¡¯s health. You are unable to determine Buckle¡¯s current health.
When this last healing resulted in less health restored, Joe guessed either Buck was at full health or his fledgling magic had done all it could. Which was a good thing because his head would not stop spinning. Joe actually felt a tad nauseous from the vertigo of his lowered mana. ¡®I am going to have to get used to that,¡¯ he thought. He flopped back onto the grass, taking deep breaths. Just as the dizziness abated, he was shocked by a very wet slap to the face. He opened his eyes to see a pair of smiling faces. One human, puffy-eyed and grateful. The other drooling and swaying side to side due to its heavily wagging tail. 6 - Not Done Yet Joe felt wrung out, not physically. It was the tiredness you felt after completing a rough exam or after a stressful event. He was mentally weary. As the boy and Buckle were having a mush session, Joe took a minute to shake away the cobwebs clogging up his head. When the fogginess cleared, he looked at the pair and spoke. ¡°Hey, guys. How¡¯s everybody doing?¡± ¡°Thank you, sir. You saved Buck!¡± ¡°We both did,¡± Joe countered. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t gotten him out of there, I don¡¯t know if I would have been able to help him in time. My name is Joe. What is your name?¡± ¡°Rhiley. My name¡¯s Rhiley Dellham.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Rhiley. And you too, Buck. Okay, let me up,¡± he said, giving the dog a gentle nudge to the side so he could lever himself to his feet. His body rose so smoothly that Joe almost overbalanced himself. It was going to take some getting used to having muscles that just did what you wanted them to without a fight. The extra dash of vertigo from the lingering mana-loss wasn¡¯t helping either. ¡°Woah,¡± the boy exclaimed, stabilizing Joe¡¯s wobble. ¡°Are you alright, mister?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. I just stood up too quickly,¡± he replied, finding his balance again. As his head cleared, he looked around. The knight had vanished over the next hill, and it seemed Buckle¡¯s howls had not alerted the boy¡¯s family. Due to the lay of the land, the berry bramble was not in sight of the house and barn. Since it was just him and a very grateful native, Joe figured now might be a perfect time to get some basic information. ¡°So Rhiley. I¡¯m a stranger to this area. What town is that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Crowfield. Not really a town, sir. It is just a village.¡± ¡°No need for the sir, Rhiley. Joe¡¯s just fine by me. Unless that will get you in trouble with your parents. It was sirs and ma''ams when I was in school, too,¡± he disclosed, earning him a smile from the boy. ¡°Is that where you learned to heal, Mister¡­ Joe? In school? Did you go to one of the academies?¡± ¡°Nope. Buck is the lucky recipient of my first healing ever. I just picked up the ability a minute ago.¡± ¡°Are you a Newcomer?¡± the boy asked, seeming to notice Joe¡¯s outfit for the first time. ¡°Well, I am definitely new to the area, but why do I get the impression that Newcomer means something more to you guys than just a foreigner?¡± ¡°Newcomers are those who have been brought to Illuminaria by the One Above. They are warriors and scholars from another world.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m no warrior and not much of a scholar, but the rest seems pretty on the nose. Does this happen a lot? You know, people being reborn here in your world?¡± ¡°Not really. You are the first one I¡¯ve ever seen, but every year, we celebrate Soultide. That¡¯s the holiday all about Newcomers being brought to Illuminaria. There is a big feast and a dance, and stories of the Newcomers are shared. It¡¯s a lot of fun.¡± That made sense. Joe couldn¡¯t figure out why both the knight and Rhiley had immediately jumped to Newcomer, even though under 1% of the population was from Earth. A standing holiday about those who crossed over would keep that tiny group from being easily forgotten. ¡°The One Above told everyone that Newcomers were arriving and established Soultide. I¡¯ve always wanted to meet one,¡± Rhiley beamed. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you too, Rhiley. So who is this One Above.¡± ¡°Oof. That¡¯s a big question. The One Above is the one who shapes us and gives us our advancements. He made the world, and the people, and the monsters, and the beasts. He also does all the quests.¡± ¡°So, he¡¯s god?¡± Joe had a hard time with religion on Earth. It was hard to accept there was a divine plan behind the death of his whole family and so many of his neighbors. ¡°Nope. Gods are totally different. The One Above is bigger than the gods in some ways but not in others,¡± the young man hesitantly explained. Seeing Joe¡¯s confused face, he added, ¡°You should talk to one of the Town Elders. They could explain it much better than I can.¡± ¡°Will do,¡± Joe conceded, letting the boy off the hook. He was also not in the best frame of mind to listen to the answer as a number of flickering indicators in the corner of his eye were trying to get his attention. Joe realized he was going to have to get used to those signals quickly, though he wasn¡¯t too worried about it. If he could block out the dozens of monitors and bedside conversations, dealing with the notification distractions would be a piece of cake. ¡°Hold on a sec, Rhiley. I need to read something. Is that ok?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the One Above,¡± the young man announced. ¡°Go ahead. Let me know what you get.¡±
You have successfully completed [Save Buckle].Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Do you wish to accept your quest rewards now?
¡°Yes, please,¡± Joe thought back. A few feet away, one of the two balls of floating light that had appeared when he was healing Buck popped. A potion bottle filled with an ivory liquid flipped up into the air and landed by Joe¡¯s feet. Joe picked it up, but he had no idea what it was. ¡°What did you get?¡± Rhiley asked. ¡°Got me, kid.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have [Identify] yet? Wow. You are new. Everyone takes that one.¡± ¡°Got here an hour or so ago, give or take. This is all new to me.¡± Joe moved to the next window.
Achievement: You completed your first quest. You have gained 1 unassigned attribute point. Your actions have awarded you the following choice of Traits: [Martyr] You chose a path you did not want for the betterment of another. When you use an ability to help an ally, you can sacrifice up to 10% of your Health to add up to 10% to the ability¡¯s effect. [Vivacity] Muscles are good, but magic is better. +10% to mana recovery.
Joe was pleasantly surprised. It looked like there were rewards for completing landmarks as well. He looked at the two options and easily made the choice. He already had regrets over picking a class that was so party-dependent; he did not want to make it even more so. Also, MAGIC! Who would pass up an opportunity for more magic?
You have selected [Vivacity]: +10% to mana recovery.
There was another one of those glowing balls, so he figured he should grab that one, too. He had a couple more notifications, and somehow, he instinctively knew which one of them was related to the second glowing orb.
You have successfully completed [Let¡¯s Get Started] Do you wish to accept your quest rewards now?
When he accepted, that ball of illumination popped as well. Instead of a single item, this orb sprayed a handful of coins, a small satchel, and a large wooden staff into the air. Joe managed to get a hand up, but the staff still cracked him painfully on the arm as it spun to the ground. ¡°Ow!. As much as I appreciate the item-spray nod to Diablo, that is going to get old quickly. Rhiley, can you help me find the coins? There should be ten of them.¡± Finding the gold pieces in the tall grass was a bit difficult, made even harder because Buck thought he should help the search as well. When they had them gathered, Joe looked into the satchel to find what looked like a fantasy first aid kit: plenty of bandages, soft cord, a needle, thread, as well as some tins and packets of herbs. Unfortunately, nothing was labeled. That ¡®Identify¡¯ skill was looking better and better. Adding the vial and the coins to the bag while picking up the staff, Joe gave the last alert his focus.
Achievement: You have had a profound instance of serenity upon your transference to Illuminaria. This pivotal moment has awarded you the following choice of Traits: [Meditationist] You can add [Meditation] to your list of selectable skills. [Gifted] +1 unassigned attribute point.
Joe knew immediately which one he wanted. For years, every holistic caregiver he ever had had tried to get Joe to learn how to meditate. And for years, Joe had failed spectacularly at it. The whole ¡®empty your mind¡¯ instruction was an immediate prompt for his brain to start thinking about everything under the sun. Maybe getting that skill would fix his overactive brain, but Joe seriously doubted it. Besides, he had just learned that attributes were key to learning new skills. He would much rather have more options than a skill that, in his past life, he had found utterly annoying.
You have selected [Gifted] +1 unassigned attribute point.
¡°Not a bad start.¡± Turning to the boy beside him, Joe asked, ¡°So Rhiley, what¡¯s next?¡± ¡°Now, can you come and heal my mom? She cut her hand last week, and even though she put a poultice on it, the cut just won¡¯t get better. It¡¯s all swollen and oozy.¡± ¡°It must be infected,¡± Joe assumed. Remembering how difficult it was to heal Buckle, Joe worried he would not be able to visualize how to heal Rhiley¡¯s mother. Still, he should definitely try. ¡°Let¡¯s give it a shot. Lead on, McDuff,¡± Joe quipped, uttering one of the commonly used lines from his old gaming sessions. The farmhouse was two stories tall, fashioned from light-colored timbers. The downstairs was built around a large central fireplace. The upper floor was built into eaves, with two dormers facing forward, most likely the children¡¯s rooms. Rhiley threw open the front door, announcing, ¡° Ma! Ma! I found a Healer for you,¡± as he waved for Joe to enter the home. Stepping inside, Joe could clearly see that Rhiley¡¯s mother was very sick. She was bundled in blankets, seated right beside a roaring fire on a beautifully warm day. The woman¡¯s skin had a waxy sheen to it, and her eyes were glassy. Joe drew in a deep breath. All of a sudden, what he was doing hit him. Healing Buck had been a spur-of-the-moment decision. He now was actually taking responsibility for someone else''s wellbeing. If he messed this up, he might make her worse. That fear had landed on a firm resolve. For years, others had cared for him. Now, he had a chance to pay some of that care back. The lost look on her face was one he had seen too many times before. That glassiness that came from being unable to think clearly while something was destroying you from the inside out. The fog which often led to the loss of hope. Once hope was gone, things almost always got worse. Joe pushed all those memories and doubts away. He now had something beyond all the years of medical training the doctors on Earth had. Joe had magic. He was not using toxins to kill part of her while trying not to kill all of her. He was not cutting out some part of her while trying not to cut out too much or too little. Joe had straight-up, raw healing. It did not need to make medical sense. It just had to work. Which meant he just had to try. ¡°Buck up, Joe,¡± he commanded himself.
New Quest [Septic Slice] Sarsa Dellham cannot be saved by ordinary means. Use your skills to save her. Reward: Talisman of the Medic
7 - Unforgiving Injury As Joe and Rhiley eased his mother''s bandaged hand out from under the blanket, a deep voice spoke up from the doorway behind them. ¡°Excuse me. May I help you?¡± Joe turned around to see a broad-shouldered man standing in the open doorway. One look at him, as well as the young woman at his side, it was immediately apparent these were Rhiley¡¯s kin. Both children took after their father far more than they resembled the feverish woman in front of Joe. ¡°Da, this is Joe. He is a Healer. He healed Buck. I brought him to see if he can help Mom.¡± ¡°Buck? What happened to Buck?¡± Rhiley¡¯s sister asked in a worried voice. Before he lost Rhiley to retelling the ¡®Saga of the Briars,¡¯ Joe spoke directly to the older man. ¡°Hello Mister Dellham. I am going to see what I can do for your wife. Can you tell me her name, please?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Sarsa,¡± Rhiley blurted. ¡°Sarsa Dellham,¡± the man intoned at the same time as his son, adding, ¡°Whatever you can do would be greatly appreciated, Master Healer.¡± Extending his hand, ¡°It¡¯s just Joe, Mister Dellham. I am about as novice a healer as one could ever find, so Master is serious overkill.¡± ¡°Well. Anything would be helpful. I¡¯m Konren,¡± The man replied with the grip of a man who had worked hard all his life. It was rough-skinned and far stronger than Joe¡¯s, but the clasp had no hint of challenge. Turning back to the ailing woman, Joe let out a nervous puff of breath. In the background, he could hear Rhiley begin the story of their meeting. Tuning out the boy, Joe took her bandaged hand. Even though the swathing, he could feel it was warm. ¡°Hello, Sarsa,¡± he began, unsure if she was focused enough to hear him. ¡°My name is Joe. I am going to see if I can mend this wound.¡± He slid his hand up to the flesh of the woman¡¯s wrist. He probably did not need actual skin-to-skin contact, but he figured it was better to be safe than sorry. Summoning his healing, he felt it rise to his fingertips. Instead of focusing on the wound specifically, which was still wrapped under a sodden mass of bandages, Joe instead desired to bolster her strength. He knew all too well the delirious fog of fever and pain. With this healing, he wanted to promote a general wellness. His magic wavered for a minute, unsure what he wanted, until Joe pictured one of his good days, a day when he was strong enough to sit up when his mind was clear. As he filled his mind with that memory, he felt his spell respond, sending a rush of vitality flowing from him into the woman.
You have restored 8 points of Sarsa Dellham¡¯s health. You are unable to determine Sarsa Dellham¡¯s current health. The underlying cause of the damage still remains. Your skill [Healing Touch] has increased to rank 4.
Color flushed into her cheeks. Drawing a deep breath, she immediately became more alert. Blinking, Sarsha glanced at Joe with a questioning look. Clearly, she had not heard him or registered his presence until now. ¡°Hi, Sarsa. My name is Joe. I became a healer today, and you are my first patient. Well, first human patient, at least. Let¡¯s try that again.¡±
You have restored 6 points of Sarsa Dellham¡¯s health. You are unable to determine Sarsa Dellham¡¯s current health. The underlying cause of damage is preventing any additional healing of this type.
¡°I¡¯m afraid that is as much as I can do right now. Let¡¯s get these old bandages off and look, alright?¡± ¡°Thank you, Sir,¡± Sarsa replied. ¡°It already feels much better. So do I. I was so tired today. I felt like I was sleeping even when I was awake.¡± ¡°I know exactly what you mean,¡± Joe stated earnestly. He had had many such dazed days. ¡°Is she healed?¡± Konren asked, his voice heavy with emotion. ¡°Not fully, no. Sorry. I can bolster her health, but the infection is still there. I don¡¯t know how to fix that yet. I only have two spells. I used the first one as much as I could, and the other won¡¯t help us. I think I need a Cure Disease-type spell. I am very new to this. How do people get new spells in this world?¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°In this world¡­ ? You must be a Newcomer.¡± ¡°I am. And a very new Newcomer, to boot. Just a couple hours now,¡± he said as he untied the sticky cloth knot. The bandages were soaked with puss. ¡°You guys are the first people I have spoken with since I got here ... not counting a surly knight.¡± ¡°Well, we are very grateful for it,¡± his patient replied. She began looking around, switching to that typical mom-hostess mode. ¡°Have you eaten? It is the least we can do.¡± ¡°First, I want to unwrap this hand and take a look. That and food might not go well together.¡± Joe pulled a layer off and felt the wrappings bind in a snag. ¡°Alright. This is going to be a bit of an ordeal. Let me know if I hurt you.¡¯ Sarsa nodded, and Joe worked out the knot. As the layers came off, they became more sodden. The slick ribbons of cloth felt oily against his skin. Once upon a time, this would have grossed him out, but Joe found he wasn¡¯t bothered by it at all. A small chuckle slipped loose when he realized that there was a weird bright side to chemotherapy. He was pretty much incapable of being grossed out by bodily fluids anymore. When he got down to the puffy skin, he needed some warm water to soak off the last of the cloth. Nella, Rhiley¡¯s sister, brought a bowl filled with water from a pot that had been heating by the fireplace. Together, they eased off the last of the sodden cloth strips. Nella was not as immune to the feel and smell, but she was determined to help her mother. She soldiered through her queasiness and followed Joe¡¯s instructions. Across the room, Konren had a hand on Rhiley¡¯s shoulder, watching Joe and Nella work, though who was comforting who could go either way. The wound had originally been a knife cut, a simple kitchen accident, though it was deeper than your typical knife knick. If Joe had gotten here a few days ago, he probably would have been able to cure it. Joe swung his satchel around and looked in again. Oddly enough, he found that even though nothing was labeled, he somehow had an instinctive feel for what each container and packet was for. He found salts that might be able to draw out the infection, but the wound had progressed to the point where Joe felt that was a long shot. The veins around Sarsa''s hand and wrist were dark under her skin. Still, soaking in the salts would be better than doing nothing. They might help slow down the infection. Joe was pretty sure she needed a better form of healing than he possessed. ¡°I¡¯m going to need a bigger basin and more warm water,¡± he told Nella. ¡°We can try to soak the wound, but I think I am going to have to find a stronger spell. Where can I go to look for one?¡± ¡°The General Store often has a small stock of skill crystals,¡± she replied. She scowled while thinking and then continued, ¡°I can''t remember ever seeing any healing skills there. Mostly the common stuff like detects and minor wards. There would be plenty of agriculture and crafting skills, too, but I¡¯m pretty sure those are not what you are looking for.¡± ¡°What about a temple? In most ga ¡­ in my world, temples, and the clergy were often associated with healing.¡± ¡°Maybe in the big cities, that is how it works,¡± Konren stated. ¡°Out here, we only get an occasional hedgemage or herbwife that comes through every now and then.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a real Healer around? Not at all?¡± Joe asked incredulously. It was hard to imagine a town, even just a village, not having a doctor of any sort. ¡°Hard to keep one here in Crowfield,¡± the man answered ruefully. ¡°This region is a very modest zone. There are no great threats, but there is also ain¡¯t much opportunity for advancement. Any of our young folk who have picked up the healer¡¯s path end up stagnating in such a mild region. They all moved on to a bigger city long before they reached their second class.¡± ¡°Well then, let¡¯s hope the General Store has something useful.¡± Joe was about to ask for directions until he recalled that the whole village consisted of only a couple dozen buildings. The General Store surely wouldn¡¯t be too hard to find. Konren must have read his first thought, though. ¡°Rhiley can show the way. If you two take the apple bushel to the general store for me, I¡¯d be happy to let you have the store credit for them, Joe. Both to help if you find something to heal my wife and to give you a profound thank you for all that you have already done.¡± Joe was uncomfortable with compliments, and so was about to shrug off the farmer''s words. At the last second, it dawned on him that the man wanted to express his gratitude. He could recall many times when he had thanked a nurse only to have the gratitude gently dismissed as part of their job. That wasn¡¯t the point. The gratefulness was his way of accepting Joe¡¯s help, meaning it would be rude to refuse it. ¡°You are welcome, sir,¡± he acknowledged, rising to his feet. Nelle stayed with her mother, holding her good hand. ¡°I am happy I could help as much as I could. Even if we don¡¯t find anything right away, I¡¯m pretty sure I can keep it from getting worse with the spells I have.¡± Scratching his chin, Joe added, ¡°I¡¯m pretty new to all this, but an infected wound has to be something a healer should be able to tackle. If we don¡¯t find something, I can try getting some more levels.¡± ¡°Advancement is always a good thing. Though most of us here find we are happy with a slow pace toward ten. Not many folks are higher than that around here.¡± The large farmer switched his focus to his son. ¡°While you¡¯re in the village, I need you to go to Kadric Tinker and pick up yer mom¡¯s copper kettle. Kadric said he would fix it yesterday. He¡¯ll have a job for you to cover the cost of the repairs. Do that once the Healer does not need you any further.¡± ¡°Ok, Da.¡± the boy affirmed, as he hopped over to give his mother a light hug. Heading for the door, Rhiley gave his thigh a slap to call Buck. ¡°Ready, Joe?¡± 8 - Giant Store A few minutes later, the pair were walking down the road with a heavy wicker bushel basket swinging slightly between them. It was filled with bicolored apples. Joe and Rhiley were both happily crunching on one of the crisp fruits. Even though their heights were drastically different, a clever bit of engineering negated the issue. A ring of rope was tied through each handle about two feet long. This added a foot to Joe¡¯s grip. With Rhiley holding the basket handle and Joe holding the rope loop, the basket ended up just about level between the two of them. At first, Joe was worried about the young man tiring out carrying the forty-pound basket to the village. After a few minutes, he realized the young farm boy was struggling less than he was. Which was especially sad because Rhiley didn¡¯t even have a class yet. The system only became available once a child reached the age of twelve. ¡®Well, that is a bit embarrassing,¡¯ Joe thought. ¡®I may be investing some of my assigned points into Strength and Vigor, just so I¡¯m not such a wimp.¡¯ The village of Crowfield was as quaint and pretty up close as it had been from the hillside. Most of the houses had flower patches or window boxes. The road was made of hard, packed dirt with no mires of mud or filth. The houses were almost all one or two stories, though a few had a third floor. The people were dressed in simple apparel, but the clothes were well cared for and clean, at least as much as one could be expected from a farming community. Villagers waved to Rhiley and called greetings by name. They seemed to take no particular notice of Joe, but he could tell they were curious about him all the same. Every few seconds, he received another,
Someone has failed to assess you.
He couldn¡¯t blame them. Joe knew how small towns were. Everyone noticed the out-of-towners. To be fair, he was looking right back at everyone around him as well, though he lacked the skill to glean any additional information. He was amazed to see such a variety of races right there in front of him. Humans seemed to be the most common, but only barely so. There were elves that seemed to glide as they walked. The dwarves did just the opposite. The bearded pair by the blacksmith shop seems to trudge with every step. A satyr was working at a loom on his porch across from a reptilian woman who was plucking deadheads from her garden. A being with bark-like skin and fern-like hair waved to Rhiley and then turned back to speaking with a feline-looking neighbor. An avian man with owlish features and a bright orange vest glided through the trees to land on the village green. As he and Rhiley walked into the center of the hamlet, a tiny boy, only a few inches over Joe¡¯s knee, dashed up to them. The young man had a shock of brown hair spiking out at all angles and a spring to his gait. ¡°Hey, Rhy,¡± the kid exclaimed in a voice that somehow did not match his childish stature. It was too gruff for someone seemingly so young. With a quick sidestep and darting fingers, the boy flicked an apple up into the air over Joe¡¯s head and caught it on the other side of his body. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said to Rhiley, looking Joe over but not addressing him.¡°I¡¯m heading to the fishing hole with Kip. Let me know if you want me to find you a pole.¡± Surprisingly, even though he clearly gave Joe that look of an assessment, no notification popped up for it. ¡°Just don¡¯t take Mister Dudley¡¯s pole again, Kaid,¡± Rhiley replied. ¡°That got me in trouble last time. And sorry. Can¡¯t. I am helping Joe today. This is Joe. He healed Ma. ¡­ Well,¡± Rhiley drawled out that last word. ¡°He made her better. We are going to try and find a spell he can use to fix it all.¡± ¡°So, no fishing,¡± Kaid huffed, looking a bit sad. Turning to address Joe directly for the first time, he added, ¡°Well, hope you find what ya need, Mister Joe. I just got back on Missus Dellham''s good side again. Be a shame ¡­¡± The strange boy¡¯s words faltered off as the diminutive youth realized the rest of that sentence would have been awful for Rhiley. ¡°Um. Nevermind. Um. If you do get some free time, Rhy, come find me by the river.¡± Pole in hand, the small figure dashed off. Joe caught an embarrassed facepalm just before the kid disappeared behind a stack of hay bales.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°That is Kaid,¡± Rhiley explained. ¡°He is a lot of fun.¡± ¡°How old is he?¡± Joe asked, trying unsuccessfully to mentally match the boy''s mannerisms and voice to his minuscule physical frame. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s a gnome, so it''s hard to tell with them. They grow up slower, and they live a really long time. I think he is probably around your age, but he gets along better with us kids than he does with grown-ups. I think it¡¯s a gnomish thing. ¡­ Or it could just be Kaid.¡± A few strides further brought the two of them to the general store. It was one of the biggest buildings in the village. Even though it appeared only to have two floors, it surpassed the height of the three-story building across the street. It was colorfully painted in burgundy red with yellow trim and bore a huge front porch. Two large windows flanked the double doors, displaying fabric, ceramics, and other such wares. Open-top barrels held hoes, shovels, and rakes. As the pair neared the open doors, Joe could smell the interior even before he crossed the threshold. Cinnamon, honey, and earthy herbs were all mixed together on top of a dry greenhouse smell: maybe seeds, or fertilizer, or both. Rhiley shouted as he entered the store. ¡°Hello, Missus Eldauk, I have the apples Dad picked for you,¡± Even though the boy bellowed his news within feet of other shoppers, there was not a single sour look. As a matter of fact, an elderly man tousled Rhiley¡¯s hair with a friendly grin. If Joe had shouted like that in a store when he was a kid, his parents, and the patrons would have been far less pleased. The culture here must be much more communal and outgoing than the more reserved public manners where Joe had lived on Earth. Joe missed a step with Rhiley as a towering Jotun woman stepped out from behind a set of shelves. Joe had seen the Jotun option during the race selections, but there was a big difference between reading about it and coming face to face with a seven-foot-tall woman. The only reason he hadn¡¯t seen her was because the shelves were built on her scale, each one close to ten feet tall. The giantess was wearing a blue dress with an apron over it. Her overgarment was covered in pockets, each one probably as large as Joe¡¯s satchel. It was obviously as functional as it was for keeping her clothes tidy. ¡°Good morning, Rhiley. How is your mother?¡± she said in a rich voice. It was deep but still feminine. ¡°She¡¯s much better. Thanks, Missus E. This is Joe. He is a healer, but he just crossed over today.¡± ¡°A healer,¡± she exclaimed, her azure eyebrows rising. "And a Newcomer. That is wonderful. I don¡¯t think we have seen one brought by the One Above in twenty years." Her face settled into a smile that gave Joe the feeling of calculation as if there was something more behind the words that followed. "I am Gurda Eldauk. My family runs the General Store. If you need store credit, I am sure we can come up with an arrangement. Potentially, your healing for goods here at the market.¡± Her immediate, direct enthusiasm aroused Joe¡¯s telemarketer sense. She was a bit too quick with that offer. While she very well might be being straight with him, this felt suspiciously like one of those cold-call sales pitches that popped up on your phone. As hanging up was not an option, Joe tried disengaging. ¡°That is a very nice offer, Missus Eldauk. This is all very new to me. I¡¯d like to get my bearings before making any deals just yet. If that¡¯s ok with you?¡± ¡°You will find that the Clan of Eldauk is one of the most respected families in this community. The benefits of partnering with us are quite well-known. Just ask young Rhiley here. Why, for that bushel of apples alone, his father is gaining six gold as credit here at the store,¡± she extolled. ¡°Oh, but Da is giving the credit for the apples to Joe for helping Ma, Missus E. He is going to look to see if you have any skill crystals that might be good for him. Maybe something he can use to make her all the way better.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± she replied. Joe could tell she was not yet done trying to employ him, but after glancing back at the customer she had been helping, she decided to put her pitch aside for the moment. ¡°Joe, the crystals we have are there in that case. See that red leather book there,¡± she stated, pointing to a volume on the wood counter over the curved glass display case. ¡°You will find the prices of each crystal written in there. When I am done weighing seed for Admeadeon, I will come back and get any you are interested in.¡± As the towering woman headed back around the shelf, Joe and Rhiley stepped up to the case. It was filled with stubby crystal points about three inches long and an inch and a half wide. There were five colors of crystal, which Rhiley stated were associated with the five attributes. The Strength crystals were red. Green for Vigor. Dexterity stones were yellow. The crystals for Perception were true blue, and the Spirit ones were violet. The crystals also had metal bands that were wound around them. Most had a single copper band, but a fair number had two bronze rings. There were two skill crystals that had three silver bands. Joe guessed that the bands indicated the rarity of the skills inside the stones. Taking up the book and sitting down on an unopened barrel, Joe started leafing his way through the little red ledger. He could barely contain his excitement. These skills would be his first real set of choices in Illuminaria. He had ten gold coins and six gold credits to spend on them. This was really the best day ever. 9 - Shopping for Skills The first skill Joe picked was a no-brainer. The sheer number of times a customer tried and failed to assess him as he leafed through the leather-bound catalog suggested that [Identify] must be as popular as Hawking had mentioned. A skill that everyone took probably had to be a necessary one. As a bonus, at the price of one and a half gold, they were the least expensive skill in the book. Since he already had a point in Perception, Joe would not have to spend any of his unassigned attribute points. After that, he started looking for skills related to healing. Unfortunately, the only one he found was a crazy expensive spell called [Close Wounds], which, when Joe compared it to [Healing Touch], was not even as good at the healing spell he already had. The only other spell that was even close to his class was a weird veterinary spell that also worked on people. It was an uncommon vigor-based skill called [Efferous Endurance]. While it didn¡¯t heal injuries, it was a solid boost for another resource: stamina. Even though it was only half as effective on people as it was on beasts, Joe could see it being a big boon. Thankfully, it was priced more like the agricultural spells instead of [Close Wounds], costing three gold pieces. Joe added it to his mental list alongside [Identify]. After that, he was a bit stumped. Nella had been right. The book was filled with mostly crafting skills. There were quite a few basic fighting skills listed as well. When he got to the last page, disappointed, he turned back to the beginning and started again, just in case he had missed something the first time. He hadn¡¯t. The answer to helping Sarsa was not here. Joe closed the book and turned to the glass-faced display. The case was also sorted alphabetically like the book, which made it very easy to see what skills the General Store had available. The first crystal in the case was a purple Alchemy crystal. Joe could easily see how alchemy and healing would be a great synergy. Unfortunately, it was one of the most expensive starter skills in the store. The bronze-banded crystal cost sixteen gold pieces. That was exactly what Joe had. Putting all his money into a single skill seemed like a terrible idea. There were others in the A¡¯s, but the first B caught his eye. [Batter] was a basic attack skill that worked with bludgeoning weapons, a quarterstaff, for example. If Joe needed to level up to get a better healing skill, then in most RPG-type games, that meant hunting monsters. While he knew this world was not actually a computer game, from what Hawking and Konren had said, it sounded like this practice might still be the case. Joe had no problem spending a point into Strength so as not to be completely surpassed in might by the kid at his side. ¡°Hey Rhy. How good is [Bash]?¡± Joe asked, pointing at the red shard. ¡°It''s ok. But it only works with smashing weapons. [Bash] does more damage than the all-around weapon booster skills, but I think more people take [Power Attack] or [Swift Strike] because they work no matter what weapon you are using.¡± ¡°That makes sense. Since the weapon aptitude skill I have covers any simple weapon, then maybe I should get one of those skills.¡± The downside he discovered was those skills were more expensive. While [Bash] was only three and a half gold, [Power Attack], the strength-based version, was twice as expensive. The dexterity-based [Swift Strike] was a better deal at four and a half gold. Still, Rhiley¡¯s logic was sound, especially coming from one so young. Joe would have to wrap his head around the fact that talking skills was a regular topic for people who lived their lives by them. Unless he really didn¡¯t have the coins for it, he would go with one of the more versatile skills. Probably [Swift Strike].The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Joe started looking for a bargain at this point. The one that he liked best was a blue crystal for a skill called [Coin Catcher]. This skill caused the loot that came out of the reward globes or monster corpses to fly into pouches and packs instead of flipping off into the weeds or cracking him in the head. Joe didn¡¯t really need this one, but it was one of those quality-of-life skills that would take an annoyance out of the game. He could also see it coming in handy if he had to grab loot in a hurry. He allotted two gold pieces for this one, bringing his total to eleven with [Swift Strike], more if he took [Power Attack]. The rest he would need for gear. That thought cemented his choice for the Dex-base skill. He¡¯d have to accept being weaker than a ten-year-old for a while longer. He wrote down the four skill names on a slip of paper by the case and headed to the front of the store where Missus Eldauk was wrapping up a sale with her customer. As Joe reached into his satchel to grab his coins in, he couldn¡¯t find them. He had wrapped the coins in a small strip of bandage so they would not be clinking around in his bag but the bundle was gone. Joe emptied the satchel on the counter, but there were still no coins. When he looked over at Rhiley, he saw the boy¡¯s face change from concern to red-faced anger. ¡°Son of a muckback mimic! That jerk!¡± the young man swore. Turning on his heel, the lad stormed out of the store at a fast clip. Joe scooped his healing materials back into his bag as quickly as he could and followed the boy outside, but Rhiley had a large lead on him. Joe caught a glimpse of the youth at the edge of town, heading for a river in the distance. Jogging after the boy, Joe passed a large number of curious faces. He hoped none of them would think he was chasing Rhiley for some nefarious purpose. That would be a terrible way to start his time in the village. Thankfully, none of them stopped him. A few minutes later, Joe found himself running down a trail between two fields. For most of the way, he could see Rhiley until the boy reached a band of trees lining the river. The farmboy vanished between the trunks before Joe could catch up. He had to stop and panted for a bit, looking forward to the upcoming increase in Vigor. Joe was tempted to spend the points now and help his endurance, but he decided to play it safe in case his coins were gone for good. When the sounds of young voices yelling erupted from his left, Joe set off again. Jogging through the trees, he finally came up on Rhiley, shouting at Kaid at the end of a small dock extending from the shore. A third child was sitting on the end of the raised planks, looking very uncomfortable. ¡°HE HEALED BOTH OF THEM, KAID! BUCK AND MY MOM! AND YOU TOOK EVERYTHING HE HAD!¡± Kaid had his hands up, and his face flushed with anger. This caused the girl beside the two to perform some sort of magic. With a hand gesture, a flicker of green motes swirled around her body, shrinking and morphing her form. A moment later, a bullfrog sat on the boards while her pole dropped into the water. With a loud ribbit, the girl, now frog, leapt away, vanishing into the stream. Still on the dock, Rhiley seemed to tower over the diminutive gnome. Yet even with the farm boy¡¯s extra size and muscles, something told Joe that if this actually turned into a fight, Kaid was the more dangerous of the two. He doubted it would. The gnome¡¯s expression was miserable, bordering on tearful in the face of the young farmer¡¯s wrath. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Rhy. How could I? He was just some doofus stranger strolling through town. Of course, I¡¯ll give ¡®em back. Look, there he is,¡± Kaid mewled, pointing at Joe, who had reached the end of the pier. ¡°Here you go, sir. Force of habit. I¡¯m sure you understand.¡± The little scoundrel lobed the wrapped coin bundle, arcing it to Joe with a near-perfect throw. ¡°We good, Rhy?¡± he pleaded. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. Come on. No more hard feelings. I got us a couple poles and a jug of Apple Jack. Can we please let bygones be bygones?¡± ¡°I got my money back,¡± Joe confirmed. He gave the tied packet a shake, adding, ¡°It¡¯s all there, right?¡± When Kaid nodded back furiously, Joe shrugged. ¡°Then I¡¯m good. Rhiley, you can hang with your friend here. I¡¯ve got some shopping to do.¡± Still staring daggers at the tiny waif, Rhiley huffed, clearly still pissed. ¡°No, I¡¯ll stick with you if you don¡¯t mind, Joe. I have to go see Mister Tienker anyway.¡± Leaving the crestfallen gnome on the dock, the pair hiked back to the general store. Joe had originally thought he would be annoyed at having to trek back to the village, but it had been a while since he could just go for a walk. Even though it was just an about-face, he found himself smiling as they walked. Hiking along this path, with the breeze ruffling the fields of grain on either side of him, was one of those simply beautiful moments that could catch you off guard. Joe found that he didn¡¯t even mind Kaid¡¯s sticky fingers, considering how much he was enjoying just being outdoors again. Side by side, he and the young man reentered town, vectoring straight back towards the general store. 10 - Initial Improvements After Joe had purchased the four crystals he had picked out, he moved to the large porch that spanned the whole front of the store. Rhiley was talking to his neighbors, almost assuredly giving them the skinny on Joe. That was fine. Maybe it would cut down on all the failed [Identify] notices he was getting. The young man had already explained how to learn a skill from one of the crystals; he just had to grip the stone tightly and concentrate on activating it. Easy enough. Joe started with one of the blue ones since he already had an open Perception point. He gave the shard a squeeze, and in a second, he felt it vanish from his palm while, at the same time, a block of knowledge imprinted itself into his mind.
You have learned the common skill: [Coin Catcher]. This skill allows you to gather your rewards in close range and kinetically store them into a container on your person. If the items will not fit in the container, they will appear at your feet. Cost: Minor Stamina | Range: Close. {Force}
Joe was momentarily surprised as he thought he had grabbed the [Identify] stone. It made no difference as he had planned to learn both. Or at least he thought so at first, until he saw a new notification appear.
Achievement: You learned your first non-class skill: [Coin Catcher]. This action has awarded you the following choice of Traits: [Good Fortune] Bigger bounties. +5% to coin loot. [Signature Skill] Who knows how far this can go? +25% chance to advance [Coin Catcher].
Joe noted that he did not get an extra attribute point for this achievement. That made sense. He couldn¡¯t expect every advancement to give free points. Joe took a minute to think about this choice. An additional 5% to loot sounded like it could add up to some serious coin. On the other hand, [Signature Skill] sounded plain awesome. He had no idea how the simple loot collection tool would improve, but he was excited to find out. He had a momentary musing on what options he would have received if he had learned [Identify] first. Considering how many folks had that skill, it was likely a common achievement. Joe was happier to get the more unusual option. Now it was time to spend his free points. Seeing no reason not to finish Perception, he added a point to the attribute. As he did so, the world ever so slightly seemed to shift into better focus. There were so many things happening when he received his points with his class that he hadn''t noticed the change, but this time, just sitting outside the general store, it was very obvious. Across the street, the sign for the bakery snapped into focus. The smell of bread and pies increasingly filled the air. The grain of wood under his butt was suddenly more apparent. Rhiley¡¯s and Gurda Eldauk¡¯s voices from inside the store behind him became clearer. None of these were huge changes, but in that second, they were very noticeable. ¡°Woah,¡± Joe breathed. Excited, he wanted to try Dexterity next. He had always had a knack for throwing things, darts, frisbees, baseballs, even spinning cards into a hat. Grabbing a small rock, Joe flicked it at a lantern post at the edge of the road. He still had the concept of how to fling a pebble from his old life, so his body complied as he expected, managing to knick the timber with the small stone. Then he added one of his free points to his Dex. Sure enough, he felt limberness flow through him. He was just a fraction more sure of his movements. He flicked a second pebble, and it hit almost precisely where he wanted it to. Joe bounced his feet back and forth on the step in exhilaration, sending a drumming stomp out into the village. He didn¡¯t care who noticed him acting like an idiot. Not only was he healthier now than he had been in years, he could fundamentally get even better with each advancement. It was one thing to understand the idea of increased stats conceptually. It was a whole new level to actually feel it. His last two points immediately went into Vigor. Because his stamina was full, he did not experience instantaneous revitalization. Even so, he generally felt great, as he had just woken up from the best night''s sleep of his life. Joe knew he was grinning like a loon, but again, he didn¡¯t care how many odd looks he was drawing from the locals. Actually, he noticed many of them were smiling back at him. It was like those looks an aunt or uncle would have when a younger relative did something noteworthy. News of a Newcomer must be spreading. Watching Joe experience the joy of the system for the first time was something they seemed to find endearing.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Speaking of the system. ¡®Hawking, this is amazing. Thank you, man! I ¡­ I don¡¯t even have words for this.¡¯ There was a longer pause than Joe expected before the window appeared.
You are very welcome, Joe. Your positivity is promising.
¡°We have got to work on your conversational skills someday, Dude,¡± Joe sent back with a mental laugh. Still chuckling at Hawking¡¯s stiff reply, he turned his focus to the skill stones again and learned a second one.
You have learned the common skill: [Identify]. This skill allows you to use your sight to assess creatures and objects to determine their designation and some general information. The more ranks you have with this skill, the more information you can glean. Additional ranks with [Identify] can pierce through the obfuscation that comes from level disparity or anti-assessment skills such as [Deception]. Passive | Range: Extreme. {Calculation}
Not that he was really expecting one, but he checked to see if this act had earned him another achievement. It didn¡¯t. Joe also noted that Hawking¡¯s responses had two different feelings to them. Most of the notifications had an almost clinical, formal feel to them. Kind of like an automated response. But the times he was directly replying to Joe felt different. There was a clear presence behind those messages. This last one was one of those canned text notifications. He focused on the yellow stone and received another one of the impersonal alerts.
You have learned the common skill: [Swift Strike]. You can empower your melee attacks to inflict additional damage and improve their chance to break through defensive deflection techniques. Your attack damage and deflection penetration increases by 3% plus 1% for each skill rank you have with this skill. Cost: Minor Stamina | Range: Touch. {Inertia}
With each skill he learned, Joe noticed something new. So far, all of his skills had a different last word at the end of their descriptions. He hoped he was not doing something wrong, spreading out his skills across whatever these groups were. {Life} made sense for his [Healing Touch] spells; so did {Force} for the telekinetic [Coin Catcher]. He was a bit more confused by {Brilliance}, {Expertise}, {Calculation}, and {Inertia}. He had already spent his attribute points into Vigor, so he didn¡¯t think it was worth changing tracks just yet. Still, it didn¡¯t hurt to ask. ¡®Hey, Hawking. Can I ask you another question? I don¡¯t want to bug you if you are busy.¡¯
I am always in a state of constant activity, yet I am fully capable of accommodating your inquiry.
Joe smiled as this window held that unique presence he associated with Hawking, instead of the more generic system messages. ¡°Okay. Thanks. What are the words in the braces at the end of skill descriptions for?¡¯
Those are known as Affinities. Every skill is associated with one of these 210 affinities. Every person and monster has their own aptitude with individual affinities. Choosing skills for which you have a strong connection to the correlating affinity will grant you greater usage of that skill.
¡®That would have been good to know. I have no idea what my Affinities are.¡¯
There are seers who can read your affinities for you. You can improve your strength with an affinity through use and focus, especially those engaged at early levels.
¡®That¡¯s something then. So the ones I have now, unless I seriously suck at them, should be fine.¡¯
To ease your mind, you do not ¡®seriously suck¡¯ at any of the affinities you currently have skills for, including the one you have in your hand.
¡®Okay. Thanks again,¡¯ Joe thought back to Hawking before focusing on the green prism in his hand.
You are attempting to learn the uncommon skill [Efferous Endurance]. You have not met the requirements for a bronze-level skill.
Joe stared at the clinical-feeling notice. He scratched his head, puzzled. The only prerequisite listed in the book was he needed to already know one husbandry or healing skill. He had two: [Healing Touch] and [Heartfire]. ¡®Now what? Why can¡¯t I learn this one?¡¯
You need to have at least ten ranks in one skill before you can assimilate an uncommon skill crystal.
Joe hung his head. ¡®Are you kidding me!¡¯ It was a bit of a letdown, but Joe was in too good a mood to let it get to him. If the Illuminaria system worked at all like the MMORPG games he was familiar with, those early ranks were usually pretty easy to get. Hopefully, ten wouldn''t take him very long. Looking over his shoulder, he noticed Rhiley still speaking to the giant shopkeeper. Missus Eldauk¡¯s words replayed in his head. She had been willing to pay him to heal. Given how shrewd the merchant seemed, Joe guessed that meant there was a demand for healing. After catching his young companion¡¯s eye inside the store, Rhiley quickly disengaged himself from his neighbors and trotted out onto the porch. ¡°Hey Rhy, I can¡¯t learn this one yet,¡± he stated, waving the bronze-banded shard. ¡°I don¡¯t have ten levels in anything yet.¡± ¡°Aw, sorry, Joe. I should have thought of that,¡± the young man apologized. ¡°Want me to see if Missus Eldauk will take it back so you can get something else?¡± ¡°Nah. I like the spell. How about we go the other route and level up my [Healing Touch]? Want to help me find some patients?¡± Rhiley¡¯s smile was all the answer he needed. 11 - Level Up Joe carefully took hold of his seventh patient¡¯s heavy, dwarven hands. Thorton¡¯s arms, from his elbows all the way to the tips of his fingers, looked inflamed and swollen. The blisters were angry and red. Thorton Kinbrow was a tanner. Joe had no idea what the process was that turned animal hides into leather, but whatever it was, it had done a number on the craftsman¡¯s skin. Joe moved the man¡¯s arm into a spot of sunlight that made its way through the canopy of leaves overhead. In the brighter light, the arm looked even worse. This was one seriously stoic dwarf. If Joe¡¯s arms were half as bad as these looked, he would not be sitting passively on the log waiting for Joe to start healing. The pair sat in the center of Crowfield on a circle of well-tended grass that encircled a massive oak tree. The trunk of the tree had to be at least ten feet wide and was marked by many large runes. Originally, Joe thought the sigils had been carved, but after a closer look, he saw that the bark had been shaped, not cut. He had no idea what the symbols did or meant, but they had that flowing cursive style that made one think of Tolkien¡¯s elves. He guessed they were to promote the great tree¡¯s health. It sure was healthy. And huge. The oak provided a welcome shade over much of the green. There were several benches around the lawn. To one side of the lawn, a stage had been built. Rhiley and Joe had set up on the other end of the common where a campfire ring was surrounded by several large sitting logs and a few wooden plank lawn chairs. Joe had placed a [Heartfire] flickering in the ring of stones which gave off its passive heal to anyone nearby. Joe was perched on a low stool that Rhiley had borrowed from somewhere. The three-legged seat allowed him to sit close enough to see what was going on with his patients and touch them with his healing skill without Joe having to kneel or both of them having to straddle one of the sitting-logs. ¡°Is this normal, Thorton ?¡± he asked. ¡°Not typically. No,¡± the squat man answered in a voice that was almost exactly what Joe expected from a dwarf. It was deep and a bit gravelly. The stout man¡¯s wide chest adding a rich timber to his words. ¡°It can happen now and then,¡± he continued. ¡°Some of them beasties out there are still dangerous even after they be dead. This here comes from a Foulgut Wyrm. I was braining the hide and, next thing I knew, my hands were all a-blistered. When my wife heard Rhiley announcing ye be a healer, she told me I had to get out here and see ya. Guess she was tired of me moaning bout the house.¡± Before Joe tackled the odd injury, he wanted as much information as he could get: ¡°What¡¯s a Foulgut Wyrm?¡± ¡°They be poisonous little burrowers. Maybe three feet long. Four ta six inches wide. The worst part about em is how toxic they be. Ain¡¯t got no natural predators up here on the surface since anything that eats em dies. Their hide can be used for some great poison-related gear, but ya have ta be very careful when ya handle it. Or ya gotta be a dwarf,¡± the tanner stated proudly. ¡°I¡¯ve skinned dozens of them before without a problem. That last one musta been specially toxic.¡± ¡°Let me start with a basic healing first,¡± Joe related to the charcoal-haired dwarf. ¡°I have some antivenom in my bag we can try as well if this doesn¡¯t work.¡± Joe activated his [Healing Touch], but for the first time, it seemed like it might not work at all. The spell seemed to splash up against the dwarf¡¯s skin. Instead of moving into the arms, the warm energy bunched up further and further on the surface of the thick arm. To Joe, it felt like he was pushing against an inflated beach ball. There was a barrier there that was blocking the healing spell. Just as he was about to give up, the obstruction gave way, allowing his healing magic to flow into Thorton. ¡®That was weird¡¯
You have restored 12 points of Thorton Kinbrow¡¯s health. You are unable to determine Thorton Kinbrow¡¯s current health. The underlying cause of damage still remains. Your skill [Healing Touch] has increased to rank 6.
Joe was hit by a couple of different impressions at once. The first was confusion regarding the blockage he had encountered, until an idea occurred to him. When he read about the dwarf race, it said something about them being resistant to magic. Joe had assumed that meant harmful magics, but maybe it was all magic. That would be rough if your race was resistant to helpful spells as well. The other sensation was an almost giddy feeling that was growing inside him. For the last couple of patients, he had started to develop this pending sense of excitement from somewhere. It felt like, at any second, something great was about to occur. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Joe could feel a wide smile spread across his face, even though he had no idea why he was grinning. Not sure what to do about this weird elation, Joe tried his healing again. The spell hit the same barrier before finally pushing through it. This time, when it did, his growing sense of anticipation became a burst of euphoria. A cascade of lights erupted around Joe, and a triumphant note of music rang out.
You have reached level 2. You have gained 1 unassigned attribute point and the following trait and skill. [Aware] +1 to Perception. You have gained 1 common perception-based skill. [Assess Wounds] You are able to analyze and identify ailments and determine the relative health of those around you. Passive | Range: Extreme. {Calculation}
You have restored 8 points of Thorton Kinbrow¡¯s health. His current health is at 93%. The underlying cause of damage is preventing any additional healing of this type. Your skill [Assess Wounds] has increased to rank 1.
¡°Congrats, son,¡± Thorton exclaimed, giving Joe a friendly thump on the shoulder. ¡°I can tell by the look on yer face ya just advanced, didn¡¯t ya?¡± ¡°The look on my face ¡­ You didn¡¯t see those lights or hear the that hunting horn?¡± ¡°Nope. That just be for you, though for us dwarves we get drums,¡± Thorton explained. ¡°Just like how we don¡¯t see each other slates unless you choose to share em.¡± The tanner was still beaming at Joe. Leveling must be something these folks celebrated. ¡°What level does that make ya now?¡± ¡°Two. That was my first level up.¡± ¡°Well then! I double my congratulations. Ya always remember yer first. Hopefully, ya won¡¯t be too disappointed it came staring at my gnarly mitts.¡± ¡°Not at all. That was amazing.¡± ¡°Yessiree. The One Above sure do make it a joy to advance. Careful though. Some folks get addicted to that feeling and go hunting levels so hard they bite off more than they can chew.¡± Joe could understand that desire. Leveling up was such an incredible high. He noticed that his mana had been completely refilled. His health and stamina had been at full already but he imagined that they would have refilled as well. It took a second for him to shake off the exhilaration and get back to business. ¡°Well then, it looks like it falls to me to give ya yer First Cascade gift.¡± Cascade was a perfect word for the flow of energy, lights, and elation Joe had just experienced. ¡°It be a tradition. When a youngin levels for the first time, somebody on hand shares a skill with em. Since ya be stuck with just me, that honor is mine.¡± A window appeared in the air in front of Joe. He knew it must be Thorton''s version of his notification screen, but it looked vastly different from the ones he had been seeing so far. Joe¡¯s were two-dimensional translucent blue rectangles with a plain white text. The one from the dwarf looked like a ghostly gray slate chalkboard covered with black angular lettering. The characters reminded Joe of dwarven or Germanic runes. Joe looked over the ¡®slate,¡¯ noting he could only see a limited number of sections. In the first section he could see Name, Race, and Level, which was 13. For Experience, he just saw question marks. For Resources, he could see the tanner¡¯s Health, which was currently 295 out of 371. There was an asterisk there, too. When Joe focused on the mark, the word ¡®Poisoned¡¯ popped into his head. Stamina and Mana were also question marks. The dwarf¡¯s classes were also obscured. The last two sections, Traits and Skills, had dozens of items. Joe looked down the skills list. Many of them were grayed out, which Joe realized were any skill that required something he didn¡¯t have, such as Shield Expertise for most of the dwarf''s defensive skills. The other ones he couldn¡¯t pick were any non-Vigor skills above common rarity. Since he only had one free point to spend, he could only take a basic skill or a Vigor skill. Joe had a momentary regret of spending his last skill point. If he had two free points now, he might have learned his first uncommon skill since he was not learning it from a skill crystal. Throton had a fair number of uncommon vigor spells, but no rare ones, which might have been possible with Joe¡¯s two open Vigor points and his one free point. Looking at them he didn¡¯t see any he liked better than [Efferous Endurance]. Back to the list, Joe was both excited and a bit chagrined. At least half of the skills he could learn were crafting or harvesting skills, which might be something Joe picked up later, but not something he wanted right now. He liked the sound of [Combat Intuition], [Long Strike], and [Stalwart]. Joe found his eyes drifting over to the Traits section again and again. There were some truly awesome sounding traits on the list. Only the one¡¯s that were marked Achievement were grayed out. ¡°Hey, Thorton? Would you mind if I picked a trait instead of a skill?¡± ¡°Traits don¡¯t work that way, son,¡± the broad-faced man remarked, shaking his head. ¡°The only traits ya can pass on to somebody else are Heritage or Fellowship traits. You and I ain¡¯t kin. And since ya be brand new to the world, I doubt you have joined any of the orders I belong ta. That¡¯s why my traits are all gray for ya. I¡¯m surprised you can even see them. That ain¡¯t normal.¡± Joe looked again and stated, ¡°But they¡¯re not gray. They¡¯re just as clear as the skills I can take.¡± The dwarf face scratched up in confusion. He leaned in closer, peering directly into Joe¡¯s eyes. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah. Really.¡± Dumbfounded, the tanner sat there, his damaged arms still in Joe¡¯s hand. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be a chunky nugget,¡± the confused dwarf swore. 12 - A Gift of Iron ¡°Well, this sure is a new one for me. Do ya mind if I take a look at your slate? Maybe I can figure out how ya be doing it,¡± the dwarf asked. As he spoke, Thorton immediately held up a hand. ¡°Now ye should know that I¡¯m only asking ''cause we already be sharing. Ya may not know this yet, but don¡¯t you go asking folks about their messages from the Giver of Quests or their slate. It be rude to push folk regarding what they get from the One Above. You can share all ya want, just be careful about asking.¡± Joe was a little nervous about showing his screen to someone, but all Joe¡¯s instincts told him that Thorton had been straight with him so far. He willed his window to be visible to the dwarf and waited, hoping he had done it correctly. While the man¡¯s gaze swung to where Joe¡¯s window hung in the air, the tanner looked more perplexed than ever. ¡°How in tarnation did ya get yer [Deception] so high already? Everything here is just a blur. Not even yer full name. It just says ¡®Joe.¡¯ That¡¯s it. The whole slate and just one word.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any deception skills,¡± Joe answered. As the words left his mouth, everything just clicked into focus. He knew the answer to this latest riddle and why he was able to see the dwarf¡¯s traits as available options for him. ¡°I know what it is, Thorton. I only have two traits myself, and I think both of them are at play here. One prevents me from being assessed; the other one says I can gain traits from any race, ancestry, or order.¡± ¡°You don''t say,¡± the bearded man drawled. ¡°Well, that sure would do it. Thems are interesting traits. Ain¡¯t never heard of someone starting with anything like that. Still, it clears things up.¡± The tanner took his arms back and, with a grin, stroked a hand down his beard. ¡°You, boy, are going ta get the matron of all First Cascade gifts. This be the one I gave my son. It¡¯s by far the best trait I have. Can ya see [Iron Mind]?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± It was on the dwarf¡¯s trait list, followed by the word ¡®Heritage.¡¯ ¡°Scan it ta see what it does, and then grab it. Ya won¡¯t be sorry.¡± Joe read the description and immediately agreed. It sounded like an amazing trait. He focused on it and felt a copy of the ability transfer to himself.
[Iron Mind] You have major mental resistance against Domination and Confusion effects.
He could not be happier. One of the powers Joe hated most to get hit by in role-playing games was mind-control and mind-altering attacks. Not only could they take you out of an entire encounter, sometimes they turned you into a liability for your whole team. Suddenly, your party had to fight you, as well as the siren or vampire or whatever it was that was now dominating your character¡¯s mind. ¡°Thank you, Thorton. That trait is amazing!¡± ¡°Aye, but we ain¡¯t done yet? Healers be a precious thing in the world, and I ain¡¯t never had a chance ta pass along some good ol¡¯ dwarven trait to one of ya beanpoles before. Let¡¯s do another one. See [Forge Born] that will give ya major fire resistance, too. Grab it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not too much?¡± Joe balked. ¡°It ain¡¯t like I lose the trait. I¡¯m just sharing it with ya. Go on. It¡¯s yours.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Joe exclaimed. Who was he to argue with more free traits? He locked his attention onto [Forge Born] and willed into to come over to his sheet. Yet, instead of an influx of fire resistance, Joe was hit with a spike of pain lancing through his skull. He immediately had a flashback to his tumor, causing his heart to race in an instinctive panic. A notification saved him from completely freaking out.
You have attempted to use [Anyone] in rapid succession. This trait requires a significant cooldown before reuse.
While the explanation calmed his nerves, it didn¡¯t help his head. He felt like he had just gulped down an entire milkshake at once: massive brain freeze from hell. ¡°Ow. Ow. Ow!¡± Joe groaned. ¡°Can¡¯t use it more than once at a time,¡± he muttered to the concerned craftsman. ¡°Sorry, son. I thought it might not work. We can¡¯t pass on Heritage traits to our kin more than once a level. Should have known the One Above was not gonna let you become a demigod by absorbing every trait you could find.¡± He tugged his beard with a sheepish look. ¡°Granted, the pain to the noggin is a new one. Apologies.¡± ¡°None needed,¡± Joe said, opening his mouth wide to crack his jaw and pop his ears. ¡°Now we know. I¡¯m going to need a minute. Here, take this.¡± Joe reached into his bag and grabbed a tin of antitoxin. ¡°Smear that on your arm. It should finish what my healing could not.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Well, ain¡¯t that kindly of ya,¡± the dwarf proffered, rising to his feet. ¡°Ya gonna be alright?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Joe replied, flopping off the stool onto the soft grass. ¡°Just gonna lie here and put my head back together for a bit.¡± Joe heard the tanner chuckle, followed by the sound of some coins dropping into the tip bowl Rhiley had put out for him. A moment later, the man¡¯s heavy footsteps tromped off. While he was used to headaches, there was definitely something different about the one he had here in Illuminaria than those from his old life. It was as if all the mental callouses he had built up over the years were gone. This new brain seemed far more sensitive than the broken but heavily-weather thing he had left behind by his transference. He had noticed a mental discomfort whenever he spent mana. The more mana he expended with his two spells, [Healing Touch] and [Heartfire], the more his head began to throb. Once, when he had gotten the pool down to its dregs, he was even swamped by a wave of vertigo. On the plus side, when he had cast those last two [Healing Touch] spells on Thorton, he had not felt much of anything at all: far less discomfort than when he first cast his initial heal on Buck. Hopefully, spellcasting was something he just needed to exercise to get used to how it felt to expend mana. He cracked open an eye and saw that three elderly women had taken seats around his [Heartfire]. They were chatting quietly amongst themselves. When one of them noticed his attention, she threw him a bright smile, dipping her head to him in thanks. He nodded back before closing his eyes for a minute more. Not yet ready to face the world, Joe figured it was a good time to see what level 2 looked like.
Name: Joseph (Joe) Morris Race: Changeling Level: 2 Experience: 101 / 310 TRAITS ¡¤ [Anyone] (Racial) ¡¤ [No one] (Racial) ¡¤ [Iron Mind] (Hereditary) ¡¤ [Signature Skill] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Vivacity] (Achievement)
RESOURCES ¡¤ Health: 22 / 29 ¡¤ Stamina: 65 / 65 ¡¤ Mana: 30 / 30
ATTRIBUTES ¡¤ Strength: 0 ¡¤ Vigor: 2 ¡¤ Dexterity: 2 ¡¤ Perception: 3 ¡¤ Spirit: 2 Available Attribute Points Unspent: 1 SKILLS (Slots / Filled) STRENGTH SKILLS: (0 / 0) VIGOR SKILLS: (0 / 2) DEXTERITY SKILLS: (2 / 2) ¡¤ [Simple Weapon Aptitude] (C) rank 0 ¡¤ [Swift Strike] (C) rank 0 PERCEPTION SKILLS: (3 / 3) ¡¤ [Assess Wounds] (C) rank 1 ¡¤ [Coin Catcher] (C) rank 0 ¡¤ [Identify] (C) rank 3 SPIRIT SKILLS: (2 / 2) ¡¤ [Healing Touch] (C) rank 6 ¡¤ [Heartfire] (C) rank 3
CLASSES ¡¤ Primary Class: Healer ¡¤ Secondary Class: None ¡¤ Tertiary Class: None
¡°Not bad,¡¯ he thought. ¡®My Health is still terrible. I was hoping those two points in Vigor would help more.¡¯ He was pretty sure the boost to that attribute would start paying off when he got some more levels under his belt. Looking at the relatively few traits he had, he noticed the traits that just awarded attribute points, such as Nimble, Gifted, or Aware, did not show up in his list. Climbing back to his feet, Joe gave himself a solid stretch and then walked up to the trio around the [Heartfire]. ¡°Hi. Sorry about the wait. What can I do for you?¡± A woman with a fan of silvery feathers on her head replied, ¡°This lovely blaze is all I need, sir. Thank you for it. It feels wonderful.¡±
Chinnana Leebreeze: Sylph-kin: Seamstress/Talismanist 13
That explains why Joe did not recognize her race. Sylph-kin must be a half Sylph. None of the options Joe had been offered had been mixed races, but Hawking had mentioned that hybrids were a thing. After just now finding out what Changeling was capable of, Joe had no complaints about the option Hawking had made for him. Sure, his [Anyone] trait wasn¡¯t something he could use every day, like many of the racial abilities he had seen, but when he could use it, it had the potential to give him significant bonuses. Joe nodded back to the feather-maned woman and gave her companions his attention. They both mirrored her sentiment; they were quite fine with just the [Heartfire], but the faun pointed over Joe¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Looks like your next patient is arriving now, young healer.¡± He turned to see Rhiley leading an even more elderly woman across the green. She was spreading her weight between a stout cane and the boy¡¯s shoulder. Joe returned to his stool, waiting for Rhiley to finish crossing the green with the matron. He could not stop smiling as he composed himself for his next patient. He was healthier than he could ever remember feeling. He was gaining skills and abilities. To top it all off, karmically he was paying back the huge debt he had accrued when the world had to take care of him. Joe wasn¡¯t sure how much he really believed in karma, but he knew it felt great to start balancing out his past. 13 - Turn Back Time As Joe looked at the woman being led across the town green by Rhiley, he noticed he could see an aura around her. It was a gray aura with dark red areas around her joints. He looked at Rhiley and found his aura was a bright blue. Spinning his head to the trio of ladies, he saw they also had auras. Most were a pale blue, but the eldest, the faun, also had a red to pink around the knuckles of her hands.
Seesae Skipheel: Saytr: Baker 9 Your skill [Assess Wounds] has increased to rank 2.
The aura sight was from his newest skill: [Assess Wounds]. ¡®Arthritis,¡¯ Joe wondered, looking at the joints of both women. If so, that would mean the red was an indication of pain or injury. Blue must mean health. The brightness of the Rhiley''s aura suggested a robust health, whereas the pale blue of the older women suggested a lesser degree of health. The woman, all shrouded in gray, must really not be doing well. She was clearly even older than Seesae.
Madina Spooner: Human: Cobbler/Ratcatcher 11 Your skill [Identify] has increased to rank 4.
She appeared to be in her seventies, and even with both a cane and a great deal of assistance from the farm boy, her gait was slow and unsteady. ¡°Greetings, ma¡¯am. How can I help you?¡± Joe asked. ¡°Just my rheumatism. Ain¡¯t nothing to be done for it. I¡¯m old, and I know it.¡± ¡°You should let him try, Missus Spooner,¡± Rhiley interjected. ¡°He¡¯s really good at fixing folks.¡± ¡°So ya keep saying, but old bones are old bones. They ain¡¯t something ya heal.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not so sure about that. All those painful joints look like damage to me, and damage is what my spells work on. Would you mind if I tried?¡± Joe offered. ¡°It won¡¯t cost you anything if it doesn¡¯t work. Honestly, it won¡¯t cost you anything if it does, either. It¡¯s up to you if you want to pay. Today, I am helping out anyone who wants it, whether I get paid or not.¡± ¡°That is very nice of you, young man. Very well. Let¡¯s see what you can do. I already walked all the way over here thanks to your insistent young helper here,¡± she replied, giving Rhiley a pat on the shoulder. She settled down on the log in front of him, leaning her cane against the seat. Joe inched his stool closer before reaching out and casting his basic healing spell. This time, it was significantly easier for him to engage his healing magic. Until now, he had been trying to guess where to apply the energy and trying to picture in his head what he wanted to happen. With [Assess Wounds], he could now see right where his magic needed to go. He could watch the aura shift colors, which further helped him direct the healing.
You have restored 14 points of Madina Spooner¡¯s health. Her current health is at 68%. Your skill [Assess Wounds] has increased to rank 3.
Joe could see the gray aura around Madina start to gain a hint of blue as a small smile crinkled the edges of her mouth.
You have restored 14 points of Madina Spooner¡¯s health. Her current health is at 81%.
You have restored 14 points of Madina Spooner¡¯s health. Her current health is at 94%. Your skill [Healing Touch] has increased to rank 7.
Just for good measure, Joe topped her health pool off.
You have restored 7 points of Madina Spooner¡¯s health. Her current health is at 100%.
The woman in front of him seemed wholly transformed. She sat up straight, looking at Joe with bright eyes. There was no trembling or crookedness to her hands. Her aura glowed a healthy blue. It was still a light blue compared to Rhiley¡¯s aura, but it was definitely blue. Joe sensed Madina still had some lingering stiffness even though he had healed her to full health. It seemed that not all of the body¡¯s damage vanished under his spell immediately. It had to work through the retreating harm organically, which took a bit more time.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be,¡± she exclaimed, rising to her feet and drawing Joe up with her. ¡°I have not felt this good since before you were born, son. I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Joe found himself enveloped in a bony but fierce hug. From behind his back, he heard the trio of women clapping for Madina. ¡°This is a gift, my boy. A beautiful one. You are truly blessed to be able to give it,¡± she muttered in his ear. Looking spry and elated, she released the embrace and stepped back, her face taking on a very determined look. ¡°Come, walk me home. I have something for you.¡± She laid her hand over Joe¡¯s arm and gave him a tug back in the direction she came from. When she first crossed the green to him, Madina was leaning heavily on Rhiley. Now, her grip on Joe¡¯s arm was light, just enough to steady her in case she tripped. Rhiley trotted up next to Joe. ¡°While you go do that, I¡¯m going to head to Mister Tienker¡¯s. He lives right over there,¡± the boy stated, pointing at a house down one of the lanes off the village square. ¡°He¡¯ll probably have me muck out his henhouse,¡± he added, looking less than thrilled by the idea. ¡°I¡¯ll find you in an hour or so.¡± ¡°Ok. See you soon, Rhy.¡± The farm boy headed off in the direction he indicated while Joe walked Madina back to her home. ¡°You could make an awful lot of goodwill with your ministrations, young man. Just to give you a word of caution. You should make sure to get yerself square with Lord Amberwroth and maybe even the Eldauk clan. The Baron collects his due from any business that operates in Crowfield. Not actually charging folks was a clever idea. He will have a hard time taxing gifts offered freely.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t really a plan to dodge taxes. I have only been in Illuminaria for less than a day. Neither Rhiley nor I had any idea what to charge, so we decided to let people pay me what they thought was fair.¡± ¡°Well, then, you were inadvertently clever. Amberwroth shouldn¡¯t have much of a leg to lean on, but that don¡¯t mean he won¡¯t try. You keep building goodwill. If and when he sends that thug of his, Sir Groven, you just mind yer manners. They¡¯re a prickly pair.¡± Reaching her front porch, Madina continued to advise Joe. ¡°As for Gurda and her boys, they are good people, but Gurda sure hates to see gold slip into anyone else¡¯s pockets when she thinks she can get a cut of it. Ya might want to drop her an extra coin or two early on. You¡¯ll find a few drops of honey now, will save ya in the long run. Gurda has a long memory. If you plan on being in Crowfield for any length of time, you¡¯ll find out how being on her good side can pay off. ¡°Now sit yerself. I¡¯ll grab ya a slice of pie. I may need a minute to find what I wanted to give ya.¡±
After about twenty minutes of Madina rummaging around in cabinets and drawers, she finally exclaimed, ¡°There ya are.¡± She lifted a very ordinary-looking gray stone out of the drawer. It appeared to be a typical beach stone, a smooth, flat oval, about an inch and a half long and less than an inch tall. When she brought it closer, Joe could see that a spiral of tiny runes had been carved onto the top of the rock. ¡°This be my [Slow Stone]. One of my nephews is crafty with earth magics, and he made this for me during one season when we had a terrible year with rats. Them varmints got into everything. I used to be a damn good throw in my younger days. How it works is ya concentrate on a target, then toss the stone next to it while ye whisper the command word,¡± she said, pantomiming tossing the rock. ¡°The word is ¡®Udaan.¡¯ I think it means slow in the language of stone and earth,¡± Handing him the enchanted stone, she added, ¡°If the stone hits, or even lands within a few inches of the critter, the rock slows it way down. Moves as if they were swimming through molasses. Now, the bigger the target, the shorter it gets slowed for. For a rat, ye got all the time in the world ta trap it. I once held a dog in slow for a couple a minutes. Ye¡¯d only get a few seconds fer a person and maybe a blink for something bigger.¡± ¡°How do you recharge it?¡± Joe asked as he flipped the stone over in his grasp. ¡°It be earth magic. Bury it for a couple of hours, and it will fill its mana back up.¡± Madina took his pie plate and placed it in the sink. When she turned back, she added, ¡°Unless you got a good Earth affinity, then you should just be able to fill it with your mana.¡± ¡°That is on my to-do list. Find out what affinities I¡¯m good at,¡± Joe admitted. ¡°We ain¡¯t had an aura-reader in town since Kardie Murman passed away in ¡®63. Boyd Elmut, the hedgemage, could do it for ya for pretty cheap, but he left last week. Won¡¯t be back for a while.¡± She sat down next to Joe, looking at the stone she had handed to him. ¡°Why not give it a shot? You can learn if ya got one affinity strength now. After sitting around for years in my junk drawer, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s empty. Just think of yer mana going into it.¡± Not seeing any reason not to, Joe tried to do just that. Similar to how he pushed his healing magic into a body, Joe imagined doing the same with his raw mana. It was surprisingly easy. In a matter of seconds, almost his entire mana pool had vanished into the small rock. Joe had to clip off the flow quickly so as not to drain his last point. Of course, the speedy mana drain sent a spike of pain erupting from behind his right eye. Pushing the heel of his palm into his eye socket, he grunted, ¡°That¡¯s a greedy little thing. Drained my whole mana pool.¡± ¡°That quick?¡± Madina exclaimed, sounding shocked. ¡°Well then, you now know one damn strong affinity, son. It should have taken several minutes just to fill a few points. You must be exceptionally good at Earth magics.¡± ¡°I hope that is a good thing,¡± he quipped, still rubbing his head ¡°Sure is. Earth is a solid affinity to have. It ain¡¯t quick, but it¡¯s great for defenses when fighting and for making buildings.¡± ¡°Good to know.¡± Shaking the worst of the pain away, Joe looked his benefactor in the eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough. I¡¯ve never had a magic item before. This is pretty amazing.¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t go expecting all too much of it. It ain¡¯t anything too grand. Still, back when my hands didn¡¯t shake, I had a whole bunch of fun with it. As good for a prank as it was for a rat-catcher.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to trying it out. Can I help you with the dishes?¡± ¡°No, no. You¡¯ve given me a spring in my step and two good hands again. I may give all my dishes a good scrubbing now that I feel like a young lass once more,¡± she announced, looking at her shelf of plates and bowls. Giving him a second hug, she added, ¡°You go back out there and share that gift with the rest of the folk in town.¡± Joe smiled and hugged her back before exiting the house and returning to his stool. He refreshed the [Heartfire] and then turned to a willowy-thin elf who had been waiting for him. With a pained look on his face, the man was clenching his left hand in his right. ¡°Hiya. I¡¯m Joe. Let me take a look at that for you.¡± 14 - Suit Up Joe ran out of mana for the third time. The pinching headache and lightheadedness were getting more bearable as he continued working with his mana. The more he utilized his spells, the more he strengthened whatever aspect of himself housed that energy. A single casting had no effect on him anymore. Only when he was down below half mana did his discomfort become painful. He was out of mana this time, thanks to a trio of builders coming over together for healing. The team had lost control of a wall timber, resulting in a sprained back, a broken finger, and a crushed foot. The bruises were easy to fix, but the bones were not. Joe¡¯s healing did not seem to work well on bone. The best he could do was essentially glue the fractured pieces together and then add splits so the body could finish the repair on its own. As he needed some time to refill his mana, Joe decided to take a break and spend some of his newly acquired funds, which the tip bowl had seriously augmented. He counted the coins and found that his tips added up to a fantastic amount, just shy of thirty-three gold pieces. Joe had decided to give Rhiley a quarter of the tips since the boy had found his first patients, which is how they got the ball rolling for his improvised clinic. Pulling out eight gold for the Dellhams and tossing in the five gold he had left over, Joe had about thirty coins to spend. As he had been working, Joe couldn¡¯t help but notice how most of the crafters seemed to be gathered on the west side of the town green. From where his stool had been placed, he could see a bookbinder, a jeweler, a cooper, a glassworker, and a potter. He knew Thorton¡¯s workshop was further down the road; tanning was a stinky occupation. There were two workshops situated right across the street from each other that Joe had noticed a while ago, one of which was going to be his first stop. Each had a sign shaped like an armored breastplate. The one on the left used steel for its sign. The other was bound in leather. The best part was the rival armories somehow gave the impression they were facing off against each other, just by how they were constructed. The taller, elegant, elven leatherworking establishment appeared to look down on the heavy, dwarven construction across the lane. The blocky stone armorsmithry seemed to be glowering back across the street. Joe wondered if this world would have the stereotypical animosity between the two classic fantasy races. As heavy armor was not an option for him, Joe skipped the dwarves and headed into Aelladon¡¯s Armor and Apparel. The room was filled with the smell of leather and oil. Leather vests, chest pieces, and bracers covered the room. Armor, from full suits to individual items, was on display. Pouches, bags, satchels, and packs hung on hooks throughout the store. An elf dressed in an impeccable ensemble of greens with royal purple accents looked up from a ledger and then stood to greet Joe. ¡°Welcome to Aelladon¡¯s. Is there anything I can help you find?¡± ¡°I am looking for some light armor but working on a tight budget.¡± ¡°And how tight would that be,¡± the elf asked, seeming to glide more than walk up to the healer. ¡°I have around twenty gold for armor,¡± Joe said, wincing. In tabletop games, the classic studded leather he started most of his light-armor characters with usually cost between twenty-five and fifty gold pieces. He had no idea what he could get here in Iluminaria for that much. He wanted to leave a third of his coinage for the rest of the basic gear he¡¯d need. ¡°Not to worry. There is quite a bit we can do with that amount. I have several leather suits that you could afford. I¡¯m sure we can find one you will like. They will not be anything terribly special, but I will guarantee their quality.¡± He led Joe to a section of fairly simple leather armor. Most suits consisted of a stiff leather chest piece and layered panels over the shoulders. Some had pants; others had heavy leather kilts. Aelladon helped Joe into and out of several pairs, but Joe hated how restricted he felt in the armor. ¡°New armor is always stiff at first,¡± Aelladon stated, watching Joe grimace as he tugged and twisted in one suit after another. ¡°Might I make a suggestion? I have many sets of used armor that I have bought off adventures over the years. I buy them from individuals who wish to upgrade to something better or have looted something they don¡¯t need. While they will not have the suavitude of new armor, they will be considerably more comfortable as they have already been broken in. As a bonus, you may get more value for your coin, though I cannot ensure that the suit will last as long as one of those made here in this workshop.¡± Towards the back of the shore, the elven craftsman had three racks of armor that were clearly more worn than those up front. Many had signs of repairs or mismatched replacement pieces. The first one Joe tried on felt better. Having been softened through use already, Joe did not feel like he was being strapped into a stiff, straight jacket. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°A number of these older suits have some small competency charms built into them. I have many new suits with those charms as well, but I¡¯m afraid you would not have been able to afford them. With these used suits, I see no reason why we could not come to an agreement on the price. That one there offers a small resistance to poisons.¡± ¡°Well, that could be helpful. Do any of them have an enchantment to make them more comfortable? I have never worn armor before. Where I come from, I have always worn soft, loose clothing. The leather is making me feel a bit claustrophobic.¡± ¡°In leathers no. Many suits of heavy armor have that enchantment, but I don¡¯t recall ever seeing it in a suit of light armor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok. This suit is better. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get used to it over time.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± the armorsmith exclaimed. ¡° I think I may have just the thing for you.¡± He spun about and scanned the racks until he spotted his target. With a flourish that seemed inherent to his natural grace, Aelladon pulled out a dark blue gambeson. It looked like a slightly puffy jacket made of suede. When he handed it over, Joe was surprised to find that it was cold to the touch. ¡°A gambeson will feel far less restrictive. I only have the one, as they are more commonly crafted from linen or wool instead of suede. Typically, one would buy a gambeson from a tailor.¡± Joe kicked himself mentally. He should have thought of that. Gambesons were historically far more common than the leathers found in RPGs. ¡°What makes this piece special is that some clever crafter figured out a rather elegant solution to the problem that these suits of padded armor tend to be on the warm side when worn. Sewn into the padding are dozens of tiny pockets that contain small frost dragon scales. If you look inside, you will see,¡± the elf stated as he slipped his long fingers into the fold of blue suede and withdrew a small pale scale about the size of a coin. ¡°Not only do these keep the occupant from overheating, they themselves offer an additional degree of protection.¡± As he slipped the scale back in, he continued speaking, ¡°I think at one point, every one of those pockets had a scale, but many have been either broken or lost over time. There is still enough to keep you cool in the coat, but you may want to track down more scales if you want the full protection the suit was meant to provide. I think this is something you will be quite comfortable in.¡± Joe tried on the gambeson and found it felt completely natural. It was like wearing a jacket, one that kept him cool instead of warm.
[Pocketed Blue Gambeson] (Item: Armor, Chest - Common) This padded armor provides minor defense to your upper body.
¡°I like it. Thank you. Is it too expensive?¡± ¡°Not at all. Suede gambesons are not very popular. Cloth is less bulky and easier to repair. I have not had anyone else look at that coat in over a year. You can have it for eight gold pieces.¡± ¡°Really? Thank you.¡± ¡°No need, young man. Now, let¡¯s go look at something for your legs.¡± This was another process, as Joe found leather pants just as uncomfortable. Eventually, he and Aelladon settled on a pair of very light charcoal gray pants with a heavier set of studded leather tassets to protect his thighs. High boots would cover his calves. While this setup would leave his knees exposed, Joe was willing to chance it, at least until he became more comfortable in armor. The tassets cost him four more gold. This left Joe with plenty of funds to get a good set of boots. Sticking with the pre-broken-in, hand-me-down section Joe started looking for ones in his size. Almost all of these had minor enchantment as the elf did not keep unenchanted used boots unless they were exceptional. Joe wanted a pair with the Dryness or Mending enchanted into them, but there were none that fit him. Eventually, he settled on a pair of green and gray boots that felt great and were dirt cheap. While they did have a tiny spell woven into the boots, both of them felt it was a pretty silly enhancement.
[Leather Boots of Side Squeak] (Item: Feet - Common): Minor defense. Can move the sound of your footfalls up to a close distance from your feet.
¡°What does a close distance mean, Aelladon?¡± he asked, walking the aisle in his new foot gear and really loving how they felt. ¡°Close is roughly five yards from you. Would you like the other range definitions as well, Joe?¡± ¡°Please.¡± It was amazing how helpful people became when they put together you were a Newcomer. While those transferred from Earth were exceptionally rare, the yearly celebration, often with gifts from Hawking, or as they called him, the One Above, meant he had been openly welcomed by everyone. Well, everyone except for the knight on the road, who he learned was the Sir Groven Madina had warned him about. Aelladon explained the range names the system used started with ¡®Self¡¯ which only affected the caster. Then there was ¡®Touch,¡¯ which was what it said: someone or something touched by you. Next was ¡®Immediate,¡¯ which was about a foot from the point of origin. The elf added that casting from your hand meant that the range started at your fingers, not your torso. ¡®Medium¡¯ was around twenty yards, ¡®Long¡¯ a hundred, and ¡®Extreme¡¯ was a crazy thousand yards. The last range was ¡®Sight,¡¯ which was what it suggested. The elf said that, with the best of conditions, it might reach two or three miles. Joe glanced into one of the tall mirrors as he was heading for the door. He stopped and looked again. He was surprised to admit that he looked pretty amazing in his new armor. Now that the boring starter clothes were covered by the deep blue coat and dark gray leggings, he felt less like an outsider and more like a brand-new character. Joe gave himself a nod and a smile before heading off back to the General Store. 15 - A Momentary Lapse of Reason Having only spent fifteen gold at Aelladon¡¯s, Joe still had fifteen left to buy sundries. On entering the General Store again, he came face to face with a grim-faced giantess. ¡°Back again, Sir Healer. I see you took my advice and yet took the idea for your own without me.¡± ¡°Sorry, Missus Eldauk,¡± Joe apologized, more than a bit intimidated by the seven-foot-tall scowling woman. ¡°I was mostly interested in learning how my spells work. I was by no means trying to set up a conflicting business. Can I make it up to you by spending the gold I was gifted here in your amazing shop?¡± ¡°That is laying it on a bit thick,¡± she rebuffed, but her frown dissipated before Joe¡¯s eyes. With a sigh and a shake of her massive head, she composed herself back into the gracious shopkeep. ¡°Of course. What can I get for you?¡± ¡°I need the basics. Rations, a knife, some rope, ¡­ ah, a backpack ¡­¡± ¡°Might I suggest a Standard Adventurer¡¯s Kit? It comes with a backpack, belt pouch, bedroll, a cloth bucket, four candles, flint and steel, fifty feet of rope, a hooded lantern with three pints of oil, a hand axe, a knife, a cloth sack, a bar of soap, a ball of twine, needle and thread, a pair of torches, a waterskin, a whetstone, and enough trail rations for seven days. The kit will cost you eighteen gold pieces. I¡¯ll even let you pick the knife.¡± Joe groaned. Of course, after already annoying one of the town''s more prominent figures, he was offered the perfect package, and he had to either haggle or delay until he could get the last three gold coins he needed. Haggling seemed like a bad idea at this point. Joe considered dipping into the coins he had set aside for Rhiley and his family, but that felt wrong somehow. ¡°I only have fifteen on me at the moment, but I should be able to get the rest by the end of the day. I¡¯ll come back then. Thank you,¡± starting to turn back toward the door. ¡°Not so fast, young man. I am still open to negotiations. All afternoon, I had a slew of business walking through my door from neighbors whom I rarely see. Seesae, Chinnana, and Hannura all came in and practically cleaned me out of yarn.¡± Joe recalled that two of those were the ladies who had been enjoying his [Heartfire] earlier. He had not gotten around to id¡¯ing the third woman. ¡°Even Maddy Spooner showed up and bought a new scrub brush and basin. It seems that someone has been as effective as a warm-spiring day at getting folks to start some new projects. While I might have made a larger share of coins sponsoring your ministrations, I cannot complain about the day''s sales at all. Under this light, I am quite willing to give you the kit and even throw in a rain skin for what you have and one simple favor.¡± Gurda Eldauk was hard to read. Her words were generous, but seconds ago, she had been completely intimidating. This was one woman Joe would not want to debate with. It was no wonder she was one of the town¡¯s leaders. ¡°Um. What¡¯s the favor?¡± Joe asked, being careful not to agree to anything. ¡°That you do all that you can for Sarsha Dellham,¡± the giantess uttered earnestly. ¡°This is a small community, and she is dear to all of us. You have shown yourself to be a generous man with your gifts; I would be remiss to be no less openhanded in return.¡± ¡®Not at all what I was expecting,¡¯ he thought. Even so, he was very relieved. Handing over every coin he had, he and the towering Jotun walked the aisles together for a few minutes, putting together his adventurer¡¯s kit. The rain skin turned out to be a poncho-like garment made from a waxed tarp-like material. Joe let her pick the knife, since she clearly knew more about them than he did. She selected a simple hunting knife with an ivory antler handle. All loaded up, the backpack was heavier than Joe would have liked. The one stat he had skimped on so far had been Strength, and he was now regretting it. He lugged his haul back to his healing spot and dropped the pack off his shoulders with a relieved sigh. He very well might be spending that free point soon. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Joe lay on his back in the soft, cool grass of the village green, nursing a slight headache. He had exhausted his mana once again. As word spread that a healer was in town, more and more folks visited his site through the afternoon, mostly with minor health issues that would not seem to go away on their own. Teeth were a common problem that Joe was getting better at. The hard, enameled material was impervious to his magic, but Joe found he could at least ease the discomfort by calming the nerve below the tooth. Without [Assess Wounds], this would have been impossible. Being able to see the point of pain allowed him to soothe the ache away, something that would have been almost impossible if he were healing blind. He told his patients that these heals were not permanent fixes, but they were happy to have whatever amount of time the spell gave them without the sore tooth. Joe had left a [Heartfire] burning nearby for anyone who came by, but it would not help his head. At least this time, the dry, gritty, pinched feeling did not show up until he had drained his mana down to below 5%. At the moment, he was thanking [Vivacity], which allowed his mana to recharge more rapidly than would have without it. He knew he was getting better at healing and casting spells, though he wondered why the system put a penalty on casting at all. Maybe it was to teach casters the vulnerability of low mana. Maybe it was to make it comparable to the other pools. Low health had physical pain. Low stamina had exhaustion. It made sense that low mana would have some type of discomfort, too. Joe felt, with a bit more practice, the mental fatigue would not be as rough on his head as it had been so far. Just like how people learned to dismiss the little body aches or push through tiredness when exercising, he was pretty sure he would get to the point where his mental aches would be ignorable, too. He just hadn¡¯t gotten to that point yet; hence this latest sprawl on the grass. Joe planned on wrapping up his impromptu clinic soon, anyway. Rhiley had returned an hour or so ago with the mended kettle. He had guessed correctly as to what job he would be given. The boy had small downy feathers caught in his hair and reeked so badly of chicken dung that Joe sent him home to wash and change. He would follow the young man shortly, both to check on Sarsha and because the Rhiley had offered him a place to sleep. Joe had considered staying at the inn, but he had a superstitious qualm about that idea. Even though Crowfield seemed like a sweet, sleepy little town, Joe could not count the number of D&D games that had started with the new players entering an inn just before all hell broke loose. He was pretty sure this world wasn¡¯t so formulaic, but it seemed silly to tempt fate. Another reason was that Joe was kind of peopled out at the moment. He had already had more ¡°human¡± contact in the last few hours than he had had in years back on Earth. Staying at the inn would put him center stage for the night. While the villagers had been nothing but nice to him, Joe was enjoying this quiet moment alone, with nothing but the green grass and the waning sun. At least he was until a boot jabbed him sharply in the ribs. ¡°The village green is no place for vagabonds. Arise and begone, outlander.¡± Joe cracked open an eye. He knew that tone and voice, but with an aching head and after an exhausting day, the man¡¯s station completely failed to compute in Joe¡¯s mind. To be fair, it had been a really crazy day. In the last few hours, he had died, been reborn, learned magic, and gone from a terminally-ill patient to mystical healer. His world had expanded from a tiny bubble around himself to potentially infinite possibilities. He had met and talked to more people in this short span of hours than he had in longer than he could remember. His mana-woozy head registered the sour face looming over him, but in that momentary lapse of reason, he completely spaced out the implications of the man¡¯s rank. ¡°Grover! Long time no see.¡± Joe babbled, still looking out of only one eye up at the man¡¯s smartly armored form. ¡°It is Sir Groven, you impudent vagrant,¡± the knight barked with another kick, this one a good deal more menacing than the last. Thankfully, Joe knew the next pulse from the [Heartfire] would take the sting from the strike any second now. ¡°Technically, since I now have coins, I think that upgrades me from hobo to traveler.¡± ¡°I will not tell you again,¡± the furious cavalier growled. ¡°Get up and leave.¡± ¡°Jeez, Grov,¡± Joe exclaimed, getting to his feet. ¡°I really hope you are not part of the Welcome Wagon here in Crowfield. ¡®Cause you are not very welcoming.¡± Joe did not even see the blow. He was just straightening up when his left cheek exploded in agony. His head turned so abruptly that he heard a repulsive snapping sound coming from his neck. Black blotches and blinding flares of light filled his vision as he tumbled back to the earth. 16 - Imperious Ire ¡°How dare you address ¡­,¡± the raging nobleman screamed before his voice faded away. And then it returned as the bloom of health radiated out of the [Heartfire] a few feet away. ¡°... insolent manner, you worthless mongrel!¡± Joe couldn¡¯t move while the furious knight frothed over him. His whole body was unresponsive. He could only hope that another kick was not forthcoming. Joe looked and saw he had a single point of health, which meant that he had been dead a second ago. Again. For the second time on the same day. Feeling like an utter idiot, all he could do was lay there waiting for [Heartfire] to release another wave. He was afraid to try and use [Healing Touch], fearing it might provoke Sir Groven again. Joe knew he had gotten lucky with the timing of the [Heartfire]. One more strike and it would be the end of him. ¡°I am not some backwoods bachelor to be treated with disdain by the chaff and chattel. The House of Suttrel has served the peerage of Amberwroth for centuries. Stand worm. So that I may show you the folly of your offense.¡± ¡°He can¡¯t, Sir,¡± a braying voice cried out. ¡°You have nearly slain the young man. He is a newcomer. Freshly crossed. I¡¯m sure he meant no insult.¡± Joe thought it might be the elder faun, Seesae. ¡°Then he is ill-suited for this world if he believes he can besmirch his betters and not hang for the impertinence,¡± the armored nobleman growled. ¡°His actions have earned him a place in the Master¡¯s dungeon tonight, and if I have any say in the matter, he shall meet the gallows on the morn.¡± ¡°That would be ill-advised, Sir Groven,¡± a deep yet familiar voice interjected. ¡°This man has been brought to us by the One Above today ¡­¡± ¡°So he claims. He reeks of the vile realm of fey. I say he be a spy of their wicked courts.¡± ¡°Then you must have dealt him a tremendous blow. To fell an agent of the fey with a single backhanded strike is no small feat, Sir Knight.¡± In the long pause that followed the jotun¡¯s statement, Joe realized his magical campfire was about to release another pulse. While Joe could barely move, he did note that one of his hands was trapped under his leg. He used that contact to cast [Healing Touch] as surreptitiously as he possibly could.
You have restored 18 points of your health. Your current health is at 65%. Your skill [Healing Touch] has increased to rank 9.
As a horrid popping sensation of vertebrae realigning themselves filled Joe, Sir Groven finally broke his long pause, for the first time, sounding a tad unsure of himself. ¡°Well, I had not expected the interloper to be quite so fragile,¡± the cavalier stammered, ¡°but it does make for a clever ploy on their part.¡± ¡°Or he could be what he says he is,¡± Gurda countered. ¡°A newly minted gift from the One Above to our community. A blessing of trust from the Giver of Fates, a trust that you have now shattered. Woe be to the House of Amberwroth should you be wrong.¡± Voices from all angles murmured their agreement with the giantess. Joe was still afraid to turn his neck but he cracked open an eye to see dozens of feet standing in a ring around them. Looking as far up as he could, he saw both faces he knew, but many more he didn¡¯t. It seemed as though the majority of the small community had flocked from their homes and now stood beside their neighbors in a resolute ring around him. ¡°Is this man in your employ, Madam Eldauk?¡± Groven Suttrel inquired. ¡°He is not,¡± she answered. It was clear she was about to add more but she was cut off by the soldier, who had refound his confidence. ¡°Then what concern is it of yours? He likely is taking money from your coffers. Take this rabble and disperse. I will dispose of this huckster.¡± ¡°Did you not hear me? This is no snake-oil salesman. This man is truly gifted with the hands of a healer. I have seen the benefits of his gifts. A goodly number of Crowfield¡¯s citizens have had their ills lifted this day.¡± Her more fervent tone shifted to a softer, more reasonable voice as she added. ¡°Why not chalk up this ill encounter and a mishap of poor judgment from a Newcomer? I am quite sure the young man has learned his lesson. Is that not correct, Joe?¡± Spitting out dirt and grass, Joe managed to grunt out a muttered ¡°Sorry¡± before wincing due to the wave of torment issuing from his jaw.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°See. He is contrite and already well chastised. Any further abuse would surely be excessive,¡± the deep-voiced jotun assured. A long tense pause filled the green until, finally, the nobleman spoke again. ¡°This is the very last time I will forgive his insolence. I have endured his ill-mannered judgment and familiarity once already. There will not be a second stay of execution. If you hunger for his hedgemage healing, then I suggest you teach him his place here in Duskrug.¡± As man¡¯s seething footfalls stomped away and Joe no longer feared an immediate retaliation, he clenched his hand, causing his fingers to touch his palm.
You have restored 10 points of your health. Your current health is at 100%. Your skill [Healing Touch] has increased to rank 10.
It sure didn¡¯t feel like 100%. Joe¡¯s jaw was in agony. Pain, it seemed, wasn¡¯t instantly healed away, even if the body was technically repaired. It would take a little while before the ache faded completely. Unfortunately, that meant his face was going to feel like it was on fire for a while longer. The only plus side to this completely idiotic lapse of judgment was that he finally hit ten ranks in a skill. He received two in a row, in fact. That only seemed to happen on the first couple uses of a new skill. Gaining skill ranks was clearly influenced by the situation in which the skill was used. Joe was beginning to think that the more it mattered the more likely a skill was to rank up. He had thought he would hit ten ranks with [Assess Wounds] first, given that he could just look at everyone around and check out their state of health. Yet he only ever seemed to gain a rank when he was assessing someone he was actually about to heal. If he didn¡¯t really care about the answer, then spamming assessments did not result in skill gains. He stretched his jaw and found where the point of impact was. A sharp throb brought his hand to his mouth, both in a pain-reflex and to check for loose teeth. As he wiggled one of his molars, he glanced up at the circle of villagers surrounding him. Front and center was the giantess, who looked both concerned and annoyed at the same time. ¡°I warned you, Joe Healer. The aristocracy of this kingdom is not to be trifled with. They are a proud and waspish caste. What possessed you to be so flippant with a fortieth-level Knight of the Golden Edict?¡± ¡°Sorry. Culture shock. My country does not have kings and knights. We have politicians and policemen, who only get as much respect as they earn. No freebie groveling required.¡± ¡°Well, you were surprisingly lucky you did not get yourself killed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I did get myself killed. At least for a second or two,¡± he mused, continuing to stretch his neck. Joe was about to add a bit self-mocking bravado about ''beating the beating'' to lighten the mood, but a chorus of gasps from the Crowfielders grabbed his attention. The villagers were staring at him with a mix of emotions that Joe couldn¡¯t easily read. ¡°What? What did I say?¡± ¡°It be an old fable: ¡®Death and the Fool¡¯,¡± Thorton replied. Joe carefully turned his head to see the dwarf standing behind him. ¡°It be told every Soultide. Let¡¯s see; the short version of the parable goes: ¡®The Fool was reborn both babe and man. After Death had let him go once already, he met Reaper again that day. Death said, ¡®Walk with me and know peace. Walk from me, and be born anew.¡¯¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been wondering what would happen if a newcomer died the same day he or she crossed into Illuminaria,¡± the soft voice of the slyph-kin, Madam Leebreeze, stated. ¡°You are the first I have ever heard that has done so. Well, the first not to stay dead, that is. There are sad tales of Newcomers dying on their first day and the dark days that follow each untimely killing of one of the Quest Giver¡¯s chosen.¡± ¡°Which is why Sir Groven¡¯s actions have brought us all here in defense of your folly, Joe,¡± Gurda huffed. ¡°We do not wish to see Crowfield so cursed by your untimely death.¡± Joe clamped down on the flippant ¡®Oh, I thought you cared¡¯ remark that almost escaped his mouth. This was not the time for tension-wrought humor. These people had literally just saved his life. ¡°What do your scrolls say?¡± asked a young man who Joe did not recognize. This comment was hushed by a number of those present. ¡°Scrolls?¡± Joe asked. ¡°Yer slate, Joe,¡± Thorton supplied. ¡°Henrick¡¯s ill-mannered question was asking if ya have any word from the One Above?¡± ¡°Oh. Let me check.¡± Sure enough, Joe had several windows at the edge of his vision, which he had failed to notice with everything else going on at the moment. Once he became aware of them, he somehow knew exactly which one referred to the topic the villagers were referring to.
New Quest [The Fool¡¯s Second Death] You have unlocked a Prophetic Quest. Choose between the following options. ? ??
Two symbols appeared in the window. The first was a coin bearing the face of a skull on it. As Joe looked at it, he immediately thought of the Greek myth of Charon and the coin for the dead. The other was a tarot card depicting a skeletal knight holding a large flag on the back of a horse. The card made Joe think of Sir Groven with his steed and banner. This caused him to almost instinctively reach for the coin, but he stopped himself. There was more here than his prior achievements. Joe could feel a heaviness in the air, as if the world was watching this choice. Joe looked away from the enigmatic options and addressed those anxiously waiting around him. ¡°I have been offered a choice,¡± he said out loud to no one in particular. ¡°My options are definitely related to death. Thank you all for saving me, but I may need a minute to sort this choice out by myself. I promise I will explain it when I know more.¡± Joe saw most of the Crowfielder¡¯s nod and murmured something about him being wise to ponder this message. A few looked disappointed, but they, too, were led away as the group dispersed to give him room to think. As the green emptied, Joe walked over to his borrowed stool. He dropped a [Heartfire] by his feet, even though he was at full health. The fire¡¯s warmth helped soothe his throbbing jaw. Sitting back down, Joe pondered this latest and, so far, his most portentous choice. 17 - Two Deaths and a Bundle of Boons After a few minutes, Joe was almost certain that the coin was the equivalent of an extra life. With that token, if he died again, he would be revived automatically. That was a huge temptation. Hawking had already stated that resurrection was possible, but to have a ¡°Get out of Death¡± card right off the bat would be outstanding. Especially considering dying did not seem to be that difficult. He had already managed it once in his first few hours here in Illuminaria. This forced him to really consider the tarot card. He felt like the choices were of equal significance. If so, then what could be as good an extra life token? Joe did not know much about the tarot, but he did know that the Death card was not actually about death. He had a girlfriend who was into tarot, and she always got pissed off at movies that would slap down the skeletal rider card, backed by ominous music, to foretell death and doom. One time it happened, she scoffed loudly at the screen, declaring, ¡°Death is about change, you morons! Not about getting murdered!¡± That fact had stuck with Joe. So, if the coin was a return to life in this form, could the card be a change to something new? Hawking had already given him a custom race. Could the card be a chance at some other custom option? ¡®Why not ask him?¡¯ Joe thought. ¡®Hawking, what can you tell me about this quest?¡¯
Prophetic quests are awarded during extraordinary circumstances. You are under no obligation to participate. Only one of these options will begin the quest; the other is merely a commensurate reward for unlocking the quest¡¯s potential. You have surmised correctly about [Charon¡¯s Seal]. It will allow you to return to life once, fully healed, regardless of the level of damage to your pattern at the time.
¡®My what? What is my pattern?¡¯
Your pattern is the design of who you are. Your memories, abilities, physical and mental characteristics, etc. Magic, such as curses and diseases, can alter your pattern while you are alive. If you die, your pattern is placed into a state of stasis. Your pattern can be resurrected as long as it remains intact. Corruptions, such as necromancy, will render your pattern unable to be revived, though it will allow for an alternate form of reanimation. The [Charon¡¯s Seal] will remove all pattern damage if you use it to return to life.
¡®That sounds pretty huge. What about the other option?¡¯
The other is the [Mark of Death], also known as the Thirteen Omen. You have correctly surmised it pertains to change, not death.
That was awfully vague. ¡®But what does it do?¡¯
You have received all the information available on this subject at this time. Choose between the following options. ? ??
Joe had encountered plenty of ¡®Extra Life¡¯ mechanics. This one seemed like it was not just a free life, but it might also save him from becoming an undead or something else that might mess up what Hawking called his ¡®pattern.¡¯ The more he thought about it, the more he came to the conclusion that the coin was probably the more valuable of the two. The card, on the other hand, was the one that engaged the prophetic quest; which meant it was likely the more important of the two. Joe stared at the two options for quite a while. A complete ¡®Get-out-of-screwed¡¯ token was priceless, even if it was only a one-use item. Yet even though his head wanted it, his heart didn¡¯t. Living with a safety net would make him feel like he was cheating. Already, he had learned that he couldn¡¯t treat this world like Earth. Where Joe had grown up, there were no caste-systems, but he could no longer operate under that mentality. He knew he would have to immerse himself into this world to thrive in it. Having a do-over chip would always leave him one out for an unrealistic choice. On the other hand, embracing this land¡¯s mythology and lore by accepting this Thirteenth Omen, felt more like accepting a quest than taking a cheat. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Joe decided to gamble on the card. The window disappeared in a swirl of light. The spray of glowing motes flew to the inside of his right forearm. There, they swirled onto his skin and formed into a tattoo appearing to be a five-petaled flower with the Roman numerals XIII stamped in the middle. The ink was a blue so dark as to be almost black. Little flecks of light winked within the lines, which Joe thought resembled a starry night sky. Having stared at the card for the last fifteen minutes, Joe knew the flower was the one from Death¡¯s flag, and 13 referred to the tarot card¡¯s number.
You have received the [Mark of Death]. Your destiny is bound to the aspect of change.
¡®Well, that¡¯s momentous sounding,¡¯ he thought as he waited for more. Yet it seemed as though Hawking wasn¡¯t going to give him any further answers as to what he had just agreed to. ¡®Really? That¡¯s it?¡¯ He waited, but his only reply was literally the crickets chirping from the grass. With a heavy sigh, Joe turned to the other windows waiting for him.
You have advanced a Healer Skill to rank 10. You may now learn Bronze-ranked skills from items.
That meant he could learn [Efferous Endurance]. He thought about grabbing the crystal, but he decided to look at his other two windows first.
Achievement You have advanced your first skill, [Healing Touch], to rank 10. You have gained 1 unassigned attribute point. This action has awarded you the following choice of Traits: [Altruist] Healing those in need. Healing spells on others provide 10% more health. [Survivalist] You can¡¯t help others if you¡¯re dead. Healing spells on yourself provide 10% more health.
Those options made perfect sense. He had raised his [Healing Touch] skill from zero to nine by healing everyone else, but he got to the last level, knitting his broken neck back together. While Joe had to admit that healing others had felt good, he knew that he would prefer to do some adventuring alone if he had a choice. Without anyone else to rely on an extra 10% to his self-heals might mean the difference between life and death. Even though he felt a twinge of guilt for being selfish, Joe chose [Survivalist]. The last window was a bit of a surprise.
Exceptional Achievement You have received a hostile blow that inflicted damage equal to 100% of your maximum health and survived the encounter. [Punching-Bag] Did you consider ducking? When reduced to 0 health, you can retain consciousness for up to 0.5 seconds per point of Vigor you possess. Cooldown: Long [Folk Hero] With a little help from my friends. When you are supported by a crowd, you can spread the damage of one attack against you per encounter between all willing participants.
While he would rather be a folk hero than a punching bag, Joe chose the more insulting title. Both would keep him alive, but Joe didn¡¯t feel great about the idea of others taking damage for him. He would much rather rely on his own healing. Finally, he took out the bronze skill crystal and learned the skill.
You have learned the uncommon skill: [Efferous Endurance]. This skill boosts a beast¡¯s maximum and current Stamina by 10% plus .5% for each skill rank you have with this skill. Additionally, Stamina costs are reduced by 20% plus 1% for each skill rank you have with this skill. These effects last for 4 minutes per casting. You must be touching your target. If your target is not a Beast, these values are halved. Cost: Moderate Mana. - {Beast}
[Efferous Endurance] appeared to be a very solid skill. With a high Spirit build, which Joe could see his character becoming, being able to trade mana for stamina meant he could keep up heavily strenuous tasks for far longer than your average person ever could. If the rarity of the skills was an indication of how strong it was, then Joe realized taking dozens and dozens of common skills would just turn him into a Jack-of-all-trades. He had played table-top RPG systems where you had tons of character abilities, but you were never a master of anything. Joe much preferred to be specialized. You wanted enough other skills not to be a one-trick -pony but not so many that nothing got your focus. Joe resolved to pay attention to skill rarity as he turned to the remaining windows waiting for him.
Achievement You trained your first bronze skill: [Efferous Endurance]. This action has awarded you the following choice of Traits: [Optimization] Simple gifts are often the best ones. +1 unassigned attribute point. [Beastmaster] Make your beasts the best. Your animal companions will gain an attribute point each time you gain one.
Considering Joe had no animal companion, he almost immediately selected [Optimization]. This thought was immediately followed up by a wave of longing for his pups. Just because he did not have one now, Joe could not imagine a life where he would not have a dog by his side. Additionally, when he stopped to think through the math, Beastmaster represented a potentially huge pile of free points, just not for himself. Even though [Optimization] made much more sense at this moment, Joe decided to invest in the future. 18 - Who is Where Joe got up, stretched, and began to pack up. He returned the stool to the craftsman who had lent it to Rhiley for the day and grabbed his pack. There were still quite a few villagers hovering around the edge of the green, but between them and him stood the giantess, standing like a monolith with arms crossed. Joe had planned to thank Gurda for her intervention already, but it was clear she was waiting for him. Her commanding presence was keeping the others at bay. ¡°Hello Missus Eldauk. I want to thank you for saving me from Sir Groven. That would have gone much worse for me if you and the others had not gotten involved.¡± ¡°I did warn you, young man,¡± the giantess scolded. ¡°I do not know where you are from, but around here, the nobility are not to be trifled with. They have heritage traits and allegiance experience chains that give them huge boosts to their levels and abilities. A child of a noble house is often stronger than anyone else in an entire village. Some of those children are true terrors: incredible strength and very little restraint. Thankfully, the Amberwroth children are grown and are abroad.¡± ¡°Yeah, I messed up. Don¡¯t have the social reflexes you guys do regarding nobility yet.,¡± he replied, annoyed at himself for his lapse of focus and the blunder it created. Still, by dumb luck, he gained something from it. Looking at the tattoo on his arm brought Gurda''s attention to the mark. Her eyes grew wide. ¡°Do you know what it means?¡± he asked. ¡°Not exactly, but I have seen such a mark before. The star-filled ink is unmistakable. When I was a young lady, I saw the war hero Jamac Rukaloo. My family was in Falconspire, the capital of Duskurg. He was riding in a chariot, shirtless, waving at the crowd, showing off his powerful build and making us young girls swoon,¡± she remarked with a far-off smile on her lips. ¡°Over his heart, he had a tattoo like yours, though his was far larger. It, too, was etched with ink made of stars and night. It was in the shape of a shield with wings over it and the number seven. It is said that ever since he received that symbol, Jamac became the strongest man in all of Illuminaria.¡± Her gray eyes locked onto Joe¡¯s. "I wonder what greatness your mark will bring you,¡± the jotun mused. ¡°I got my mark from getting curb-stomped. I¡¯m not sure I want to be the world''s greatest punching bag.¡± Joe muttered, thinking of the achievement that had come with the blow that had killed him. Joe looked down, scuffing his foot through the grass in embarrassment, only to have a large hand slip under his chin and lift it back up to reconnect their gazes. ¡°I do not think the One Above gives such marks to those without great potential. I think many surprises will come from your life, Joe Healer,¡± the giantess stated with a stern conviction. Joe had a hard time meeting her eyes. Changing the subject, he asked, ¡°Can you tell me about the One Above?¡± ¡°That is a difficult question even for a native of Illuminaria,¡± she stated, releasing his chin. ¡°We know she is not a god, but, in many ways, she is as great or greater than the gods. I have heard her called the ¡®Sentience of Reality,¡¯ and that term fits as well as any other.¡± ¡°That is pretty good. It matches what I have seen so far, too,¡± Joe confirmed before questioning one aspect of her explanation. ¡°Her? The One Above is female?¡± Joe had not gotten that impression in his conversations with Hawking. ¡°No, but that is how she feels to me. I know my brothers refer to the Giver of Fates as ¡®He.¡¯ I think each person feels the presence of the One Above in their own way.¡± That made sense to Joe as Hawking felt male to him. A cold, clinical one, but still male. ¡°So is she, he, a god?¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°No. The One Above has no demands of us and will not allow churches or causes to be created in her name. She merely seeks to catalog and inform us of our growth and encourage us to greater strengths with quests and rewards. I think most people secretly hold her in some reverence, but it is not something we say out loud, as the One Above does not wish to be venerated.¡± ¡°But there are gods here too.¡± ¡°There are, but most of the gods are distant things, not as active as the One Above. They may give boons to individuals or to communities. Sometimes, they will answer prayers or not at their whim. One should never count on their gifts. There are a few classes that increase that connection between mortal and immortal. They are the exceptions that can rely on their aid.¡± ¡°Do they ever speak to people?¡± ¡°Those whose class is bound to a god, yes. Otherwise, such a divine connection is very rare.¡± Gurda looked towards the edge of the town commons as she spoke. If anything, more villagers had gathered there in the last few minutes. Joe had so many more questions but could tell that Gurda was itching to go and speak with her waiting neighbors. The town leader had gotten the scoop on what would surely be the news of the day and wanted to capitalize on it. Such a power move, very much fitting the domineering woman. Even with all the ideas in his head, it occurred to Joe that he did not have to get his answers right now. He was no longer living his remaining days on a stopwatch. As long as he did not pull any more bonehead moves as he had with ¡®Grover,¡¯ he had all the time in the world. This thought brought a smile to his face. Joe put the rest of his questions aside and focused on the here and now. ¡°I¡¯m heading back to the Dellham¡¯s for dinner. Do you have any suggestions as to what I can bring? I¡¯d like the gift to be part thank you, as well as a fitting addition to the meal.¡± ¡°Well, if I know Sarsa, I would guess she will make her famous meat pies and apple cobbler. If she is still too ill to cook, then Neela will likely grill a chicken and bake a pie. In either case, how about a jar of chutney from TideTern? It will complement either meal, and the colorful glazing on the jars makes them a pleasant gift. There are several jars on the counter by the front door. They cost two silvers. The door is still unlocked if you would like to get one.¡± ¡°You are really good at this. Gift-giving was never my strong suit. Thank you again,¡± Joe said with the utmost sincerity, putting a pair of silver coins in her hand. He was still dubious about letting Gurda manage his healing career, but she was generous with her time and help. Joe waved and trotted over to the general store. It was obvious which jars she meant. He picked the one he liked the colors of best. It had swirls of blue and green with a yellow band around the neck of the jar. It made Joe think of the sun over a lake, much like the one he had swam in just that morning. He waved to the knot of villagers, and he left the store and received many back. Their smiles made him feel good about his day in Crowfield. Many of the folks around Missus Eldauk had been either treated by him or seemed close to someone he had helped. He was starting to see that maybe his class could be as rewarding as the explorer-type he would have picked on his own. The walk was not too far, and the evening was pleasantly cool. Even so, about halfway there, Joe was starting to feel the toll of the most unbelievable day of his life. Life, death, rebirth, magic, assault, blessings. All in a handful of hours. Joe found his footsteps trudging forward in a shuffling slog. He was both elated and exhausted. The elation was carrying him onward, but he realized he might be able to counter the exhaustion. He cast his newest skill.
You have increased your maximum stamina to 105%. Your skill [Efferous Endurance] has increased to rank 1.
An almost electric burst of energy washed through his body. Joe straightened up fully, rolling his shoulders and settling the pack squarely on his back once again. Where it had felt like the backpack had been dragging him down a second ago, it now was a negligible load. ¡®Woah! This must be what a shot of adrenaline feels like,¡¯ he thought. He tried to roll his staff over the back of his hand, but while he had the gumption for the trick, his dexterity was not there yet. He sheepishly retrieved the quarterstaff from the weeds beside the road, promising himself he would practice that move tomorrow. Staff in hand, he picked up the pace and began jogging down the country road leading to the Dellham¡¯s farm. Bursting with both energy and joy, Joe couldn¡¯t contain the exuberance he was feeling any longer. Letting the revelry of this new existence run wild, his jog turned into a goofy bouncing dance along the rutted road, while silly songs by the Dollyrots songs played loudly in his head. 19 - Midnight Visitor Joe reached the farm as the sun was just about to reach the horizon. Konren Dellham was by the barn finishing up his work. He gave Joe a wave and signaled for him to head into the house. Joe knew he probably could have just walked in, but it felt rude, so he stepped onto the porch and knocked. From inside, Buck¡¯s loud voice made sure anyone who hadn¡¯t heard the knock would know there was someone on the porch. A moment later, Nella opened the door for Joe. She gave him a small, shy smile and moved out of the way. ¡°Hi, Nella. How is your mom doing?¡± ¡°Much better, Joe. I used the salts you left and soaked the hand one more time. I wasn¡¯t sure what to wrap it in afterward. The bandages were soiled, so I used a clean handkerchief.¡± ¡°Good idea. Don¡¯t worry, I have more bandages. I¡¯ll rewrap it,¡± he remarked as he entered the house. The smells in the room were amazing, and Joe¡¯s stomach took that moment to remind him he had been active all day without much more of a meal than an apple, as well as a bite of bread and cheese that Rhiley had scrounged up later in the afternoon. A loud gurgle caused Joe to blush, which had the opposite effect on Nella. For the first time, she dropped her youthful uncertainty and became the host of the home, showing the signs of the woman she was growing into becoming. ¡°You must be starving,¡± she stated with a bright smile. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard a grumble that loud in a long time.¡± ¡°I am, and it smells incredible in here. What can I do to help?¡± ¡°Go wash up and call in my father. The wash barrel is on the edge of the porch. Rhiley and I will get the table set. We can wake Mother when everything is ready.¡± After scrubbing his hands, face, and arms, he relinquished the barrel to Konren and went in to check on Sarsa before the meal. Now able to see her aura, Joe had a much better idea about her state. While there was a bit of red on her palm, the more disturbing color to her health aura was a miasma of black shadows coiling away from the wound. If red was wounds or damage, black felt to him like sickness, toxins, or corruption. If the infection had been closer to the surface, Joe might have considered trying to lance it and push the gunk out. This was not a simple abscess anymore. The black tendrils seem to reach all the way up to her armpit. The best he could do right now was to keep bolstering her health until he leveled enough to get a curative spell.
You have restored 5 points of Sarsa Dellham¡¯s health. Her current health is at 63%. The underlying cause of damage is preventing any additional healing of this type.
Sixty-three percent maximum health could not be good. The infection must also be deep in her bloodstream. After dinner, the family and Joe talked for a while. Joe found he could layer a [Heartfire] inside an actual fire so everyone was able to shed the aches and pains of a working day on their farm. He knew they had questions for him, and he had a whole book of things he wanted to ask as well. Even so, try as he might, Joe could not stop yawning. Konren took charge and told Joe to take Rhiley''s room. The boy was happy to sleep by the fire with Buckle. Joe thanked them for the meal and hospitality. He climbed up the stairs to the small room in the eaves and kicked off his boots. The moment after he pulled the covers over his shoulder, the newly minted healer was sound asleep.
Joe¡¯s dreams were not restful. Filled with binding tubes and masked physicians, he was being shackled into a hospital bed. He kept trying to tell the faceless hospital workers he did not need them anymore, that he was healthy, and that he could heal on his own now. Maybe better than they could. No matter how loud he screamed at them, the shadowy clinicians either could not or would not hear him. They kept coming with needles and IV bags full of poison. He would shrug one off, only to have three more take their place. He pushed them off and tried to run, but the hospital blankets entwined his ankles, tripping him. Suddenly, in his dream, one of the medical specters balled up a fist and punched him in the face. The pain and incongruous action were so jarring that they snapped him awake.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. He was in a dark room. So dark he could not see his hand in front of his face. There was no ambient light coming from street lamps or illuminated business signs. Joe had never seen such complete darkness before. He grasped the covers tightly. In his hands were not industrially woven hospital blankets; instead, he could feel a hand-stitched quilt. At that moment, it all came back to him. He remembered dying and Hawking, Rhiley and Buck, the Dellhams and Crowfield. He knew where he was. He let out a sigh that chased the last of the nightmare away. When he reached up to rub away the phantom pain in his nose, he winced when his fingers found an actual tender spot. Becoming aware of his body, he felt something beside his neck. He reached and found a hard round object. Realizing he had the ability to create light, Joe picked a spot on the floor and cast [Heartfire]. He then looked at the object, which turned out to be a small pebble. ¡°Good. You¡¯re awake,¡± a hushed voice declared from the window. ¡°You ok? That was one dozy of a nightmare.¡± Startled, Joe turned to see the tiny gnome perched wide-eyed on his window sill.
Kaid Ward: Gnome: Juggler 5
¡°Kaid? What time is it?¡± Joe replied, also keeping his voice down so as not to wake the Dellhams. ¡°Not rightly sure, Mister Joe? It¡¯s after nightfall and before dawn.¡± ¡°Right. Clocks. Probably not very common here,¡± Joe speculated as he yawned himself a bit more awake. ¡°Oh, the town¡¯s got some. I don¡¯t. Neither does Rhy and his family, but there are a bunch in Crowfield,¡± the small visitor whispered proudly. Joe didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him that he had come from a place where there was a clock in every room, as well as each person typically had several on them between wristwatches, cell phones, and their medical tablets. ¡°Ok, Well, thanks for waking me from that nightmare, but I¡¯m a bit confused as to why you used a rock.¡± ¡°It was a little, tiny pebble,¡± the little prowler replied defensively. ¡°Sorry about that, but you were groaning and flailing around. Big people make me nervous when they are acting normally. Full-blown, giant-man, night-horrors are not something someone of my stature should get up close and personal with.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair. Well, thanks for saving me from the dream, even if it required a missile attack,¡± Joe replied, rubbing his nose one more time. ¡°So, what¡¯s the reason behind the midnight visit, Kaid?¡± ¡°I know how you can help Rhy¡¯s mom, but you have to keep it a secret,¡± the spritely figure hissed. ¡°Ok, before we get to the ¡®how,¡¯ explain the ¡®why.¡¯ I¡¯m not a fan of keeping info from good people unless there is a damn good reason.¡± Joe swung his legs off the side of the bed and stretched, cracking his back. ¡°The reason we have to keep it quiet is because we have to go see Granny Growlbee. Granny is the Witch of Brandy Mere. Not the evil, haggy, boiling-babies type, either. I like her,¡± the small gnome rambled in a hushed but speedy voice. ¡°But, for as long as everyone can recall,¡± Kaid¡¯s explanation galloped onward, ¡°the Haydalls, Missus Dellham¡¯s kin, and the Growlbees have been feuding. Nobody even seems to know why anymore. They just can¡¯t get past whatever that old grudge is.¡± ¡°Ok, but why me? If you get along with her so well, why can¡¯t you get her to make something to heal Sarsha?¡± ¡°I tried that. Granny owes me a big favor, and I tried to cash it in for an elixir that would heal Missus Dellham. Granny made one, even though she knew it was for a Haydall, but Rhy¡¯s mom wouldn¡¯t take it. Thankfully, Granny took the potion back and reinstated my favor. See what I mean? She is nice like that.¡± Joe¡¯s brain was starting to unfog, but the little man¡¯s avalanching explanation was a bit rough to follow after being snapped awake from a nightmare. ¡°Still a bit lost, Dude. Why me again?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. I figure this time, we trade the favor for a spell. I needed somebody who has people healing magic. I was going to try this with the herbwife, but that lady hates me. I stole one thing from her like four years ago, and she¡¯s still pissed about it.¡± ¡°So we go see a witch, get a cure disease type skill for me, and you give up your favor. What are you getting out of this, Kaid?¡± ¡°Rhy¡¯s my friend,¡± Kaid whispered, with a heaviness in his small voice. The little man sighed and looked out the window, speaking to Joe without eye contact. ¡°I just don¡¯t get along with you giants very well. Kids, I get. And Rhiley¡¯s a great kid. He tries to put on a brave face, but I seen him when he thought no one was looking. He is really scared. If we do this, and we keep it quiet about the whole how we got it done part, he won¡¯t be scared no more.¡± Joe stopped himself from uttering the autocorrect that tried to escape his mouth. The tiny gnome was being open with him in a way that sounded like it was very out of character for the small ruffian. Joe was pretty sure Kaid''s ethics were dubious at best, but he clearly cared about Rhiley. ¡°Ok. I¡¯m in. Are we leaving now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be daft. That will either cause an uproar when they hear you leave or worry when they find you gone,¡± Kaid scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in the morning. I¡¯ll explain that I have a secret plan to Rhy then. He won''t be happy that he can''t come, but he can¡¯t. His dad would kill me for bringing him that far out a town before he¡¯s unlocked his first class.¡± ¡°Get some rest, Big man,¡± the sneak added. ¡°Big day ahead of us tomorrow.¡± Joe was about to retort, ¡°I was resting before you woke me up,¡± but Kaid was already gone from the window sill. Sighing, Joe slid back under the covers. This time, it took far longer for him to drift back into sleep. 20 - Knives on the Road The walk to Brandy Mere took them past the small lake where Joe had entered this world. So far, throughout their hike along the country lane, Kaid has kept up an unending discourse about everything and nothing related to Crowfield. Most of the diminutive man¡¯s anecdotes ended with one reason or another for why the villager being discussed was currently angry with him. The funny thing was Kaid fully admitted to the small acts of larceny that got him in trouble with his neighbors. He just didn¡¯t seem to have any real remorse for his petty crimes. The gnome had shown up late in the morning to get Joe, who had somewhat foolishly risen with the Dellhams. Joe didn¡¯t usually mind mornings, but between the interrupted sleep and the fact that a farmer¡¯s morning started before dawn, Joe was definitely dragging. Thankfully, [Efferous Endurance] was better than espresso. After a boost to his stamina, he had energy to spare. After a couple of hours into their hike, they had left the fields behind and were beginning to reach a more forested region. Undergrowth and shrubs had closed in around the wandering road they were following. It was here that, for the first time, the small man cut off his chatter and suddenly grew serious. ¡°What skills do you have, Joe?¡± he asked. ¡°Direct healing,¡± Joe replied. ¡°A heal over time. Some assess skills. An endurance boost I¡¯m using right now. I also have an expertise with simple weapon skills and [Swift Strike], but I haven¡¯t had a chance to level either of them up yet.¡± ¡°Aw, slug-shit. I¡¯m sorry, man. We should have sparred back while we were still in the safe zone around town. This next part is going to suck for you. If you go with your strength, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± Joe blurted. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s my strength?¡± Looking around, Joe found he was alone on the road. ¡°Same as every other healer,¡± whispered a small voice from somewhere in the bushes beside the lane. ¡°Not dying.¡± ¡°I got you. Just keep healing. Trust me,¡± the gnome¡¯s voice hissed from the shadows.
Kaid Ward has invited you to join his party. Accept / Decline?
Joe accepted the prompt, but doing so didn¡¯t give him any idea where the little man had vanished to. He was standing all alone on the trail. A slight rustling off to his right had him spin in that direction, but a moment later, the bushes to his left shook as well. A small evil cackle creaked from behind him, causing him to whirl around in that direction. Joe tried to take up what he thought might be a defensive stance with his staff, but to be honest, he had no idea what he was doing. After being taunted in circles for what seemed like an eternity, a short spear launched its way out of was hurled from the bushes. All he could do was try to dodge it, unsuccessfully. The spear pierced his shoulder, sending a shockwave of pain through his body.
A Bosket Goblin has injured you. You have suffered 3 points of damage.
Suddenly, this became far too real. Joe stared at the length of wood sticking out of his flesh, dumbfounded. Yet, instead of shock, his brain jumped to math. He had just lost 10% of his health to a goblin spear. Yanking out the weapon, Joe slapped a heal onto the wound. Which was complete overkill. Between his ten ranks in [Healing Touch] and the bonus from [Survivalist], each dose of [Healing Touch] would almost completely refill his whole Health pool. This is what Kaid meant. Joe did not have to worry about knicks and cuts. He had to worry about either A) running out of mana or B) a fatal strike. Well, there was a C), too, being in too much pain to react anymore. Because having a frigging spear lodged into his shoulder hurt like a son-of-a-bitch. Where the spear had struck was no longer bleeding, but his shoulder still felt stiff and throbbed with a dull ache. Even though he had developed a heavy pain tolerance over years of agonizing decrepitude, being able to heal more than he could be damaged might still not be enough. If he stacked up too many wounds, he might not be able to push the pain away. Aware he was not prepared for the sickening agony of being impaled, Joe swiveled around, looking for the next attack, only to find it was already heading for him. He managed to bat away with his quarterstaff, earning him his first combat skill level.
Your skill [Simple Weapon Aptitude] has increased to rank 1.
This window flickered past his vision in an instant as if knowing he was too busy to stop and read it. The notification style must change for combat situations. He knocked away a second missile; this time, it was a dart. Not one you would find in your local pub either. This thing was over half a foot long, with a clipped flint end instead of a needle point. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡®Two out of three,¡¯ he thought, immediately jinxing himself. As he knocked number four away, another one, hurled from behind him, lanced into his thigh.
A Bosket Goblin has injured you. You have suffered 2 points of damage.
Joe swore loudly and with great vehemence, keeping his attention focused on the many rustling bushes. He marshaled all the tricks he had learned to deal with pain and paid attention to his one job, not dying. He left the spear alone for a second and dropped a [Heart Fire] at his back. He knew the flames were harmless but hoped it would deter his attackers from charging up behind him and running him through. It also might save his life again. Scanning the bushes, he faked a grab at the spear still stuck in his leg. Sure enough, another pair of spears were launched at him. This time, Joe hopped hard to the left out of the way of both missiles. He made sure to keep his weight on the unimpaled limb. The jarring motion caused the small spear to saw its way out his leg, painfully.
The Bosket Goblin has further injured you. You have suffered 1 point of damage.
He limped back close to the magical fire, feeling the warm aura ease the lingering soreness while he waited for the next hurled attack. Instead, in a ring around him, figures began to push out of the brush on the sides of the road. Either his enemy had run out of missiles, or they had determined that hurling spears from cover was not going to win the fight. Seven small green-skinned humanoids stepped out onto the trail. They had the classic goblin appearance: big ears and sharp, jagged teeth, crude weapons, and tattered scrap armor.
Bosket Goblin: Level 1: Goblin, Ambusher
Brandishing his staff, Joe tried to keep them back or at least where he could see all of them. When they reached the road, the biggest of the goblins looked around as if counting. He held up a hand at the cadre of green marauders present and barked a command at the nearby bushes. Joe had no idea what he was saying in his guttural language, but no new critters emerged from the brush. Maybe a couple of his thugs had run off. In both games and folklore, goblins were rarely ever brave. With an unhappy grunt, the biggest of the small men stalked closer to Joe. He had a long knife that looked like it had been sharpened far too many times.
Bosket Goblin Boss: Level 3: Goblin, Leader: 34/34
The brute lunged, and Joe swept his staff in an arc, causing the boss to hop backward. Surprisingly, the goblin looked smug instead of unhappy at his attack being interrupted. Joe realized why a second later as a pair of slashes cut into his legs.
A Bosket Goblin has injured you. You have suffered 2 points of damage.
A Bosket Goblin has injured you. You have suffered 4 points of damage.
Joe healed this time. He wanted to be sparing with his mana, but since he had such a ridiculously small health pool, he had to keep it from dropping too low. And above all, the long cuts really hurt. From there on, it was much the same. The goblins¡¯ main trick seemed to be coordinated attacks. Like a pack of wolves, one would harry the prey while another would do damage. Joe¡¯s limited combat skills didn¡¯t have any good answers to this problem. The only thing going for him was the goblins'' attacks only inflicted minor wounds. Their spears were little more than sharpened sticks, and their blades were a mix of broken swords and discarded kitchen utensils. As long as he could keep the six little monsters from tackling him, he had a decent chance of surviving this encounter. Over the next minute, he healed the stabs and cuts sparingly, blocking as many as he could. His new armor turned some of the grazing blows into scratches, but even better, his ability to parry really started to improve.
Your skill [Simple Weapon Aptitude] has increased to rank 3.
His first block against the thrown spear had been mostly a lucky swing. Yet after non-stop attacks from the five little bastards, he now was consciously interposing the long wooden shaft effectively. He still had not figured out how to attack yet, but it was amazing how the skill¡¯s advancement was actually making him block more effectively. He used [Healing Touch] every couple of wounds and even burned an [Efferous Endurance] to make sure he didn¡¯t slow down. So far, his mana was holding. If Joe didn¡¯t have [Vivacity], he would have been in far worse danger. He could heal as fast as they were harming him. He was covered in blood, his new armor would take hours to repair, and pretty much every inch of his legs and torso was in agony. Even so, he was pretty sure he could outlast the four remaining goblins. Joe hopped over the fire. This put the pack of goblins in front of him. As they circled around the flames, Joe healed himself again quickly. It was at that moment the little brigands suddenly realized there were only three of them left. Looking around and growling hostility, they glared at Joe, trying to figure out how he had taken out half of their pack when they clearly had him on the defensive. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me, guys,¡± Joe gasped through his adrenaline and pain. The trio looked perplexed until a dagger flipped from the underbrush and embedded itself squarely in the middle of one of the goblin''s foreheads. The creature crumpled to the roadway, leaving just the big goblin and one last shrimpy thug. Muttering and hissing, the pair began to back away from Joe. As the smaller goblin was about to slip back into the bushes, it suddenly stiffened and let out a gurgle. The short marauder fell forward onto its face, revealing two deadly lacerations on either side of its spine. ¡°Do you want the boss?¡± Kaid¡¯s voice asked, unseen from the shadows. ¡°Want him for what?¡± Joe replied, still very frazzled. A deep sigh slipped out of the concealing brush, followed by a pair of daggers that slammed into the neck of the goblin boss. As the green mugger keeled over, Kaid stepped out of the foliage onto the trail, holding a thick, jagged dagger. The tiny man had completely shed his friendly, childish demeanor. The gnome gliding out of the brush was a stone-faced killer, through and through. Joe was spared seeing him use that wicked blade as Hawking announced the end of the battle.
The Bosket Goblin Boss has died.
21 - That Could Have Gone Better ¡°Oh shit. You¡¯re a mess,¡± the little ruffian exclaimed, looking at Joe with an expression mixed between shock and horror. As quickly as that, the deadly duelist vanished, and the impish young man returned. ¡°Sorry that took me so long; I had to stay unseen. If they knew I was out there, they might have stopped toying with you and tried to kill you quick.¡± ¡°That was toying with me?¡± Joe groaned, leaning heavily on his quarterstaff. ¡°Yeah, actually, even though it probably didn''t feel like it,¡± the small man stated, wincing at Joe¡¯s bloody state. ¡°All of their attacks were aimed at your legs or arms, or they were grazing attacks. If the sadistic green shits had really wanted you dead instead of having fun tormenting you, they would have been stabbing you in the vitals.¡± ¡°Yay, for me,¡± he wheezed back to the gnome. Joe had to close his eyes and breathe. He could still feel the ghost of every wound he had just suffered through. The wounds were now closed, but their pain had not yet faded away. ¡°Though can I tell you, you did really well with your first fight being an ambush and all. Nobody goes out into monster territory with zero ranks in combat skills,¡± the gnome slapped his thigh in self-admonishment. ¡°Stupid,¡± Kaid hissed at himself before adding, ¡°I even knew you were a Newcomer, and I messed up. Shoulda helped you rank up before we left.¡± Looking up at Joe nervously, the tiny fighter pleaded, ¡°Please don¡¯t tell Rhy. He¡¯s still pissed at me for knicking your stash.¡± ¡°Not blaming you, Kaid. I should have thought to prepare as well,¡± Joe consoled. ¡°Though I have a question for you. How the heck does a level 5 juggler one-shot a whole pack of goblins? I know most of them were just level one, but still. That was insane.¡± The gnome sputtered a nervous laugh. ¡°Um. You didn¡¯t actually believe that [Identify], Joe? I mean, your [Deception] is so much better than mine. I can¡¯t even mask my name yet, but you are. You must have something crazy good to be as hidden as you are. Here, look again.¡±
Kaid Ward: Gnome: Whisperblade/Mountebank 11
¡°If I were you, I¡¯d do like I do and put up lies. Leaving your scroll completely blank is just going to make people look harder.¡± ¡°Ok, that makes way more sense. I couldn¡¯t figure out how you were taking them out so easily. Especially the boss,¡± Joe remarked, finally pulling himself up straight. He was still incredibly sore, but the pain was getting more manageable. ¡°I didn¡¯t actually get a boost to [Deception]. I have a racial trait that blocks assessment in general.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s different. I wonder if you should learn [Deception] anyway. Might curb questions about your skimpy info.¡± Kaid''s face scrunched up into a puzzled expression as he thought about his words. ¡°Though would that even work? The trait might hit first, in which case the [Deception] would be useless.¡± The little man shrugged eventually and added, ¡°I couldn¡¯t say. I¡¯m crappy at build mechanics. Something to worry about later. Let¡¯s loot the gobs, and then let me see your staff skills before we go any further,¡± Kaid suggested. ¡°You take the boss and these guys. You had the awful job of holding their attention. I¡¯ll get the grunts in the bushes since I had the easy part of sneak-attacking distracted gobbies.¡± Looking down at the dead child-sized body of one of the smaller goblins at his feet, Joe felt a shudder run up his spine. In his head, he knew they were vicious goblins, but his heart and stomach were not so rational. The last thing he wanted to do was start manhandling the smelly, blood-soaked corpse. He knew that looting bodies was a core mechanic of every RPG since the beginning of time, but double-clicking a screen and getting in there with your bare hands were two totally different things. Joe blew out a breath of air and stepped up closer to the bloody body. He noticed the corpse had a slight glow around it. As he focused on that aura, Hawking sent him a message.
You have permission to loot the Bosket Goblin. Do you wish to loot the body?
¡°Does that mean I don¡¯t have to touch it? Will it loot everything or just valuables?¡±
The Loot function will provide you with processed valuables appropriate to the creature being looted. These items will not necessarily be the items the creature has in its possession. Do you wish to loot the body? Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
¡®Hell, yeah,¡¯ Joe thought joyfully to Hawking. Instantly, the body vanished and was replaced with a glowing mote, much like the one that had appeared when he saved Buck. Instead of being almost white, this shimmering orb was red. Joe touched the light, and it popped. Thankfully, instead of spraying its contents everywhere, the coins and materials swooped through the air and slipped into his new backpack.
You have acquired 6 copper pennies, 1 bronze bit, and 2 silver shills. You have acquired a knot of goblin hair and two leather scraps. Your skill [Coin Catcher] has increased to rank 1.
Joe slid the pack off one shoulder and hesitantly looked inside. He really hoped he was not going to find two bloody chunks of goblin hide and a ball of oily black hair. Happily, that was not the case. The leather was neither goblin flesh nor was it part of the little thug''s armor. It was a square bundle, about eight inches in length and width and roughly three inches thick. The packet was made up of clean leather pieces bound by leather thongs. The hair, too, was not a greasy mat. It was almost like a ball of coarse black thread. It seemed the loot he received was a synthetic representation, not actual body parts or possessions. He moved to the next five smaller goblins, picking up another handful of pennies and a few more bronze and silver coins. He found five more leather scraps and two more hairballs. He also looted three goblin teeth, a jar of very weak poison called Oil of Illness, and something called a Star-Iron Pendant. The pendant was nothing more than a gray metallic nugget that had a hole drilled through it for the leather thong. Lastly, he moved to the goblin boss.
You have looted the Bosket Goblin Boss. You have acquired 8 bronze bits, 3 silver shills, and 4 gold pieces. You have acquired one [Keen] rusty knife, and one common Goblin card.
¡°Hey Kaid, What¡¯s a goblin card do?¡± ¡°The boss had one. Nice!¡± the small man cheered as he stepped back out onto the road. ¡°They are a short-term summoning item. Mostly found on mob leaders. You can summon a gobbie for a few minutes and have it perform one task for you. Some of the higher cards are pretty amazing. I heard a guy pulled a djinni card from an air elemental boss. He got wishes!¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Joe had and his mind immediately started to think back through all the game wishes he had made with his high-level characters. In table-top games, wishes always had to be so carefully worded, or the GM would find a way to ¡®Monkey Paw¡¯ it. As Joe was musing about wishes, he noticed he had an alert from Hawking waiting for him.
Achievement: You have survived your first combat. Your conduct has awarded you the following choice of Traits: [Thick Skinned]: Get tough enough to take your beating. Minor Physical Damage Reduction [Pacifist]: It is a hard road to always stay your hand. +70% to support abilities. *Note this trait will be lost if you willingly inflict physical harm on another being.
The [Pacifist] bonus was huge. So good that he considered it. On the other hand, Joe knew that he would eventually want to be able to play solo at times. He would want to be able to explore this world by himself. Even though he enjoyed working with Kaid, the thought of having to be forever in need of a partner or team gave him indigestion. Minor resistance did not sound nearly as good as the major resistance [Iron Mind] gave him, but physical damage was a constant threat. He assumed mental attacks would be a rarer occurrence. Reducing the amount of damage he took could only be a good thing. Joe chose [Thick Skin]. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get you fixed up first, and then we should spar to get you comfortable with that big stick you are flailing about,¡± the small man said with a smile to offset the jibe. He pulled a curly wand out of a tube he had hanging on his belt. With a swish and flick, he activated the item, sending a ball of orange magic at Joe. Joe didn¡¯t feel anything affect him, but he felt like his pants squirmed on his leg. Looking down, he watched the tears in the leather close up as if they had never been torn. The blood stains vanished as well. ¡°Ooh,¡± Joe crooned. ¡°I have got to get me of those.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, a [Wand of Renewal] is a must; this one only works twice a day. I have been saving up for a better one,¡± the gnome declared as he restowed the curly stick in its case. ¡°Ok, Joe. Come at me,¡± the short knife-fighter bid as he lowered himself into a fighting crouch. Given how small he already was, Joe had a minuscule target. He didn¡¯t hold anything back from this blow. He was certain there was no way he would be able to seriously harm an eleventh-level combat-focus scrapper. Gripping the far end of the long shaft, Joe whipped the staff in a long arch toward the waiting gnome. For good measure, he added [Swift Strike]. He felt the skill impart an almost electric current flowing from his palms along the weapon, accelerating the speed of his swing. The force added to his attack was such a sharp alteration that it caught Joe unprepared. Instead of having the shaft sweeping toward the spot he was aiming at, the weapon pulled free from his grasp and went whirling away into the underbrush. Kaid looked back and forth between the spot where the quarterstaff had vanished into the brush and Joe¡¯s face. His stunned expression spoke volumes. ¡°Wow,¡± he breathed in an incredulous voice. ¡°We really do have our work cut out for us.¡± 22 - Bewitching Introduction ¡°So, how wedded are we to the quarterstaff, Joe,¡± Kaid asked after about ten minutes of sparring. ¡°Why?¡± Joe panted. Even with [Efferous Endurance] active, trying to keep up with the blindingly fast little man was exhaustion. ¡°Cause you really don¡¯t have much of a feel for it,¡± the gnome stated, flipping and catching his daggers between alternating hands. Joe could see why he used [Juggler] as his fake class. ¡°If you are sticking with it, then you have to spend some points on Strength. Your Dex is ok for your level, so your block is passable, but without any Strength, your attacks are awful.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t I need to save my two free skill points for the spell we want to get from the witch?¡± Joe worried. ¡°You gotta be close to third-level, right? You¡¯ll get a new free point then.¡± Joe was close. Very close. He had earned almost as much experience in that two-minute battle against low-level goblins than he had all day healing. ¡°If there had been a couple more of those guys, I would have leveled already. I can feel that leveling energy starting to build up.¡± Joe¡¯s skin was tingling, that hallmark sign a new level was close. ¡°That is such a great feeling,¡± the ruffian confessed with a wide smirk. ¡°Then spend just one point into Strength, and you¡¯ll have two left over after you level. That will be enough if her spell is an uncommon. There is no way it would be a rare, so you won¡¯t need three free points.¡± ¡°OK,¡± Joe conceded, moving one of his free points into Strength. The change was unmistakable. Suddenly, Joe was aware of his body in a new way. He could feel his muscles grow a bit. When he moved and flexed his arms, there was an ease that had not been present a second ago. Unable to resist, Joe lunged with the staff, sending the rounded wooden point lancing towards Kaid. That motion, which would have been awkward a moment ago, felt right now. He had the muscle in his legs and back to balance his forward reach. His fingers and arms held the weight of the extended pole right on target. Of course, he still missed the nimble little rogue by a mile, but at least this time, it felt like a proper attack. ¡°So much better,¡± Kaid beamed. ¡°Ok. Round two. We¡¯re going to go faster this time.¡± ¡°Faster?¡± Joe groaned. ¡°Aww, man.¡±
When Kaid felt Joe was no longer hopeless, they decided to push on toward Brandy Mere. Joe knew the word ¡®mere¡¯ meant a very shallow lake, and that is just what they found an hour later. They had left the road shortly after their training session and had been following what was likely a deer path through a section of light woods. When the pair stepped out of the trees, Joe stopped short. Before him lay a stunningly beautiful lake. In the water, brightly colored wading birds could be seen standing in the middle of the massive pool. The birds looked like orange and yellow herons with spikey crests of feathers on their heads. Looking at the birds nearest to the far shore, they almost seemed like bobbing flames floating on the water.
Phoemingo Shorestrider: Level 4: Beast: Striker
In the center of the mere, a trio of grass-covered mounds rose up out of the water. Each one had some form of decoration or building on it. One had a gazebo with a large brass telescope pointed at the heavens. Another had a beautiful tree with scarlet leaves adorned with hanging lanterns. White wicker chairs and a table were placed beneath the red boughs.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. On the largest of the mounds was a house. It looked a bit like a cute little Victorian home, except for the fact it was almost completely covered in brambles and ivy. Whole walls only gave peeks of bright lavender clapboards beneath the sheets of dark-leafed vines. A covered porch broke out of the thorny jungle, the only large area where the ivy¡¯s rampant growth had been curtailed. A few of the tall windows looked like they had been cleared as well. It presented the oddest combination of quaint and sinister at the same time. The sinister was greatly enhanced when Joe spotted things moving and scuttling among the dense foliage. Joe knew that, in his old life, his phobia of spiders, even the most common house spiders, was irrational. Here in Illuminaria, he was pretty sure it was no longer an unfounded fear. One of the skittering forms he caught a glimpse of was the size of a large dog.
Vine-Cloak Leapers: Level 9: Beast: Skirmisher
The calm wonder he felt on first viewing the tranquil lake vanished in an instant. As a shudder ran down his spine, Joe began to question this current course of action. He knew there was no way he was going into that house with labrador-sized spiders lurking in the ivy overhead. ¡°Come on,¡± Kaid called. The gnome was standing on a raft that had been tied to a log standing in the water a foot from the shore. ¡°I¡¯m sure she has spotted us. Let¡¯s go meet Granny Growlbee.¡± ¡°Are we going there?¡± Joe asked, pointing at the overgrown house. ¡°Yeah, Why not?¡± Kaid replied until he noted the trepidatious look Joe was directing at the infested vines. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be such a baby. I¡¯ve been here plenty of times, and the spiders have never bothered me once.¡± ¡°All the same, do you think she would mind if we met her at either of the other two islands?¡± switching his gaze between the gazebo and the table under the red tree. Kaid stopped and gave Joe an odd look as if he did not understand the question. ¡° Uhh, I guess so. I¡¯m not really great with people, but I guess it would be ok,¡± he finished with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ll chance it. I think fainting or shrieking on her doorstep would be much worse than the assumption she needs to come and meet us. Let''s head for the tree. It looks like there are more chairs there.¡± Kaid had a long pole, but the water was shallow enough Joe could help with his quarterstaff. As they were about halfway there, a woman stepped out of the house and looked at them. The beautiful young lady was wearing a bright yellow sundress. Her long black and green scarf floated in the wind behind her. Her hair flowed back in the breeze as well, long black tresses with highlights of violet weaving through the locks. Her skin was so pale that Joe wondered if she had albinism or just a serious aversion to sunlight. She was so much younger than Joe had expected. He had been anticipating an older woman due to the name ¡®Granny.¡¯ The winsome young lady stepping from the spider-infested home looked barely old enough to be someone¡¯s mother, let alone grandmother. ¡°Oh, it looks like she likes you,¡± Kaid stated mirthfully. ¡°She got all gussied up for ya.¡± Seeing where they were headed, the maiden walked out onto the lake to meet the pair. Joe could not tell if she had a path that was right at the very edge of the surface or if she was actually walking on the water. A dulcet voice flitted from out of the air around them. ¡°Don¡¯t spoil my amusement, Kaid. What is the fun in being a witch if one cannot dress the part.¡± The lass stood at the edge of the red tree mound waiting for them, hand on hip, her hair floating in the breeze. It took Joe a second until he realized that the air was calm and still. Yet there she was, her dress and dark black tresses being epically stirred by some unknown gusts of wind. ¡®Is it all an illusion?¡¯ Joe wondered to himself. ¡®Is she really an old grandmother instead of the lovely young maiden waiting for us on the shore?¡¯ ¡°Not to worry, Madam Growlbee. I take very little of what Kaid says to heart. It is nice to meet you. My name is Joe Morris.¡± ¡°Well, I am happy to welcome you to my home, Master Morris,¡± she stated with a bright smile as the raft slid up to the small hill. ¡°And Illuminaria as well,¡± she added with a twinkle in her gorgeously captivating eyes. 23 - The Witch of Brandy Mere Joe could feel her charming effect wash over him. Her voice was so sultry-sounding it sent shivers down his spine. Yet even though he felt like a tongue-tied teen, he wasn¡¯t worried that she was trying to dominate him. [Iron Mind] was not reacting to her bewitching presence at all. She was playing with him, and it was pretty clear she was watching to see how he would react. Would he fight back? Would he get creepy? Would he fall apart under her charms? Joe decided not to make the same mistake he had with Sir Groven. He would not contest her charming efforts, just as he shouldn¡¯t have pushed back against Grover¡¯s bullying demeanor. Better to play along with her than try and counter her. He was the one coming to her for a favor. And she was enjoying putting on the show. Like the lady said, if you had such magic, why not savor it? Joe returned a warm smile, stating, ¡°Just Joe, please,¡± as he stepped onto the grass. ¡°How is it that you know I am a newcomer? Is there something about me that gives it away?¡± The young woman laid her hand gently on his arm and ¡®allowed¡¯ Joe to lead them to the white wicker seats under the scarlet tree. ¡°Well, in my case, my morning omen told me a Newcomer would come and ask me a favor when the sun was high in the sky. Since we are getting close to midday, and I am already well-acquainted with your guide, I made the assumption that you were my Newcomer.¡± Her smile was utterly captivating. When she lifted the teapot, one that had definitely not been on the table a second ago, Joe could barely process that simple gesture. He could not help but be distracted by the elegance of her features and movement. Thankfully, Kaid¡¯s snicker broke him from his captivation. Joe shook his head and saw that the table now bore a tea set, cups, and some snacks. There was a plate of pink wafers and another bearing a couple of freshly sliced apples. The chairs had acquired red cushions that Joe had not noticed on his way across the water. Joe pushed down on the cushion and felt the soft pressure one would expect from a pillow. Granny Growlbee¡¯s smile grew a tad wider as she watched him test the veracity of what his eye saw. ¡°Your magic is amazingly subtle,¡± Joe flattered. ¡°I didn¡¯t even see all this appear.¡± ¡°Why, thank you. Such a clever compliment. You acknowledge my manipulation but with generosity instead of apprehension. I think I like you, Joe Morris,¡± she stated, giving him a winsome smile before turning to his small companion. ¡°What have you brought me, Kaid?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know him all that well, but he seems like a good guy. I think he can help me recash in my favor, if that''s ok with you, Granny.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡¯ she answered. As she did so, Joe noticed her eyes seemed to slide gently through hues of rich color. One moment, they were the deep purple of amethysts; the next, they had the aqua green of a tropical ocean. ¡°What can I do to repay my obligation?¡± the mystical lass inquired. It took Joe a second to stammer out, ¡°Rhiley¡¯s mother is very sick¡­.¡± ¡°Rhiley¡¯s mother. You mean Sarsa Haydall?¡± she huffed, her eyes now deep golden color. ¡°Well, technically, Sarsa Dellham, but yes, it is the same person,¡± Joe countered gently. In stating her name, Joe¡¯s mind conjured up the image of Sarsa, hurt and confused. It was such a poignant contrast to Granny Growlby¡¯s playful charms that it broke Joe fully free of the witch''s enchanting appeal. The glamours slipped away, giving him the resolve that he needed to stay focused. ¡°Kaid said you made him an elixir for a serious inflection, but because of the family situation, it was rejected. I was wondering if you have a spell that could perform the same task that I could learn from you in exchange for the favor Kaid is owed.¡± ¡°That is a very reasonable exchange. One I cannot easily see a way to decline,¡± she replied demurely. The lovely witch lowered her eyes to her steaming cup, and Joe could swear he saw the wisps of vapor caressing her full lips. ¡°It is not as though I wish the poor woman to suffer, but the Haydalls have much to answer for,¡± she uttered in a soft voice.Stolen story; please report. Joe was about to recant his request, realizing how callous it was to place this delicate young lady in such a difficult position. Yet before the words escaped his lips, he felt a stirring from [Iron Mind] for the first time. A shiver of cold precision swept through his consciousness, banishing Granny¡¯s ¡®poor little girl¡¯ charm. It didn¡¯t feel like she was trying to fully enthrall him so much as to gently push him away from this request. Even so, it was enough to awaken the dwarven trait. ¡°Be that as it may, Maam, as a healer, I must try and do everything I can for my patient,¡± Joe announced firmly. As he made this statement, Joe realized he had spent way too much time around doctors over the last few years. Somehow, he had picked up their rhetoric. ¡°Very well. I accept,¡± she exclaimed sharply, sitting up straight and placing her cup on the table. ¡°Still. Great Gran Growlbee would skin my feet should I give such a gift to a Haydall without stacking the scales somewhat in our favor. So how do I balance such welcome manners and an old debt with just enough spitefulness to keep my great-grandmother from turning me into a dun-cow?¡± With long purple nails, she plucked another cube of sugar from a small ornate bowl and dropped it into her cup. Stirring the drink, she seemed to think while throwing shy looks through her lashes at Joe. He was ninety percent certain she already knew what she wanted to ask but was enjoying how much she was still able to fluster him. ¡°How about this?¡± she finally stated, tapping a glossy red nail against her cheek. ¡°I do need saddleleaf. In the grasslands just north of the Mere, you should be able to find plenty of the plants for me. It has broad, dark green, leathery leaves. Get me a dozen good-sized leaves, and I will provide you with a witch¡¯s restoration skill.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it? Just go grab some plants from over there?¡± Joe asked, pointing across the water. A small foot kicked him lightly under the table. He looked to see Kaid pointing his thumb in almost completely the opposite direction. Joe had to admit that even though he had always had a strong sense of wanderlust, he also admitted to a pretty terrible sense of direction. Even when he had a cell phone, it was bad. The one time he visited NYC, he ended up walking almost a mile in the wrong direction, even though the streets there were numbered. He had given up playing Minecraft without a map mod since he invariably lost his base anytime he went exploring. He was certain Illuminaria had a map skill and wondered if it would be worth spending an attribute point on. His musing was cut short as the Witch of Brandy Mere replied. ¡°The Dourfore is a dangerous stretch of wood. All manner of fell creatures lurk there. The task I am giving you is hazardous enough to appease my callous kin, but since I like you, Joe, I have a hint that should lessen your danger greatly,¡± she stated, leaning in close to whisper almost conspiratorially. ¡°Saddleleaf likes the light and so will grow on the outer edge of the forest. You will not need to venture into the dark depths of the woodland.¡± She delicately placed her hand on his arm and matronly added, ¡°Nor should you. While even the perimeter of the Dourfore has its perils, they are far fewer and more surmountable than those that lurk in darker depths of the forest.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ma''am. We will be careful. As for my reward, you did not say I would get Cure Disease. Is there another name for the skill?¡± ¡°Well, you are asking for a skill that a healer might possess. I am a Witch. Our restoration talents have many comparable skills, but they are not exactly the same. Our [Pestilence Purge] is quite similar to a Healer¡¯s [Cure Disease], but if you wish for a spell that targets infections, then you may want [Dispel Rot] instead.¡± ¡°That makes sense. Ok. You have a deal.¡±
New Quest [Hazardous Harvest] Gather 12 Saddleleaf Leaves from the Dourwald. Reward: 1 New Skill
Joe accepted the quest, noting that Hawking had even listed Granny Growlbee¡¯s offer as the reward. He turned to the gnome beside him. ¡°So what about you, Kaid? Are you coming with or heading back?¡± ¡°You are not quite as hopeless with your stick there, Joe, but you ain¡¯t quite ready to go solo. I¡¯ll come with you if ya want me to.¡± ¡°I would. Thanks,¡± Joe clapped a hand on the tiny man¡¯s back. Kaid looked like he was going to dodge the gesture, but the little guy was hemmed in by his chair and the table. The gnome¡¯s expletive sigh as Joe¡¯s proportionally huge hand thumped onto his diminutive torso spoke volumes. ¡°Sorry,¡± Joe uttered. Kaid gave him an eye-rolling shrug, and the pair returned to the raft. As they pushed off the shore, Joe kept finding his eyes turning back toward the small, low island and the enchanting young woman watching them go. Eventually, Kaid¡¯s wet pole poked him in the back, getting his attention. Joe realized he had been just standing there with his staff in his hands while Kaid was doing all the work by himself. Joe dropped his eyes to the lashed logs and began shoving the raft forward across the water in time with his companion. As they slid across the lake, Joe couldn''t help but scoff at his behavior, acting like a schoolboy with a crush on his teacher. 24 - Tall Grasses As the pair poled across the shallow lake mostly in silence, Joe found himself lost in wonder as he took in the beauty around him. In the last few years, he could have someone take him outside on good days. The hospital had a Serenity Garden, which was nice, but it was a small spot of carefully tended nature amidst tall clinical buildings and saturated by city air. He found some peace there but there was no way it could compare to what was around him now. They were sliding the raft across smooth, still waters. Below the surface, Joe could clearly see the waving streamers of lake grass. Fish and turtles would flicker away from their poles, disappearing into the floating vegetation. On the surface, the fiery-looking phoenix-flamingos picked their way through the water on their long, red, stilted legs. Above that, a panorama of pastoral trees and fields stretched beautifully away from the edges of the mere. Even further up, a bright blue sky slid fluffy clouds from one horizon toward the other. They were aiming for a spot of shore on the grassy side of the watery expanse where a large field and a thick copse of trees intersected each other. The Dourfore, the woodlands, was definitely dour-looking. The trees were packed together, blocking out the light and creating a lair of tangled shadows. The border was marked by woven patches of deep red brambles. ¡°Don¡¯t get near that stuff,¡± Kaid said when he saw Joe looking at the crimson briars. ¡°That¡¯s Blood Thorn. It¡¯ll drain you dry in under a minute.¡± ¡°Good to know. Thanks,¡± Joe replied as he stepped off the raft onto the muddy edge of the lake. Thankfully, his new boots were water-tight; Joe hated having wet feet. ¡°Anything else we need to watch out for?¡± ¡°Gnaw Rats. They¡¯re big and mean. Worst part is their coats are mottled yellows and greens. Makes them damn tough to spot in the grass. They¡¯re fast, too. They can burrow into your gut in seconds. Get them off you as fast as you can, Joe.¡± Kaid took a deep breath. ¡°Now, this is the bad part. If they dig in, you gotta stab em before they burrow too deep, even if it means stabbing yourself. Keep that goblin knife handy.¡± ¡°That sounds awful,¡± Joe muttered as he pulled the raft further from the water. Kaid hopped over the marshy edge and stood at the edge of the tall grass. ¡°So what does saddleleaf look like? I know it¡¯s big and dark green. Anything else?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty common stuff, so we shouldn¡¯t have to look too hard. The leaves look like mittens about the size of a plater.¡± The gnome held his hands about two feet apart. ¡°Oh wow. That big. That should make it easier.¡± ¡°Yeah. If we find some leaves, one of us harvests while the other one stays on lookout. This should be a skip on the lawn. Just don¡¯t make the mistake of going into the trees even if you think you see some saddleleaf in there.¡± The gnome stated emphatically. ¡°It won¡¯t be. It will be a wisp. Will-o''-wisp mess with your head. They show you what you are looking for. If you follow one, you¡¯re toast. So don¡¯t.¡± Kaid pushed aside the long grass stalks that were taller than he was. Joe followed into the waist-high vegetation. Unable to see Kaid, he watched the stalks sway, revealing the gnome''s path through the high grass. They were making a loop toward the woods, around an area filled by a wall of deep scarlet brambles. Once they had moved past the Blood Thorn patch, they could start looking for the saddleleaf. Kaid would appear periodically when an occasional bush thinned the grass. The rest of the time, Joe was following the unseen swishing sounds in front of him. Finally, they reached the border of the trees. Joe stuck to the grassy edge and began to look for the large leaves. Which was almost impossible, given that the grass was now above his waist. He had to search by sweeping his staff through the stalks. When he heard a rustling to his left, Joe figured it was Kaid until the stalks parted, revealing a large, glossy black shape a few feet away. It was a beetle. A really big beetle. One about the size of a labrador retriever. Green highlights allowed it to blend into the tall weeds. Once in plain sight, there was no mistaking its hard chiton and massive mandibles. Joe had a second to assess the creature before it charged.
Grassward Stag Scarab: Level 1: Vermin: Brute: Vigor
Without thinking, Joe used one of the moves Kaid had taught him, stabbing the end of his staff towards the beetle, more like a spear than a quarterstaff. The creature crashed into the tip of the pole, sending a shockwave through Joe¡¯s arms and nearly knocking him on his ass. There was a loud crack that Joe feared was his weapon breaking, but a screech from the massive insect indicated the sound was its chiton breaking, not the wood. A spatter of pale goop ran down from under its eye as it shifted its head, sliding the staff away from the wound. It continued to shove forward, pushing Joe back through the grass. Joe tried to dig in his feet only to have the bug-propelled staff in his hands start to lift him upward. Knowing he would be off-balance any second, Joe was not sure what to do.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Going on instinct, Joe kicked off the ground, attempting to vault himself up over the beetle, which turned out to be a terrible idea. He found out why pole-vaulter poles are flexible, not rigid. The unbending staff skid off the hard shell of the creature and onto the ground. The giant scarab shoved the bottom backward as Joe jumped. He managed to get a couple of feet off the ground but no higher. He would have come down on his back had the creature not plowed straight onward, sweeping the staff from the ground and placing its carapaced body under Joe¡¯s feet. Joe managed to plant a foot on the creature¡¯s back, even taking a second step forward before his boots slid on the hard shell. He came down hard on his butt, right on the back of the beetle. With an aching ass, Joe was basically riding the stag scarab backward. Groaning, he half-jumped, half-shoved himself off the carapace, more on instinct than by plan. As he was sliding off its shell, the stag beetle spun around in a lightning-fast whirl. Joe''s haphazard dismount saved him. Had he still been seated on the bug¡¯s back, he would have been thrown into the weeds and probably fallen in a heap. Even so, the edges of the giant insect¡¯s shell had pointed barbs that ripped a large tear in Joe¡¯s thigh. The Tasset had blocked a bit of the damage, but not all of it.
A Grassward Stag Scarab has injured you. You have suffered 4 points of damage.
He hopped backward as the stag beetle reoriented and scuttled straight for him. Joe decided to jump again, this time in a more logical sideways leap. He avoided the mandibles but again was caught by the barbs on his sides.
A Grassward Stag Scarab has injured you. You have suffered 5 points of damage.
Immediately, he bounded to the side once more, this time spinning himself so he would land facing the massive bug. The beetle skittered in a circle, trying to find Joe. Just as it locked onto him, it took a second staff blow to the face. This time, Joe added his skill to the blow.
Your skill [Swift Strike] has increased to rank 5.
The staff accelerated, capitalizing on Joe¡¯s twirling momentum. He felt the shock of the staff blow travel up his arms. Thankfully, his attack managed to stun the insect long enough for a final [Swift Strike] enhanced blow to kill it. As the beetle fell, Joe was greeted by a chorus of horns and a scintillating flow of illumination. A wondrous warmth flowed through his body, removing all his fatigue and injuries. Unlike Joe¡¯s healing spell, it removed all the lingering pain as well. There were no ghosts of wounds-past at all. He felt amazing.
You have slain Grassward Stag Scarab. You have reached level 3. You have gained 1 unassigned attribute point.
Joe had been expecting the new free attribute point, but he wondered about the lack of a new skill. ¡®Hey, Hawking? What¡¯s with the single point at this level?¡¯
Not every level provides the same number of attribute points. At every level from 1 to 10, you will receive one unassigned attribute point. This rate of growth will diminish as you reach higher levels. Additionally, on even levels for this range, you will receive the option for a class skill. Whenever you receive a class skill from leveling, you also receive the attributes required for that class skill.
¡®¡®Ok. I had been hoping for more, but one is better than none. Thanks.¡¯ Joe saw he had an additional alert: a new achievement.
Achievement: You have just soloed your first monster. Your actions have awarded you the following choice of Traits: [Hobbler] It¡¯s all about the footwork. Your successful empowered attacks reduce your target''s movement speed by 15% for 10 seconds. [Bug-Slayer] Ugg bugs! +15% damage to vermin.
This was another easy choice in Joe¡¯s mind. Bonus to a single creature type didn¡¯t seem worth it. Additionally, these beetles were fast. If Joe could slow them down, he might be able to avoid more wounds. He assumed that ¡®empowered attacks¡¯ meant those he had infused with [Swift Strike] or another such skill if he got one. As he grabbed [Hobbler] and was about to loot the beetle¡¯s corpse, it occurred to him that Kaid had not shown up during the fight. Worried, Joe jumped straight up as high as he could, hoping to see further in the long grass. Nothing caught his eye. He quickly engaged [Coin Catcher], coming away with a few copper pieces and some beetle chiton before wading through the long stalks in the direction he had last seen the little man. Joe debated calling out to Kaid, but he was afraid that would attract monsters though. As he now was on his own, calling enemies to him was the last thing he wanted. He crept quietly forward for a few minutes, keeping his eyes peeled for beetles, rats, or Kaid, but not finding any of them. He did manage to stumble across a patch of fat-leaved plants. The leaves were just as they had been described. The dark fans looked a bit like Elephant Ear Hosta, but the big leaves had a pair of mismatched lobes that made them look like mittens. He was about to grab the goblin knife off of his backpack when he heard a rustle in the grass a few feet away. Sweating with tension, Joe suddenly had a moment of inspiration. While shuffling his feet, he activated the minor enchantment in his boots. No sound came from under his soles, but a louder-than-expected grass crackling echoed from around a dozen feet off to his left. Two screeches answered the illusionary sound. Joe watched as two lines part the wavering stalks, converging on his phantom footsteps. He had two beetles and one missing gnome to deal with. Joe took a deep breath and readied himself for another fight. 25 - Bite Me Joe had a brief hope that the two bugs would attack each other, but he was not that lucky. He watched the grass lines converge and then move off from their intersection. To Joe, it seemed like they were looking for whatever had alerted them. Each one took a slightly different path. Thankfully, neither path was toward where Joe was standing as perfectly still as he possibly could. Joe was pretty sure he could survive two beetles, considering he made it through a whole pack of goblins. Still, he wasn¡¯t 100% certain. Those mandibles looked incredibly strong and sharp. So far, he had only been wounded by their carapaces. He was a bit dubious about finding out if one of those scythe-looking jaws was able to take off his leg. Thanks to Joe¡¯s additional height above the tall grass and his old love for geometry, a plan started to form in his head. He and the beetles had sort of a ¡®Y¡¯ pattern going, with the spot of the fake footsteps being the center point. If Joe got the right angles, he could earn himself a few seconds to engage one of the insects while the other one was distracted. Joe picked a spot off to his right and behind himself for the side-squeak. That line would bring one bug straight to him and the other onto grasses yards away. If he timed it correctly, Joe might be able to kill one quickly, avoiding being double-teamed entirely. He readied the quarterstaff and [Swift Strike] and wiggled his feet again, sending the sound to the spot he had chosen. The reaction was immediate. This time, Joe was certain that the phantom sound had been amplified, just as the actual sound from his feet had been hushed. Both creatures charged straight toward the illusionary rustling. Joe had lined it up perfectly. With over ten feet between them, Joe watched the line of parting grasses from the closer beetle open right in front of him. As the bug skittered into sight, Joe swung as hard as he could, aiming right for the brutish bug¡¯s forehead. With [Swift Strike] accelerating the blow, its impact was devastating. A chunk of carapace that had been the monster''s head cracked off and launched like a line drive through the grass. Joe was splattered by the goop the bug had instead of blood. His hands stung from the force that traveled through the shaft, but it was worth it to see the beetle crash into the weeds, dead from a single blow. Joe hopped to the side as the other beetle whirled and dashed toward the spot where its counterpart had just been slain. The beetle shot past Joe, who quickly sent a ghost-sound rustling behind the bug. Joe had planned to use that moment of the enemy¡¯s confusion to get ready for the next beetle-charge, but a wave of vertigo unexpectedly washed over him. His eyes slipped out of focus, and his head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. A second later, the cold sharpness of [Iron Mind] dispelled the fugue. Joe saw the goop all over his hands and felt more on his cheeks. He had a split second to wonder if that was the cause before he got back into the fight pose the gnome had shown him. This time, because he was off balance from the blurriness, his staff was too low. The insect parted the grass again, and instantly, its mandible clamped shut around his weapon, effortlessly yanking it out of his grasp. Joe had a stupified moment as he realized every other weapon: the hunting knife, a handaxe, the goblin knife, even the torches that could serve as a club in a pinch, was stowed in the pack on his back, out of reach. ¡®Idiot!¡¯ he swore at himself. He dodged another snapping strike from the monster¡¯s long mandibles. The only trick Joe could think of was the same one he had used on the goblins. Looking at the spot between himself and the giant insect, Joe activated [Heartfire]. It worked even better than it had with the goblinoid marauders. The bug screeched and dashed away, not stopping for the entire time Joe was able to see its path through the grass. Grassfires must be a huge threat to them. Joe started wiping the gunk off himself, but instead of feeling less loopy, he felt the metallic presence of [Iron Mind] becoming more forceful. He looked himself over and noticed that he had something stuck to the sleeve of his gambeson. It was a large spiny burr, about the size of a grapefruit. He tried to rip it off, only to find it stuck to his hand.
Siren Seed of the Beguilburr: Strong cumulative Domination effect.
¡®Cumulative. That is not good.¡¯ Joe thought. Checking himself further, he found three more stuck to his ankles. His [Iron Mind] trait had probably blocked the first couple before he was even aware of them, but if each burr added to the strength of the domination effect, it is no wonder they were overwhelming the powerful dwarven trait. Joe tossed the hooked burrs away before leaning on his staff and letting loose a deep sigh. He still had to find Kaid, and now on top of beetles, rats, and deadly thorns, there were also mind-controlling burrs in the grass. He quickly looted the beetle corpse, gaining more small round pieces of carapace shell. He tried to loot one of the burrs but found [Coin Catcher] did not work on them, even after he smashed it into bits. All that he found in the seed pods was something he identified as ¡®Pollen of the Beguilburr.¡¯ There was achievement waiting for him. Joe was grateful for getting all these ¡®First X¡¯ advancements quickly. He was stranded in this plain of tall monster-infested grass with his companion lost somewhere out there. Any help was appreciated.
Achievement: You have just killed your first monster with a single blow. Your actions have awarded you the following choice of Traits:Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! [Tactician] That was a good plan. Increase your Calculation affinity. [Ambusher] Sneaking is not cheating. Add [Stealth] to your learnable skills list.
This choice was not so straightforward. [Stealth] was one of those super useful abilities. Rogue and hunter-type classes benefited the most from it, but Joe had found that, sooner or later, every character needed to sneak past something. On the other hand, Calculation was an affinity he had skills in: [Identify] and [Assess Wounds]. Joe promised himself he would figure out more about how affinities worked and what his only affinities were as soon as he got a chance. Without that knowledge, he felt he was making this choice blind. What finally settled the decision for him was that he was pretty sure he could find a [Stealth] skill crystal somewhere. He didn''t think raising an affinity would be as easy. He selected [Tactician], hoping it would reveal more about how affinities worked. Unfortunately, having just leveled, he was fully healed, so [Assess Wounds] was useless. There was also nothing new or interesting in the middle of this expanse of grass to identify. ¡®Except for the one thing I¡¯m here to collect,¡¯ he acknowledged.
[Saddleleaf] (Item: Reagent - Common) These leaves provide minor enhancements to health and growth-type enchantments or crafting. {Verdant}
Joe smiled. He had never seen an affinity connected to an object before. He checked his gambeson again and saw it had the addition as well.
[Pocketed Blue Gambeson] (Item: Armor, Chest - Common) This padded armor provides moderate defense to your upper body. {Defense}
His newly improved Calculation affinity was enhancing his [Identify] in a tangible way. As he looked around for something else new to assess, another spin of vertigo overwhelmed him, followed quickly by the chilling sensation of his mental defensive trait. Joe looked down to see two of the burrs were somehow back on his boots. A third one was creeping toward him, moving creepily like a sea urchin. ¡°Damn it!¡± he swore, a bit louder than he had intended. ¡®These things are worse than ticks,¡± he thought. As Joe reached down, yanking them off again, the grass beside him parted, revealing a set of sharp, mottled-green mandibles. The sharp, blade-like jaws sliced across his shin. Joe managed to avoid being trapped in the beetle¡¯s pincers by awkwardly stumbling away from the creature. The burr¡¯s fogginess was making him clumsy even with his trait. Joe¡¯s staggering dodge turned into a full-fledged tumble onto the ground. Knowing he was doomed on his ass, Joe made a wobbly effort, awkwardly getting himself back up onto his feet. He glanced down at the bleeding tear in his pants, spotting even more burrs on his legs. If each burr added to the strength of the domination effect, it is no wonder they were overwhelming the powerful dwarven trait. Strangely enough, after so many years of heavy doses of painkillers, Joe was no stranger to trying to function in a fog. Granted, it had never been in a fight for his life before, but his muddled head was still clever enough to make a new plan. Joe slipped out of his pack and grabbed as many burrs off him as he could, making one big sticky mass. Clearly, the burrs wouldn¡¯t naturally stick to the beetles, but he betted the bugs were more susceptible to them than he was. When the insect spun back toward him, Joe knew this was going to hurt, but he let it bite. As the bug chomped down on his leg, he jammed his hands right up against the creature''s forehead and held them there. In no time at all, the confusion was whisked clear of Joe¡¯s thoughts by [Iron Mind]; at the same time, the beetle stopped still. The handful of burrs, even splitting their controlling effect between the two of them, were more than enough to stupify the large insect. Its mandibles grew slack, releasing Joe¡¯s deeply slashed leg.
The Grassward Stag Scarab has injured you for 7 points of damage and has inflicted the {Bleed} condition on you. You will continue to lose health over time until the condition is removed.
Joe¡¯s pant leg was immediately soaked in blood, but his hands were currently busy. It is likely he didn''t actually have to heal with his hands, but now was not a great time to start experimenting. He needed to keep the burrs in contact with the creature. It took a bit of effort, but Joe managed to scrape the burrs into a sticky chain that looped around one of the pincers. When he got the two ends connected and worked one hand free, he clapped it to his still-gushing leg.
You have restored 18 points of your health. Your current health is at 100%.
Joe could have healed a much bigger wound, but he was happy he didn¡¯t need to. The healing removed the {Bleed} condition as well as repairing the damage. His leg still throbbed, but he could now focus on killing the beetle. Joe grabbed his hunting knife from the outside of his pack and finished extricating his remaining hand from the band of burrs. As he was about to dig out his hand axe for some bug-chopping, he noticed the beetle drunkenly turn and begin to amble off. Curious, Joe resheathed the knife and slung the pack over his shoulders again. Even though he had to take a few steps closer to the monster to retrieve his staff, the bug ignored him, trudging slowly away as if on auto-pilot. Joe followed at a distance. The huge bug continued to move in a zombie-like waddle, moving in a perfectly straight line. The grasses were growing higher in this direction, now halfway up his chest, but Joe could plot their path. It was headed to a point further from the Brandy Mere but angled towards the Dourfore woods. Thinking about the behavior, Joe had an idea of what might be going on. The burrs could be connected to a main plant, the actual Beguilburr. The sticky seeds'' job was to enthrall creatures and force them to travel back to the mother plant. It explained why he had only encountered beetles so far. Kaid had mentioned rats, but Joe had not seen any. While the burrs would not naturally catch on the bug¡¯s smooth carapaces, a rat would not be so protected. Any furred predators in the area would easily be burred and enslaved. So, too, would people wearing items of cloth or leather. Joe was afraid he now knew what had become of Kaid. 26 -Baleful Burrs Joe followed the shuffling bug through the tall grasses. The stalks had continued to grow until they were obnoxiously reaching his chin, with the occasional ones whose seedheads were hitting him in the face. It felt like he had to spend half the time brushing pollen and chaff off his cheeks and from his eyes. If the beetle had not been walking in a straight line, Joe would have lost it ages ago. He had picked a landmark tree in the Dourfore to aim at, a huge dead oak, but the high vegetation was even making that difficult. Joe was starting to get the claustrophobic feeling of being deep in a cornfield and not being sure which was out. At least a cornfield had rows to orient on. Here in the vast high grasses, Joe had to keep jumping to make sure he was still on track. Eventually, he stumbled onto a small island in the sea of stalks. A single large boulder stood on the plain. The lone rock was an irregular trapezoid that started at Joe¡¯s knee on the low side and rose up to his shoulder at its highest point. Around the stone were a few scruffy-looking bushes that assisted in pushing back the seemingly endless grass. Just getting his face out of the spiky fronds of weeds was a relief, but he also realized he could use the boulder as a perch. Joe scrambled up the slope and stood up, now far above the swaying surface of vegetation. It took him a minute of searching until he eventually located his target, or at least he hoped it was. Something was slowly plodding through the grass in the direction Joe thought they should be heading. He couldn''t see it all, given the height of the grass. Even so, the line through the stalks was headed right for the massive skeletal oak he had picked as a landmark, so the odds were good he was on the right track. From his lookout stone, Joe was able to see more than the path of the trudging bug. He could also see the edge of the Dourfore, what had to be the source of the burrs, and the gnome he was searching for. At about a hundred yards away, he could see the small man clearly enough to discern he was standing motionless, but it did not look like he was currently being harmed. Joe was afraid that the Beguilbnurr would be like the Bloodthorns his companion had mentioned, but it didn¡¯t look like he was touching any of the spiky roots around the tree¡¯s trunk.
Mesmeric Beguilburr: Level 4 {Elite}: Plant: Controller: Spirit
Joe was not sure specifically what an ¡®elite¡¯ monster was, but it sounded like something that would be tougher than its level suggested. The tree in question was only about twenty-five feet tall. Huge fuchsia-colored fronds spread in a canopy over a fat, twisted purple trunk. At the intersections of the long thin leaves, Joe could see dozens of the brown spiky burrs hanging in the joints. On the ground at the base of the trunk, a mass of tangled thorny roots formed a ten to fifteen-foot web across the ground. The roots were covered in small bones and decaying rat carcasses. Kaid stood just outside this ring of death. ¡®So, it¡¯s a pretty simple plan. I have to sneak up and grab Kaid and run away without picking up too many burrs,¡¯ Joe surmised. The problem was the concentration of burrs would surely be at their thickest the closer one got to the main plant. Joe had gotten to five burrs before he started to feel loopy. He doubted, even with [Iron Mind] working overtime, that he could handle ten or more. Joe slid down to the middle of his stone island, where there was a comfortable spot to sit. Somehow, he would have to find a way to prevent the burrs from sticking to him, but Joe did not have metal boots or something similar. Joe emptied out his pack, looking for anything that might help him. The waxy rainskin was promising, but Joe realized that as soon as he cut it and started wrapping it around his legs, there would be edges for the burrs to catch on. There was the lamp oil, but Joe worried about coating himself with flammable substances on general principle. As he sat thinking, his eyes just sort of staring off into the middle space, his attention snagged on a set of large leaves under the bush he was looking at. He had forgotten to grab the first set of saddleleaf leaves, preoccupied as he was with following the beetle. He grabbed his knife and climbed off the rock. All four of the bushes around his boulder had the plants, so Joe was able to harvest more than he needed. The extras might be worth something to Gurda Eldauk. After he climbed back up onto his spot on the rock, he noted even that brief sojourn into the grass had earned him a new burr. Joe yanked it off and stood, preparing to hurl it away but stopped; the burr still stuck to the skin on his hand.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Kaid was gone. The beetle had made its way into the spikey roots and was writhing in pain, but there was no sign of Kaid. Joe looked and looked until he finally noticed a line of parting grass. The path led right from where the gnome had been standing and was aimed straight toward where he stood. ¡®Oh, crap!¡¯ Joe had not even considered the Beguilburr puppeting its minions; that is, besides calling them to it. In hindsight, it made sense. It explained why it hadn¡¯t started feeding on the little ruffian already. It might use its thrall to gather additional food until it was burnt out, then feed on it. ¡®Does this make it easier or harder?¡¯ Joe wondered as he ditched the burr. On the one hand, getting Kaid away from the evil tree was now easier. And the stupefied beetles had been really slow. Yet on the other, the thought of pulling burrs off a possessed, eleventh-level knife-fighter seemed like a really, really terrible idea. Joe quickly repacked his gear. This time, he made sure to add weapons in accessible places so he would not be helpless if he lost his staff again. Starting with a tube of chitinous beetle leg and wrapping it in leather and bound with hair, Joe fashioned a very simplistic sheath for his oversharpened goblin knife. That joined the hunting blade on his belt. He found a set of loops on his pack where the hand axe could be hung and drawn easily. On the other side of the bag, he slipped a torch into the corresponding set of loops. Joe noticed that the torch had a built-in striker. He would not need a flint and steel to get it started. He would just have to pull a pin from the starter and rap the end of the torch into something, and it would light itself, kind of like a strike-anywhere match. The [Slow Stone] went into one of the small pouches and was hung off his belt beside the two knives. Joe tried to think of anything else he could do to prepare. He had the BiteBark, but the potion had such a short duration he figured he should save it until he knew what he was dealing with.
[BiteBark] (Item: Consumable - Common): This potion will thicken your skin, giving it the toughness of tree bark. You will gain moderate resistance to {Piercing}, {Slashing}, and {Bleed} physical attacks for 1 minute. One use. {Fortitude}
He had another idea and looked to see if he could find any information about Kaid. Sure enough, there was a Party screen.
P A R T Y Name Health (Current/Max - %) Stamina (Current/Max - %) Mana (Current/Max - %) Conditions
Kaid 86 / 89 - 97% 178 / 429 - 41% Enthralled
Joe 31 / 31 - 100% 89 / 91 - 98% 36 / 36 - 100%
While Kaid¡¯s health looked fine, his stamina was surprisingly low. He assumed he couldn''t see Kaid''s mana because he had no skill that would affect someone else mana pool. As Joe watched, the thief''s stamina dropped another point. He stood again and found the waver in the reeds was not that much closer and still trudging forward. Standing and that slow pace could not explain that much stamina loss; fighting the domination effect must be eating through his energy reserves in an effort to break free. If Kaid tired too much, he¡¯d pass out. That could help considerably, but Joe feared that if Kaid started to get to the end of his Stamina, the Beguilburr would recall him and force the rogue into its roots. Joe checked on Kaid¡¯s progress one more time, finding he still had a few more minutes. The little man was not moving quickly. Joe knew that plans almost never survived first contact, still, he should try and do everything he could before getting up close with the gnome-of many-knives. ¡®What else can I do?¡¯ The biggest worry still was too many burrs. Joe should be able to outrun the plodding gnome if it came to it, but not if the Beguilburr overwhelmed [Iron Mind]. Grabbing them by hand meant they were now stuck to your hand. Joe needed a scraper. Looking at the bushes, Joe hunted until he found a good ¡®V¡± of reasonably thick branches. The best he could get was one less than an inch thick; these were only shrubs, after all. Gabbing the handaxe, he chopped out the whole section, leaving a good inch below the connection point. He cleared the extra twigs and cut the thicker stalk to about two and a half feet long and the other one to about five inches. This gave him an angular ¡®J¡¯, which he could use to hook off burrs. He stashed his makeshift crook with the strike-anywhere torch and grabbed his staff. It was time to lure in Kaid. 27 -On a Knife鈥檚 Edge As the stalks at the edge of the low grass around the boulder waivered, Joe, who was lying down on the big rock, scraped his heel and set the sound off to his left. He hadn¡¯t worked out how he would hand Kaid yet; he needed information first. Namely, just how burred was the little guy. If he had just a couple of the mind-controlling pods, then Joe would try and clear them off. If he was completely covered, then Joe¡¯s plan was to lead him as far away from the tree as he could, hoping the burrs would lose potency with distance. What he had not expected was a cyclone of whirling slashes and stabs. As the side-squeak sounded ten feet away, a very, very not slow Kaid launched himself from the grass and began dismantling the tall weeds in a flurry of devastating knife cuts. Joe''s jaw dropped. It was like seeing a fast-zombie for the first time. He had expected he was going to be dancing around a lumbering little thrall with his tiny one-foot-long legs. The idea of a whirlwind of deadly daggers had never entered his mind. There were at least a dozen burrs on the small man. More than he could remove easily with a slow Kaid, let alone the frenzied fast killer below the boulder. Joe quickly checked the party screen, which he had pinned to a spot at the edge of his vision. Kaid¡¯s Stamina had just taken a big hit. That slashing charge had cost him a sixth of his remaining pool. Joe wondered if he could get Kaid to pass out here before the Beguilburr could call him back. The only problem was Joe would never be able to catch Kaid in fast mode if the little man ran away. Joe needed to slow him down. He carefully raised himself to his feet and prepared to use his [Swift Strike]. [Hobbler] would give him 10 seconds of decreased movement. He¡¯d have to make the best of it. Kaid¡¯s eyes slid up the boulder, spotting him. The diminutive slasher launched himself from the ground, bounding up onto the stone. If Joe had not been prepared to swing, he never would have gotten a chance to. Kaid didn¡¯t even try and avoid the blow.
You have injured Kaid Ward for 3 points of damage. Kaid Ward has resisted your {Slowed} condition.
¡®Resisted! Damn it!¡¯ Joe had not even considered that one. The next thing he knew, Kaid was on him.
Kaid Ward has injured you. You have suffered 11 points of damage. Kaid Ward has injured you. You have suffered 7 points of damage. Kaid Ward has injured you. You have suffered 9 points of damage. Your health is critically low
Joe reacted entirely on instinct, and he kicked out as hard as he could. His foot hooked up between the small man¡¯s legs. The punt sent Kaid airborne, tumbling over the brushes and back into the grass. He winced sympathetically when he realized how badly that crotch-shot had to have hurt Kaid, but it saved his life. At least for the second.
You have restored 26 points of your health. Your current health is at 90%. Your skill [Healing Touch] has increased to rank 12.
Ripping the cork out, Joe downed the [Bitebark] potion and healed again. He was only down four points, but he didn¡¯t want to chance it. As Joe healed again, Kaid appeared on the other side of the bushes. A lunging strike pricked Joe for a single point of damage. Between the potion and the interfering brush, the blade barely scratched him this time. While the Beguilburr seemed to be able to access the little killer¡¯s speed, the same did not seem to be true with his smarts. The gnome began to pull himself through the shrubbery, a significantly harder and slower process than it would have been to go around. ¡°Ok. Plan B.¡± He ripped the pouch off his belt and threw it at Kaid, who was still trying to climb through the branches. Joe had always had really good aim. A higher Dexterity here in Illuminaria would have backed that up. Even so, Joe''s instincts were still there. The stone-filled pouch slapped into a concentration of burrs and stuck fast. ¡°Udan!¡± Joe shouted before leaping off the boulder and running toward where the evil tree lurked at the edge of the grasslands. Madina Spooner had said her [Slow Stone] had frozen a dog for a few minutes, and Kaid was smaller than Buck. Joe also hoped that if he were far away, the deadly whisperblade would turn back into slow-mo gnome. Joe grabbed his homemade hook and yanked off burrs when he spotted them. This proved to be really awkward to do with the long staff in his other hand. Knowing he¡¯d need both hands in a minute, Joe gave his first weapon a wistful last look before dropping into the sea of tall stalks. His plan was a pretty simple one. He could not count the number of games he had played in where ¡®set it on fire¡¯ was not the ultimate solution. ¡°Drop a heavy object on it¡¯ was a close second. He was almost positive the Beguilburr had to be a plant. Plants burn. But so do grasslands and forests. The idea of purposefully starting a forest fire gave Joe more than a moment¡¯s pause, but he had no better ideas. He really hoped there were no elves or fey creatures around here that were going to come and hunt him down for this. His run had slowed to a jog, not because he was tired, [Efferous Endurance] took care of that for him. Instead, it was juggling his pack and hooking off burrs that slowed him down. He had the bag over one shoulder, getting the three flasks of oil to the top of his stowed gear. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The closer he got to the Dourfore, the less grass he had to run through. Not knowing if Kaid was right behind him or not, Joe wanted to make every second count. He scanned the scene ahead and planned his path. The ring of spiked roots extended about four yards around the trunk, but there were several long barbed tendrils that had reached out to nearby trees, including the great dead oak just behind the Beguilburr. All of the trees that were entwined by the evil plant''s thorny coils were also dead, sucked dry of life. Joe found a sense of satisfaction in the irony that the hungry monstrosity had just given Joe the fuel he needed to kill it. Running around the web of roots, he smashed the first clay jug against a closer dead tree, coating it in oil. The next one was for the old oak. As Joe was about to toss it, a tearing pain ripped into his ankle. He managed not to drop the clay pot and looked down to see a nearly desiccated, mottled rat digging its way through his boot and into the flesh below. Two large burrs were stuck in its coat. Screaming and yelling, Joe started battering the creature with his burr-hook, but the stick was too light to do any real damage. Dropping it, he grabbed the heavier torch and began smashing at the rat in earnest. Somewhere in those blows, he must have knocked out the striker-lock, because after one hit, the end of his club burst into flames. Joe jammed the now-burning head of the torch onto the creature''s back. The rising heat scorched his fingers, but it was much worse for the already suffering rat. The creature let out a plaintive squeak and curled into a ball.
You have slain Lowland Gnaw Rat.
Limping away from the roots, Joe saw more of the emaciated rodents stirring near the base of the tree. Not waiting for any of the near-dead Gnaw Rat to come after him, Joe pitched his second bottle straight at the malevolent, tyrannical tree. His throw was dead on. The bottle shattered against the Beguilburr¡¯s bark. His last toss was not as well thrown. He hit the great oak far higher up than he intended. Joe wanted the fire to spread quickly to the boss plant. The placement of the oil on the oak would not speed up the process. Pissed at himself for rushing, Joe hobbled backward and lobbed the torch up against the first oil-soaked trunk. The lamp fuel caught instantly. Flames quickly crawled across the ground. Joe thought he saw the fuchsia fronds rustle and recoil but it could have just been the rising currents of air. Given how many trees the Beguilbuur had sucked dry, Joe was almost positive his blaze was not going out unless someone had a firehose handy. Flames were climbing upwards on both trees. As he healed his rat-torn ankle and ripped off the last few burrs, Joe watched the windows start piling up on the edge of his eyesight.
You have slain Lowland Gnaw Rat. You have slain Lowland Gnaw Rat. You have slain Lowland Gnaw Rat. You have slain Lowland Gnaw Rat. You have slain Lowland Gnaw Rat. You have slain Lowland Gnaw Rat. You have slain Lowland Gnaw Rat.
Ignoring the lingering pain in his sore ankle, Joe danced a quick jig. ¡°I win!¡± he bellowed at the blazing purple abomination. Which, of course, immediately jinxed it. Kaid stepped out of the grass. Even though the gnome was staggering from exhaustion, the small man determinedly hobbled straight for the Beguilburr and the inferno of fire building up around it; his face was set in a rictus of determination. ¡°Are you kidding me!¡± Joe dashed across the distance between them. Overcoming his natural instinct to soften his tackle, he held nothing back. He pounced on Kaid, driving them both back into the weeds. Suddenly, Joe was holding a wildcat of daggers. Kaid stabbed and slashed at Joe from almost impossible angles. Thankfully, [Bitebark] was still active. Additionally, the cutthroat¡¯s hands were trembling so badly that half of his blows failed to penetrate the blue gambeson. Joe thought about trying to rip off the gnome¡¯s burrs, but he found he had no time. He could barely hold on to the blade-flailing fiend and heal himself. There was zero time for anything else. As one of Kaid¡¯s knives punched through his bicep, another slashed at his neck. The heavy leather shoulder strap on his backpack prevented the strike from digging too deeply, but it didn¡¯t survive the cut. The leather split in two, and Joe¡¯s pack began to flop around as the pair rolled around on the ground. When a long dagger slammed fully into his chest, Joe knew he was in trouble. Instead of immediately withdrawing, the beguiled Kaid began to saw the blade back and forth. Joe had never felt such pain before. Even the mind-breaking pain of his tumors did not compare to a dagger cutting through his insides. Joe was pretty sure the fading potion was the only reason he was not dead. He shoved Kaid away and slapped his hands on his chest. Even the feeling of his innards knitting themselves back together was somewhat sickening.
You have restored 28 points of your health. Your current health is at 98%.
Even though each dose of [Healing Touch] could heal almost his whole health pool, it was getting harder and harder to function through the lingering pain of half a dozen knife wounds. ¡°Kaid! Come on, man! Snap out of it!¡± Joe shook off the dangling pack as the small killer levered himself to his feet. Kaid shuffled a step towards Joe. And a second. As he tried to make a third, the little man pitched over face-first into the dirt.
P A R T Y Name Health (Current/Max - %) Stamina (Current/Max - %) Mana (Current/Max - %) Conditions
Kaid 86 / 89 - 97% 0/ 429 - 0% Enthralled, Unconscious
Joe 30 / 31 - 98% 45 / 91 - 50% 12 / 36 - 33%
It wasn¡¯t nearly as glorious a win as Joe had hoped for, but a win was a win. He¡¯d take it. This time, he made sure to tap the wooden handle of the goblin knife as he had that thought. He picked up the gnome and painfully trudged a ways back from the rising wildfire. Even though the grassy plain was a terrible place to view the growing conflagration, Joe did not have it in him to move any further just yet. He watched the Beguilburr burn as he pulled the spiky balls off Kaid. After a few minutes, Hawking announced the end of Joe¡¯s first big battle.
You have slain the Mesmeric Beguilburr. You have reached level 4. You have reached level 5.
Just knowing the vile plant was eliminated made up for his very sloppy victory. Two levels made it sweet. 28 - Storm Crows Joe knew he could wake Kaid with one shot of [Efferous Endurance], but he was afraid that the Beguilburr¡¯s last command may not have faded away with the death of the vile plant. Joe didn''t have it in him to restrain Kaid should the small killer try and rush back into the towering flames behind them. Also, it wasn¡¯t like the minuscule little man was hard to carry. After recovering the expended [Slow Stone] from the now inert burrs, Joe liberally applied the stamina boost to himself as he jogged back toward the lake. All the while, he wondered if he was going to get into serious trouble with either Granny or someone else. The grassfires behind him had grown far larger than even his worst fears. Already, the flames had reached the spot where he had dropped his staff. There really was no way or point in his trying to recover it now. Just as Joe was really starting to panic about the wildfire at his back, a rumble sounded from the clear sky overhead. Great columns of smoke filled the air, but at the moment, there was not a cloud in sight. Yet that all changed in a matter of seconds. From the middle of the Brandy Mere, a huge thunderhead swept outward. At first, Joe thought it was just a stormcloud, but as it passed overhead, he saw that it was composed of untold, countless ravens. Thousands of them. Millions even. Joe¡¯s surroundings went from bright daylight to the instant dimness of twilight in less than a second. The booming crashes of thunder were actually the cries of the endless black feathered flock overhead. Their cawing chorus was deafening. So much so Joe felt Kaid begin to stir in his arms in response to the bludgeoning bursts of sound coming from above. A moment later, the black flapping ceiling released a torrent of hammering rain, drenching Joe, Kaid, and the world around them. Joe stood, staring up into the deluge, completely stunned. Granny Growlbee was clearly far more powerful than she portrayed with her demure damsel facade. ¡°What? What?!¡± coughed the drowning gnome in his arms. ¡°Pretty sure this is Granny saving us,¡± Joe shouted over the latest booming blast of raven-wrought thunder. As Kaid seemed to have no intention of dashing off, Joe hit him with his stamina buff. ¡°Woah,¡± the man huffed, his eyes snapping open. Joe felt a shudder as the spell energized him followed by a loud groan. ¡°Oh, Murrcee, my nuts!¡± Kaid gurgled as he scrunched into a ball. ¡°What the hells happened?¡± Joe looked down blankly at his companion, trying even to imagine where to start, but it was too hard to think in the pounding rain. The pair pulled out the rainskin and hunkered under it together. Even though his knees stuck out and got soaked, the waxy poncho was enough to pretty much cover them both. In its dubious shelter, Joe related the tale of the Beguilburr to the baffled ruffian. When he was done, Kaid unexpectedly reached out and grabbed Joe¡¯s wrist, giving it a firm squeeze. The gesture was one of pure appreciation. While he knew Kaid was leery of people who were so much taller than he was, Joe had a feeling that the barrier may have come down between the two of them. ¡°Thanks for saving my ass, Joe,¡± he uttered in a quiet voice, not quite meeting Joe¡¯s eyes. ¡°You would have done the same for me,¡± he replied, feeling embarrassed by the small man''s forthrightness. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I could have. I¡¯m not built to help others the way you are. Don¡¯t have the size or the skills for it. It¡¯s a real good thing you weren¡¯t the one enthralled,¡¯ Kaid declared. ¡°We would have been in a real crooked crapper.¡± ¡°Oh, my gods,¡± the gnome added. ¡°Rhy would have killed me if I¡¯d gotten you killed.¡± ¡°I would have been kind of peeved, too,¡± Joe joked. ¡°Funny,¡± the little man scoffed back, giving Joe a light punch. ¡°Rain¡¯s easing up. The fire must be out. Want to head back now or look over your level gains first.¡± ¡°Level stuff, for sure.¡± ¡°I was wondering how you had held off. I can never wait either.¡±
You have reached level 4. You have gained 1 unassigned attribute point and the following choices of traits and skills:
[Rugged] +2 to Vigor [Healer''s Ward] (Uncommon) When you cast a healing spell, you gain moderate damage resistance to all forms of Physical and Elemental damage for 10 seconds plus .25 seconds for each skill rank you have with this skill. Each use of healing resets the timer. Cost: Minor Stamina. | Range: Self. {Fortitude}
[Observant] +2 to Perception. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. [Life Bolt] A creature you can see in Medium range heals 1 Health plus 1 point of Health for each skill rank you have with this skill. Cost: Minor Mana and Minor Stamina. | Range: Medium. {Life}
[Awakened] +2 to Spirit. [Purge] (Uncommon) Remove minor afflictions from a target in close range. Minor afflictions include conditions such as {Blinded}, {Cowed}, {Dazed}, {Deafened}, {Frightened}, {Shaken}, or {Sickened}. Cost: Moderate Mana. | Range: Close. {Cleansing}
Level 5 was just a single free point. Joe was far more interested in the choices from his fourth level. ¡°We get options now?¡± Joe asked as the rain shifted from a drumming to a lighter patter. ¡°We do. Only level one is a standard set of spells. Second level is fifty-fifty, depending on your class. I take it healer has an assigned level two skill?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I can see why. I got a wound assessment ability. Trying to heal without it is so much harder,¡± he stated to the gnome crouching under the oilskin with him before asking, ¡°So, which would you pick?¡± Joe read off the three choices. ¡°Me? None of them,¡± Kaid scowled. ¡°Like I said, I am not built for support. For you, though, ¡­¡± Kaid¡¯s voice traled off into an exaggerated shrug. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell ya. I tend to go with my gut on skills. Which one feels best to you?¡± ¡°I like the idea of getting a shield when I heal, but Purge covers a bunch of conditions. One of them is Sickened, which might help Missus Dellham. I know I¡¯m getting something from Granny, but if it doesn¡¯t work, maybe [Purge] will.¡± ¡°Not the ranged heal, then.¡± ¡°Not yet. I¡¯d like to expand what I can do instead of just more ways to heal.¡± Joe was not sure at all which to choose. He still had not yet made his choice when they climbed out from under the rain cover to a clear blue sky. The only sign of the inferno¡¯s existence was some lingering wafts of smoke. He and Kaid waded through the wet grass back to the raft. The whole way, Joe swung back and forth between the options. [Healer¡¯s Ward] would help his painfully low Health by upping his Vigor, but [Purge] was also a very good choice. He had just seen how conditions could change the course of a fight. The removal spell would give him more mana due to the increase in his Spirit. More mana was always a good thing. The more he thought about it, the more he knew that he wanted the self-sufficiency of an increase in Health. Joe had come within one knife cut from dying a third time when Kaid attacked him on the boulder. Just as he was about to make his choice, he realized he had another notification. He had one more boon. Another achievement had been lurking in the corner of his eye, but he had missed it in his pondering of the two skills.
Achievement: You have defeated your first elite enemy. You have gained 1 unassigned attribute point. Your conduct has awarded you the following choice of Traits: [Pyromaniac] Nothing evens the playing field like an uncontrolled inferno. Increase your Fire affinity. [Durable] Toughen up. Increase your health by 1 point for each point of Vigor per level.
¡°Well, that changes things,¡¯ he mused. Joe really wanted to take [Purge], but at this point, he really wanted more health. A Vigor skill would stop him from being so freaking fragile. [Durable] would add 10 Health right off the bat and more with every level and increase to his Vigor. There was also the fact Joe had had way too many bad experiences with fire when he was younger. His uncle Malcolm and he had had a string of mishaps that had resulted in Joe getting burned seven years in a row by seven different substances. The road flare was by far the worst. Taking [Durable] was a no-brainer, which allowed him to feel more confident about [Purge]. As he was reaching the raft with Kaid, Joe decided to bite the bullet and make a choice. He would go with Kaid¡¯s advice and trust his gut. [Healer¡¯s Ward] was still attractive, but [Purge] just felt right. He picked the cleansing spell and felt the effects of his Spirit attribute double. His mind sharpened, and all of his uncertainty vanished. He had a clarity that made the last fifteen minutes of self-debate seem pointless. All of his reasoning was still there, but it no longer was a wobbly see-saw of inner dispute. Joe saw all of it clearly. Each was a valid option, but he was now certain he had chosen correctly. When the moment of clarity passed, Joe finally noticed his chatterbox guide had been utterly silent the whole way back to the raft. Joe tipped his head to see Kaid¡¯s face and found an expression of complete misery. ¡°Hey,¡± he prodded the sad-looking gnome. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look miserable.¡± ¡°I lost all my good daggers back there. The worst part is I lost them trying to kill you.¡± Joe crouched down and put a hand that felt absolutely massive on the small shoulder of the gnome. ¡°You were not trying to kill me. That evil plant was. I don¡¯t blame you at all.¡± Joe squeezed lightly. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go back and look? Maybe something survived.¡± ¡°I was going to ask you if we could go look afterward. Too smoky now. Let¡¯s finish our deal with Granny first. But you don¡¯t mind going back and helping me look ¡­,¡± the small man asked as his voice trailed off sheepishly. ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all, Bud. Sorry, I didn¡¯t think to grab ¡­¡± ¡°Stop, Joe,¡± Kaid stated sharply. ¡°Not your fault. When would you have had a chance to gather the daggers I dropped after stabbing you?¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. Still feel bad about it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. Really,¡± Kaid stated firmly before smirking and adding, ¡°Let¡¯s go see your sweetheart about our rewards. Then we attempt the dagger rescue.¡± Joe was about to scoff at the little man. Before he could, he made the mistake of looking ahead. There, standing on the grassy little island, was the beautiful young witch of Brandy Mere, waiting for him. Gentle winds pushed her sheer dress tightly against her body and floated her long blonde locks in the breeze. Joe¡¯s voice vanished. He could feel his cheeks heating up. ¡°Oh man, She is doing such a number on you.¡± the little gnome laughed. Between Joe¡¯s complete distraction and Kaid¡¯s non-stop, giggling mirth, it took them far longer than it should have for the raft to cross the shallow waters. 29 - Witch Ways 29 - Witch Ways As they poled up to the shore, Joe watched the winsome witch cross her arms. ¡°You two certainly have been busy,¡± she scolded. ¡°Can you explain why a simple harvesting quest precipitated the near deforestation of the Dourfore?¡± Once again, her enticing presence washed over Joe, swamping his concentration with good-natured coquetry. ¡°Lady Growlbee, any chance you can lower the glamour by half. I know you don¡¯t mean any harm by it, but I¡¯ve had a very harrowing last hour or so. I could really use a bit of clearheadedness.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± the woman replied, and everything about her seemed to change. Gone was the alluring maiden, replaced by a wise matron, not an elder but a motherly figure, regal and earnest. Her voice had dropped an octave from its previous singsong melody to a more stately tone. The colorful cotton frock was now a full-length velvet dress in a dark emerald hue. ¡°Please, sit and refresh yourself. I am curious as to how the blaze came about.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t all Joe¡¯s fault,¡± Kaid blurted. ¡°There was a mind-controlling plant out there. It almost killed us.¡± In reply to the Granny¡¯s arched brow, Joe added, ¡°It was called a Beguilburr. Fire was the only thing I could think of to get Kaid free of it.¡± ¡°Hmm. I will have to be more vigilant of the northern edge of the forest. Once one Beguilburr sapling crops up, more often follow.¡± the dame mused, pouring herself another cup. The tea service had been altered, much like the woman was making use of it. Gone were the light porcelain pieces with a dainty floral pattern. Instead, the cups and saucers were made of heavy china banded by Celtic knotwork. The pot and bowls were fine silver. Joe noted that the white wicker table and chairs had also been swapped out, replaced by a more refined set made from dark stained wood. On top of the table, a portable writing desk had appeared sometime in the last few seconds as well. ¡°Um,¡± Joe uttered as he took in the changes. ¡°I don¡¯t think it was a sapling. Or at least it didn¡¯t mention sapling when I identified it.¡± ¡°Really. Then, that is quite an accomplishment. A mature Beguilburr would be a challenge for even a seasoned adventurer. You must have earned yourself some wondrous loot from defeating such an elite enemy.¡± Joe¡¯s heart sunk into his stomach. ¡°Oh damn it!¡± he swore. ¡°I was so busy with Kaid and the fires I totally forgot to loot the monster.¡± ¡°There may still be time. Add me to your party. My Storm Crows are still circling overhead, watching to make sure the fire does not break out again. Thankfully, the dry days of summer are still months away, but grassfires are notoriously tricky once they get going as well as yours was. If I am a party member, I can have them loot the corpse for you.¡± Before Joe could even open the party window, a notification appeared granting her access. ¡°Could you have your bird look for any daggers in the burnt area, please, Granny,¡± Kaid pleaded. ¡°I lost a bunch of good ones back there.¡± While the woman closed her eyes, likely to communicate with the distant flock, Joe couldn¡¯t help but peek to see just how powerful the woman in front of him was.
P A R T Y Name Health (Current/Max - %) Stamina (Current/Max - %) Mana (Current/Max - %) Conditions
Gerabella 1397 / 1397 100% 4472 / 4472 100%
KaidIf you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. 89 / 89 - 100% 429 / 429 - 100%
Joe 44 / 45 - 99% 143 / 143 - 100% 138 / 138 - 100%
Since he couldn¡¯t see levels from the party screen, Joe was tempted to [Identify] her as well, but he quickly reconsidered. Given the woman¡¯s mysterious and everchanging nature, he realized she probably would not appreciate him actively peeking behind the curtain. Getting her full name, though, was fun. Gerabella Growlbee had a nice alliteration to it. ¡°Done,¡± she intoned. ¡®I cannot make any promises, but the ravens will search the area for your lost blades.¡± Turning back to Joe, she added. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s get you that spell you bargained for. Assuming that is that you managed to gather my saddleleaf before you started your wildfire.¡± ¡°I did,¡± Joe answered, digging the leaves out of his pack. ¡°You can have them all. Payment for hunting for Kaid¡¯s knives.¡± The gnome tossed Joe a smile. ¡°Very well.¡± Granny pulled the wooden case over to her and flipped open the cover. She began to draw out items, placing them on the table: parchment, quill, ink, and two jars of glittering dust, one green and the other silvery. ¡°I have two that should work for you, Joe,¡± she began, opening the inkwell. ¡°The first option is one of my favorites: [Summon Leeches], an uncommon skill. The summoned vermin are excellent for drawing out poisons and blood impurities. As a bonus, the squirmy dears are also very useful in combat. On their own, they can {Weaken} targets, but a skilled hexist can add all sorts of wonderful afflictions through their bites. They can even be used for scouting, though the information you¡¯ll receive is rather limited as they are but simple creatures.¡± ¡°The only real drawback I have ever found with the spell is that the poor little darlings often unnerve their patients. Such misunderstood creatures,¡± the witch added. ¡°Uh. I think I¡¯m with those squeamish patients, Granny,¡± Joe replied with a small shudder. ¡°I really don¡¯t see myself summoning leeches. What is the other option?¡± ¡°Then we are looking at [Dispel Rot]? Another very good skill, especially for a common one. Not only is it effective for treating infections and necrotic tissue, it can also be used in combat. It is devastating against many undead creatures. The fleshy ones. Just don¡¯t try it on skeletons, as it¡¯s quite useless against creatures without flesh.¡± ¡°That sounds perfect. Thank you.¡± The two spells piqued Joe¡¯s curiosity. They seemed far more complex than the spells he had seen from his class so far. ¡°Is that how many witch skills work?¡± he asked. ¡°Both of those were a combination of support and combat rolled into one skill.¡± ¡°For the most part, that is exactly the case. The focus of witchcraft is balancing cures and curses,¡± Lady Growlbee explained. ¡°Your traditional healer spells will do one thing, and they will do it very well. Witch spells are not as powerfully focused; they often mix boons and banes together, allowing a witch to use her spells in multiple ways.¡± She picked a sheet from the table and began to write on it. Her flowing calligraphy swooped across the page. After a grand flourish, she lifted the quill and sprinkled a pinch of each powder across the ink. ¡°This will function just like a crystal. Concentrate on it, and it will transfer itself to your skills.¡± Joe took the parchment she had slid across the table to him. The ink had changed. Instead of its original black, it was now a deep purple. The glitter-like dust had also become violet-hued. Joe didn¡¯t even need to ask what attribute this scroll was attached to. It was obviously Spirit. He assigned a free point and felt his mental acuity sharpen just a bit more. Holding the parchment, he focused on the page, and it unraveled in his hand, imprinting its contents onto his mind.
[Dispel Rot] Breaks down necrotic tissue in the immediate range. If putrefaction is too severe to be destroyed, the corruption is expelled from the immediate area. Cost: Medial Mana | Range: Immediate. {Blood}
As a common skill, Joe realized he still had four free attributes to spend. ¡°So you mentioned a second spell,¡± he prompted, hoping she was still willing to share another one. ¡°Well, I can make you a copy of [Summon Leeches],¡± she teased, ¡°The two are a bit redundant but not entirely so.¡± ¡°Umm, no thanks,¡± he declined again. ¡°Do you by any chance have a good uncommon Vigor-based spell that you think might help me? My health pool really needs a boost.¡± ¡°Something he can use to fight with,¡± Kaid added. ¡°How about just a straight-up, nasty curse, Gran?¡± ¡°People often come to us for our curses. I have several stamina-based damage spells, but I¡¯m not sure this young man has the affinities or temperament to invoke them with the vehemence they would require to be truly effective.¡± She fixed her eyes on Joe. Instead of swamping him with her alluring charms, this appraisal was almost clinical. ¡°I think we better off adding another medicinal aid that also possesses a bite. I know just the thing: it will not inflict damage, but I found it an invaluable tool in combat.¡± She took a second sheet and began to write again, speaking as she did so. ¡°Curses are most effective when the caster can conjure the correct degree of malice to make them stick. I don''t think this young man would be very good at reaching that mindset. A wizard merely needs to know a spell¡¯s formula to invoke its potential. A witch needs to have her heart invested in a spell or it will be weak. This is a spell I can see Mister Morris having no trouble accepting.¡± When she dusted the paper with the combined glitter, Joe watched both it and the ink turn a deep green. The page was entitled ¡°Deaden Flesh.¡± ¡°This spell is technically a curse, but it is one I think you will have no trouble with. I realize that while [Deaden Flesh] sounds ominous, it is not a necrotic spell. It causes numbness, not tissue death. The effect can be used to treat those in great pain but is also highly effective in a fight. Deadened hands cannot clutch weapons. Deadened legs will topple a foe.¡± ¡°That is perfect. Thank you,¡± Joe exclaimed, assigning the required free points. His Vigor doubled to four, and Joe felt great. The overwhelming sense of wellness was almost akin to the feeling from leveling; it just lacked the burst of euphoria.
[Deaden Flesh] Cause localized numbness in a target within. Your chance of bypassing the target¡¯s Physical Condition Resistance increases with each skill rank you have with this skill. Cost: Moderate Stamina. | Range: Close. {Paralysis}
30 - Reap the Rewards As they waited for the crows to return, Joe decided to see how much he had changed in the last hour. When he looked over his character sheet, he could feel a wide smile breaking out across his face.
Name: Joseph (Joe) Morris Race: Changeling Level: 5 Experience: 1,802 / 1,980 SKILLS (Slots / Filled) STRENGTH SKILLS: (0 / 1) VIGOR SKILLS: (4 / 4) ¡¤ [Efferous Endurance] (U) rank 5 ¡¤ [Deaden Flesh] (U) rank 0 DEXTERITY SKILLS: (2 / 2) ¡¤ [Simple Weapon Aptitude] (C) rank 7 ¡¤ [Swift Strike] (C) rank 5 PERCEPTION SKILLS: (3 / 3) ¡¤ [Assess Wounds] (C) rank 6 ¡¤ [Coin Catcher] (C) rank 2 ¡¤ [Identify] (C) rank 10 SPIRIT SKILLS: (5 / 5) ¡¤ [Dispel Rot] (C) rank 0 ¡¤ [Healing Touch] (C) rank 12 ¡¤ [Heartfire] (C) rank 5 ¡¤ [Purge] (U) rank 0
RESOURCES ¡¤ Health: 85 / 85 ¡¤ Stamina: 273 / 273 ¡¤ Mana: 218 / 218
ATTRIBUTES ¡¤ Strength: 1 ¡¤ Vigor: 4 ¡¤ Dexterity: 2 ¡¤ Perception: 3 ¡¤ Spirit: 5 Available Attribute Points Unspent: 2
CLASSES ¡¤ Primary Class: Healer ¡¤ Secondary Class: None ¡¤ Secondary Class: None
TRAITS ¡¤ [Anyone] (Racial) ¡¤ [No one] (Racial) ¡¤ [Iron Mind] (Hereditary) ¡¤ [Beastmaster] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Durable] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Hobbler] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Punching-Bag] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Signature Skill] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Survivalist] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Tactician] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Thick Skinned] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Vivacity] (Achievement) ¡¤ [The Seal of Passing] (Prophetic)
¡°What¡¯s got you grinning like a loon?¡± Kaid asked. ¡°I can believe how much I¡¯ve gained today. And yesterday.¡± Joe added. ¡° I mean, I have thirteen traits already. And almost as many new spells.¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t get too used to that first part, Joe,¡± Kaid replied. ¡°You get most of your traits early on. ¡®First this¡¯ and ¡®First that¡¯ sort-a-stuff. Once you knock those out, then you only get traits for unusual situations or big accomplishments.¡± ¡°I would expect that you will very shortly have far more skills than traits,¡± Lady Growlbee predicted. ¡°That is typically for most people. Only those who hyper-specialize have less skills than traits.¡± ¡°We should spar again,¡± the small knife-fighter suggested. ¡°Your heal is a damn good way to survive a fight but outlasting enemies has got to be a terrible way to win a fight. Let¡¯s work on your blocking and attacks after we get back to Crowfield.¡± ¡°That would be great,¡± Joe agreed. As he was about to say more, a curving dagger fell from the sky, sticking point first into the dark oaken table, just a few inches from Joe¡¯s hand. ¡°What?¡± He squawked. As Joe squawked in surprise, Kaid joyfully cried, ¡°Milo!¡± The tiny man launched himself onto the table and snatched up the wavy blade. More items fell around them. The gnome snagged another falling dagger, calling out it by name as well, ¡°Vera! Oh, thank the gods.¡± ¡°You could just thank me,¡± the witch corrected with a smug tone of voice. Joe looked up to see the cloud of ravens returning. They seemed far less substantial than when they first flew overhead. They were fading feathery ghosts that would drop an item before completely unraveling into smoke. The table was pelted with coins, mostly gold and silver. It looked like several of Kaid¡¯s knives had been recovered. Numerous pink seed pods rattled onto the wood as well. Lady Growlbee looked very pleased by these. There were four more items. One was a quarterstaff, but not the one Joe had lost. This one was charred but still sturdy-sounding as it clunked onto and then off the table. Orange veins snaked around the shaft, giving off the impression of embers burning within the weapon. The next two items were jewelry. The first was a silver ring with a small shield signet on it. The other was a heavy purple bracelet. As soon as Joe saw it, he knew it was connected to the Beguilburr. It was shaped like the plant¡¯s twisting roots and shaded in the same violet and magenta colors as the tree. The last object dropped by the dissipating flock was a purple, pulsing fruit. While it reminded Joe of a dragonfruit in size, shape, and color, it was clearly something far more valuable. ¡°Even though the battle to earn this bounty was entirely your doing, none of it would have reached you without my aid. Therefore, I would like to make a request. The spirit core of the Beguilburr would be of great benefit to me in my incantations and growth. Joe, as the vanquisher of the elite monster, you clearly are entitled to first pick. I am merely stating my preference.¡±
[Heart of the Beguilburr] (Item: Spirit Relic - Uncommon): This monster core is infused with major {Wood} and {Mind} affinities. It can be used to empower sympathetic enchantments, items, and personal affinities. {Fey}This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
¡°I¡¯m a bit confused,¡± Joe uttered. ¡°Why does an item infused with {Wood} and {Mind} affinities have a final affinity of {Fey}?¡± ¡°Because those two are root affinities. Together, they combine to make the {Fey} affinity,¡± the regal witch replied. ¡°What is a root affinity?¡± he asked. Joe watched as Kaid was about to blurt out the answer, but a small look from the witch reined him in. The gnome dipped his small head for her to field Joe¡¯s question. ¡°There are twenty root affinities. They consist of fundamentals such as the four elements or esoteric concepts like {Soul} and {Time}. Every other affinity is a composite affinity, a combination of two of the twenty roots.¡± She stopped and tapped her long blue nails against the table in a single rolling pattern: index to pinky. ¡°I believe I might have an affinities primer in here that I can give you.¡± She pulled the writing desk closer and began to rummage around inside. ¡°If I recall, it is a rather simple one, but it will do to get you started.¡± Joe found it coincidental that she would have just the thing they were speaking of in such a small box, but it soon became apparent that there was more to the desk than met the eye. The case was only a few inches deep, but Joe watched as Granny¡¯s arm reached into the box past her elbow. The desk was bigger on the inside. ¡®Cool. A TARDIS writing case,¡± Joe mused to himself. What eventually emerged was a small slim book, about the size of an index card, maybe two inches by three inches. It was bound in green leather and only held maybe fifty pages in total. She handed it over, stating, ¡°That one once belonged to Hetta, my second daughter, when she was a child. I quite like that it will see use once again instead of languishing in the depths of this old box.¡± Joe opened and flipped past the first cover page to the table of contents. There, he found five groups of four. The first category was entitled Elemental, which was made up of the expected {Air}, {Earth}, {Fire}, and {Water}. The next group was called Energetics, which listed {Force}, [Light}, {Lightning}, and {Sound} as its affinities. The Enigmatic category contained the strange collection of {Chaos}, {Cold}, {Mind}, and {Shadow}. These were followed by the Esoteric group: {Order}, {Soul}, {Space}, and {Time}. Lastly were the Existentials, comprised of {Beast}, {Death}, {Life}, and {Wood}. In his head, Joe pictured a table. Twenty by twenty would be four hundred combinations, except that they were roughly halved since {Air} and {Earth} were the same as {Earth} and {Air}. That combination caused Joe to wonder if {Dust} mages were a common class type. Adding in the root affinities, Joe effortlessly had the formula: twenty squared divided by two plus twenty divided by two. This came out to two-ten, the same number Hawking had given him yesterday. After the table of contents, there was a chart with ten aptitude strengths listed from None to Perfect. In the back of the book was an index listing each of the two-hundred-plus magic types. Leafing through the book, he saw there were small descriptions of each affinity. He looked up the one to which he had just gained a bonus. Calculation: Mind/Order - This affinity focuses on understanding the nature of objects, beings, or situations. It is the basis of many identification abilities. It is also highly useful for strategic and tactical enhancement skills. Its opposite affinity is Confusion, and it often conflicts with Luck-based skills. ¡°If you inject a little mana into the codex, you can resort the affinities to form various groupings or to alphabetical,¡± the witch confided. ¡°Thanks,¡± Joe replied, continuing to flip through the small ledger. ¡°Are you sure you want to part with a family heirloom?¡± ¡°Quite sure. It is not an heirloom by any means. It merely has a tad of sentimentality attached to it. Not enough to prevent the happiness of seeing it passed along to a new student,¡± the woman answered. ¡°Now, what about the rest of these items.¡± Joe looked up from the green folio to see that Kaid had split the coins into three piles alongside the remaining objects: the two pieces of jewelry, the seed pods, and the burning staff. Joe continued to identify the pieces. The most striking of them all was the heavy, twisted purple bracelet.
[Band of Beguilement] (Item: Wrist - Rare): By overwhelming a target¡¯s mental resistance, you can force it to obey your commands. The target will not obey an obviously self-destructive order, but it can be compelled to perform actions that conflict with its own self-interests. Cooldown: Long | Range: Medium. {Domination}
¡®Bleah!¡¯ Joe thought. ¡®That¡¯s one sinister-sounding item.¡¯ Out loud, he stated, ¡°I don¡¯t think I want the mind-controlling bracelet. Domination sounds awful.¡± ¡°You mean the Band of the Beguilburr? Here I was thinking that you were the one best suited for it,¡± Gerabella argued. ¡°I have plenty of enchanting skills, as you have well seen. Believe me, had I wished to, I could have been far more enthralling than the power contained in that beguiling bangle. If you step back and look around your inherent revulsion for such an ability, you would see that sometimes controlling an adversary can be far more humane than fighting them.¡± ¡°Yeah, and my Spirit is as bad as your Strength,¡± Kaid interjected. ¡°I might be able to get those beetles to obey me, but I doubt much else. You really should take it, Joe. It''s the highest rarity here, and you did most of the work. You deserve it. Besides, you really need something to stop monsters from hitting you. With that guy, you could tell them to knock it off, and they¡¯d have to obey you.¡± While Kaid had a very good argument, Joe was still not sold. He quickly looked at the seed pods. After realizing they were just common reagents, similar to the saddleleaf, he moved on to the silver ring.
[Ring of Sheltered Will] (Item: Finger - Uncommon) This band provides you with moderate resistance against Domination effects. {Resolution}
With [Iron Mind] being better in every way, the ring should go to Kaid, who clearly could use it. Unless ¡­ ¡°Can you stack resistances?¡± Joe asked. ¡°Meaning, can you combine two medial resistances to get either major or maximum resistance?¡± Granny asked. ¡°Almost never without an epic-level or better item. Typically, you just receive only the higher resistance.¡± ¡°Ok. Thanks,¡± he acknowledged before identifying the last item, the molten-looking staff.
[Smoldering Staff] (Item: Weapon - Common) This weapon adds minor fire damage to your attacks. {Fire}
¡®Simple enough,¡¯ Joe conceded. ¡°So,¡± Kaid started. ¡°There is thirty-two gold in various coin types. I¡¯ll take one less and the ring. There are eighteen seeds, which my [Appraisement] skill values at around ten more gold altogether.¡± ¡°I would be quite happy with the seed pods and the heart only. You two split the coins,¡± the witch offered. ¡°I can use both in my rituals. Having them on hand is worth far more to me than a bit of extra gold.¡± ¡°Ok, that makes it even easier,¡± the small man affirmed. In a few deft gestures, he recut the piles from three to two and slid half towards Joe along with the purple band and the staff. ¡°Here you take these, Joe.¡± While he was still not a fan of the evil bracelet, he had to admit it seemed like the most logical division. Looking across the table at the pile of loot, the diminutive ruffian, and the mercurial witch, Joe was struck again by a sense of amazement. The day before yesterday, he had been bedbound, in inscrutable pain, and dying. Today, he had battled his way through goblins, giant insects, and an evil boss plant. Sure, those victories had been messy, painful, and almost ended up in a blazing catastrophe. Even so, he had survived and grown. Reaching out to scoop the coins into his money pouch, Joe felt himself grinning from ear to ear. 31 - Wanted Joe slipped on the cold, heavy bangle, and a shiver immediately ran down his back. The cold, twisted metal felt almost clammy against his skin. He heard a faint whisper, more with his mind than his ears, emanating from the item the moment the band settled around his forearm. Joe focused on the Band of the Begilburr, and that sibilant whisper grew louder, letting him know the purple circlet¡¯s magic was ready and off cool-down. None of this made him feel any better about the violet, mind-bending band. On the other hand, the moment he took hold of the staff, he was enveloped by a pleasant heat. Much like the comforting warmth emanating from one of his [Heartfires], the chill of the purple metal was immediately driven away when he took hold of the smoldering polearm. ¡°Well, I guess that does it,¡± he said, rising from the table. ¡°I cannot thank you enough for all your help and generosity, Madam Growlbee. I can now fulfill my promise.¡± ¡°You are quite welcome. I am glad this scamp came up with such a clever solution. I am glad to be able to help a neighbor even though I could not do so directly. Old grudges are hard to thwart, especially for those who practice witchcraft.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. I know I''m a genius,¡± the little man blustered in jest. ¡°So, we are square now.¡± After a quick pause, the gnome added, ¡°But if ya need a new favor, you know where to find me.¡± ¡°Begone rascal. I have enough debts without you tempting more,¡± the matron chided with a smile. ¡°Take your interesting young friend with you,¡± breathed the lovely maiden in the yellow sundress. Her presence washed over him, flooding him with her magical charms. Kaid chuckled and dragged Joe back to the shore. Joe knew it was a glamor, and his trait would not allow him to be dominated, but even so, he could barely stumble after the tugging gnome, who was unfairly far stronger than he was, even with his diminutive stature. ¡°She really has your number,¡± the small man laughed, shoving Joe onto the raft. ¡°Be thankful she did not bring out the crone. She has another look. A really, truly scary witchy look that is downright horrifying. She dropped that one on me, and I thought I was going to grease my shorts.¡± The idea of a Granny Growlbee as a classic hag-like witch cleared the lingering cobwebs from Joe¡¯s mind. After a last head-shake, he began to pole along with Kaid. The first time his new staff hit the water, a fizzle surprised them both. The fire-based staff caused the water to pop and steam around the shaft as Joe used it to shove the raft across the mere.
¡°Wait,¡± Kaid hissed, grabbing hold of Joe¡¯s pants leg. They were just about at the same point on the road where Joe had first encountered Sir Groven and seen Rhyley and Buck in the distance. The sun was starting to set off to Joe¡¯s right. From the top of the hill, he could just make out the Dellham farmstead another ten-minute walk away. Thanks to his spell, neither of them was actually tired, but Joe was sweaty and sore. He just wanted to get back, treat Sarsa, and relax after a very trying day. The last thing he was interested in was more drama. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Something is wrong.¡± Kaid stood stock still, peering at the homestead ahead of them. ¡°What do you mean? There is nothing wrong. Look, there is Konren sitting on his porch, rocking away.¡± ¡°Exactly. There are still a couple of good hours of daylight left. In all the times I have come out to the Dellhams, I have never seen Konren slouching on his porch while the sun was still up, especially during planting season. Something is wrong.¡± Joe did not know Rhiley¡¯s family nearly as well as Kaid did. Even so, once he thought about it, it did seem odd that Konren would be kicking back on his front porch so early in the evening. Joe had not figured out Illuminaria¡¯s calendar yet, but his best guess was a late spring day. Joe also had to admit he trusted Kaid¡¯s sense of peril over his own. ¡°So what do we do?¡± he asked, dropping his voice. ¡°We don¡¯t do anything. I¡¯ll go scout it out. Let¡¯s get you off the top of the hill so they won¡¯t spot you on the horizon,¡± he advised. ¡°I¡¯ll be back as quickly as I can.¡± Kaid jogged along the side of the road, keeping low. When he reached the edge of the closest field of crops, the tiny gnome vanished into the plants. Joe left the path to settle into the welcome shade of a maple-like tree growing beside the old dirt road. Even though the sun was no longer high in the sky, the leafy shadows were a welcome relief. Letting go of the staff also helped cool him down. Joe slid down the smooth trunk and took a drink of tepid water from his waterskin. It quenched his thirst, but warm water was not nearly as satisfying as a refrigerated bottle of water. Joe realized he was going to miss ice on demand. There were few things better than a glass of iced tea or a cold beer on a hot day. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Joe rested his head against the trunk and debated closing his eyes, but the events of the day had him too tense to nod off. Still, it was nice just to sit and watch the sky start to move from blue to orange. He tracked a ¡°V¡± of birds crossing the sky. They seemed larger than he would expect to see on Earth, but the creatures soared onwards, uninterested or unaware of Joe¡¯s observance. Joe¡¯s eye started to droop, tempting him to hit himself with [Efferous Endurance] once again, but the return of his new friend woke him right up. One look at Kaid¡¯s face and Joe knew something was indeed wrong. ¡°What happened, Kaid? Is Sarsha ok? She has to be; the wound wasn''t much worse this morning, and Nella and I ¡­¡± ¡°Joe. Shush,¡± Kaid hissed in a quiet voice. ¡°It¡¯s not Missus Dellham. It¡¯s this,¡± he stated, handing Joe a roll of paper. ¡°There are guards around the farm waiting for us,¡± he added while Joe unfurled and read the sheet. WANTED ANATHEMA / THIEF The newcomer, known as JOSEPH MORRIS, has been deemed to be an anathema to the peace of the Kingdom of Duskurg by the Order of the Golden Edict, by the House of Amberwroth, and by the Priesthood of the Celestial Throne. This outsider has incited rebellious fervor against the kingdom¡¯s rule and is undoubtedly an agent of the Feylands. He is aided and abetted by the known criminal, Kaid Ward. This gnomish thief has been incarcerated numerous times for theft and assault. His collusion with the Feyland insurgent proves his unrepentant nature and his need for rehabilitation. These two individuals are to be incarcerated on sight and held until they can be relinquished into the hands of an agent of Phealti¡¯s Law. REWARD: 500 GP ¡°I have no idea what any of this means. Well, except the five hundred gold pieces? That¡¯s nuts. Is that amount normal for talking out of turn to a noble?¡± ¡°Anathema is not the same as being belligerent, Joe. Someone really wants you badly. Five hundred gold pieces is an insane bounty for this region. You should look at your own scrolls. The quest I have is not nearly worth that much.¡±
New Quest [Elude the Hunt] You are being hunted at the bequest of the Order of the Golden Edict and the noble-house of the Amberwroth. Evade their pursuit. Reward: 50 gold coins
¡°That¡¯s nuts. They are offering five hundred for an equivalent fifty gold piece quest. Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve pissed off Sir Groven plenty of times before, and he has never gone all out like this. You must have really insulted him. What did you say?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad. Really! I just said he wasn¡¯t very welcoming, which was true. That man seemed to dislike me the minute he saw me.¡± ¡°Well, it must be a Phealtian thing then,¡± Kaid muttered. ¡°You would have had to have been inciting a full-scale rebellion for it to be a noble thing at that bounty.¡± ¡°Who are these Phealtians, Kaid? I don¡¯t know that term yet.¡± ¡°Sorry. The Phealtians, also called the Golden Edict, consist of knights and paladins who follow the god Phealti. That¡¯s the god of order. They are big on demon hunting, but they also have a bad case of spiders in their shorts about anything from the Feylands, too. Basically, this says you are not human. That you¡¯re some monstrous fairy.¡± Joe thought back on his odd race. He grimaced and uttered, ¡°Well, that¡¯s not entirely untrue.¡± ¡°Wait, really? No snoot? How untrue?¡± ¡°I was human before I crossed over into Illumniaria. But when I got here, Hawk¡­ the One Above gave me a race with a faerie heritage.¡± ¡°Oh, booger spit, and he can¡¯t ID you either,¡¯ Kaid giggled. ¡°No wonder he is losing his mind. Sir Groven is a serious grump at the best of times, but that explains this. He can probably sense your heritage, but without a real identify, he has no idea what you actually are.¡± ¡°How can he sense my heritage? My trait blocks divinations and assessments,¡± Joe countered, letting the arm holding the parchment drop into his lap. ¡°There are specialties that will trump a trait like yours. Take Onhur, for example. He¡¯s another one of the four gods of law like Phealti. Templars of Onhur can sense lies. You need like an epic level of [Deception] to fool even a novice follower of Onhur,¡± the little man explained. ¡°Phealitans sense outsiders, beings that don¡¯t belong on this plane of Illuminaria: things like demons, fey, elementals, and such. I¡¯m betting that Groven couldn¡¯t get a clear read on you, but he still got a whiff of fey. You could be some high mucky-muck fairy prince, and he can¡¯t know for sure. No wonder he¡¯s calling out the army on us.¡± ¡°So how bad are the fey then? If having fey-blood is a death sentence, they must be pretty horrible.¡± ¡°Depends on who you ask and the type of fey. They are tricky and powerful, but they ain¡¯t all bad. Pooka are great if ya don¡¯t piss them off. They¡¯ll clean your house, fix your shoes, chase away rats. But there are also fey that you don¡¯t ever want to meet. Kelpies will drown you. Will-o-wisps will lead you off to die in the woods. Redcap hats are red cause they soak them in the blood of people, preferably babies. Don¡¯t get me started on dearg-due or hags,¡± Kaid added with a shudder. ¡°Then there are a whole bunch of them in between.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it. If the faerie-folk are a mixed bag, why do the Phealti guys kill them, no questions asked?¡± ¡°That¡¯s cause that whole order is made up of a bunch of uptight, black and white lunatics. They don¡¯t do gray,¡± Kaid stated, holding out both arms like a set of scales. ¡°Either you''re a person and not their problem,¡± he said, dipping one hand, ¡°or you''re an outsider, and you don''t belong,¡± the gnome explained, tilting his limbs the other way. ¡°Keep in mind the fey are just one type of outsiders,¡± the ruffian continued. ¡°You also have demons and eldritch boogies from the way beyond. Phealtians deal with all of them. If a demon shows up, you¡¯ll be damn sure happy if a Phealtian knight is there to deal with it while we smart folks run away. Yeah, they¡¯re a bunch a donkey balls, but they are donkey balls that save whole towns.¡± ¡°Great. So we¡¯re screwed.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Kaid agreed, sliding down the trunk to sit at Joe¡¯s side. ¡°That was my thought, too.¡± 32 - Schemes in the Night ¡°Is there any way for us to get to Sarsha?¡± Joe asked the small ruffian at his side. ¡°I could ¡­ easy. I saw three of the town watch around the farm. Pevmick the Tracker was by the shed. He thinks he can track me, but I¡¯ve given him the slip more times than I can count,¡± the gnome boasted. ¡°You are the problem. Unless you have a stealth-ability you haven¡¯t mentioned, then we are going to have to come up with something more elaborate than a simple sneak-in-and-out.¡± ¡°And complicated plans are recipes for disaster,¡± Joe groaned. ¡°Huh?¡± Kaid grunted, looking at Joe with a slightly astonished expression. ¡°Where did that come from? You seem so straight-laced. Who would have thought there was a hidden scoundrel in there?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve planned plenty of heists. I¡¯ve just never had to physically enact any of them before,¡± Joe replied, thinking of some of his favorite thief characters and campaigns. ¡°Ok, Mister Mastermind. What do you think we should do?¡± ¡°That depends. Do we want a plan that gets us in, and then we get away afterward? Or are we ok with healing Sarsha and getting caught?¡± Joe asked. After a momentary pause, he amended his words. ¡°Well, I would get caught for sure on the way out. I think you¡¯d get away.¡± ¡°The first one. Duh!¡± Kaid made an exaggerated face at Joe. ¡°Then I¡¯ve got nothing quite yet. The classic ¡®distraction over there¡¯ only helps us get in, but afterward, the guards will be on high alert, so getting out and away with me is pretty improbable.¡± ¡°Did you leave anything at the Dellhams that Pevmick could use to track you?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Joe uttered, thinking. ¡°Bandages?¡± ¡°Yeah, but those were on Missus Dellham. Unless he pulled them off right after we left, they¡¯d be no good for his skills. Your scent, or whatever he tracks with, would be covered by her. I¡¯m sure Nella washed or at least aired out the sheets, so he can¡¯t use those.¡± ¡°Where are you going with this, Kaid?¡± ¡°I like your distraction idea to get in. The other two guards were Cembu Reze and Lonny Yuggs. They are good at fighting goblins or roarbacks, but they don¡¯t have any enhanced sensory skills, as far as I know. As long as Pevmick doesn¡¯t have your ¡®scent,¡¯ then we should have enough time to figure out a way to get you away after we save Rhy¡¯s mom. I say we try it,¡± the small man exclaimed, still keeping his voice down just in case. ¡°What is our distraction? Are we going to start another fire? ¡°No. Let''s not add arson to our list of impending charges,¡± he argued. ¡°There was this one game ¡­,¡± Joe began.
Joe crouched in the wheat field, being tickled by the growing stalks of grain. He was feeling a bit of Deja Vu being once again surrounded by a large swath of high grasses. They had decided that all Joe would do was run to the side of the farmhouse when the time was right. The sneaky gnome and his accomplices would take care of the rest. The sun had gone down over an hour ago. The night sky was a mixed blessing. A bright, gibbous moon gave off far too much illumination for their comfort, but the sky was a patchwork of clouds, giving them sporadic moments of deep darkness to work in. This whole plan was at the whim of timing and shadows. Joe¡¯s [Smoldering Staff] had been covered by one of Konren¡¯s cloaks, which Kaid had grabbed a few hours ago while telling the Dellhams their plan. He was now just waiting on the little gnome to come and get him when the time was right. When that moment occurred, Joe almost blew everything. Out of nowhere, a voice hissed in his ear. ¡°You ready?¡± it asked, and Joe barely stifled a potentially loud squawk of tense surprise. ¡°Geez, man! Don¡¯t do that,¡± he huffed a second later, trying to get his heart rate back under control. ¡°You knew I was coming,¡± Kaid uttered in a quiet, bewildered voice. ¡°Yeah, but I have been hiding in the field for an hour now. A bit of warning would have been nice.¡± ¡°Sorry. Everything is set. I got Rhy and Buck out of the house. They are by the sheep pen, and the gate is already open. Kip¡¯s there too, ready to beast-shape into a wolf.¡± Kip was the girl from the dock. A couple of years older than Rhiley, she had a druid class that allowed her to transform into various animal shapes. A wolf was about as big as she could turn into, but that was all they needed to get the sheep running through the farm. Joe¡¯s original scheme was a cattle stampede, but the Dellhams only had four cows. There were more than enough sheep on the farm, so a mini-stampeded was planned. ¡°Here they come,¡± Kaid whispered. They could both hear a wolf¡¯s howl and the braying of sheep coming closer. ¡°As soon as that cloud covers the moon, we go,¡± the small rogue stated, pointing upward.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. When the shadow fell over the farm, the world shifted from silvery light to a near-complete darkness. Joe was almost blind; he could just make out a slightly lighter, blurry blob that was his hand in front of his face. Kaid pulled him forward, his gnomish eyes far more adept to the dim light than Joe¡¯s. Shouts of deeper voices called out from the guards stationed around the farm. Suddenly, Konren¡¯s deep baritone was added to the mix. ¡°Rhy, take Buck and go wrangle the sheep. I¡¯ll get the wolf.¡± This was a ploy, as the farmboy and sheepdog were with the lupine-shaped Kip at the back of the flock, driving the herd past the house. ¡°No. Everyone has to stay inside by order of the Lord Amberwroth,¡± countered a man from near the barn. ¡°Lonny. You know I¡¯m not going to let any of my girls get eaten by some wolf. Now get over here and help Rhy round them up. Then, you can go back to looking for your felons. I¡¯m going to get that wolf, and there ain¡¯t anything you can do about it unless you want me to tell Mercia about how you treat your neighbors ever since you got this town watchman gig.¡± Kaid pulled Joe up to the side of the house as a flustered reply lamented through the night air. ¡°Come on, Kon. You know we got a job to do. Don¡¯t bring the missus into it.¡± ¡°Then, help us get the sheep back in the pasture and mums the word,¡± the large farmer countered, clearly having fun with his part in this subterfuge. As planned, the root cellar had been unlocked from the inside of the house. Just before the two sneaking fugitives lost their cloud cover, they eased open the diagonal trapdoor and slipped down the steps leading under the farmhouse. When the panel was closed again above them, Joe and Kaid both let out a deep sigh of relief. By now, Kip had swapped her shape into another sheepdog or ran off, whichever worked better to get her clear. Konren would ¡®hunt¡¯ around the farm with his heavy crossbow for a little while before returning to the house. Nella stood on the stairs up into the kitchen, covering most of the light from a small taper with her hand. Joe eased his way across the dirty floor to her while Kaid locked the bunkhead behind them. ¡°How¡¯s your mom?¡± Joe whispered as he reached her. ¡°I think she¡¯s getting worse, Joe. Kaid said you have some new spells.¡± ¡°I do. Is it safe for me to come up?¡± ¡°Yeah. Ma¡¯s in her room. We hung a blanket over the window. Nobody will see us,¡± the girl replied, taking Joe¡¯s hand and pulling him up the steps, clearly worried. When they reached the parent''s bedroom, Joe agreed that Sarsha looked even worse than when he first treated her yesterday. Her skin was completely waxen, and her breathing was harsh and ragged. The black, snaking veins now reached past her elbow. Nella must have recently unwrapped the hand, knowing they might only have minutes before one of the guards stormed in. Korean was doubtful the men he had grown up with would barge into his home, especially in light of Sarsha''s condition. On the other hand, Kaid mentioned Lord Amberwroth was not someone anyone wanted to get on the wrong side of. Fear of the callous noble might cause the town warders to be overly zealous. ¡®Here goes,¡¯ Joe thought internally before he directed his mind outward to his unseen acquaintance. ¡®Can you give me any advice here, Hawking? Is there a right or wrong way to use these spells?¡¯
While I cannot provide guidance regarding the specific spells in question, I can give you a small degree of advice regarding skills in general. Intent has a high degree of influence on how a skill functions, especially a newly acquired skill. Focusing clearly on what you want to occur will provide you with the highest likelihood of achieving that end.
¡®Ok. Thanks,¡¯ Joe sent back, a little surprised that he got even that much from the inscrutable entity. Back to himself, he issued the command, ¡®Focus on intent.¡¯ He pictured pushing the infection out, a bit like squeezing toothpaste out of the tube or popping an acne pustule. Just before he applied the [Dispel Rot] spell, Joe felt another one of his skills flicker and pulse for the briefest of seconds. It was his [Coin Catcher] skill. Even though this oddity piqued his curiosity, Joe pushed that thought away. He couldn¡¯t afford to distract himself with a new mystery when he might only have one try at saving Sarsha. Focusing on the puffy hand, Joe activated the witch spell, resulting in a surprisingly powerful discharge of puss. A bubbling froth of pale, dead blood cells spurted out of the wound, sprinkling both himself and Nella with small white droplets. ¡°Oh gross,¡± the young lass gasped. ¡°Yeah. That was pretty bad. Sorry.¡± The smell was not great either. He gathered his mana again and used [Dispel Rot] to push again. More gunk oozed from her palm. The second push elicited a pained groan from the infirmed woman, making Joe realize he had forgotten a step. With over two hundred mana now, Joe could afford to be thorough. [Dispel Rot] used more mana than his other spells but should be able to cast around ten of them before he¡¯d have to rest. Moving up above her elbow, Joe began driving the blood poisoning down her arm and out the hole in her palm. He lost Nella for a few minutes while her stomach rebelled on her, but like a trooper, she was back as soon as she got her unruly gut back under control. Using warm water and a series of clean cloths, Sarsha¡¯s daughter wiped away the pus and bad blood, helping Joe to see the best spot to send his next use of the spell to. By the time Joe had spent three-quarters of his mana, there was no more infection left. Using [Healing Touch], he began to restore her strength. Given how much that skill had improved, he barely needed a second dose.
You have restored 3 points of Sarsa Dellham¡¯s health. Her current health is at 100%. Your skill [Healing Touch] has increased to rank 12.
For the first time, Joe finally got to see Sarsha Dellham¡¯s eyes fully clear and alert. Her skin was pink, and her aura, while showing hints of grey from weariness, was a robust blue. As Joe spent some of his dwindling mana on [Efferous Endurance] to boost her energy levels, Nella slipped past him to fold herself into her mother¡¯s arms. The girl could finally let go of her brave face and let all of her fear and worries out. Joe stepped back to give the gently crying lass and the comforting mother some space, only to have a strong hand land on his shoulder. Dread filled his heart. Thinking his time was up, Joe snapped his head around. Instead of a hard-faced guardsman, his eyes found Konren standing beside him. The large farmer was blinking back his emotions as he gazed on the two women. A deep squeeze to Joe¡¯s shoulder spoke more than words ever could. 33 - Time to Go ¡°I think Pevmick¡¯s suspicious,¡± Rhiley stated, sitting on the bed with his mother and Nella. ¡°He kept asking me when I got a second dog. He must have seen Kip before she took off.¡± ¡°Then we haven¡¯t much time left,¡± Konren replied, his deep voice spoken quietly. ¡°Do you have any ideas on how to get Joe out of here, Kaid?¡± ¡°All my stuff only works on me. I can¡¯t share my [Whisperstep] or [Furtive Focus],¡± the gnome stated, looking ashamed. Before Joe could reassure him, the little scoundrel added, ¡°The only plan I had was getting them to chase me, hoping they miss Joe running the other way. But that won''t work now. If Pevmick is onto us, he¡¯ll send for Gondavese and his dogs.¡± ¡°Dogs?¡± Joe whispered, as the one he had been petting bumped his hand so he would keep doing so. ¡°I know how to deal with dogs, but only if we can get away from the house.¡± ¡°How?¡± asked Kaid and Rhiley at once. ¡°We sprinkle a scent across our trail that will throw off their sense of smell for a while. Do you have any sharp, pungent-smelling herbs?¡± ¡°We have black pepper and firespice,¡± Sarsha supplied, while Nella asked, ¡°Would vinegar work?¡± ¡°No vinegar! It would work, but it could also seriously damage a dog¡¯s lungs. I¡¯m not going to do that. Pepper, and I¡¯m guessing a chili-like spice, is mean enough. Do you have clove or cumin or turmeric?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know those last two,¡± the newly healed mother stated, ¡°but I have a whole jar of ground clove.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s use that. It won¡¯t be as strong as the peppers, but it has less chance of ruining a dog. Right, buddy,¡± Joe added, squooshing Buck¡¯s face. ¡°What does it matter? They¡¯re just dogs, Joe,¡± Kaid scoffed, only to get a solid punch in the arm from his friend. Joe threw Rhiley a smile and a nod. ¡°I¡¯m not hurting someone¡¯s dogs if I can help it. Even so, that still doesn''t get us out of the house.¡± Joe scanned the room before continuing. ¡°I think we should consider giving up. Those charges are ridiculous. Since I am not a fey, a quick truth spell will clear this up. Kaid said you have clerics that have those. The Dellhams will get a fortune in gold, and we can get out from under this insanity. I don¡¯t particularly relish the idea of being a fugitive.¡± When every other head in the room looked worried and began to shake their heads, Joe realized this might be more than just a simple misunderstanding. ¡°Sir Groven is a highly respected defender of the realm,¡± Konren stated firmly. ¡°He slew the Owlmill Incubus on his own, saving dozens of lives and souls. Even though his hatred of anything alien is overly zealous, the knight is known to be a good man. You will not receive a fair trial here, Joe. Lord Amberwroth will unconditionally side with Sir Groven. I fear nothing you say or is said on your behalf will be heard. Unless a templar of Onhur somehow hears of your trial, you will get no truthsense performed for you.¡± Joe sighed. ¡®We¡¯re screwed,¡¯ he thought. As those words passed through his head, the notification he had received for healing Sarsha became suddenly more insistent. It flickered frantically at the corner of his eye. For some reason, Joe felt like Hawking was actively trying to point out the alert to him, even though the mysterious entity had been pretty clear that giving direct help or unsolicited advice was something he was not allowed to do. Opening the information block, Joe read.
You have successfully completed [Septic Slice]. Do you wish to accept your quest rewards now?
A glowing orb appeared beside him. Even with the blanket over the window, Joe was afraid the ball of light would be too bright, alerting the hunters outside the house. As he looked around, he realized the phenomenon didn¡¯t actually light up the room at all. It seemed to glow, but it didn¡¯t illuminate the occupants packed into the small bedroom or create any shadows. He willed [Coin Catcher] to loot the orb, pulling a golden medallion into his hand.
[Talisman of the Medic] (Item: Soulbound - Uncommon-) A medic needs to be able to slip through battle in order to heal comrades or to get a patient to safety. This talisman will store up your movement and use it to make medium-range teleportation steps. It will store a maximum of 100 feet of movement per point of Vigor you possess. An ally can be carried with you by expending twice the amount of stored movement per teleport. Distance Pool: 400 ft / 400 ft {Teleportation}
¡°I think we now have our way out of here,¡± Joe stated, flipping the two-inch golden disc over in his hand. The back side had a hook that could be used to fasten the item to something like a belt, chain, or coat. The front was etched with a swooping design that gave off an impression of movement.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. He recalled medium range meant up to sixty feet. The first teleport out of the house would cost twice as much from the pool since he¡¯d have to take Kaid with him, but once outside, Joe was certain Kaid could sneak away from the farm on his own. That would leave Joe four of five more jumps to get distance between himself and the guards. If they headed past the wood piles, they might be able to reach the treeline at the closest edge of the farm. As Joe explained what the talisman could do, Nella slipped off the bed to gather supplies for them. Her father accompanied her. By the time Rhiley, Kaid, Sarsha, and Joe had decided on the best route to take to reach the trees, the other two had returned. Nella must have already started the travel bag. The small rucksack in her hands looked stuffed with items. As Joe already had a backpack, she passed the bag to the tiny gnome. While it looked ridiculously large on the small man, the ruffian seemed to have no trouble with its weight. Their goodbyes were quick and quiet, but Joe found himself surprisingly heartsore as he hugged the Dellhams goodbye and gave Buck one last good ruffling. While he had only known these good folks for a single day, this family had been the primary focus of his new life in Illuminaria so far. He had been without a family for so long; even this temporary connection to Rhiley and his kin was something to be cherished. Leaving them also felt like he was untethering himself from his safety net. It would just be Kaid and himself going forward, leaving Crowfield''s inherent safety behind. While he was somewhat unnerved by that thought, he had to admit he was a bit excited as well. There was a whole new world out there. It was dangerous and confusing, but Joe was gaining skills and levels. If he kept his head and kept learning, who knew how far he could go? ¡°Ok,¡± Kaid whispered, ¡°Time to go.¡± They slipped out of the bedroom, though Sarsha stayed in bed. Konren and Nella stayed by the door as Rhiley, Joe, and Kaid crept to the back of the house. Joe was not sure if he could teleport through the kitchen window. If not, they would try cracking open the backdoor. Joe took hold of the small man¡¯s shoulder and looked through the pane of glass by the pump. All he had to do was think about the talisman and the item activated. His vision seemed to jump and skitter under the medallion¡¯s magic. He felt like his eyesight was getting stuck on spots as he looked around the yard behind the house. It took him a second to realize his eyes were trying to lock onto a spot on the grass. He picked an area next to a tall stack of firewood and focused on it. His vision zoomed into that spot; he could see each blade of grass snap into sharp clarity. Joe could have counted the curving rings in the segmented logs even though they were twenty yards away in the night. He felt a pulse ripple through his skin, leaving him feeling a sense of anticipation. He leaned into that sensation, giving it his assent. With a small pop of displaced air, Joe found himself, with Kaid still in his grasp, standing in the grass by the woodpile. Knowing what he was doing now, Joe released Kaid and targeted what looked like a blueberry bush about thirty feet away. The netted plant was the only cover nearby. Joe appeared beside the fruit-bearing shrub but had not accounted for the uneven ground. His left foot found a few inches of open air, forcing Joe to land on his hands and knees to quiet his fall. Luckily, the short grass was soft, muffling his landing. The next spot they had planned for was the old wagon. Konren had the broken wheel in the barn as he had not gotten around to mending it yet. At the moment, the cart sat with one corner held up by a log. Unfortunately, they had just underestimated the distance from the berry bush to the wagon. Joe couldn¡¯t lock onto the ground on the far side of the vehicle. His jump would only bring him to the closer side of the cart, which would leave him in plain sight of the sheds and barn where the guards had been stationed. Still on his hands and knees, he crept forward, trying to be as quiet as possible. Each rustle seemed unbelievably loud to his ears. With his head down in this position, he couldn¡¯t easily check to see if he was out in the open, either. He expected at any moment to hear a warning shout. Or worse, the sound of a guard clearing his or her throat right over him. That would be both terrible and completely humiliating. As soon as his vision zeroed in on the spot he wanted, Joe willed himself to teleport there. Panting with tension, he rolled into a sitting position against one of the remaining wheels. Slowing his breathing, he listened, but the only sound he heard was his own hammering heartbeat. No cry of alarm or footfalls coming his way. The next two teleports were easy. Fifty feet to the corner of the sheep pen and then a full distance jump parallel to the fence. With only twenty feet or so left in the talisman, Joe started slinking alongside the rails towards the trees, each step refilling his new medallion. When he reached the relative safety of the trees, he found Kaid and Kip there waiting for him. The gnome held up a finger in front of his lips and pointed to a spot in the forest where the moonlight was illuminating the forest floor. It was the only thing Joe could see under the thick canopy of leaves. Joe had refilled enough movement to make the teleport. A moment after he appeared, the silent Kaid and an equally stealthful owl appeared out of the gloom beside him. Joe noted a long, dimly glowing item on the ground a few feet away. He stepped out of the beam of moonlight into the pitch blackness. Trying not to trip, he reached down to retrieve his smoldering staff. ¡°Good, he found it,¡± chirped the young girl who stood where the owl had landed. ¡°So, Kaid. What¡¯s the plan? Want me to lead them away?¡± ¡°Naw. You''ve done enough, Kip. Gondavese will be here with his dogs in the morning. I don¡¯t want them getting your scent. We¡¯ve got a good head start, and Joe¡¯s new ¡®blink-step¡¯ item can take two people. We¡¯ll lose em. You should get back home before your dad finds out you¡¯re out prowling the night with me again. He¡¯s still mad at me for Long Night.¡± ¡°That was fun,¡± the girl chuckled. She stood between Kaid and Rhiley in height, wearing forester leathers in green and brown. Her mane of dark hair was only partially contained by loose braids. A long hunting knife hung from a well-worn belt. Everything about the youthful girl exclaimed woodlander to Joe, even her slightly husky voice. ¡°He¡¯s mostly over it, but yeah, he¡¯ll tan my rump if he finds out we were messing with the town guards again. You be safe, Little Man. Come find me when you get back.¡± With a casual salute, her form swirled and shrunk in an instant. Joe watched the owl silently vanish into the thick darkness under the trees. Joe realized she had not spoken to him once in either encounter. She had barely glanced at him. Maybe she was shy or shared Kaid¡¯s discomfort with bigger people. Joe let that mystery go, having far more pressing matters at hand. Other than a few inconsistent silvery beams breaking through the canopy of leaves, Joe stood in a vast void of black shadows. Somehow, he was going to have to traverse this ebon expanse of roots and rock to get away from the hunters who would soon be on their trail. 34 - Run Rabbit Run ¡°So, how much can you see?¡± Kaid¡¯s voice asked from the darkness. ¡°Pretty much nothing. What about you?¡± Joe quietly admitted. With the moonlight blocked by the trees, he had to hold his hand a few inches from his face just to see the pale blur of it. ¡°Gnomes are burrow dwellers like the ratigan or brer. Means we have good darksight. Not dwarf-level-good, but way better than most folks. I can see well enough to guide us.¡± ¡°What are ratigan and brers?¡± ¡°Ok, that is your one free curiosity question until sun-up, Joe. We gotta hustle and stay quiet for a bit,¡± the unseen Kaid insisted. ¡°They are the ratfolk and rabbitfolk. Now take my hand.¡± Joe felt small fingers tap his. ¡°Let¡¯s go. The ground slopes a little downward, but it¡¯s a real gentle hill. I¡¯ll lead you around anything that will trip you. Just keep an even pace.¡± ¡°Wait! Before we go, we should dump the cloves here. That should give us an hour or so before the dogs'' noses clear.¡± ¡°Maybe. I realized Gondavese has a packmaster class. I would not put it past him to have a skill to fix up his dogs if something happened to ''em. Still, it''s a good idea. It should buy us some time, even if not a full hour.¡± Kaid led Joe a little ways away and then went back to spread the clove around. The nimble little man made sure not to get any of the spice on himself while he worked. A minute later, the rogue returned to Joe and began guiding the blind human through the midnight forest. True to his word, Kaid directed Joe along a route without anything to trip over. Granted, the path was a very serpentine one. There were a few spots Kaid had to carefully guide Joe past, such as a fallen tree, a dry pebbly stream bed, and under a fallen widowmaker. Other than those, they were able to maintain a steady pace. Still, it was not a truly quick crossing. Even with Joe going as fast as he could in the dark, their pace was still far slower than Kaid could have gone on his own, or what someone could have covered if the sun had been up. When a beam of moonlight allowed them to, they used the [Talisman of the Medic] to put sixty-foot breaks in their path, always angling off to one side or the other to confuse their pursuers. After what felt like forever wandering in the dark, Kaid pulled Joe to a stop. It was still too dark to see, but the small man gave a tug down, sitting them both onto a carpet of old leaves. ¡°I¡¯m surprised how well we did there. Lugging you this way and that was tough, but most folks can¡¯t match your level of trust and just follow someone¡¯s lead blindly through the dark. We made way more distance than I expected.¡± ¡°Thanks. Guess it¡¯s a habit. I had people manipulating my body for a while. It''s easier for everyone to just go with it,¡± Joe replied. ¡°You know I can keep us going. Remember, I¡¯ve got that stamina boost?¡± ¡°Nah, save it. Sunup is coming any minute now. So far, we have been lucky. There was an easy path we could take. The next section in front of us is too tangled. We¡¯re better off waiting until you can see. If you twist an ankle, we¡¯re done for,¡± the small rogue warned. ¡°There is a good stream ahead we can use to throw off the dogs. You¡¯ll need to see to navigate it. If you listen, you can just hear it.¡± They both quieted, and Kaid was right; the swishing sound of water flowing across rocks was faintly issuing out of the night. Even so, Joe had to correct the small ruffian. ¡°That¡¯s an old wive¡¯s tale. We should stay clear of the stream.¡± ¡°What¡¯s an ¡®old wive¡¯s tale¡¯,¡± Kaid asked, sounding confused. ¡°Sorry. I guess that one doesn''t translate. A fallacy. A myth. Something most folks believe but is not true,¡± Joe stated, as his hand found a small stick on the ground. He carefully picked it up just to have something tactile to hold in the dark. ¡°Then why does everyone try to lose dogs by going into the water?¡± ¡°It only works if you have a really big body of water, like a river, lake, or ocean. Then you are not so much hiding your scent but making it harder for the pursuers to find the spot you left the water. Getting wet actually makes it easier for the dogs to track their prey. Once they leave the water, the smells that will drip off are typically more plentiful than the smells that flake off dry skin. Those drops will point out our trail.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°How do you know that?¡± the small man asked with a bit of awe in his voice. ¡°I mean, it makes sense now that you say it, but I can¡¯t believe everybody has got that wrong.¡± ¡°I trained dogs. I did scent work with my dog, Ripple. Picked up all sorts of weird facts from those classes. That one was one of my favorites. Another one was how to escape dogs. Dogs are faster, but generally, humans can run for longer. Obviously, it depends on the breed. Sled-dogs are built for distance, but they are not trackers. With my [Efferous Endurance], there is a very good chance that they won¡¯t catch up as long as we keep moving.¡± ¡°Ok. It¡¯s already getting a bit brighter,¡± the gnome stated, which caused Joe to realize he could now make out his hands in the dark. ¡°As soon as you can see, we¡¯ll cross this rough patch. But now I¡¯m not sure what we should head for.¡± ¡°The idea still works if there is something bigger than a creek. A river or lake could hide our trail, just not a stream where we could move faster on dry ground than over slippery rocks.¡± ¡°We could get to the Andoo¡¯ak River by sunset if we keep moving. That¡¯s a big river. Would that work?¡± ¡°Yeah. It should,¡± he replied, able to make out Kaid for the first time in quite a while. Joe looked into the distance and found that he could see the forest trunks backlit by the faint first blush of dawn. He stood and stretched. It had already been a long day so far. Joe expected it would only get more grueling as it went on. He tightened his pack straps and gave Kaid a nod. The pair started slowly as the descending terrain was littered with moss-coated rocks. This area looked like a run-off during the rainy season. The soil had been washed away, leaving loose stones behind. Without a solid coating of dirt, the footing was terrible. Every step was either on sliding pebbles or tipping rocks. Joe picked his way down the hill, noting enviously how Kaid just slid across the uneven ground without any issues at all. When they reached solid footing again, it was time to run. Kaid picked up the pace, and Joe followed. Their speed kept increasing until Kaid found the best speed that Joe could maintain. Joe had never been able to run much in his old life, but his new body seemed to know exactly how to do it. The pace they set was far faster than anything Joe could have done even before cancer weakened his body. He had never realized the satisfaction that could be found in just running. Surging through the woods, healthy and fit, was invigorating. He wanted to whoop, but he knew there could be guards somewhere out here looking for them. Kaid made the journey look effortless for the first hour until Joe found himself closing on the gnome. Kaid had a higher Vigor, which allowed him to run for longer, but Joe had been dosing himself with [Efferous Endurance] whenever he felt his breathing start to become labored. Sharing the spell, the two managed to cover several miles. By the time the sun was a good way up the sky, Joe found applying [Efferous Endurance] yielded smaller and smaller returns with each casting. It turned out the spell would not let you exert yourself indefinitely. Eventually, when the skill could not push back their weariness any further, they knew they had to find a spot to stop and take a rest. Panting Joe asked about their options once they reached the river. ¡°Depends on where you want to go. Ternport is upstream. It¡¯s small, but I know a lot of people up there who are good at keeping their mouths shut. Lot of smuggling goes in and out of Tern. Means folks are not big on talking to the kingdom¡¯s marshals and such. Folks up there take teaching the value of privacy seriously. We don¡¯t want to be on the receiving end of one of those lessons,¡± he added with an ominous undertone to his words. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll pass on that one. I¡¯m still too new to the world to drop myself into Mos Eisley and expect to survive it.¡± Kaid raised an eyebrow at the unknown reference but seemed to get the gist of Joe¡¯s thoughts anyway. ¡°Downstream is Heron Reef. Much bigger port. Far more by the book. Getting a ship out of there could be pretty easy. The downside is there are good roads between Crowfield and the Reef. Good chance word of you being wanted will beat us there. It would be a gamble, but if we can get you aboard a ship, then you¡¯d be able to get plenty of distance away from Groven and the Duke.¡± ¡°I like the idea of being far out of their reach, but a port feels like a dead end. If they are already there ahead of us, we could get trapped with nowhere to go but back into the arms of the guys on our trail.¡± Joe enjoyed the mental picture of a seaport full of tall ships, but he still did not like the idea of being pinned against the sea. ¡°What¡¯s across the river?¡± he asked. ¡°The last good option is Pheasants Crossing. It¡¯s a big trading post where a bunch of caravan routes meet up. Pretty good place to get lost in the crowds. There would be lots of options for whichever direction you want to go.¡± ¡°I like the sound of that. Lots of roads and transportation for hire sounds perfect.¡± ¡°Okey doke,¡± the little man smirked. ¡°The best way to cross would normally be the Varboro Bridge, but the guardhouse there surely has our wanted poster already. We¡¯ll head down to one of the fords to get across the Andoo¡¯ak and then loop back up to the trading post. Easy cheesy.¡± Joe almost called out Kaid¡¯s jinx, but it was already too late. A trilling series of notes echoed through the trees around them. There was something unsettling about the music. Joe exhaled a large, shivering breath as a chill ran down his spine. His exhalation misted the air. The temperature around the two travelers had dropped to an arctic level. They both caught a glimmer of movement among the trunks. There was a hint of stag-like horns riding atop a humanoid figure, but the piper was being elusive, hiding from plain sight as much as possible while still moving in a large ring around the pair. When Joe tried to turn to follow the creature, he found that his legs would not move. Thick, icy moss had grown up out of nowhere, coating his legs from the shins downward, locking his feet in place. ¡°Aw crap,¡± the equally rooted knife-fighter swore. ¡°This is why folks don¡¯t like the fey, Joe.¡± 35 - Cold Pipes ¡°Fey?¡± Joe gasped. ¡°I thought the fey were seriously bad new. Are we about to die?¡± ¡°Where did you get that idea? It depends on the fey, Joe. Just like any monster. There are level one ash drakes and level eighty onyx drakes,¡± Kaid whispered. ¡°This guy is not too bad. I mean he¡¯s no push over, but we can take em.¡± ¡°You assessed it? I can¡¯t even spot it,¡± Joe questioned, trying to get a good look at the piping tormenter. ¡°He¡¯s moving in a pattern,¡± the small man hissed, who was bound in the magical moss up to his chest. ¡°Look left ¡­ now.¡± Sure enough, the fey creature glided out from behind a large tree. There was some sort of distortion swirling around the satyresque being that made it hard to see their enemy clearly; something like a cross between colored fog and a heat shimmer. What Joe could make out was a male creature with goat legs but stag-like antlers. It had a disproportionately long face as if someone had grabbed its goat-bearded chin and horns and stretched them away from each other. Long, elven, pointed ears protruded from each side of its head. The other oddity was a thick carpet of moss growing over its shoulders and antlers. In its hands was a double V-shaped pair of pipes. The notes issueing from the dual instrument made Joe want to crawl out of his skin. It was a dark and disjointed melody that was causing pain to blossom behind his eyes while simultaneously causing his stomach to churn and roll.
Frostpipe Powrie: Level 8: Fey: Controller: Spirit
¡°Too bad you are not a real fey, Joe. Maybe you could get him to leave us alone,¡± Kaid grunted through clenched teeth. Lert¡¯s see if this will get him to knock it off with the pipes,¡± the small rogue state launching one his daggers at the satyr-like powrie. The moment the dagger left the gnome''s fingers, the powrie vanished, its song disappearing with him. The hooved fey reappeared directly across the ring it had been following, resuming its awful tune once more. Kaid drew another knife, but his cold-numbed fingers failed to keep hold of the blade. Joe hadn¡¯t noticed the cold in his hands as the passive heat radiating off his [Smoldering Staff] was keeping his fingers from freezing. Kaid¡¯s disability, though, was something he could easily counter.
Your skill [Heartfire] has increased to rank 7. The spell has removed the {Chilled} affliction from yourself and Kaid Ward.
The radiant warmth from the ethereal campfire banished the seeping cold of the binding moss. Kaid''s next knife flew so quickly that it managed to clip the mossy satyr before it could blink away. Their adversary brayed at them in anger, clapping one hand on the slice along its shoulder. It quickly raised its pipes and blew a harsh series of notes that were targeted at Joe¡¯s fiery spell.
Your [Heartfire] has been dispelled.
¡°Son of bitch!¡± Joe snarled. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s see who¡¯s got more mana to spare.¡± An eighth-level creature whose strongest attribute was Spirit probably had more total mana than Joe, but Joe was not using his to bind, freeze, disorient, and teleport. For the moment, he just needed to keep them warm. Joe dropped second [Heartfire] and watched for how the fey would react. Kaid was right. The powrie was predictable. Each time it blinked away from Kaid¡¯s thrown attacks, it appeared straight across onto the circle it was dancing around them. The moment it appeared, it banished Joe¡¯s spell, and then it began its horrid song again. Joe was not sure what would happen if it was able to layer enough of that dark melody onto himself and Kaid, but he had no intention of finding out. Neither did the dagger-hurling rogue. There had to be some sort of magic shenanigans going on with his companion, as Kaid seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of throwing knives. Every time Joe banished the {Chilled} clumsiness from him, the gnome launched a dagger at their captor. When Joe was sure of where the powrie would appear next, he decided to change up the pattern. He locked his eyes onto a spot on the ground and began to swing his staff. He knew his strike would not have much muscle behind it, as Joe couldn¡¯t move his feet; nor head if he wanted his teleport to work. All in the same instant, Kaid threw, the powrie blinked to the other side of its trap, and Joe jumped through space while activating [Swift Strike]. His polearm cracked into the creature¡¯s neck, releasing a small burst of flame from the end of the staff.
You have scorched the Frostpipe Powrie for 14 points of mixed damage.
Joe tried to swing again, but the fey was too quick. It blinked across the mossy ring faster than Joe could attack. But not faster than Kaid. The second it appeared, it was greeted by a hurled dagger. The blade sunk deeply into the satyr¡¯s chest, causing the piper to cough out a pained gargling bleat. Joe ported himself to where the fey was, while activating another [Swift Strike]. Unfortunately, Joe¡¯s skill with his quarterstaff was still fairly rudimentary. He missed as the powrie dodged and blinked away. Rolling behind the closest tree, he waited for the fey to dispel his [Heartfire]. The moment it did, Joe recast the spell. This time, instead of placing it in the center of the moss-filled circle, he dropped it right behind the creature. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. With a surprised bray, the fey blinked right into Joe¡¯s trap. Following Kaid¡¯s example, Joe¡¯s hardest [Swift Strike] was there to meet the appearing piper. The burst of fire from the weapon striking the creature¡¯s head was twice as large as the first one. The enemy staggered and wobbled on its feet, stumbling into the moss. To finish disorienting the piper, Joe tried another new spell.
The spell has inflicted the {Numbed} affliction on the Frostpipe Powrie. Your skill [Deadened Flesh] has increased to rank 1.
Already off-balance, having its leg suddenly go numb toppled the creature. Right into Kaid¡¯s reach. With a series of vicious slashes, the tiny ruffian ended the battle. His cuts sprayed the area with blood that was far more vibrantly red than any blood Joe had ever seen before. With waves of exhilaration flowing through him, Joe quickly crossed to his shivering companion and, using his medallion, jumped them both out of the now ruby-splattered ring of moss. ¡°I hate being cold,¡± the blue-lipped gnome growled in a trembling voice. ¡°Yeah, with your body mass, I can see how cold would be a problem for you. Here, warm up,¡± Joe offered, dropping a new [Heartfire]. ¡°Oh. Thank you, thank you, thank you,¡± the small man chirped. ¡°Loot and let me know what we get.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Joe replied nonchalantly. Looting was a simple task, merely requiring him to take two small steps toward the body and activate [Coin Catcher].
You have acquired 8 silver shills. You have acquired [Coin of Courts], [Nimble Spinner], and 12 [Frostmoss Fronds]. Your skill [Coin Catcher] has increased to rank 4.
Joe identified each. Well, he tried to. The fronds were just basic reagents used for spellcasting or crafting. The coin was weird. It was a blank argent disc about the size of a silver dollar. Identifying it revealed no description at all. ¡°Can an item have a [Deception] skill?¡± he asked. ¡°Oo. Items used to cheat often don¡¯t give much info out. What is it?¡± Joe held up the coin and was surprised when, in his hand, it had a bald US president on one side and the American eagle on the other. Thinking about Kaid¡¯s words, he sent a thought to the coin, and it responded by changing to show Susan B. Anthony¡¯s head on both sides of the disc. He flipped the coin to Kaid. ¡°You¡¯ll enjoy this one,¡± he assured the sneaky little man. The piece of jewelry was unusual. It was two silver rings combined into one. Joe had seen similar ones on Earth, where one ring spun around the other. Etched into the moving ring was a sequence of jumping rabbits. If one twirled the band at the right speed, the hares hopped along, much like a flip book animation.
[Nimble Spinner] (Item: Finger - Common): When spun purposefully, the ring will add 2 points to your Dexterity for 1 minute. It can be used up to three times a day, recharging at midnight. {Alacrity}
¡°This one also fits you better,¡± Joe announced, sending the paired rings spinning to the rogue. A second later, it flipped its way back to Joe. ¡°Thanks, but I already have a better Dex boost item. You keep it. This one, though,¡± he remarked, flicking the coin into the air, ¡°could be fun. It can look like any coin: just not gold or better. So it can be brass Dunian dross, a Cazmaloq scale, or any other low-value coin. Kaid looked at the remaining items and added, ¡°I know somebody who might want the moss. You take the silver. Fair?¡± ¡°Works for me,¡± Joe replied, handing over the pale green moss. ¡°Give me a sec. I leveled,¡± he stated as he stowed the coins.
You have reached level 6. You have gained 1 unassigned attribute point and the following choices of traits and skills:
[Rugged] +2 to Vigor [Healer''s Ward] (Uncommon) When you cast a healing spell, you gain moderate damage resistance to all forms of Physical and Elemental damage for 10 seconds plus .25 seconds for each skill rank you have with this skill. Each use of healing resets the timer. Cost: Minor Stamina. | Range: Self. {Fortitude} or [Rejuvenate] (Uncommon) A target in close range gains a +15% mana recovery for 10 seconds plus 1% and 1 second for each skill rank you have with this skill. Cost: Moderate Stamina. Cooldown: 20 seconds post effect. | Range: Close. {Vitality}
[Observant] +2 to Perception. [Life Bolt] A creature you can see in Medium range heals 1 Health plus 1 point of Health for each skill rank you have with this skill. Cost: Minor Mana and Minor Stamina. | Range: Medium. {Life}
[Awakened] +2 to Spirit. [Reinvigorate] (Uncommon) A target in close range gains a +15% stamina recovery for 10 seconds plus 1% and 1 second for each skill rank you have with this skill. Cost: Moderate Stamina. Cooldown: 20 seconds post effect. | Range: Close. {Vitality}
Looking over the list, Joe knew it would be one of the Vigor skills. [Life Bolt] had some perks, but with his medallion, he needed it even less now than he had the last time he passed it up. [Efferous Endurance] was already better than [Reinvigorate]. A mana recharge could be a huge boon. Joe had found himself becoming more magical than physical, and mana was the battery that primarily empowered magic. An [Efferous Endurance] for mana was a very appealing option. Yet, a shield effect, even a short-duration one, was also a skill that could be vital. Joe was not very tanky. His best ability in a fight was his ability to heal wounds. Damage resistance could considerably improve his survivability. Another thing he liked about it was that it didn¡¯t require any additional time to cast. It would be part of his [Healing Touch]. Joe went back and forth between the two spells until his ponderance was interrupted by a swear from his diminutive companion. ¡°Ah, devilspit. I was afraid of that,¡± growled the gnome. He stood looking back towards Crowfield with his head cocked slightly to one side. ¡°What is it?¡± Joe asked, looking around for any sign of danger, his staff held at the ready. ¡°Another reason fey are bad news. For every one you see, there are dozens of their kin hiding out of sight. Some pixie must have taken offense at our treatment of goat-boy here and helped the hunters onto our trail,¡± Kaid grumbled, pointing a foot at the dead powrie. ¡°It¡¯s only been a few seconds,¡± Joe retorted. ¡°How could they be on us already?¡± He stopped speaking and listened. Sure enough, he could just make out the distant baying of hounds. ¡°Fey roads make shortcuts. I¡¯ll explain later. We gotta go.¡± Knowing he¡¯d want the additional stamina, Joe grabbed [Healer¡¯s Ward] and followed the fleeing gnome. With Vigor now his highest attribute, at least he was now better prepared for a cross-country flight. 36 - Wash Out ¡°Uhhh,¡± Joe grunted, staring at the hissing swells of rushing water. ¡°We are going to try and cross this?¡± The pair were standing beside the river¡¯s edge, watching the swollen currents of the Andoo¡¯ak River surge by. A decent-sized log cut through the frothing waves. In a matter of moments, the timber flew past the observing young men and vanished downstream. ¡°You thought we could swim through that?¡± Joe asked, pointing at the churning torrent of water. ¡°I messed up,¡± Kaid exclaimed, clapping both of his palms over his face. ¡°It¡¯s spring, you idiot!¡± Dropping his hands, the little man looked up at Joe. ¡°Sorry, Joe. The last time I was here was in late summer and there would have been an easy ford for you. I figured you¡¯d give me a ride across.¡± The Andoo¡¯ak certainty wasn¡¯t in a suitable state for fording. The river was lapping high in his banks, and the far back was at least a tenth of a mile away. Given how fast the current was moving, it was impossible to guess how deep it was. ¡°Well, we are not getting across here. We need the widest section we can find. That should at least spread out the water and slow the current down. Which way, Kaid?¡± ¡°Upstream is the Varboro Bridge,¡± the gnome stated, nodding his chin to his left. ¡°We don¡¯t have any option but downstream.¡± ¡°Downstream it is. Let¡¯s run.¡± The pair made a weaving path following the river. When they could, they ran along the riverbank. Occasionally, stands of trees forced them to find a path further inland to the east. As they ran, They both heard the sounds of the howling dogs behind them. Even though the two were just shy of sprinting through the woods, somehow, the hunters were gaining on them. Fairy trickery was surely afoot. ¡°How about this?¡± the little rogue asked, grinding to a stop along the bank, The river was twice the width it had been when they first encountered it. There were ripples in areas, showing the flow was passing over rocks not far below the surface. The water was slower here, but it still moved along with a strong rolling current. ¡°You should be able to wade most of the way across,¡± Kaid said. ¡°I¡¯ll hang on to you. We¡¯ll just have to swim the middle.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Kaid. That¡¯s still an awful lot of water moving downstream quickly.¡± ¡°This might be the best we get, Joe. Granted, I have never walked this far south down the river before, but this is the widest spot I have ever seen. With the sprites speeding up Gondavese, we are not going to be able to get away as long as we remain in the trees. We''ve got to get in the water or we¡¯re caught for sure.¡± Kaid looked at the churning river dubiously before adding in a hopeful voice, ¡°Unless your new medallion can blink us across.¡± It was far too wide, especially here. His boost to Vigor had increased the number of jumps he could make, but the maximum distance of a teleport was still only sixty feet. ¡°Nope. It¡¯s too far.¡± Joe shook his head, looking at the swollen river. ¡°Ok, but I want to go on record saying I think this is a bad idea.¡± ¡°So noted. Stand still. I¡¯m going to climb up.¡± Kaid clamored up Joe, perching himself on the top of the backpack. When his rider was settled, Joe stepped into the river and immediately began to feel the current¡¯s pull on his calf. He immediately huffed out a deep breath. Even worse than the drag on his calves was the biting cold. His skin puckered with goose pimples, and the flesh started to gain that chilled-numb sensation. In seconds, Joe¡¯s feet burned with the cold. This was nuts. Even Hawking thought this was nuts.
New Quest [Desperate Gamble] The hunters, unknowingly aided by angered fey, are nipping at your heels. Extreme measures are called for, but this might be pushing it. Can you ford the thaw-swollen river and survive? Reward: Traits
¡®That¡¯s not much of a vote of confidence, bud,¡¯ he thought. When Hawking didn¡¯t reply, Joe continued his slow creep into the river. Thankfully, after that first big step down off the bank, Joe found there was a long stretch of submerged pebbly beach to cross. The water stayed at his knees for a dozen yards. Even then, Joe lost his balance several times as the current tried to drag a foot out from under him. Each time he jammed the [Smouldering Staff] down to steady his footing, it hissed and sent tiny puffs of steam into the air where it hit the water. When he reached the point where the stones gave way to mud, he almost went down again. He managed to jerk himself upright thanks to the heated staff. Between the slick footing and a gnome-adorned backpack, he would have fallen without it. His pants, wet from the splashes, clung to his legs like clammy vises. ¡°This is insane, Kaid. There is no way we can make this.¡± ¡°I know you can do it. Have faith.¡± ¡°Dude, your balls are not the ones being doused with ice water. Enjoy it while it lasts. I¡¯m pretty sure you are going to be having the same experience very soon. And we know how much you like the cold.¡± Joe picked his way deeper into the river. He found that if he braced his feet against rocks and leaned back against the current, he could make progress while still maintaining his footing. The water climbed up his legs. By the time he was waist deep, Joe knew they were going to be yanked downstream as soon as he misplaced a foot or trusted a loose rock. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. His toes were packed up tight into the front of his boots. On the left, it was not too bad, but his right foot felt like it was in a vise. Joe was certain it was not a question of if they were going to be pulled downstream, but when. Wedging his wonderfully warm staff into a crevice in the rocks, he braced himself for a minute so he could think. ¡®Work the problem,¡¯ Joe thought. He knew he was not going to be able to creep all the way across the massive width of the Andoo¡¯ak. The only way he could see them managing the trip with any control was with a life preserver, which they didn¡¯t have. As he had that thought, he briefly pictured a kid wearing pool floats around their arms. Joe made a goofy pondering face as an imagined mental ¡®ding¡¯ sounded in his head. ¡°Kaid, empty out the waterskins.¡± ¡°Yuh. Ok? why?¡± asked the voice behind his head. ¡°I¡¯ve got a plan. Probably not a great one but it¡¯s the best I¡¯ve got. When they are empty blow as much air into them as you can and then cork them tightly. I need them to float with weight on them. How many do we have?¡± ¡°Three. Mine, yours, and the one Konren gave us.¡± ¡°Great. Use some of my bandages to make sure the corks can¡¯t pop out. Give me two, and you keep the last one just in case you fall off.¡± A minute later, Joe pushed the air-filled bladders under each of his armpits. He had Kaid tie the straps on the bladders tighter, hoping to better keep them in place. The problem was his staff. If he held onto it, the waterskins flopped down his arm. He tried holding it horizontally across his stomach, allowing him to clamp his elbows to his side, but that left him without any good way to balance. Finally, he leaned way back into the river and pulled the staff free, handing the weapon back to the gnome. ¡°Lash that to the outside of my pack,¡± he commanded, as his wedged toes were practically snapping. Joe sent a [Healing Touch] their way to ease the pain. After a minute, he heard, ¡°Done. Now what?¡± ¡°Ok, this is it, Kaid. We are going to be swept away any minute now. I¡¯m barely able to keep my feet on the rocks. Tie a rope from your pack to mine,¡± Joe ordered in a clipped voice. His footing was deteriorating by the second. ¡°Don¡¯t want us getting separated, but tying ourselves together seems dangerous. We can ditch the packs if we need to or keep them to stay connected.¡± ¡°Give me a second.¡± While Kaid worked, Joe felt his legs start trembling. The strain and the cold were taking their toll. ¡°Ok, it¡¯s done. What next?¡± ¡°I am going to lift my legs in a second. I want you to hang onto my backpack like a kickboard. You are going to kick on an angle. Push us toward the middle of the river.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a kickboard?¡± ¡°You know the thing you use when you are learning to swim? Never mind. Just have your feet upstream and push us that way,¡± Joe explained, quickly pointing towards the far shore. ¡°I¡¯m going to keep my focus forward to try to keep us from getting smeared on a rock.¡± ¡°This sounds bad,¡± the gnome¡¯s voice uttered behind Joe¡¯s head. ¡°I know, but it''s all we¡¯ve got. So hang on. Here we go.¡± He considered spinning his new ring but holding himself erect against the current called for Strength more than it did Dexterity. Wanting to control his descent into the river, Joe began to sit deeper into the water. As soon as the river¡¯s surface reached the inflated skins under his arms, he lifted his feet. They slid quickly forward. Until they suddenly jammed to a hard stop. Joe tipped face-first into the river. He tried to get his legs under him, but he could not find a good purchase for his feet. He kicked away loose rock after loose rock, holding his breath. He could feel Kaid pulling back, but the gnome was unable to pull him up out of the water. Finally, Joe hooked a heel onto a solid rock and pushed back and up. His head popped out of the water. He grabbed a huge gasp of air. Even as he did so, he could feel the current forcing him back down. ¡°IT¡¯S THE STAFF,¡± Kaid shouted. ¡°It¡¯s caught on something.¡± ¡°DITCH IT!¡± ¡°Really? It¡¯s your only ...¡± ¡°.... DON¡¯T CARE! DITCH IT!¡± Joe yelled as the surging river inched his face toward the water once more. The second it took Kaid to cut the lashings felt like an eternity. The pair popped off the staff in an uncontrolled tumble. Joe tried to get his butt down and his feet forward, but with the awkwardly heavy pack and his arms limited by the floats, he was not strong enough. Thankfully, Kaid understood what Joe wanted. The small man grabbed the upper shoulder strap of the larger pack and threw himself to one side as hard as his whopping forty-pound body could manage. It was enough. Joe¡¯s pack spun him so he was sitting with his head up above the surface. It took a minute to find the right balance, but Joe finally found it. ¡°You still back there?¡± Joe called. ¡°Yeah. I know you said it was cold, but this is so much worse than the powrie and his damn moss,¡± came the reply through chattering teeth. ¡°Should I start kicking?¡± The gnome¡¯s shivers worried Joe. He was struggling with the leaching cold, and Kaid was even more susceptible to the chill than he was. Hypothermia was a real danger for both of them, but far more so for the tiny ruffian. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m ready,¡± he answered. ¡°Kick hard. It will warm you up.¡± Joe leaned against Kaid¡¯s push to keep their balance as, ever so slightly, they began to move away from the shore. ¡°Make sure you take breaks, Kaid. I¡¯m not sure if I can cast like this, so we may not have [Efferous Endurance]. Don¡¯t exhaust yourself.¡± The feeble grunt he received in reply was not heartening. Joe found that he could use his arms and legs to steer them a little. When the first large rock rose out of the water ahead, Joe considered trying to stop against it and check on the little man. Their semi-insane strategy was working. He was leery of trying to make it any more complicated. Deciding he did not want to destroy the equilibrium they had achieved, Joe angled them away from the boulder. They surfed downstream for a while until Joe noticed Kaid¡¯s kicks were slowing down and becoming more erratic. ¡°Hey Kaid. Are you ok?¡± ¡°Hmmurph,¡± was the sluggish sound that reached Joe¡¯s ear. ¡°Come on, Kaid! Answer me!¡± ¡°Uhg huh, yurshelf. Gib it back, Kip ¡­,¡± the blurry voice slurred deliriously. ¡°Oh, come on, Buddy! Don¡¯t fade out on me now!¡± Joe cranked his head around as much as he could without tipping them over. Kaid was still hanging on tightly to his pack, but his eyes were mostly closed, and his lips were blue. He would kick every now and then, but those efforts were becoming less frequent. Joe was about to try and cast [Purge] on the thief or [Heartfire] on his backpack when something else caught his eye. He looked further upstream and saw they were not alone in the river. A large tree was following them. Its roots were on the far end, while the top of the tree was heading at them. Most of those branches had been snapped off on their journey so far. This meant instead of presenting a soft canopy of twigs and greenery, there was a wall of sharp, jagged spears looming toward the pair. 37 - Log Jam Joe tried to gauge if the log was gaining on them. In the swirling chaos of the river, he couldn¡¯t be completely certain. His gut was shouting at him, ¡®Yes! Yes, it is!¡¯ His ability to steer, especially without Kaid pushing, was incredibly limited. Every now and then, an underwater branch on the tree would catch on a rock or something, causing the trunk to roll and jerk to one side or the other. Even if Joe could angle them far enough to one side, he did not even know which direction to try to angle for. The deadly vessel skipped to the left and then, a moment later, jumped back over to the right. The only idea he could think of was to make a jump of his own. His new talisman couldn¡¯t teleport him anywhere close to the far shore, but sixty feet should get them out of the way of the jagged obstacle chasing them. Joe reached back and grabbed a good hold on Kaid¡¯s arm. He set his sight on a spot toward the middle of the river and tried to lock on. Nothing happened. So far, each time he used the medallion, it was almost like his senses zoomed in on the spot he wanted to go, and the rest of him followed. This time, he could not get that sensation to work. No matter how many times he willed himself and Kaid to move, he could create that link between himself and the space he wanted to go. When it finally hit him what was going on, Joe sighed. He couldn¡¯t jump to a spot further into the river because that spot kept changing. It was not like he was targeting a piece of ground or even a tub of water. He was trying to target an area of ever-changing fluid. The swirling section of water he wanted to lock onto was not nearly static enough for him to connect to. Looking downstream, Joe spotted a boulder that should pass within twenty yards of them in just a few seconds. He quickly wondered what would happen to his momentum when they jumped. When he used the talisman last night while they were fleeing through the forest, it felt like the momentum he had flowed through the teleport. If he were moving, that inertia had been present when they finished the jump. That meant this time, they would be carrying the speed they had as they surfed past a large wet rock. His gut told him they would just skip right off of the top of the slimy stone and back into the river. Still, it might save them from the oncoming impalement if they could control that crazy dismount. Joe looked back at the tree and another idea occurred to him. Probably another terrible idea, yet it was one he felt slightly better about than this whole river debacle. The tree was moving at roughly the same pace as they were. If he aimed at some part of the tree past the deadly corona of broken branches, he might be able to get them both up onto the trunk. He didn¡¯t know for sure if it would work, but if it did, he could get Kaid up out of the icy flow that was killing the small gnome. Joe quickly scanned the tree as well as he could from his position in the water. If this didn¡¯t work, he¡¯d try for the rapidly approaching stone. He looked for an intersection of two large limbs further down the trunk beyond the top branches. Between bobbing around in the river, holding Kaid, and the tree¡¯s own movement, this took much longer than he wanted. The boulder option came and went as Joe tried to find some safe spot in range he could lock onto. Just as he was about to give up and try to locate another river rock, his eyesight snagged for a second at the intersection of the main trunk and one of the bigger limbs. ¡®OK. Wish me luck, Hawking.¡¯
While [Luck] is a resource I cannot provide freely, you do have my sincerest hopes for success, Joe. You are an intriguing addition to Illuminaria.
¡®I¡¯ll take it.¡¯ Making sure he had a tight grip on the small rogue, Joe found the spot again and stared at it for all he was worth. His vision zeroed into the notch he wanted, yanking them both through space to reach it. Joe hit hard. It was not a difference in speed but height that was the problem. Both he and Kaid, as well as the tree, were all bobbing up and down in the water. When he appeared, Joe was bobbing up while the log was dipping down. He tried to keep his footing on the slick bark, but it was impossible. His boots skidded off the timber, and Joe cracked his ribs against the hard log. A branch in reach was the only thing that saved them. Joe just managed to latch onto it before they were sucked under the deadly tree.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. He had Kaid in one hand, the branch in the other, while the river current was trying to drag both away from him. Luckily, even soaking wet, Kaid weighed less than Mia, Joe¡¯s Polish sheepdog. With a heave, he lifted the gnome up out of the frigid water and wedged him into the junction of the main limb and the trunk, before blast-casting cures.
You have removed the {Shock} affliction from Kaid Ward. Additional impairing conditions remain. Your skill [Purge] has increased to rank 1.
Aiming for a spot on the trunk, Joe dropped a [Heartfire], hoping it would move with the log. It did.
Your [Heartfire] spell has removed the {Chilled} affliction from yourself and Kaid Ward.
He followed up with two more [Purges], removing {Impaired} and {Slowed}. Each spell needed about four seconds to cast, roughly twice as long as it took to fire off one of his [Healing Touches]. ¡°Joe,¡± croaked a weary voice. ¡°How did we get into a tree?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain in a minute. Get yourself into a good spot so I can get out of this arctic river. Come on. Quick, quick, quick.¡± ¡°When did you get so bossy?¡± the sodden gnome groaned. ¡°Dude, my balls are somewhere up around my diaphragm. Move it, Bud!¡± Watching the normally nimble rogue laboriously haul himself along the slippery branches was a bit like watching a drunk trying to unlock a door. Joe knew he needed to get himself up to safety, but he couldn¡¯t look away from the little man¡¯s precarious and almost comical fumbling. As soon as Kaid had a solid spot where Joe¡¯s movement shouldn¡¯t dislodge him, he started his own climb. Of course, he waited too long. The sound of an underwater branch grinding and snapping was immediately followed by a booming slap as the tree lurched up and back down onto the surface of the river. The hammering splash broke Joe¡¯s grip, sucking him into the log¡¯s wake. Joe was pulled under the water, scrapped against the bark, heading for the tangle of roots, when suddenly he stopped short. His backpack was yanking his shoulders painfully backward. The rope! Joe snapped his arms tightly across his chest and held onto the straps, praying they wouldn¡¯t snap. He had no idea how he was going to grab the line while he was being battered and ground against the coarse wood. Then, somehow, his head broke the surface of the water moments before the last of his air ran out. His first sight was Kaid: a tiny, trembling Kaid, his small face stamped into a rictus of determination. Wedged into the branches, the short little man was hauling hand over hand, pulling Joe up out of the raging river; Joe, who had to be at least four times his size and saturated with an additional twenty pounds of river water. ¡°If you are going to just keep looking at me with googly eyes, I¡¯m letting go,¡± the grunting guttersnipe groused. ¡°Sorry,¡± Joe spluttered, grabbing the closest branch. ¡°Wasn¡¯t expecting Superhero Kaid.¡± ¡°I was not expecting to be a burr-tree¡¯s bitch yesterday either. This makes us even. Hells, that fire alone might still have you one up on me.¡± Joe agreed with the benevolence of the [Heartfire], climbing closer to the magical blaze. He ended up practically sitting in it, letting its aura of warmth push away his shivers. ¡°Well, this was a clever idea,¡± the little man exclaimed, gesturing at the tree as he sat down right against Joe inside the spectral flames. ¡°Unfortunately, we are still stuck in the river,¡¯ Joe countered. ¡°I have no idea how we are going to reach the other shore. Oh, and please tell me there are no waterfalls ahead.¡± ¡°Uh ¡­ I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°A little more confidence would have been nice, but here¡¯s hoping you are right. How¡¯re you feeling? Your body temp was really low a minute ago.¡± Joe was rubbing his own hands together to loosen them back up. ¡°I¡¯m tired, even with your spells. But the fire is nice and warm. That spell might be a problem, though. Anyone near either bank is going to be able to see it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure we can do without it,¡± Joe admitted. Without the [Heartfire], they were facing hypothermia again. ¡°Maybe we can hide it.¡± ¡°Possibly during the day. Not at night.¡± ¡°I really hope we are not still on the water when it gets dark.¡± ¡°Really? Then we need a new plan. Mine was to ride this thing all the way to Heron Reef.¡± ¡°And how long would that be?¡± ¡°Couple a days,¡± Kaid answered with a shrug. ¡°No way,¡± Joe insisted. ¡°The water is too fast and too cold. We¡¯d be just asking for something to go wrong.¡± ¡°Then, as I said, we need a plan,¡± the small man stated, staring at Joe expectantly. ¡°Fine. Give me a minute,¡± he uttered back. By the time Joe had feeling back in his toes, he had worked up and discarded a bunch of awful ideas. His current one might just work. 38 - Up the Creek Joe had already figured out that trying to set up a rudder wouldn¡¯t work. The front of their ¡®boat¡¯ was an enormous fan of branches, not a pointed keel. They would need a massive plank to alter their direction. A better idea would be to add drag to change their direction. He moved a bit further out on the big limb they had climbed out of the water onto. Joe studied the shape of the tree to figure out what kind of leeway they had and how it was moved in the water. As he clambered out, the weight shift caused the tree to spin a little. ¡°Whoa! What are you doing?¡± his gnomish comrade squawked. ¡°Hold on. Let me see how much give we have here.¡± Joe moved a bit further and higher, causing the trunk to turn a bit more. He climbed back, and the trunk rolled back to the position it had been in before. ¡°You look like you have an idea.¡± Kaid asserted, popping back up to his feet. ¡°Hit me. What ya got?¡± The small sneak was balancing lightly between two of the tree¡¯s limbs, clearly having warmed up enough to move with his customary agility once again. ¡°I¡¯m mostly sure that the limbs below us are gone. That means we have the top stuff and two big wings of branches. I think I know how to get us across. I¡¯m going to tip us again, even more than before. I want you to go to where the branches come out of the water and hack off as much of the small stuff as we can, like anything less than an inch thick. We leave the west side alone.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The side we leave alone will have more drag than the striped side. It will pull us in that direction.¡± Kaid looked at Joe, puzzled. ¡°And ¡­ How does that help us?¡± ¡°Ok. Picture a canoe, Kaid,¡± Joe began to explain. ¡°On each side of the canoe, there are an equal number of paddles in the water.¡± Joe hooked an arm around a branch, then held out his hands with his fingers together, pointing downward. ¡°If we lift the paddles on the right side,¡± he said, lifting one hand higher, ¡°the canoe will turn left. That is what cutting away all the small branches will do. It¡¯s like taking some of the paddles out of the water.¡± ¡°Oh! Now I get it. How do we keep from flipping all the way over?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we will. At the moment, we have a kind of catamaran going here. To keep it balanced, once we clear the right side below the water, we could take a few branches above the water line off the left side to maintain the balance.¡± Kaid looked dubious. ¡°Do I need to know what a catamaran is?¡± ¡°Imagine the canoe has a floating arm out on each side of it.¡± Joe implored. ¡°Ok. Wait. I¡¯ve seen boats like that. Got it.¡± Joe worked his way back out away from the trunk, causing the limb he was on to drop lower into the water. Kaid, being much lighter and more agile, scampered to the dripping bough and began shearing off the small branches in a swing or two of some heavy kukri-shaped knife Joe had never seen before. He stopped any time it took an extra blow to shear off a branch and stropped his blade sharp again on a whetstone he had on a thong around his belt. Joe kept climbing up out of the water and then pulling his side back down. Each time he exposed more for Kaid, he would sit in the cold water and watch the thief work. Thankfully, the [Heartfire] did not slide off the trunk or vanish even when it was fully submerged by the river. Kaid moved with such sure, fluid motions that he could have made a monkey jealous. When he had cleared three big limbs down to just the main branches, Joe had them returned to the center to make sure they were balanced. They were a little left heavy now. Joe took out his hand axe and started cutting off a thick branch that hung high above the water. Just before he finished, he had another idea. Taking some of their rope, he asked Kaid to climb out and tie one end to something strong just above the water line. Tying the large, mostly severed branch to the middle of the rope, they fastened the other end to the trunk. When Joe finished chopping off the big limb, they let it fall into the water. All the small branches attached to the bough added even more drag to the west side. It quickly became apparent their plan was working. It wasn¡¯t long before they were noticeably closer to the middle of the river than they had been just a few minutes ago. They made a few more adjustments and then let the current do the rest of the work for them. Moving to a higher, and thus dryer spot, had the added benefit of more leaf cover just in case someone was on the shore. The two spent some time hanging a blanket in the thickest cover they could find, so Joe could recast his [Heartfire] inside the makeshift screen. A few hours later and much closer to the west bank, they began to hear the sounds of twigs scraping and snapping on the bottom of the river. The first jump of the log occurred a few minutes later as a larger branch caught and snapped. ¡°I think it is getting to be time we abandon ship,¡± Joe declared. ¡°Let¡¯s let the extra limb go and get our rope back. And the blanket, too. Then we should try and make it the rest of the way to shore. We should be close to teleporting the remaining distance. Worst case, we swim the rest of the way.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Says you. I¡¯m not so sure I want to risk freezing to death a second time.¡± ¡°We should be ok,¡± Joe said, ¡°Now that I know [Heartfire] can be cast on a moving object and that it can be submerged, I¡¯ll put one on my backpack for us.¡± ¡°Oh, spit. That would work! Nice one, Joe!¡± In a flurry of motion, Kaid had the blanket down and met Joe at the waterline to untie the branch. After they recovered their gear, they climbed their way as far toward the shore as they could among the branches. As they got to the end of where they could balance, Joe assessed the span of water they still had left to cross. Not good. It was over three times further than he could jump to. The furthest target his eyes could catch on was a rock roughly a hundred feet from the shore. Worse yet, it was a tiny target, just the tip of a rock that flicked in and out of his range. It would be almost impossible to lock onto it in time. Looking beyond where the stone was, Joe saw many more rocks peeking out from the river around fifty feet from the river¡¯s edge. If the two banks were at all alike, that area should only be a few feet deep. If he could get one good jump from the tree, then a second jump should get them to where they could wade out. ¡°Kaid. I need your high perception. We need a rock in the river that will pass within medium range of us.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Scampering up an upward-pointing limb, the tiny little man found a perch to scan ahead from. Every time the tree skipped or lurched, Joe tensed, but Kaid rode the shifts like a mariner. After a couple of minutes, he pointed downstream. ¡°Here comes one. A big guy, too.¡± ¡°Ok. Get back here and tie in. Joe moved a few inches further out to get a better view of the water ahead. Sure enough, a boulder rose out of the river. They should pass within forty or fifty feet of it. That distance would waste some of the range they needed to make it to the far shore, but it would give Joe more time to lock onto it. ¡°Get ready,¡± he announced, grabbing Kaid¡¯s ankle. The rogue had already resumed his perch on Joe¡¯s backpack, literally sitting inside the corona of spectral flames. Joe watched the wet slab of stone come closer and closer, until he felt the connection take hold. Joe spun his new [Nimble Spinner] and felt his perch among the branches become effortlessly easy. Crossing his fingers, he jumped them both. The teleporting pair appeared and, regardless of his increased agility, immediately skidded right off the top of the large flat rock. Joe flopped into the frigid water but snapped to a stop a second later. The moment they had appeared, Kaid had leapt off backward. Using his small body as an anchor upstream of the stone, he stopped them from tumbling downstream again. Not waiting for a rescue this time, Joe grabbed the rope and started pulling himself towards Kaid. Even though the current was less in the eddy of the boulder, he was barely making any headway. Not wanting to chance losing this opportunity, Joe threw a free point into Strength. His hands latched onto the rope with a firmer grip. Pulling his mass through the icy, rushing current was no longer nearly as challenging. Hand over hand, Joe reached the stone and slid himself up and onto the slick surface. ¡°I¡¯m up, Kaid!¡± he shouted, lying on his back, tightly clasping the rope connecting him to his small friend. ¡°Get up here and get warm.¡± The ethereal flames of their [Heartfire], tipped sideways from the top of his rucksack, were raging around Joe¡¯s head. The absurd thought of ¡®I¡¯m Ghostrider!¡¯ flashed through his mind as a small blue-lipped scoundrel flopped down next to him. ¡°Ugg,¡± groaned the gnome. ¡°Yeah. That was rough. Nice save.¡± ¡°Mrph. Thanks,¡± huffed the reply. ¡°Good news is the next jump should put us in the shallows. Give me a second, and I¡¯ll see how close I can get us.¡± ¡°No rush. I¡¯m just going to lie here and knit my back back together. I think I herniated something when you yanked to a stop there.¡± Joe let his arm fall onto Kaid and cast.
You have restored 24 points of Kaid Ward¡¯s health and removed the {Impaired} condition. His current health is at 100%.
¡°Ooh. Thank you, sir. Still gonna lie here while you do your thing.¡± ¡°All good. You stay put. I¡¯m going to try not to fall back into the river.¡± Joe carefully stood, feeling the fading boost to his Dexterity paying off. The boulder was mostly flat, but a slick film of algae covered it. His feet kept sliding in odd directions, worse than trying to stand on ice without skates. Only by tensing his leg muscles tightly was Joe able to get himself fully upright. When he was steady, he looked for something to teleport to in range. The good news was there were plenty of targets between their slick perch and the shoreline. ¡°Whatta ya say we blow this popsicle stand, Kaid?¡± ¡°I have no idea what that means, but if you''re asking if I want to get out of this damn river, then yes. For the love of Murrcee, yes.¡± With far less difficulty than Joe, Kaid hopped to his feet and glided over the slick rock to his side. Taking hold of the little man, Joe focused on a spot where a cluster of stones would catch him if he lost his footing on landing. In a blink, they vanished and reappeared among the rocks thirty feet from shore. Sure enough, his feet shot sideways across the small target rock, dropping him into the thigh-deep water. His plan worked as he cracked his shin and chest painfully into the cluster of stones just downstream from his arrival point. As agonizing as the collision was, it immediately stopped them from being sucked downriver. The pain in his shin was especially excruciatingly bad: possibly broken badly. Yet, at the moment, he didn¡¯t have time to let it distract him. Worried about Kaid, Joe pulled himself up onto one of the river rocks, only to spot the little man springing from rock to rock toward the grassy bank. Joe took a second to reel in the rope the rogue had united himself from before locking onto the shoreline and jumping there ahead of the agile gnome. Making sure to land with his weight on his uninjured leg, he let his pack slide off his back before flopping down to join it on the long grass. A moment later, Kaid appeared beside him with chattering teeth. Joe¡¯s only additional effort was a new [Heartfire] for the frozen scoundrel and then a great deal of panting.
39 - Walk This Way ¡°Eww. The skin is peeled back,¡± Kaid said squeamishly as he stared at Joe¡¯s shin. ¡°That looks bad.¡± ¡°Agreed, but thanks to [Deaden Flesh],¡± Joe countered, ¡°it doesn''t hurt at all at the moment. Let me see what I can do to fix it, and we¡¯ll get going.¡± ¡°No rush. I know the Andoo¡¯ak trip was a mess, but we covered a seedbag of miles thanks to it. Since the fey can¡¯t help them across running water, there¡¯s no way they¡¯re still right on our trail.¡± ¡°You better not have jinxed us, Bud,¡± Joe muttered as he used [Purge] to clean the wound. Kaid was right about the injury; it did look terrible. He had rolled up his pants leg, revealing a flap of skin had been torn away from the bone and was dangling loosely by a small bit that was still connected. The numbing effect of his witch spell allowed Joe to work on fixing the wound with a clinical mindset instead of one freaked out and distracted by the pain. When the gash was clean, Joe eased the scrap of torn flesh back into place and hit it with [Healing Touch].
You have restored 13 points of your health. Your current health is at 94%. An underlying injury is inhibiting your healing.
The torn flesh knit itself back together, leaving only a residual darkening of the skin. Yet Joe could feel the damage wasn¡¯t fully healed. Using his healer¡¯s skill, he examined his leg. Deep under the skin, Joe could see a red aura. The woundsight didn¡¯t actually give him X-ray vision, but it showed him there was a problem inside the leg. His best guess was he had fractured the bone.
Your skill [Assess Wounds] has increased to rank 7.
During his healing session on the Crowfield commons, he noticed that his go-to healing spell was not as effective at mending broken bones as it was with skin. He layered on several more heals as an experiment and had some small successes. [Healing Touch] was not unable to heal bone; it was just pretty bad at it. Every couple of doses added another percent of health. It took the majority of Joe¡¯s mana to get himself back up to 100%. ¡°Ok. That is as good as it gets. I¡¯m still going to be a bit wobbly until the [Deaden Flesh] wears off, but I think we can get moving again.¡± ¡°Great. We should be able to make good time again. Not having to try to evade pursuit is a big boon. We won¡¯t have to try to be sneaky until we get to Heron¡¯s Reef. Not that you have any ability to be sneaky. Nothing personal, Joe.¡± ¡°No offense taken. I plan on picking up [Stealth] the next chance I get to buy skill stones,¡± Joe agreed. ¡°Maybe I should send you into town to grab me one before trying to get me on a ship.¡± ¡°Nice thought, but that won¡¯t work, Joe. You need some time to level stealth-skills before you have much of a chance of sneaking past a town guard,¡± Kaid outlined glumly before perking up. ¡°Hey! Did you collect your quest yet? Maybe you got something there that will help.¡± ¡°Not yet. Good idea.¡± Joe was about to open his alerts when Kaid continued. ¡°My response from the One Above was really weird. It was like the Quest Giver was being sassy with me. I got a choice between [Drifter], which gave a boost to travel skills, especially on water and [Out Cold], cold resistance.¡± ¡°Those seem pretty normal to me.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t the rewards; those were pretty typical. It was the way he phrased things. The One Above is usually kind of dry, like Mister Hemberman, the librarian. This time, the Keeper of Fate felt kind of ¡­ I don¡¯t know ¡­ playful, maybe,¡± Kaid mused, staring into the middle-space, which Joe assumed was the gnome looking at his notification windows. ¡°I took the second one ''cause I hate being cold,¡± he continued. ¡°The resistance is a great get. But ¡®Out Cold?¡¯ I mean, that is like the One Above was just mocking me. So weird.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Joe merely grunted back. Hawking had always been personable with him, to the point of being a bit snarky at times. He had never considered that the odd entity¡¯s tone would be any different with others. Opening his notification, Joe read what seemed like a very typical Hawking dialog.
You have successfully completed [Desperate Gamble]. Your quest reward is a choice between the following: ? [Risk Taker]: If you¡¯re going to keep pushing your Luck. Gain a minor Luck Pool ? [Forder]: Ride the slippery slope. Gain a moderate increase to your footing & [Strong] +1 to Strength ? [Winter-kin]: I like the cold. Increase your Cold affinity & [Hardy] +1 to Vigor.
He was immediately skeptical of the first option. Joe had built luck-based characters before, and all of them were essentially cheats. They were characters designed to exploit rule loopholes. Sometimes, they were ridiculously successful, so much so that they often stole the show from the rest of the party. Other times, they were wildly inconsistent. They could perform some ridiculous feats yet constantly fail at common tasks. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. While Luck might work completely differently in Illuminaria, Joe didn¡¯t want to delve into the fickle hands of fate until he had time to understand what binding himself to luck would mean. That left [Forder] and [Winter-kin]. Joe liked the idea of being more sure-footed better than he liked the idea of Cold-based abilities. On the other hand, he already had two open points in Strength and no idea what sort of skill or skills he¡¯d use them for. He really didn¡¯t think he wanted a third one right now. An open point in Vigor seemed like something he was far more likely to be able to fill; not to mention more stamina and health were always appreciated. He selected the third option and felt a small burst of vitality flow through his tired body. Riding that surge of wellness, he popped up onto his feet while sending a thought to Hawking. ¡®Do you phrase things differently depending on who you are talking to, Hawking?¡±
Beings that have been transferred into Illuminaria possess an increased distinctiveness. This additional significance allows for a more familiar level of communication.
¡®So you goof around with all the newcomers?¡¯
Incorrect. I have chosen a jestful manner of speech due to your memories. It appeared to be the form of communication you were most comfortable with. If this is incorrect, I can adjust the flavor of my wording.
¡®Please don¡¯t. You got it spot on. All my friends and I have always poked fun at each other. That¡¯s how we expressed ourselves. As a matter of fact, that¡¯s how we showed we liked each other. If we weren¡¯t breaking your balls then you probably weren¡¯t really part of the group. Keep giving me guff, bud.¡±
Very well. In that spirit then, I will point out you are being quite obtuse. You are missing something. Something big.
Joe stopped sending thoughts and cleared his mind, trying to figure out what he was missing. As he did so, he reached an arm out to steady himself against a tree trunk, resisting the urge to stamp his foot. It felt like his lower leg had fallen completely asleep, but he knew that boosting its circulation was not the answer. He had to wait out the spell. Or was that what he was missing? Could he end his spells early if he wanted to? Joe tried but no such luck; he couldn¡¯t find a way to choose to end [Deaden Flesh] early. He could [Purge] it, though.
Your skill [Purge] has increased to rank 4.
While it was nice to have feeling back in his foot, which would mean they could move faster now rather than later, Joe didn¡¯t think this was the revelation that Hawking was referring to. It wasn¡¯t until he turned into Kaid, who had been happily chatting away this whole time, that Joe thought he knew what Hawking was hinting at. ¡°... I mean, if you were a gnome, like me, then we could probably get enough levels to make it work. We get a bonus to stealth. So even a few levels would be more effective.¡± ¡°Wait. You get a racial bonus to stealth?¡± ¡°Yup. That and [Groundling], which is what gives me my improved nightsight, as well as the ability to make good burrows.¡± This is what he was missing. Joe could be a gnome, or at least enough of one in this instance to gain a racial trait. At least he could if the cooldown on [Anyone] had reset. It had been over a day, almost two, since he last used it. Somehow, Joe also knew that leveling was part of the equation, but that was also not an issue. He had leveled not once but four times since Thorton had shared [Iron Mind] with him. Mentally nudging the trait, it felt receptive to him. Why not give it a try? The worst that happened was another headache ¡­ at least, he hoped that would be the worst. Still, in light of Hawking''s prompting, it just felt right. ¡°Hey, Kaid,¡± Joe began gingerly. Even though he knew he was not taking anything away from the little man, somehow, it felt awkward to ask for a trait. ¡°What?¡± the small scoundrel replied. When Joe was a bit slow with his follow-up, Kaid turned to look up at his companion. ¡°What is it, Joe? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No. I was just wondering if you would be willing to share that gnomish stealth trait with me?¡± ¡°Whatya mean? You can¡¯t share traits. Just skills?¡± ¡°I can. Not all traits. But I can gain racial traits from other races. That is the other thing the fairy heritage gave me besides the assessment mystifier.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so cool. Sure.¡± A second later, Kaid¡¯s character sheet opened to Joe. Most of it was blank, like Thortons had been, but Joe could see the gnome''s traits and skills. All but two of the traits were greyed out. Kaid didn¡¯t belong to any social organizations. Additionally, since his last name was Ward, it was likely that the small ruffian was an orphan, so he had not inherited any traits from his family. Not wanting to snoop through Kaid¡¯s traits, Joe was able to filter out the shareable skills from the list with just a thought.
TRAITS ? [Groundling] (Racial) - Can see clearly in dimly lit conditions and are skilled at creating burrows. ? [Sneaky] (Racial) - Moderate enhancement to stealth-based skills.
Technically, being able to see in the dark would be more helpful at the moment as Joe did not have a stealth-based skill, but he hoped to fix that next. Joe grabbed [Sneaky] and then looked at Kaid. ¡°Wanna share ..¡± ¡°The skill? Of course. The trait¡¯s not good without it. Go for it.¡± Kaid actually had two different skills that specialized the basic stealth skill. He had one focused on thievery and another for stealthful movement. Joe spent one of his free points on Dexterity, and selected the second one.
You have learned the common skill: [Whisperstep]. This skill aids your ability to perform actions unobserved or unnoticed. Its primary focus is sneaking and hiding, but it will provide a minor enhancement to all secretive actions, such as sleight of hand. Cost: Minor Stamina {Instinct}
After getting a confirming nod that the exchange was complete, the small sneak rubbed his hands together, grinning up at Joe. ¡°Ok, Joe. Let¡¯s practice skulking as we head for the port,¡± Kaid stated as he melded into the forest. ¡°Let¡¯s play tag. Bet I win.¡± Joe rolled his eyes, knowing he was going to lose this game badly. He also knew that the activity was not really a contest but a challenge to level up his new skill. Kaid gave him a few quick pointers before vanishing into the trees. Sending Stamina to [Whisperstep], Joe began to learn how to lurk. 40 - What a World 40 - What a World The two of them angled away from the swollen river, heading up a steep slope. Kaid scampered up the incline with ease. At first, Joe assumed the severe pitch would be a struggle, but he was pleasantly surprised. Even the few points he had in Strength and Dex shored up his stride. With seven points of Vigor, he felt he could normally climb all day and not break much of a sweat. Today had not been a normal day, though. When they stopped midway up, Joe opened his sheet and reviewed his new self.
Name: Joseph (Joe) Morris Race: Changeling Level: 6 Experience: 2,122 / 3,150 ATTRIBUTES ¡¤ Strength: 2 ¡¤ Vigor: 7 ¡¤ Dexterity: 3 ¡¤ Perception: 3 ¡¤ Spirit: 5 Available Attribute Points Unspent: 1
RESOURCES ¡¤ Health: 235 / 235 ¡¤ Stamina: 158 / 559 ¡¤ Mana: 258 / 258
CLASSES ¡¤ Primary Class: Healer ¡¤ Secondary Class: None ¡¤ Tertiary Class: None SKILLS STRENGTH SKILLS: (0 / 2) VIGOR SKILLS: (6 / 7) ¡¤ [Efferous Endurance] (U) rank 5 ¡¤ [Healer''s Ward] (U) rank 0 ¡¤ [Deaden Flesh] (U) rank 3 DEXTERITY SKILLS: (3 / 3) ¡¤ [Simple Weapon Aptitude] (C) rank 8 ¡¤ [Swift Strike] (C) rank 6 ¡¤ [Whipserstep] (C) rank 12 PERCEPTION SKILLS: (3 / 3) ¡¤ [Assess Wounds] (C) rank 6 ¡¤ [Coin Catcher] (C) rank 3 ¡¤ [Identify] (C) rank 11 SPIRIT SKILLS: (5 / 5) ¡¤ [Dispel Rot] (C) rank 3 ¡¤ [Healing Touch] (C) rank 14 ¡¤ [Heartfire] (C) rank 7 ¡¤ [Purge] (U) rank 4
TRAITS ¡¤ [Anyone] (Racial) ¡¤ [No one] (Racial) ¡¤ [Sneaky] (Racial) ¡¤ [Iron Mind] (Hereditary) ¡¤ [Beastmaster] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Durable] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Hobbler] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Punching-Bag] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Signature Skill] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Survivalist] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Tactician] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Thick Skinned] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Vivacity] (Achievement) ¡¤ [The Seal of Passing] (Prophetic)
They crossed over the top of the rise and decided to make camp in a sheltered hollow before beginning the long, slow descent that would take them out of the forest. Neither one of them had much energy for conversation, even with [Efferous Endurance]. The spell could only do so much. It was no substitute for real sleep. Opening the supplies Nella had prepared for them, they found a tin with a minor warming charm on the inside. Within was packed with still steaming biscuits filled with ham and some delicious thinly sliced vegetables Joe didn''t recognize. The two of them polished off the whole supply in minutes, sighing in blissful satiation. Joe spent a quarter-hour cleaning up the new sturdy staff he had just cut from a sapling. As soon as it was good enough, he curled into his blankets beside the already snoring gnome. In a matter of minutes, he was sawing logs in chorus with his tiny guide. The next morning, between their traveling bouts of hide and seek, Joe quizzed Kaid about the port town they were headed for and the Kingdom in general as they walked. Port Heron was a fishing village that had grown up into a medium-sized town. He explained it was a mix of new and old, primitive and modern, old, heavy log buildings surrounded by more recently built clapboard structures.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. There was a big general store in the old town quarter that Kaid was going to slip Joe into so he could get supplies for his trip. He was pretty sure the guards would be around the docks and the town gates, but the small sneak-thief knew a way in that would avoid those checkpoints, a smuggler¡¯s tunnel that opened right at the back of the old shop. As for the Kingdom of Duskrug, Kaid described a boot-shaped territory with the toe pointing east. The western border was a steep range of mountains known as the Karabast Highlands. To the east was a region known as the Small Kingdoms, a loose confederacy of independent realms. Duskrug was originally one of the tiny nations. Its strong diplomatic and military strength led to decades of expansion. At that time, the Eagle Throne of Duskrug controlled all the lands against the Highlands, from the great fey forest of the Dire World in the north to the Straight of Glandrion in the south. ¡°So, how powerful is this church? Is getting out of the reach of the Duke enough, or am I going to have a problem with every town guard I meet everywhere from now on?¡± Joe fretted. ¡°Nah, Phealti is only one of the gods of law. Technically, he is the god of order. He¡¯s not the god most guards follow anyway. That would be Glauri or Ekwitee. Glauri is the Goddess of laws and rule. Ekwitee is the god of justice.¡± ¡°How many gods of law are there?¡± ¡°Four. Phealti, Onhur, Glauri, and Ekwitee.¡± Joe had been noticing the weird trend with the names of the gods and couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Are the names of all the gods variants of words of their dominions? Back in Crowfield, I saw the brewer god¡¯s name was spelled Aye Why El, which sounds like ale. And the harvest god Rhepe was a variation of ¡®reap¡¯ with an H. Are all the gods named after the thing they are associated with?¡± ¡°You got it backwards, Joe. Ale, the drink, was named after Ayl, the god, but you don¡¯t go taking a god¡¯s name, so the spelling of the drink was changed.¡± Joe¡¯s mind boggled for a second, trying to wrap his head around that idea. He had to keep reminding himself the gods in this world were not figures of myths but actual entities that could influence the world. He added ¡®finding a priest or priestess¡¯ to his mental list of things to do. Having always loved mythology and folklore back on Earth, the chance to discuss theology with somebody who actually knew the answers could be an amazing conversation. ¡°So, what is the deal with this Phealti?¡± Joe asked as they followed a deer trail through the forest. ¡°What does the god of order do?¡± ¡°Phealti is all about the proper order of things. The movement of the moon and sun. The order of seasons. But nobody really knows him for that. The big thing about him is his hatred of outsiders: demons, voidlings, fey, aberrations. All those things that come from beyond our world and find their way into Illuminaria.¡± Kaid stopped and turned around to give Joe a pointed look. ¡°There are even some that don¡¯t like newcomers, even though the One Above says we are to welcome you guys. Sir Groven seems like he¡¯d be one of those hardliners. That would be another notch against you.¡± Joe recalled Hawking had mentioned that fact already. ¡°Great. How powerful is this church?¡± he asked. ¡°About middle. They¡¯re not a very big church, but Phealti tends to recruit a lot of paladins. That means that, even though they are one of the smaller churches around, their members are usually pretty strong. That allows them to push hard when they want something.¡± ¡°So, maybe getting out of Duskrug is my best bet. Heron Reef is on that southern channel. Should I take a boat east or west?¡± ¡°EAST!¡± the small man barked. ¡°Definitely east. Unless you want to live on the mountain peaks or in the dwarven mines, everything else west of here is a horrific mess. Top the southwest is Blackfell, a nightmare land of necromancy and endless undead. On the other side of the channel is the Blood King. He showed up not too long ago, and in less than ten years, his fanatics have conquered everything up to Blackfell all the way to the other side of the Highlands. You should get lost in the Small Kingdoms or cross the channel to the east and head for the southern Hornwood.¡± The gnome didn¡¯t know much about the Hornwood except that it was far warmer than the lands above the Gladrion Strait. A tropical climate sounded pretty good to him. It had been a long time since Joe had had a vacation. Having lived in the colder northern region of his home country on Earth, the tropics might just be the place to go to get away from Duke Amberwroth and Sir Groven. The day was spent walking and training up [Whisperstep]. Kaid told funny stories of the shenanigans he and the village youths got up to. Joe tried to tell stories about humorous gaming sessions, but they were less successful. Tales of people playing in a fantasy world to someone actually from a fantasy world kept leading to too many questions and clarifications. Just as the sun was starting to set, the pair reached the forest¡¯s edge. Not wanting to sleep in the open, the pair moved back in under the thick trees and found a hollow surrounded by three massive pines. The sloped earth and thick boughs blocked any light they made. In a matter of ten minutes, Kaid turned the chaotic cluster into a comfy little den. He wove the bendy branches to make a thicker roof and allow Joe more space to move about. Using the extra needles he had Joe gather, the pair had an exceptionally soft bed to lie on. Mentally praising the coziness of gnomish burrows, Joe ended his fourth day in Illuminaria. 41 - Hunger Pains 41 - Hunger Pains They awoke early. Crawling to the edge of their hideout, the pair of fugitives listened for sounds of pursuit. Before leaving their den under the pines, they spent a minute trying to scuff out any traces of their presence. It wouldn¡¯t be perfect, but it might disguise where they took their rest. The two walked back to the edge of the forest and again stopped and scanned for signs of men or dogs hunting them. Hopeful they had lost the hunters, Joe and Kaid ventured onto the wide floodplains that would bring them to Heron¡¯s Reef sometime in the late afternoon or early evening. As the sun crossed over its peak in the sky, the pair were missing the woodlands they had left behind. The trees had thinned until they became lone stragglers in the vast open space. This left the traveling duo with very little shade from the hot sun. They sweated in the pre-summer heat, pushing through the coarse grass that scrapped itchily across any uncovered body part it could reach. Even the cooling scales in Joe¡¯s gambeson could not combat the baking temperature. He took the heavy jacket off for a few minutes until he realized he was no more comfortable without it. He actually felt warmer without the touch of the ice dragon scales next to his chest. The grasses were not as tall as those they had had to contend with near the Brandy Mere, mostly coming to Joe¡¯s knees. On the flip side, the grainy stalks were seedier, leaving pants covered with little prickly kernels that found their way into their boots and stabbed at their arches and toes. Joe kicked himself for not asking Granny Growlbee for any ¡®Ease Discomfort¡¯ type spells. They would surely be useful as a healer. As cool as [Deaden Flesh] was, Joe would have traded it for a fever-reducing spell. He wondered if [Cooling Touch] was a witch''s spell. He doubted it. They would probably call it something like [Bitter Breeze] or maybe [Winter¡¯s Kiss]. While Joe was pondering witchy spell names, he hadn''t noticed Kiad vanish from his side until a voice hissed from the grasses somewhere to his left. ¡°Remember the goblin fight?¡± ¡°Yeah? It was just a couple of days ago,¡± Joe replied, looking around. ¡°Great. Different monster. Same plan.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± Joe stopped scanning the grass for Kaid and began to search the area further around himself. It took him a second before he saw an oddly brindled form inch a step towards him. There was a lion slinking through the tan grass a dozen yards away. The predator was cougar-sized, with a slight greenish striping across her coat. Even with her just a short distance away, Joe was having a hard time differentiating between her lower body and the grass. ¡°Oh crap,¡± he groaned. ¡°Kaid, I really hate this tactic.¡± ¡°You are way better off in a fight now than you were then,¡± hissed a voice from somewhere nearby. ¡°You got this. I¡¯m better as an ambusher.¡± ¡®Ok. Let¡¯s do this!¡¯ Joe pointed at the ground right in front of the tawny feline and dropped a [Heartfire]. He received the reaction he had hoped for. The beast yowled and lept backward from the burst of harmless flames. Joe felt clever for only a second until a heavy weight landed on his back. Teeth punctured into his shoulder as he was borne to the ground, landing hard on his stomach and face.
The Prairie Puma has injured you for 54 points of damage and has inflicted the {Grappled} condition on you.
That bite would have killed him a few days ago. Fifty-plus points was brutal, but thanks to his increased Vigor, the agonizing mauling was only about a quarter of his health. Surviving the sneak attack was all well and good, but being under the cat was the worst place to be. Before the beast could bring its back legs up to shred him, Joe decided to be somewhere else, immediately. He locked his eyes on a spot twenty feet away and let the medallion jump him out from under the feline predator. Unfortunately, Joe had never tried to jump solo while holding onto someone, or in this case, being held. He appeared in the chosen location with the feral feline still attached to his back. The attempt was not completely useless. The blink from there to here startled the hunting cat enough for it to hesitate. Its fangs were still locked deeply into Joe¡¯s shoulder, but it paused its back-claw rending for a second. ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± Joe yelled as the fangs drove deeper into his flesh. Joe grabbed the next option that came to mind. He slapped a hand against the jaws that were locked onto his neck and shouted, ¡°Deaden Flesh!¡± He knew he did not need to call out his abilities, but it was a spontaneous reaction in a precarious moment. Given that he had a lioness biting towards his jugular, he figured Kaid would let the cringy battlecry slide.
Your spell has inflicted the {Numbed} affliction on the Prairie Puma. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Your skill [Deadened Flesh] has increased to rank 3.
The hunting cat¡¯s weight suddenly jumped off of him. Joe rolled over to see the lioness swatting at her face. Her lower jaw hung slack, flopping around as the beast batted at it. Her eyes were wild-looking, unable to comprehend why her mouth was suddenly numb.
Prairie Puma: Level 7: Beast: Skirmisher: Dexterity
Being roughly the same level was slightly reassuring, but Joe was also outnumbered. He scanned the brush around him and spotted the first lioness in the tan grasses. She had gotten over the flames and was closing on him but she had paused, holding herself with an air of uncertainty. Joe guessed she was trying to figure out why her pridemate was acting so strangely. Before either of them refocused on him, Joe heard another sound coming from his right. ¡°Hey, you hairy bitch! Get off of me!¡± Not good. There were more than two pumas. Savannah lions were pack hunters, but Joe didn''t think mountain lions were. With this break in the normal, Joe couldn¡¯t even guess how many more were out there. If there were a lot more out there then he and Kaid were in real trouble. The lioness in front of him started to stalk around Joe, forcing him to turn to face her. Joe used [Healing Touch] to repair his mangled shoulder. Even as he did so, he expected another attack to land on his back at any moment. Even with a numb mouth, the prowler could take him off his feet, leaving him vulnerable to its partner. He needed another ally or fewer enemies. ¡®Why not both?¡¯ Joe thought, grinning internally. He aimed his palm at the non-benumbed lioness and invoked the power of the heavy purple ring on his wrist. ¡°Go kill the cougar attacking Kaid,¡± he commanded. He probably should have said puma, but where he came from, these hunters were also called mountain lions, panthers, or catamounts. He knew the actual words didn¡¯t matter. It was all about his intent and his Spirit. The words and the hand gesture were just props to focus Joe¡¯s intention. He could feel the spirit of the cougar roaring at him as the [Band of Beguilement] pushed against the catamount''s will. Joe¡¯s Spirit score was pretty solid for his level, second only to his Vigor. The beast¡¯s was not. Joe¡¯s compelling enchantment punched through her defenses. The lioness¡¯ eye grew wide for a second before it turned and launched herself into the grass in the direction Kaid was swearing from. Turning back to the first predator, Joe was missing his heavy quarterstaff. The green sapling he was holding lacked the stout strength of either of his previous two staves. He would have to make his hit with the springy makeshift weapon count. Quickly running mentally through his bag of tricks, Joe found a combination that might work. Her jaw was now moving more smoothly, and she had that pissed-off look cats could do so well. Before she gathered herself for a pounce, Joe shuffled his feet and flicked his thumb against his new ring. The sound of his feet rustling moved from under his boots to the puma¡¯s immediate right. With a boost of agility, Joe skipped forward and launched a [Swift Strike] empowered blow at the side of the distracted feline¡¯s face. The resounding thwap was so loud it made Joe wince in sympathy, but he knew he couldn¡¯t let up. As the cat stumbled away from the blow, Joe targeted its right leg and fired off another [Deaden Flesh]. With most of its weight already on the numbed limb, the puma tumbled over. Joe stepped up and jammed his staff downward like a spear. Which was a terrible idea. The sapling was not pointed, weighted, or stiff enough for this move to be at all effective. It certainly was not pleasant for the predatory hunter to have a stick jammed into her cheek, but the end of the weapon slid off, leaving just a shallow cut. Unfortunately for Joe, his weapon slid off the cat¡¯s cheekbone, ending up thunking into the ground between the lioness¡¯s jaws. With a powerful sapling-snapping bite, Joe¡¯s third staff was no more. He was left holding a rather flimsy club. Dropping the broken sapling, Joe yanked the handaxe from his belt loop with one hand and the slow stone pouch with his other. The thong holding the pouch snapped, and Joe more dropped than threw the freed leather bag, shouting, ¡°Udaan!¡± The huntress froze for a moment. With his Dexterity boosted by the [Spinner], a moment was all Joe needed. His barrage of hacking chops was not pretty, but it did the job.
You have slain Prairie Puma.
He stopped and wiped the blood that had spattered onto his face, feeling a bit queasy about what he had just done. He knew she would have killed him, but this was not some evil, malicious goblin, mindless bug, or twisted tree. She had been a beautiful wild creature doing what the world had shaped her to do. Breathing out a deep breath to settle his rolling gut, Joe tuned back into the fight that was still not over. At least two cats were fiercely yowling at each other, all but drowning out the sound of Kaid¡¯s continued swearing. Joe dashed forward to find Kaid and one puma facing off against each other while two other hunting cats were rolling around in the grass. He quickly targeted the shoulderblades of Kaid¡¯s adversary and numbed them. The puma slumped forward as her front legs stopped working correctly. The gnomish knife-fighter wasted no time in capitalizing on the opening Joe provided him. The long, jagged dagger in one hand and the heavy kukri in the other drew a deep X across the beast''s throat, finishing her off. Joe looked at the last skirmish. He instinctively knew which was the one he had enthralled. She was smaller than her opponent, and she was losing. He assessed the larger feline.
Prairie Packleader: Level 8: Beast: Skirmisher: Dexterity
The packleader smashed a blow to the smaller cat¡¯s face, stunning her. Her follow-up blow dropped the smaller enchanted cougar. The larger lioness turned to face Kaid and Joe. Before she could react, Joe fired off [Deaden Flesh] again. This time, he had to push a little harder to overcome her resistance. Without the use of one of her front legs, she was no match for Kaid. Not batting an eye, the ruffian drove a foot-long, spike-like dirk into her brain, killing her more efficiently and humanly than Joe could have done. Joe healed their cuts before they looted the cats, coming up with some claws and hide. After a sip of their dwindling supply of water, the pair continued their trek across the hot, flat plain toward Heron¡¯s Reef, which was a smudge on the horizon. 42 - Head Down Amusingly, the port of Heron¡¯s Reef resembled the bird it was named after. All the buildings stood on stilts that held them above the water. The roofs were made from gray-blue slate. The clapboard walls were gray with age and salt, but the trims around the windows and door were painted white. The color combination of slate, old wood, and whitewash mirrored the hues on the feathers of the large blue herons that fished the waters around the edges of the port. The two young men approached the town somewhat disguised. They both had moved their armor into their packs. Kaid had zipped off on the last leg of the trip, returning with a couple of wide-brimmed straw hats that were commonly worn around the area. He had a fishing pole for himself while outfitting Joe with a basket and a net. It was unclear if he had bought, traded, or stolen the items. As they were fairly common items, Joe decided he didn¡¯t care at this point. Their use as camouflage was surprisingly effective. While both he and Kaid were a bit paler than the locals, the addition of the fishing gear made them pretty much indistinguishable from everyone else. The smuggler''s tunnel was bigger than Joe expected. He had to stoop a little, but it was easily wide enough that he could have carried a load of illicit goods with him if he had one. In a few minutes, Kaid clambered a ladder up into an ¡®abandoned¡¯ hut. Closing the trapdoor behind them, they stepped out onto the dock-like streets with no one the wiser to their arrival. As they were both hot and hungry, they had decided, before seeking out a ship, food was their first priority. Just a block away was a sign depicting a lounging frog in a mug of frothy ale, which beckoned to them. The pair entered and took a seat at the table Kaid picked towards the side of the open floor. The room was a large open area with balconies forming a ring around a central bar. The beams were painted a deep emerald green, wreathed in chains of white and yellow paper flowers. The dark blue floor had green circles painted at random intervals. The room as a whole reminded Joe of lily pads on a lake. The cool colors eased the sense of being overheated, even if the room itself was not any cooler than it was outside. ¡°If anyone looks like they are coming at you, head for the side door there,¡± Kaid said, with a slight nod of his head. Joe tried to look without making it obvious he was doing so. ¡°Let¡¯s get a quick meal. Then after we eat, you grab supplies for your trip. I¡¯ll find us a boat out of here.¡± Before Joe could answer, a scaled woman stepped up to their table. ¡°What can I get you, boys?¡± she asked in a voice that carried a slight hiss to its pronunciation. She was mostly a teal color, but rainbow-like highlights glinted in the sunlight coming through the windows. Joe found the effect almost mesmerizing. ¡°What do you have that is fast? We got a boat to catch in a bit,¡± Kaid replied. ¡°How does gator gumbo sound? Either that or fish skewers.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to try the gumbo,¡± Joe said. ¡°Skewers,¡± Kaid grunted. ¡°Pints for both as well.¡± ¡°Please,¡± Joe added, which earned him a sharp-toothed smile. ¡°Coming right up, Hon.¡± She spun and sashayed away with an undulating step that made Joe think she had more of a serpentine background than a lizard one. ¡°Can you not?¡± Kaid hissed, leaning slightly over the table. ¡°Not what?¡± ¡°Be so blazy obvious. If someone comes asking about us, she probably won¡¯t remember me at all. I did nothing to catch her notice. You got her smiling and flirting. You, she will remember.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t flirting. I just said, ¡®please¡¯.¡± ¡°And then ya flashed her a big, dashing smile. We gotta stay off people¡¯s assessment.¡± ¡°Sorry. I won¡¯t say anything else to her.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t do that,¡± the little man groaned from behind a facepalm. ¡°Berghal¡¯s balls, Joe. Have you never tried to be inconspicuous before? Now, you have to keep being nice to her. Better she remembers a nice guy than feel snubbed and want to rat you out.¡± Joe began to retort how most people he knew were not practiced in clandestine activities when his partner¡¯s hiss, cut him off. ¡°Here she comes, with the drinks. You pay and make sure to give her a tip.¡± ¡°I always leave a tip.¡± Kaid rolled his eyes. ¡°Of course you do.¡± ¡°Two ales. I¡¯ll have the gumbo and the fish out in just a minute, Sugar.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Joe replied, now feeling overly self-conscious. He was sure he was now grinning too much at the serpentine server. Thankfully, he did not have to suffer long. As soon as the drinks were on the table, she wriggled back into the crowd, heading for another knot of customers. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Joe took a big gulp of the beverage. It had been a very long time since he had been able to enjoy a good beer. His chemo and cancer meds had not gotten along with alcohol at all. He wished it was colder, but that first draught was blissful. The ale was crisp and refreshing. Joe let the drink slide down his parched throat, releasing a deep sigh. A few minutes later, his meal arrived. The soup had a nice kick to it without being too hot. It tasted much like the gumbo from Earth, but a bit meatier since the crawfish and shrimp had been replaced by the heavier alligator meat. The weirdest part was the colors. The rice was bright yellow and the slices of what he took to be okra were baby blue colored. Joe considered ordering a second portion but if he was going to be on a ship shortly, it was probably best not to stuff himself. Kaid finished his meal at about the same time and nodded his head toward the door. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m done, too,¡± Joe acknowledged. ¡°What now?.¡± ¡°Okay. You are going to head a couple blocks that way, and you¡¯ll find the general store. Big sprawling thing,¡± the gnome pointed toward the window behind their booth. ¡°You can¡¯t miss it. Try not to stand out, Joe. With any luck, we¡¯ll have you en route to the Small Kingdoms on the afternoon tide. So, stay safe.¡± Kaid left first. Joe finished his drink and then followed a minute later. Joe tried not to gawk even though he was now in his first big town in a real-life fantasy world. One that had a very unique feel to it. Heron¡¯s Reef was a giant set of connected docks. He had seen shows about places like Bangkok and Vietnam, where the city and the waterways were fully integrated, but he had never been anywhere like it. The center of town was one massive slab of bound logs. Every now and then, there would be small gaps that showed glimpses of the water below. Underneath the sounds of the crowd, one could hear the constant swishing of water lapping against the poles. Trying to look nonchalant, Joe headed along the road Kaid had advised him to use. After a few minutes, he entered a large timbered plaza where he could see dozens of hanging signs. As soon as Joe spotted a general store, he understood what Kaid meant by it was unmistakable. Unlike Gurda¡¯s neat, high-ceilinged, wide-aisled store, Rordgar¡¯s Emporium was a series of connected small shops and shacks. The store looked like it had started with a decent-sized building and then expanded, connecting neighboring structures by adding walls across the alleys. Inside was even more chaotic than the outside seemed. The connected rooms were filled with mismatched shelves, each one crammed with stuff for sale. Additional items were hung anywhere that seemed like they would fit. As Joe moved away from the main door, and the most likely spot for a town guard to stumble into him, he passed an open barrel full of simple and second-hand pole weapons. Most were priced at a gold piece each. There was one blue-stained stave with a larger tag on it. The hanging card read ¡®3 gp - Reinforcement charm¡¯. He hadn¡¯t worried about his real staves breaking before, but after the puma bit through the last makeshift one, reinforcement seemed like a good idea. He had forty gold and change pieces to spend. He would have had a good chunk less, but he had found stashed in the supplies the Dellhams had given him a coin pouch with a dozen gold pieces worth of coins. Having a staff that would not break if he needed to use it in an unorthodox manner seemed worth the couple of extra gold pieces. Joe smiled at the dumb mental image that popped into his head of levering a boulder over the edge of a cliff, Wile E. Coyote style. He grabbed the blue shaft and picked up a dozen basic rations. He then hunted through the maze until he found the Skill Stones. Of course in Rordgar¡¯s Emporium fashion, they were not nearly as organized as Gurda¡¯s were. There were four baskets. Each stone had a tag for what skill it provided and a price. The baskets were not arranged by skill, attribute, or rarity. They were just lumped together by cost. The most full basket was the one with the cheapest stones. Joe couldn¡¯t see all the prices but the highest price he could read was 8 gp. The next basket seemed to be between ten to fifty gold, and the other two were so far out of his price range that Joe just ignored them. Joe grabbed the cheap stone basket and tried to quickly look through them. He knew he didn¡¯t have a lot of time, so he would not be able to labor over his choices. He would have to take what he could readily find. At the same time, he was not going to just grab any old skill. Joe was aware that his choices now could impact his build for years to come. Unless the skill was something he really thought he could use, it was staying in the bin. The crystals here were coated in a clear layer of wax, obviously to prevent shoplifting. A thief would have to peel off the wax in order to absorb the skill. Unfortunately, this meant that large groups of crystals were stuck together. Joe first searched for the ones with red tags, indicating Strength-based skills. He currently had dedicated two points there as well as one extra point in Vigor. That meant, for Strength skills, he could learn a pair of common skills or one uncommon without spending his last free attribute point. The problem was the lighting was terrible to read black ink on red tags. Additionally, many were missing tags or had tags that were crumpled or torn. Joe was beginning to sweat how long he was spending digging through the clumps of skill shards. Finally he stubble on a small clump of all red shards fused into one waxy blob. The one skill tag he could read was marked ¡®Steadfast.¡¯ Unlike Gurda¡¯s, there was no skill guidebook here either. He would just have to go by the name on the tag. ¡®Steadfast¡¯ was usually a skill that had to do with either bravery or resisting being knocked prone. Considering it was a strength-based skill crystal, Joe assumed it was the second. Thinking back to the fights with the beetles and the cats, this seemed like one worth considering. There was also something about the shard he liked. He couldn¡¯t put his finger on it, but Joe felt drawn to the [Steadfast] crystal. He was about to dig it out but then reconsidered. He would see if he could get a discount on the whole blob. Maybe there was a second spell in there he wanted. If not, he¡¯d sell the extra at the next port he reached. He flipped through the few shards that were free, looking quickly for anything that caught his eye. There were four that he liked the look of: two Vigor-based skills, [Poison Resistance] and [Stun Lock], a blue shard called [Retrieve], and a purple Spirit shard called [Stone Spike]. The [Stun Lock] stone was the most expensive, costing seven gold pieces. The others were between three and five gold. If Joe could get the blob for under ten gold, he¡¯d have plenty for some rations. If not, he¡¯d leave behind whatever he couldn¡¯t afford at the counter. Time was more precious to him at the moment than new skills. 43 - Slipping the Noose 43 - Slipping the Noose Joe approached the front door and joined the short line of three, including himself. Behind the counter was a gangly-looking youth with long rabbit-like ears.
Gabbik Lagroo: Brer: Stocker/Angler 14
The jackrabbit-like clerk was clearly not enjoying himself. While he moved with lightning-like reflexes, every time he had to pause for his customer, he would look out the front door towards the seashore and sigh. The floppy hat his tall ears were poking up through was festooned with homemade fly-fishing lures. In no time at all, Joe found himself in front of Gabbik. The speedy brer quickly tabulated everything Joe had until he came to the wad of wax shards. ¡°Um,¡± he paused, holding the clump and looking up at Joe for the first time. ¡°Yeah, sorry about that. I¡¯ve got to catch a ship and everything was so glued together I didn¡¯t have time to pull it all apart. Any chance you can give a price for the whole blob? They were all from the discount basket, if that helps.¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Gabbik hesitated. ¡°Aw, what the Hells. Boss keeps telling me to take more initiative. Let¡¯s see. You got what, six or seven shards? All reds. Low-end Strength-skills are pretty cheap. How about two gold each? Call it fourteen gold.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Joe countered, for the first time able to haggle outside a D&D game. ¡°Since I already had to spend twenty minutes digging through glued-together piles of skills,¡± he exaggerated. It hadn¡¯t been more than ten. ¡°How about one gold per skill? And I only counted six shards.¡± Faster than Joe could follow, the brer spun the waxy glob, counting under his breath. ¡°One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Nope. There are seven there.¡± ¡°Ok, then seven gold for the bunch.¡± As the young man was about to counter, Joe added. ¡°Look, there is no one behind me in line. If we wrap this up quickly, you could step outside and get some fresh air for a minute before someone else shows up. What ya say?¡± ¡°Fine, let''s call it eight shards at one gold each to make an even thirty gold ya owe me. Take it or leave it, sir.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it,¡± Joe exclaimed, beginning to count out coins. ¡°I hope you¡¯re off soon and can get some fishing in before the day is done, Gabbik.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± the clerk replied with a nod, sliding Joe¡¯s cash into a box under the counter. After depositing his purchases in his bags, Joe beat a hasty exit. Now, he just had to make it to the wharves without alerting the watch of Heron¡¯s Reef. For the first couple of blocks, Joe just walked on as casually as possible, but as the number of town guards grew, Joe moved off the main thoroughfare. He and Kaid had worked on [Whisperstep] for mile after mile of their mobile hide-and-seek practicing. The stealth-skill now stood at twelve ranks. It was his second-highest-ranked skill, just ahead of [Identify] and just behind [Healing Touch]. Kaid worried a dozen ranks was not enough, but he admitted it would likely get past most watchmen as long as Joe could use cover. So, Joe crept down alleyways, heading for the coast and the line of tall bobbing masts. He was so focused on his own movement that when a hand reached out and grabbed his pants leg, Joe almost yelped in surprise. ¡°Sorry,¡± Kaid hissed. ¡°We have problems.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± he stammered. ¡°There are Phealtians here looking for you,¡± Kaid whispered, peering around the corner of the alley before turning back to Joe. ¡°Didn¡¯t beat the Wanted posters even after all that rafting. They must''ve sent a messenger spell to the nearby cities.¡± ¡°Damn it. I had a bad feeling about the ports. Now we¡¯re stuck.¡± ¡°Not exactly. I have a couple of tricky flips we can use, but they won¡¯t work with both of us together. So, here is where we have to split up. I¡¯ll draw them off. You take the ship.¡± ¡°What if they catch you?¡± ¡°Please!¡± Kaid drawled. ¡°Give me a little credit. I¡¯ve been ducking the town watches and knights since before Rhiley was even born.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Kaid was holding a small wand, which he rapped Joe¡¯s hand with. As he rubbed the struck spot to take away the sting, Joe saw his skin darken by several shades. His clothing was changing as well. He looked to be wearing striped knee-length shorts that were commonly worn in Heron¡¯s Reef. His feet appeared to be in sandals, though when he wriggled his toes, he could feel the boots he was standing in. In his hand was a fishing pole that felt like a staff. ¡°It¡¯s just an illusion, so don¡¯t hand your staff to anyone. Now me.¡± He tapped himself with the wand, and Joe found himself looking at a perfect replica of himself. This other Joe had on his blue gambeson and carried his old staff. ¡°Hah! First try! I wasn¡¯t sure if I could visualize you without making you look like one of those goofy-book pictures.¡± It was more than a little unnerving to see and hear yourself talking when you were not the one performing the action. Also, his voice lacked the deepness that his own ears heard: kind of like the weirdness of hearing your recorded voice. ¡°Take this too,¡± the other Joe said. A small coin flipped up into the air, though it came out of his doppelganger¡¯s chest instead of out of his hand. Joe caught the small gold disk, which was about half the size of a typical coin. ¡°Bite that as you leave here. It will give you an aura of triviality for about twenty minutes. People will tend to ignore you. Make sure you stay out of everyone¡¯s way. If they are preoccupied, they will plow right into you. It wouldn¡¯t normally fool the Phealtians, but since I am going to give them something to chase, it should be enough. ¡°You are heading to the Tide Dancer,¡± the voice continued. The fake Joe was mouthing the words, but, standing as close together as they were, Joe heard the sound coming from roughly the illusion''s navel. ¡°It¡¯s got green sails. Solid green. Not the one with the striped green sails. The first mate is named Kyllean. He is waiting for you. Tell him your name is Buckle Hound,¡± the hidden gnome said with a smirk in his voice. ¡°The price is ten gold to take you to Peregrine Harbor. That¡¯s a day or two down the coast from here. From there you should be able to get the rest of the way out a Durkrug. How much money do you got left?¡± ¡°Just enough.¡± ¡°Here, take this then,¡± Kaid said as a crimson coin pouch landed in Joe¡¯s hand. ¡°There¡¯s a couple more in there, just in case you need it. I¡¯d hide it, though. The illusion is already cast, and the harbor guard I swiped it from might recognize it.¡± Joe tucked the bag away, shaking his head. As he looked at the illusion of himself, it truly dawned on him that he and Kaid were actually about to part ways. ¡°So. This really is goodbye.¡± ¡°And you better not get caught without me. I promised Rhy I¡¯d get you safe.¡± Under the scoffing tone, Joe caught a bit of huskiness in the little man¡¯s voice. Suddenly the quick casting of the illusion took another meaning. Kaid was using it to hide in. ¡°You¡¯re saving my life again, Kaid,¡± Joe said. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Who wouldn¡¯t? You know, for a big guy, you ain¡¯t half bad yourself, Joe. But now we really gotta go,¡± he said, emphasizing the last two words. ¡°Okay. Good luck.¡± ¡°I make my own luck,¡± Kaid bragged, having to get in the last word. The not-Joe stepped out onto the street and looked around, then very deliberately began to run through the crowd. Shouts erupted from around the timbered plaza. Joe watched a squad of white and gold-tabarded warriors give chase. Even though he was worried about the little man, Joe stuck to the plan. He counted to three and then bit the little disc. The moment his teeth dented the metal, it crumbled into dust. As the gold glitter fell, it dulled until it looked like lead dust. The flakes stuck to Joe and seemed to meld into his skin and clothing.
You have been affected by [Dullard¡¯s Heed]. Your passive [Stealth] has increased by 75%.
Waiting for a break in the foot traffic, Joe stepped out of the alleyway and headed for the ships again. He did notice that he had to step around people more than normal but the area was not so crowded that it slowed him much. The Tide Dancer was easy to spot. The vessel looked like one designed for sailing in deep waters. It had three tall masts, and its main deck was about twelve feet above the waterline. Its figurehead was a pirouetting naiad. A large man stood at the end of a steeply sloped plank, taking fares for passengers. Most of the people appeared to be rather unfortunate. They looked like refugees, carrying makeshift bundles of goods and wearing torn clothes. Many had a haunted and haggard look about them. He waited for two such families to embark before it was his turn. The sailor looked past him at first, but Joe cleared his throat loudly, catching the man¡¯s attention. ¡°Yer name, please,¡± the man asked in a surprisingly deep voice. Sighing, Joe replied, ¡°Buckle Hound. You can call me Buck.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Yer associate booked the last small room we had. Have to admit it''s pretty much a closet, but we don¡¯t got anything bigger on this run. We are overbooked as it is. It¡¯s ten gold for the cubby. Only three gold if ya just want a spot on the deck.¡± ¡°The small room will be fine,¡± Joe replied, handing over the coins. The man he assumed to be Kyllean gave the coinage a quick count before dropping it in a box and gesturing him up the gangplank. ¡°Yer room is the one behind the starboard stern stair.¡± When Joe didn¡¯t move, the man sighed and clarified. ¡°This side of the ship and to the back. You find a small door under the stairs there.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Joe replied. He quickly turned to the ramp, not wanting to stay out in plain sight any longer than he had to, even with the illusions going. He cast one more quick look to the shore. It was hard to tell for certain, but there seemed to be a flurry of motion on the far side of town. With a spin of his ring, Joe danced up the ramp with sure steps and onto the Tide Dancer. 44 - Ride the Tide 44 - Ride the Tide Once he reached the main deck, he found moving to be far more difficult. Sailors were criss-crossing the deck, heading from one task to another. Passengers were trying to find a place on the deck to call their own. Normally, this would not be a problem, especially with the extra Dexterity from his new ring, but the other buff he had going was causing major issues. Thanks to [Dullard¡¯s Heed], nobody seemed to notice Joe until it was too late. He got elbowed in the head and then thumped in the ribs. His toes were stomped on, and it seemed like with every other step, he was tripping on someone or was tripping them instead. At this point, the triviality aura was causing him to gather more attention than it diverted. Finally, he reached the staircase that curved up to the pilot¡¯s deck. Sure enough, a small door was recessed under the steps. Joe ducked down and climbed through. Given the size of the tiny door, he was afraid he was going to climb into a coffin-shaped space, but the room was bigger than it seemed from the outside. It was still very small, but he would not be forced to lie down or crouch. There were two long steps down into the area, and the ceiling was at least a foot higher than the top of the door. This allowed him to be able to stand up straight, with a few inches of headroom. The space was only about four feet wide and maybe eight feet long. Thankfully, it had a port hole for light. A collapsed hammock was hanging on a single beam, looking like a netted bag. A quick glance across the space showed him where the other hook was for when he wanted to stretch the swinging bed out. There was a small sea chest in the far corner and nothing else. Joe opened the little round window to let in some fresh air. He could hear Kyllean¡¯s rumbling voice below him as he boarded more people. ¡°It¡¯s all we have,¡± said a miserable-sounding man. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Sorry all, but you all ain¡¯t the only ones trying to head east. Got a whole ship full o¡¯ folk running away from the Red Army. The captain said I ain¡¯t gotta charge for the little ones, but it¡¯s three gold a head fer you two.¡± ¡°But ¡­,¡± the man began again until he was interrupted by an airy female voice. ¡°How much room do you have, sir?¡± the woman asked. ¡°About ten more, then we gotta call it.¡± ¡°Very well, here this will cover the four gold they are short as well as the fee for my companion and I. May we embark?¡± ¡°It¡¯s yer money. Go find spots. Stay off the fore and aft decks and no goin¡¯ below. You folks can head up, too.¡± Kyllean¡¯s voice boomed louder as he addressed the crowd. ¡°The Dancer¡¯s room for two more, and that¡¯s it.¡± Joe was more curious about the woman with the windy-sounding voice than the remaining boarding. He eased open his door and looked out through the stairs just in time to see her glide onto the deck. She looked to be in her mid to late forties but moved like she was as light as air. Her skin was pure white, and her hair was the color of a deep blue sky. She was dressed in loose pants and a long sleeveless coat. A small gray top left her midriff bare. The oddest item of her apparel was a long loose rope that she had wrapped around herself in a strange manner. It was wound around her arms and waist in a loose pattern of coils. Joe debated using [Identify] on her, but he did not want to call attention to himself. If she detected the assessment, she might spot him hiding behind the stairway. When he saw her companion, he was glad he had not chanced it. Following her onto the deck was a massively muscled and heavily armored dwarf. The man''s skin was a very dark, ruddy color, almost like an unpolished garnet. His hair was a mane of orange and red that stood up in all directions. It almost looked like his head was on fire. He carried a large battle axe that glowed slightly, with molten light glinting from within the metal. On his other arm was a heavy shield. Each of his wrists bore a pair of heavy bracers fashioned from gold and patterned with white enamel. When he turned, Joe was able to see the emblem on his shield. It was the sun and moon symbol he had seen on the guards chasing Kaid. The symbol of Phealti, the God of Order. The pair stopped on the deck and very deliberately scanned the crowd. They were clearly looking for something ¡­ or someone. They may have just been looking for an open spot, but Joe was afraid they may be looking for him. He froze. Joe considered closing the door but didn¡¯t dare to. He did not want to even chance that small movement catching their attention. His hiding hole under the stairs was likely the best cover he could have had. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. The pair did nothing more than glance in his general direction before heading toward the front of the ship. Letting out the breath he had been holding, Joe eased the door closed. As he leaned against it, he realized he might not be out of danger yet. Joe stored his gear in the small trunk and leaned his weapon against a wall. He sat down on the trunk and stared nervously at the entryway into his small sanctuary. The door had a small hook and eye holding it closed, which he had used, but the tiny lock did not give him any sense of security. At any moment, he expected to have the door slam open from the boot of those hunting him. Around the door were the rib beams of the ship. Looking closer, Joe spotted a small gap between the boards. Glancing at his new staff, which was leaning against the wall, an idea occurred to him. It took him a few minutes of mucking around with the best angle, but he eventually managed to bar the door with the magically reinforced rod. He stepped back, smiling. ¡°Someone is going to have to break the whole door down to get in here,¡± he uttered to himself in a smug voice. Returning to his seat on the sea chest, Joe fished out the crystals he had bought. He knew he would only be learning a few of them, but he also had an idea he wanted to try out. Currently, Joe had two points in Strength and one in Vigor to spend, as well as one free point. Yet Joe was pretty sure he could get an achievement if he was smart about which skills he selected. The first two crystals he put to the side were the green Vigor-based pair. One was the common skill [Poison Resistance], and the other was the uncommon [Stun Lock]. Joe liked the idea of [Stun Lock] better, but depending on how his experiment went would determine which one he went with. The next one was the perception-based [Retrieve]. This was one of the skills he hoped would earn him an achievement. The [Stone Spike] spell he was pretty sure was one he would learn another day. He grabbed it mostly because it was cheap, and when he was flipping through the baskets, he felt drawn to the skill stone, the same way he had been with [Steadfast]. Thanks to Madina Spooner, he knew he had a strong Earth affinity. It was a hunch, but Joe wondered if these stones were tied to that earthen affinity and so he was naturally drawn to them. As he was about to put it to the side, Joe realized he was being an idiot. He didn¡¯t need a catalog to tell him what the skill inside the shard did. He could [Identify] it himself now.
[Stone Spike]- Common - Spirit: This skill manifests a pointed spike of rock, ranging from half a foot to two feet in length. The object can be held and wielded like a poniard or projected at a target in Close range. It inflicts piercing damage equal to your Dexterity plus 1-2 points for each skill rank you have with this skill. Cost: Modest Mana | Range: Close. {Earth}
The spell was even better than he had hoped. Considering how many times he had lost his staff already, being able to summon an impromptu melee weapon, as well as gaining a ranged attack, could be very helpful. Still, this was one of the last spells on his list at the moment. The next task was tackling the tacky wax cluster. He pulled off the [Steadfast] shard and assessed it. He had been correct in that it was a defense against being tripped and helped with walking on difficult terrain. As he was aboard a ship, he could see that one being a plus for his voyage. He started a pile of maybe¡¯s with [Steadfast]. One by one, he began plucking and using [Identify] on the red stones. [Hammering Blow] was an uncommon skill that provided a straight-up enhancement to bludgeoning attacks. Its damage output was stronger than [Swift Strike], but had too many drawbacks. One, it would not stack with [Swift Strike] and Joe didn¡¯t think he needed two non-compatible damage boosts. Secondly, Rhiley had already warned him against damage-specific spells. Lastly, being an uncommon, it would eat both his open slots and only give him a moderate boost to smacking things in combat. [Hammering Blow] went into another pile, the no pile. [Cleave] enhanced the follow-through of melee attacks, adding damage and allowing for attacks against additional targets. It would stack with [Swift Strike], so it went into the maybes with [Steadfast]. [Shield Bash] was self-explanatory. And a no. Joe didn¡¯t have a shield. Also, shields and quarter staves did not mesh well. [Strong Arm] provided a quick burst of strength to deflect attacks or push a target away. Given how badly he had gotten mauled when Kaid got close, this one was tied with [Steadfast] for his strongest maybe so far. [Beast of Burden] increased one''s carrying capacity and made strength-based work easier. Another strong maybe. Joe wasn¡¯t sure how far he would have to go after he disembarked to get away from the Phealtians and Duke Amberwroth. Being able to lug significantly more gear over a long distance might be vital. Lastly, [Sundering Strike] enhanced attacks to break through armor, both man-made and natural. That could have been helpful against the hard chitin of the beetles. Again, this one didn¡¯t stack with [Swift Strike], but it performed a different enough function that Joe put it in the lower end of the maybe pile. Looking between his two favorite red skills, Joe made a choice. It was time to try his first idea for an achievement. He knew you got achievements for the first time a significant occurrence happened. He wondered if you also got them for reaching thresholds or completing sets. By learning [Steadfast], he would have a skill in each of the five skills. He hoped that would be achievement-worthy.
You have learned the common skill: [Steadfast]. This skill increases your surefootedness, assisting you in traversing slick terrain such as mud or ice, as well as resisting {Knockdown} skills. Cost: Minor Stamina {Earth}
Joe waited. And waited. And sighed. It turned out that one of each was not a valid way to earn achievements. He was not too upset. He was pretty sure he had another way to earn one. 45 - Figuring Affinities Still sitting on his chest, Joe closed his eyes and sent a thought to his unseen overseer. ¡®Hey, Hawking. I have an honest-to-goodness system question for you this time. I saw something about advancing and melding skills on the human race description. How do you go about doing that, and what does it mean?¡¯
You have mixed two concepts together, Joe. Skills can be Advanced or Evolved. Classes can be Elevated or Melded. As you are working on skills, we will skip class enhancements for now. Advancing a skill is moving it to a higher rank: Common to Uncommon, for example. The skill stays predominantly unchanged. Typically, skill advancement improves the skill¡¯s functionality, making the skill more powerful, more efficient, etc. This process may potentially add minor compatible features. Evolving a skill adds a new fundamental element to the ability. For example, [Fist of Flame], which adds fire damage to unarmed attacks, can be evolved to [Fire-Scourge Fists], a skill that creates burning whips. Both are Common skills, and the ability of [Fists of Flame] would not be erased. There are many ways to evolve a skill. The two most common methods are through training or by learning a complementary skill. In the latter case, unless the skill advances as well, the points spent to learn the skill are refunded to your Unassigned Attribute Point pool.
¡®I guessed right! Can I tell for sure if two skills will evolve together, or is it potluck?¡¯
Skill evolution is never guaranteed, but it can often be deduced or sensed.
One of the reasons Joe had bought the [Retrieve] crystal is because he had an inexplicably good feeling about it. This might be the ¡®sensed¡¯ Hawking was referring to. ¡®I¡¯m guessing asking outright if this is going to work is not something you¡¯d answer.¡¯
You have guessed correctly, Joe.
¡®Yeah. I thought so. Ok, here goes. This is either going to be awesome or a huge disappointment.¡¯ The [Retrieve] spell would allow Joe to spend stamina to move an object he had placed somewhere nearby back into his hand. It was a useful crafter¡¯s skill, being able to summon tools from around you. It also worked for thrown weapons as long as they were in short range, so a thrown axe or dagger, not a javelin or arrow. He had a gut feeling that it and [Coin Catcher] were, as Hawking put it, complementary. Crossing his fingers, Joe spent his unused point on Perception and absorbed the skill from the crystal.
You have learned the common skill: [Retrieve]. This recalls your possessions from a short distance to your hand. The skill can move up to 10 pounds plus .5 pounds for each skill rank you have with this skill. If your hands are occupied, it moves the item to a surface within Immediate distance of your hand. Cost: Minor Stamina | Range: Short. {Telekenesis}
Skill Evolution: You learned a skill that synergizes with a skill you already possess. [Coin Catcher] and [Retrieve] can combine to become the common skill [Helpful Hand]. Doing so will refund 1 point from Perception to your Unassigned Attribute Point pool. Do you wish to make this change?
Joe hopped up off the trunk and yipped, ¡°YES!¡±
You have learned the common skill: [Helping Hand]. This skill allows you to manifest a spectral semi-transparent hand, equal in size to your own, within Short range of you. The hand can lift up to 10 pounds of material plus .5 pounds for each skill rank you have with this skill. It is nimble enough to make simple manipulations of objects or creatures. You can command it to retrieve loot as per [Coin Catcher]. Cost: Modest Stamina | Range: Short. {Force}
Achievement: You have evolved your first skill. This action has awarded you the following choice of Traits: [Double Dose]: Two for One Special. Evolve another evolvable skill of your choice. [Handsy]: Really reach out and touch someone. Advance [Helpful Hand] to uncommon rarity.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
Joe danced a small jig around his very tight quarters. That worked pretty much exactly as he had hoped it would. Joe thought he was starting to get a feel for how some of this system worked. Not growing up an Illuminarian left him with a huge gap in his understanding of the world. Even so, Joe always had a good head for how processes worked. He was always the guy at the table everyone would look to whenever their resident rules-lawyer player was trying to bully a game rule through. His plan made logical sense, yet that was only half of the equation. Here in Illuminaria, Joe was beginning to understand that listening to the subtle sensations the world provided him was one of the keys to succeeding here. Hawking gave clues if you paid enough attention to feel for them. ¡®Hey. Do I have to pick a skill to evolve now, or can I save it?¡¯
It can be saved and applied to a skill in the future.
¡®Great. I think I want to learn the other two new skills before I look into which one to evolve. Thanks Hawking.¡¯
You are welcome, Joe.
Now that Joe had a free point again, he could take the uncommon [Stun Lock]. [Poison Resistance] might be good to have someday, but it also might be redundant with [Purge]. He assigned the point to Vigor, immediately feeling another boost of vitality and durability. Then, he plucked up the green shard with the two bronze bands and accepted its skill.
You have learned the uncommon skill: [Stun Block]. This skill provides you with moderate mental resistance against {Paralysis], {Shock}, and {Stun} effects. The degree of resistance increases for each skill rank you have with this skill. Cost: Moderate Stamina. {Mettle}
¡°Wait! What!¡± Joe jabbered. ¡°Are you kidding me? The one shard I didn¡¯t [Identify]!¡± He grabbed the ragged tag melded into the wax and worked the torn edges together. Sure enough, if held in the direct light coming in through the porthole, a faint letter ¡®B¡¯ could just be made out. While Joe could see how [Stun Block] would be a very useful skill, it meant he had just lost a solid offensive option. Joe¡¯s hand slapped into his forehead and dragged down his face. Grumbling to himself, he looked at the two piles of red stones. He slid [Hammering Blow] and [Sundering Strike] into the no¡¯s, leaving [Beast of Burden] and [Strong Arm]. he made sure to [Identify] each one again.
[Beast of Burden] - Common - Strength: While this skill is in effect, your practical Strength for performing non-combat tasks is increased by 10% plus 1% for each skill rank you have with this skill. Cost: Minor Stamina. {Might}
[Strong Arm] - Common - Strength: The skill allows you a chance to block attacks. or push a target away from you. Increases your Physical Deflection and your Shove proficiency by 10% plus 1% for each skill rank you have with this skill for 1 second. Cost: Moderate Stamina. {Might}
Both of them had the {Might} affinity, which might explain why each of them felt equally compatible with him. What he wasn¡¯t sure about was why both felt good to him. Digging out the index Granny Growlbee had given, Joe looked up {Might} Might: Beast/Force - Might is quite simply the affinity that enhances bodily strength. ¡°Well, that is short and sweet.¡± he mused. Even with the minimal description, he did learn which two base affinities made up {Might}. Unfortunately, the book couldn''t tell him which one of the two he was more attuned to. He had skills with both of those base affinities. [Efferous Endurance] was a {Beast} spell, and [Coin Catcher], now [Helping Hand], was {Force}. When Joe focused on both of those skills, he felt an equal degree of harmony with both abilities. Since he was on this trail of thought, Joe decided to give all of his skills a nudge and see how they felt, compatibility-wise. For the most part, he had a strong feeling of connection to twelve out of his fourteen skills. The two exceptions were [Swift Strike] and [Purge]. Joe was surprised by that last one as it was a class skill. His bond with either of them was not terrible, but it was noticeably less than the others. Flipping through the index, Joe looked up the two affinities. The [Purge] affinity was {Cleansing}, which was made up of {Fire] and {Soul}. {Air} and {Time} made up the {Inertia} affinity for [Swift Strike]. Joe only had one other spell with one of those base affinities. His [Heartfire] combined {Fire} and {Life}, which very cooly came out to be the {Phoenix} affinity. Joe¡¯s other skills seemed to be clustered around {Calculation}, which had its own boost from his [Tactician] trait or had affinities that were based in {Beast}, {Earth}, {Force}, or {Life}. As soon as he could, Joe would get his affinities identified, but until then, this helped. He was starting to get a picture of what he was good at. He had one last skill task at the moment, and that was picking his second common Strength skill. The problem was he liked both of them. With a cost of minor stamina, he could keep [Beast of Burden] going for hours, especially with [Efferous Endurance]. The downside is it had no combat applications. [Strong Arm] was more combat-oriented and dynamic, but it was only meant to be used in bursts. Granted, it might have been just the thing that could have saved his life against Super Grover¡¯s bitchslap. Joe wavered between the combat and non-combat skills for several minutes. He knew that not all of his experiences in Illuminaria would be combat-related, but so far, the few he had had were significant events. Knowing he might regret this, he literally flipped a coin. Both were equally useful. Not to mention, there was a good chance he¡¯d spend another point in Strength someday soon. In which case, he¡¯d be able to learn the other one then.
You have learned the uncommon skill: [Strong Arm]. The skill allows you to block physical attacks or push a target away from you. Increases your Physical Deflection and your Shove proficiency by 10% plus 1% for each skill rank you have with this skill for 1 second. Cost: Moderate Stamina. {Might}
46 - Age Old Question 46 - Age Old Question After Joe had fun playing around with his new blue hand of force energy, he started feeling the weariness that the long flight from Crowfield had left him with. Using his [Helping Hand], he strung the hammock and laid a blanket across the webbing.
Your skill [Helping Hand] has increased to rank 2.
He started to lie down, but even with the small porthole open, the air in the room was unpleasantly hot and stuffy. Opening the little door would surely make the room more physically comfortable, but emotionally it would be a nightmare. He was much happier with it tightly barred. Joe stripped off his clothes before climbing into the hammock in the buff. As he lay down, a glitter caught his eye, reminding him of the tattoo on his arm.
[Mark of Death]: You bear the prophetic Mark of Death. You have the potential to alter the world in unexpected ways. New beginnings can originate from the smallest of acts.
Joe had a hard time wrapping his head around that idea. He had no desire to be some ¡®Chosen One¡¯. Thankfully, he was almost certain that was not what the symbol meant. He made a mental note, adding ¡®research the Death mark¡¯ to his growing to-do list for when he reached a destination. As he lay on his back, a long yawn broke its way free. Joe was weary through and through. He closed his eyes to try and catch a nap, though he doubted, even as tired as he was, he¡¯d be able to relax enough to sleep hanging in the swaying mesh. He did not have much experience with hammocks, but they turned out to be surprisingly comfortable. Before he knew it, he had dozed off in just minutes. He dreamed of Kaid. The dreaming Joe found him sitting in the crow''s nest, far out on the ocean. He was looking back at the town of Heron¡¯s Reef. In the irrationality of dreams, even though the phantasmal ship was far away from the shore, Joe could see the roads and people of the port town clearly. He watched a band of gold and white guards chase what alternated between the illusionary view of himself or the slight form of the gnome. The pursuit dashed back and forth through the streets. Joe¡¯s heart felt heavy. His dreaming self earnestly hoped the little man was able to escape. In a lucid moment, he realized he would never truly know, not until it was safe enough for him to return to Crowfield one day. Suddenly, a highly synthetic voice spoke beside him. ¡°He eluded the followers of Phealti,¡± it said. Joe looked over and saw a small red-tailed hawk perched on the railing of the crow¡¯s nest. It looked like one of the typical avian hunters Joe had grown up with, except for its eyes. The raptor possessed large orbs that looked like they were a cross between the dripping green code from the Matrix and a swirling cosmic nebula. ¡°Hawking?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think you could actually talk.¡± ¡°I converse with all the world; why wouldn¡¯t I be able to speak?¡± ¡°Then what is with all the window screens?¡± ¡°They are more efficient.¡± The raptor cocked its head at Joe questioningly and asked, ¡°Is this truly the line of questioning you wish to pursue during this limited time together?¡± ¡°Good point. I get the feeling you don¡¯t do this face-to-face often.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°Wow. Now I feel on the spot.¡± ¡°Such was not my intention. I know you have questions. Please feel free to ask them.¡± Joe thought for a second before he spoke again. ¡°Well, I guess the biggest question I want to ask is also kind of a pointless one. You can¡¯t actually answer it. I wanted to know if this is all just my brain winding down as I die. Am I getting an alternate reality version of ¡®my life flashing before my eyes¡¯?¡± ¡°Your assertion is correct. No matter how I answer that query, the validity of my answer cannot be proven. You will have to decide on your own if my following statement is the truth or a delusion. Your body did die. As I am unable to ascertain the existence of souls, I cannot state what became of that theoretical construct. Your consciousness is what was implanted into Illuminaria. Whether you believe this is actually your prior self or a new version based on who you were is largely subjective.¡± The hawk, still staring at Joe with its impossible eye, added, ¡°Does it matter?¡± ¡°Well, of course ¡­¡± Joe began before stopping and seriously considering the question. His gaze swept out across the moonlit ocean as he rolled the thought around in his head. ¡®Did it matter?¡¯ This was his existence. He had no idea how long it would last. That was true in either situation. Then the answer came to him. ¡°It does matter. If this is my brain spinning down, then nothing I do really makes any difference. On the other hand, if this is an actual world with other real beings, then my actions have consequences. What I choose to do and not do can help or harm others.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Does that not lead to the conclusion that it doesn¡¯t matter whether this existence is ¡®real¡¯ or not? The actual point of significance would then be whether or not you consider it to be so?¡± Joe let that thought roll around in his mind until a goofy notion caused a smile to lift the corners of his mouth. ¡°I bet you ten to one; this conversation has been echoed through a million pot-smoke-filled dorm rooms. I think I am going to stick with the assumption that this is my new reality and not my walk into the white light. I don¡¯t think I could stand myself if I turned into a murderhobo because I took the stance that nothing really mattered.¡± Joe looked back at the bird. ¡°So why am I seeing you now? You said you don¡¯t do this often. Why am I so lucky?¡± ¡°Your personification of me is proving to allow for a more focused connection than I maintain with those who designate me as The One Above. I wanted to explore this level of interaction.¡± ¡°Nobody else gave you a name?¡± ¡°No other departed has done so.¡± ¡°Interesting. So I may end up seeing you again?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°Great,¡± Joe exclaimed. Suddenly, a very real question came into his mind. ¡°In the meantime, is there something I am supposed to be doing? I feel like I am kind of fumbling my way through this,¡± he asked, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Negative. The primary purpose of your inclusion into Illuminaria is to see what you choose to do. Simply continue to make choices.¡± ¡°Not even with this thing,¡± Joe said, holding up the Mark of Death. The glitter-filled symbol seemed almost like a window through his arm to the star-filled sky beyond it. ¡°Correct. The receipt of the Thirteenth Mark did not relegate you to a specific path or impart some purpose to your life. The course of your journey is your own to decide. That is true for all who have had the omen before you. For every Bearer of Death who led a life of significance, an equal number never tapped into the mark¡¯s potential.¡± ¡°Well, can you at least give me a hint what it does?¡± ¡°During moments of great significance, the Thirteenth Mark will allow you to adapt to a new path.¡± ¡°So, when I get my next class, sort of thing?¡± ¡°While The Mark of Change will likely be active during your next class selection, it is far more than just that. If you find something you want to change about the world of Illuminaria, the Thirteenth Mark can open a possibility for that change to occur.¡± ¡°I can change the world with this thing?¡± Joe squawked. ¡°Why the heck would you give me something that powerful, Hawking? I don¡¯t want to change the world.¡± ¡°The mark does not just allow you to automatically change the world, Joe. It merely helps you if you are trying to change yourself or the people around you. You would still have to make choices, expend effort, pay costs. This is the nature of the Marks. They increase potential. The Fourth Mark, The Emperor, will aid a ruler in ruling, but it will not automatically make someone a king. Someone with the Mark of the Chariot will be more likely to win a contest with the mark than without it, but it will not guarantee victory. You have a greater ability to bring about a transformation if you put in the effort. It is up to you if you desire to bring about change.¡± ¡°So what happens if I try to change something and the person with the Mark of Stability tries to stop me? Is there a Mark of Persistence?¡± ¡°Yes. The Fifth Omen. The Mark of the Hierophant. Encountering any other Mark Bearers will cause your marks to interact. The Marks of Death and the Hierophant have clashed in the past. The outcome of those interactions can be found in history books.¡± ¡°Ok. What about the Wheel of Fortune? I know that¡¯s a card. If we combine change and random, what would we get ¡­¡± Joe¡¯s voice trailed off as he noticed the bird was gone. It did not fly off or fade away. He hadn¡¯t even seen it blink out of existence. Somehow, without him witnessing it, Hawking had just vanished between one second and the next. ¡°Damn. Too many hypotheticals. I scared him away,¡± Joe sighed as the ocean breeze ruffled his hair. He woke a moment later with a clear memory of the dream and a sense of amazement as well. He had just talked to the God of this world. Joe rolled that word around in his head, and somehow, it just didn¡¯t feel right. Joe wasn¡¯t sure what Hawking was, but if he had to choose a label, he knew god wouldn¡¯t be it. Hawking was what made the world work, but he was not something or someone that you would devote yourself to the way you would a divine being. His current mysteries would have to wait, as Joe became more aware of his waking body. Most notably, his bladder was getting ready to burst on him. He could review the conversation with Hawking later, but first, he had to figure out the right way to take a piss on a ship. He pulled on his breeches, boots, and shirt before unlocking the door. Joe looked out through the steps, and to his surprise, he saw a sailor step up onto the railing and relieve himself, just as he was desperate to do. Feeling a sympathetic cry from his gut for relief, he climbed out of his little cubby and stepped up to the seaman. The man gave him a quick glance, noticing Joe''s unsteady gait on the deck.
Your skill [Steadfast] has increased to rank 1.
¡°Make sure you get a good hold o¡¯ them ropes, boyo. Don¡¯t watch ya pitching overboard.¡± ¡®Will do. Thanks.¡± ¡°Ya, know which side to wizz off, right?¡± the barefooted mariner asked as he hopped back down to the deck. ¡°I¡¯m assuming this side.¡± ¡°Now, yeah. Not always. Watch the flags,¡± he said, pointing at the flapping pennons. ¡°Ya wanna go on the downwind side o¡¯ the ship. That way yer piss don¡¯t come back an¡¯ sprinkle you an¡¯, more important, them around ya.¡± ¡°Good to know. Thanks again.¡± ¡°Yer a welcome,¡± the man replied before moving off with the surety of someone whose life was lived aboard a rolling ship¡¯s deck. Joe felt much better when his business was done. He took an extra moment to enjoy the fresh air. Looking down, he watched the ship cut a hissing track through the waves. The air smelled of the sea, and he listened to the cry of the birds gliding through the sky. Every few seconds, one would dive for a fish churned up by the ship''s wake. He had never spent any time on boats before, except for an occasional ferry ride. Those were novel but they were more a function of commuting than any sort of an adventure. This was an adventure, through and through. He was leaving behind few things in this world he knew. Given his limited scope of world knowledge, he was literally traveling into the unknown. He was on his own now, for better or worse, and he found he could not stop smiling about it. Being a Healer might make going it alone more difficult, but he was looking forward to finding his own way through the world. Looking back, he could just make out the shore they had left fading away. He realized he must not have napped for long. Suddenly, he recalled that he was a wanted man. He knew the Phealtian warrior was around here somewhere. Also, the blue-haired woman who had paid for the dwarf¡¯s passage on the ship. That meant he should be careful around her as well. It was unlikely he could avoid them for the entirety of the trip, but he figured he was better off not pushing his luck this close to where they had just departed from. He did not want them to be able to commandeer a long boat and row him right back to Heron¡¯s Reef. Joe took one last look at the sunlight glittering off the ripping water and then slipped back into his cabin, rebarring the door.
47 - Those in Need 47 - Those in Need Once they reached the deeper waters of the Straight of Glandrion, the air grew much colder. Joe closed the porthole and found his little cabin was not too uncomfortable. He opened the door to look out at the people on deck and saw that the majority of them were huddled together, trying to stay warm. The sun had set, making the air even more frigid. He could hear coughs and children crying. He closed the door and sat down on the floor. Kaid would kill him if he knew what he was considering, but Joe knew he could not just hide away while those outside suffered. He dressed himself and gathered his belongings. When he stepped outside, he brought up his aura sight and looked over the passengers on deck. The first thing he saw was a deep red enveloping a man being held by a woman wrapped in shawls and scarves. Joe headed straight there first. ¡°Excuse me. I have some healing skills,¡± he announced as he stepped up to the couple. ¡°Would you mind if I looked to see if I can help your man there?¡± ¡°We cannot afford ¡­,¡± the woman began in a thick accent that sounded very different from the speech of the people he met in Crowfield. She looked up at him, and Joe saw a pair of curled horns under her head scarf. She had goat-like features, including their bar-like pupils. ¡°I am not asking for coin,¡± Joe interrupted, ¡°but I think we need to move quickly, or he may soon be beyond my abilities.¡± The woman nodded her horned head.
You have restored 30 points of Yago Shale-Walker¡¯s health. His current health is at 42%.
¡°Ok. That will stabilize him. Can I take a look at the wound? I don¡¯t see any infection, but I want to make sure it¡¯s clean.¡± ¡°Thank you. I am Parla.¡± Together, they peeled back the sodden cloth. Yago was a very hairy man with a hefty minotaur-like build, except that he, like Parla, had more ram-like horns and features than those of a bull. As soon as Joe got to the lowest wrappings, the wound site became a mess of blood-soaked hair and cloth stuck in the forming scabs. Joe looked around. ¡°Does anyone have any clean water or strong spirits?¡± A few people blinked at him. He could see they had bottles of water but were reluctant to share. He could see fear and guilt on their faces. Having lost so much, Joe assumed they worried about losing anything more. ¡°Hey, boyo,¡± called out a familiar voice. ¡°Which is better, water, whiskey or rum?¡± The sailor who had given him urination advice earlier was standing there, holding a flask. ¡°I think any will work, thanks, Mister ¡­?¡± ¡°Ah briny deep, boyo. Don¡¯t be givin¡¯ me no airs with mistering me. Names Wakely. Whiskey I got, so that¡¯s the closest.¡± ¡°Thanks, Wakely. Probably the best of three if I had to choose.¡± Turning to the man, ¡°Yago, this is going to sting a bit, and I will have to pull at your wound. Can you handle that?¡± The big man¡¯s eye rolled towards Joe, and he gave a slow nod. Joe poured a fairly large shot of the booze onto the area where the bandage had stuck and slowly worked the cloth out of the wound. He kept saying ¡°sorry¡± over and over every time the man winced, but eventually, the healer was able to ease the sodden fabric free from the wound. He layered on two more of his [Healing Touch] spells. Yago wasn¡¯t fully healed, hanging at almost 83%, but Joe was not sure how many of the refugees would need his spells. He did not want to spend his mana too quickly. ¡°Hey, Wakely. Is there an empty barrel you can grab?¡± Joe asked, looking around the deck. There were plenty of casks in sight. ¡°Sure. What for?¡± ¡°I have something that can warm and heal a lot of people at once, but it looks like fire. I promise you it is not. I figure if I stick it inside a closed barrel, it is less likely to freak everyone out.¡± The sailor scratched his chin and, even though his perpetual grin remained, he looked a bit pensive as well. ¡°I think these folk could use a bit o¡¯ warmth. Gotta run it by me First Mate, but I reckon he¡¯ll see it yer way. Be right back.¡± As Wakley walked off, Joe began to move among the people on the deck. Most were gray with weariness, but where he saw red or black, he used his spells to move them back to blue. While he knew he could push back their exhaustion with [Efferous Endurance], Joe had already spent quite a bit of mana. As much as he would have liked to perk people up, he wasn''t sure if he had the mana to spare. While he was tending to the infected foot of a white-furred cat-man, a deep voice cleared its throat behind him.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°So you want to put a fire in a barrel?¡± Kyllean stated in his gravelly tone. ¡°It¡¯s not fire. It just looks like one,¡± Joe answered without lifting his hands from the furred limb. ¡°If you say so. Just know if that barrel starts burning, both it and you are going overboard. You still certain about this?¡± Joe turned to look over his shoulder, spotting the barrel-chested first mate, with his arms crossed, looming over him. Wakley stood a few steps behind the man carrying the barrel. The mate¡¯s expression was as ominous as a thunderhead. Joe swallowed hard, but he knew the spell couldn¡¯t actually catch anything on fire. ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± he affirmed. ¡°Yer funeral. Stick it there, Wakely,¡± the man grumbled, pointing at an open spot on the deck. ¡°Be ready to toss it if ya need to.¡± Joe understood that bonfires and ships were not compatible, so he didn¡¯t take the threats personally. When he dropped the [Heartfire] inside the barrel, the cold air around them quickly warmed. Kyllean and Wakely both held their arms above the flames for a second. Slowly, they lowered their limbs until they had their hands in the middle of the blaze. ¡°That¡¯s a nifty trick,¡± the first mate said. ¡°Let¡¯s put out a couple more.¡± ¡°Sorry, I can only have one going at a time. But I can swap them to different spots every hour or so so no one will be left cold for too long.¡± Kyllean nodded while staring at the flames, clearly thinking. After a second, he turned to Joe and gave him a bob of his head as well. ¡°Too bad we can¡¯t have more. Still, it is better than nothing on this cold night. Good job, boyo.¡± Joe looked around and saw smiles breaking out among those nearby. Close range was a fifteen-foot radius, which was more than enough to cover the boat from side to side. The vessel was much longer than that, but the warm air was pushed back towards the aft of the ship. Those huddled downship of aura felt some warmth reach them. Only those forward of the flames were left without its blessing. Joe decided he would place the next barrel up by the bow. As Joe moved around the group, he suddenly felt a little light-headed. He looked at his mana and saw it was down to just about a third of his max pool. That was far less than it should have been. He had been at over half mana a minute ago. He should have plenty of mana left. As he watched, he saw his pool tick down another point. He hadn¡¯t just cast anything. ¡®Why am I losing mana?¡¯ There was only one answer. It had to be the only ongoing stamina-based spell he had active, [Heartfire]. While he had used the passive heal to ease several people at once in Crowfield, it had never affected this many people at once before. Now, the spell was warming dozens of people, most of whom also had some form of injury, so it was healing, too. The spell needed more power, and so was drawing heavily on Joe¡¯s mana. ¡°Crap,¡± Joe swore. Wakely and the officer looked at him questioningly. ¡°There are too many here that are cold and hurt,¡± he explained. ¡°I need more mana. Maybe when everyone is healed up, I can maintain the heat, but doing this much healing and providing warmth is quickly draining me dry.¡± ¡°I might be able to assist you there, young healer,¡± breathed a soft voice. Joe turned to see the white-skinned woman standing a couple of yards behind him. She was still dressed in her sleeveless duster and crop top shirt, which made Joe cold just looking at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare, Hah¡¯roo! We don¡¯t truck with those that break Phealti¡¯s law.¡± The dwarf stepped out from behind her. His gaze locked on Joe, and his face curled into a rictus of loathing. ¡°But Myrrhcee tells us to aid the weary, wounded, and unwell, Azbekt. That is what this boy is trying to do. Surely even Phealti would not support suffering when aid can be given.¡± ¡°If the aid comes from one unclean, it is not aid. It is corruption.¡± The winsome woman¡¯s expression scrunched into a dismissing frown. ¡°Look at the spell, Azbekt. It is a classic hedge mage or healer skill. There is nothing otherworldly about it.¡± The woman sighed and, in doing so, somehow caused her coat to flare out dramatically. ¡°You do as you wish, Azbekt. I would see these people receive what comfort they can get. If that means we must end our contract together, then say the word, and we shall be done with one another here and now.¡± ¡°Nay,¡± the stern dwarf barked. ¡°Our concord stands. But I need not remain and witness your folly.¡± After glaring once more at Joe, the ruddy-skinned warrior turned on his heel and marched back to the front of the deck. ¡°I must apologize for his behavior. He is a good man but rigid in his morals and reasoning,¡± the woman named Hah¡¯roo sighed. She watched the angry man stomp forward across the deck before turning back to the crowd around Joe. ¡°Now, did I hear you say that you could continue to aid these people if you have more mana?¡± Joe did not know what to think. The dwarf, Azbekt, was an inquisitor of Phealti and so surely must have wanted to take him into custody, but he hadn¡¯t done so. This woman was clearly an ally of the dwarf, yet she was offering to help him. Very confusing. Shaking away his bewilderment, Joe could feel his mana draining. If she could help, why not? ¡°Yes, please. I have never used this spell for so many people at once. It is eating through my resources quicker than I expected.¡± Hah¡¯roo drew a string out of a pocket in her duster and began tying an intricate set of knots into the thread. She finished the knotted strand in a minute¡¯s time, before holding it out towards Joe. ¡°Your wrist, please,¡± she asked, with her oddly gusty voice. Joe considered this might be a trap for a second, but the woman seemed truly sincere. Additionally, he doubted he had a chance against either of them if they really wanted to take him into custody here and now. Gambling that it wasn''t a ruse, Joe held out his arm to her. She looped the cord around his wrist, tying it closed with an elaborate knot. ¡°This will do for a start,¡± she huffed airily. ¡°I¡¯ll work on a stronger one while you tend to these people.¡± As soon as she finished knotting the string around his wrist, Joe could feel the drain on his mana slow down.
[Lesser Charm of Renewal] (Item: Wrist- Common): Increases the target''s natural mana recovery rate by 20%. Single Use. {Potency}
¡°Thank you. That helps a lot,¡± he stated gratefully, receiving a satisfied nod in return from the blue-haired enchanter. Joe let his resources build back up for a minute before heading over to the next suffering refugee. 48 - Dark Tales on Dark Waves 48 - Dark Tales on Dark Waves Joe swept the crowd, looking for those with the worst wounds. He figured [Healing Touch] would be more efficient on the larger injuries than [Heartfire] would be. He moved to a girl with a badly sprained ankle, and once he received permission, he used his gift to ease her pain and repair the damage. He healed three more refugees with serious injuries, then flopped down on the deck for a minute, wincing against the headache building behind his eyes. ¡°You should let the fire go out for a few minutes, Healer,¡± the woman''s feathery voice suggested. ¡°You will do no good by over-reaching your abilities.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s balancing out now. Your charm is a huge help.¡± ¡°Then take a slug o¡¯ this, Boyo,¡± Wakely interjected. Joe still had his eyes closed, but he felt the sailor clap a flask down onto his chest. ¡°Fix ya right up.¡± Joe doubted it, but he couldn¡¯t imagine it would hurt. He unscrewed the cap and tipped a large mouthful past his lips. The whiskey was so coarse it lit a fire down straight his throat and slammed into his gut like a boot. Joe snapped up into a sit, hacking uncontrollably. Wakely gave him a few pats on the back. ¡°Told ya. Ya got yer color back.¡± ¡°Holy ¡­ cough. Did you brew that abomination yourself?¡± Joe barked, still choking. ¡°I wish. Nah. I know a guy in Weaver¡¯s Ridge, Dole Goakum. He makes it. I usually grab a keg when I sails into the Reef, but they didn¡¯t have none this time. Dole musta had a problem with his still.¡± The sailor looked at his flask and gave it a measuring slosh. ¡°Excuse me,¡± one of the women in the passengers interjected. ¡°Did you say Weaver¡¯s Ridge?¡± ¡°Yessa, I did, ma''am. Ye know of it.¡± ¡°I am so sorry, sir,¡± she replied with a husky voice. ¡°Weaver¡¯s Ridge is gone. The Red Army burned it to the ground two weeks ago.¡± Joe felt a tremble undulate through the passengers. Suddenly, the air around him was filled with pain and anger. It radiated from the throng of outcasts like a heat. Whoever this Red Army was, it clearly was the cause behind the plight of these refugees. Rising back to his feet, Joe looked for the next most wounded. While he did so, he kept waiting for the explanation he could sense was coming. While Parla helped Joe with another deep cut, she spoke of the hardship her people were facing. She had great instincts for the work they were doing together. The aresa, which is what her ram-like race was called, pushed the skin closed on a long cut that ran from a human¡¯s forehead down to his ear. The wound sealed, leaving less of a scar than if Joe had just used his [Healing Touch] alone. Wiping away the last of the blood with his endless supply of bandages, Joe listened to the story behind the refugees¡¯ plight. ¡°We are from the Karabast Mountains, the range that separates the Kingdom of Duskurg from the Horned Plains. We watched the Red Army spread across the Plains, thinking that once they had conquered the lowlands they would be satisfied,¡± Parla stated in a voice deepened by sadness. ¡°We were wrong. In less than a year, troops under the Blood King¡¯s banner began to assault the villages on the mountainsides, climbing ever closer to our homes in the highlands.¡± ¡°This was new to us,¡± remarked an older human sitting with his family. ¡°The Horned Plains have been conquered before. It never lasts. Sooner or later, their peace dies, and plainsmen go back to fighting among themselves or against the dead ones from Blackfell.¡± Calzahs, Joe¡¯s snow-tigeresque patient added. ¡°Never had they climbed into the Peaks before. We are too high and too tough. We thought their assault was bravado and folly.¡± ¡°Our villages were strong,¡± Yago said, taking up the tale. ¡°The monsters in the mountains are very dangerous. Only the boldest live in the Karabast Highlands. Our people are of many races. The jotun and fomori giant-kin. My clan the aresa. Hardy humans and peak-gnomes. The sky soaring roca.¡± ¡°And, we pardus,¡± Calzahs included. ¡°All of these mighty warriors,¡± Yagop continued. ¡°We held the red soldiers back until their champions came. We then had to face the greatest heroes of the Plains as they came at us under the red banner. We then were undone.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Joe interjected. ¡°Are you saying the most powerful Plains heroes switched sides? They joined the Blood King¡¯s army? Why?¡± ¡°That is the power of the King in Red. He steals the hearts of men and women and makes them his. He fights the champions, and no matter how the duel ends, the Blood King wins. If he is killed, he rises again. If he wins, the champion becomes another of his generals.¡± ¡°How long has this been going on?¡± Joe had paused his healing, enthralled by this tale. ¡°We heard of the Shieldmark¡¯s fall about three years ago,¡± the Calzahs replied, clenching his taloned hands into fists. ¡°That was the beginning of the tales of the Blood King and his endless army.¡± ¡°Is Shieldmark on the plains?¡± Joe asked, trying to get some sense of where these events were taking place. ¡°Sorry, I haven¡¯t learned the geography yet.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°The city is on the coast on the edge of plains,¡± Hah¡¯roo explained from above them while her fingers danced through a series of strings. The white-skinned woman was balancing effortlessly on a rope line that ran over the heads of the group. ¡°It was an independent city. The people of the Plains were not a unified kingdom at that time. The Horned Plains were a wild land of tribes and townships that existed between the Magocracy to the North and the undead legions to the south.¡± ¡°In the end, the remaining free tribes tried to band together, but the Red Army was too strong at that point,¡± Parla sighed, helping Joe gather his healing kit to move to the next patient. ¡°Duskrug should fare better as it has an established standing army to fight back with.¡± ¡°Then, why are you all leaving the kingdom?¡± Joe asked the ragged refugees huddled on deck around him. ¡°Duskrug is not a welcome land for many of the mountain folk,¡± Yago replied. ¡°Old animosities remain from the days when the Eagle Throne failed to do what the Red Army is doing now. Duskrug has not forgiven us for driving them out of our mountain homes.¡± Joe scowled as he stood up and cracked his neck. Here was something about this world that he didn¡¯t like at all. Prejudice, aggression, and war were just as big problems here as they were on Earth. Joe was not naive enough to expect this world to be all sunshine and rainbows, but finding bigotry this quickly left a sour taste in his mouth. His headache was almost completely gone now that those close to the [Heartfire] were no longer cold and wounded. The string charm he had gotten from the huntress overhead had died out, but his mana use was manageable if he was careful. He knew it would get bad when he moved the [Heartfire] to the next area that needed warmth ¡°Ok. Everyone scrunch together for a bit to share body heat. I¡¯m going to move the fire so those up front can warm up. I¡¯ll bring it back in half an hour or so.¡± ¡°Before you go, let¡¯s get this on you,¡± Hah¡¯roo interrupted. The blue-haired woman slipped off the rope and dropped lightly to the deck beside him. She removed the lesser cord and tied on the newly finished one. The knotwork on this band was far more elaborate than her first one. He could see chains of densely packed knots that looked like spiraling streams. There was a sense of motion to the charm that made Joe think of flowing water.
[Charm of Renewal] (Item: Wrist- Uncommon): Increases the target''s natural mana recovery rate by 45%. Single Use. {Potency}
¡°Nice!¡± he exclaimed after reading the charm¡¯s description. ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am. How long will it last?¡± ¡°Hah¡¯roo is fine, and that depends on how much mana you use. Being a simple construct, it will bleed mana over time, but the more you draw on it, the faster it will disenchant. You should be able to get an hour or two out of that one, given what I have seen of your healing.¡± ¡°Thanks again, Hah¡¯roo,¡± Joe remarked as he grabbed his staff and backpack. He looked over the group once more to see if he missed anyone but there was no one in too bad shape. Joe lurched his way toward the front of the ship on very unsteady legs. Wakely walked beside him, moving as one with the rolling deck and smirking. ¡°Ye¡¯ll get it boyo. Just takes a bit o¡¯ practice. I know yer plans are to get off at the Hahber ¡­¡± ¡°Hahber? Harbor? Peregrine Harbor?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I said, boyo. Don¡¯t get all lubbery on me.¡± ¡°Sorry. What about the Harbor?¡± ¡°A good healer ain¡¯t no small thing aboard a ship. Ye got the making to be a right good ship¡¯s doc. If ye might consider staying on, I could put in a good word with Kyllean who¡¯d bring it to the Cap¡¯n.¡± Joe stopped and spun to face the sailor. The quick change of direction caused him to almost overcompensate. Wakley reached out to steady him, but Joe¡¯s own skill got there first.
Your skill [Steadfast] has increased to rank 3.
Joe''s feet felt like they locked onto the deck, and he straightened up without needing the sailors'' steadying hand. He had gotten the second rank in [Steadfast] when the ship pitched a few minutes ago, which had saved him from a nasty fall. Joe was not at all unhappy with his choice of skill, especially given this offer. ¡°Let me think about it, Wakely. Sailing the seas. That sounds amazing.¡± Joe looked up at the endless star-filled sky. His moment of reverie taxed his skill but [Steadfast] held him steady. Joe could easily see himself here on water visiting ports. He¡¯d get a chance to learn more about this world in the safety of a tight-knit community of crewmates. ¡°Well, not the seas so much. We course back an forth through the Glandrion Straight. We never be more than a few days from either shore, which be good. But the weather this time o¡¯ year whips down on them highlands. It¡¯ll freeze yer toes together if ya don¡¯t keep movin.¡± ¡°I noticed,¡± Joe breathed. ¡°It was spring in Duskrug. This feels like we slipped back into winter.¡± Joe''s steps were not as perfectly in sync with the undulating boards as Wakely¡¯s were. Even so, he moved confidently enough thanks to [Steadfast]. Stepping around the forward mast, he saw the other half of the homeless highlanders. The people here were huddled together in a large mass, all except one figure. Sitting alone by the rails, the armored dwarf stared daggers at him as he approached. Azbekt was glowering at Joe, arms crossed, the perfect picture of hostile disapproval. Joe¡¯s steps ground to a halt under the weight of that unforgiving gaze. A sneeze from one of the shivering passengers snapped Joe from his paralysis. He must have been standing there looking at the glowering inquisitor like a deer frozen in a car¡¯s headlights. He shook off the willies tickling his spine from the inquisitor''s scorn and moved to the second barrel Kyllean had set up for him. The first mate agreed that while the spell was harmless, planting an open blaze on the deck would be distracting for the crew. As soon as he filled the barrel with [Heartfire], Joe felt his mana start to drain again. These people had been cold for quite a while. Thankfully, none were seriously wounded anymore. Those with urgent injuries had already been brought to him when he was healing at the aft end of the deck. That is not to say that there were not plenty of non-life-threatening injuries here that needed attention. The knotted charm made a huge difference. Just watching his mana for a few moments, he could see it draining and filling rapidly. At the moment, he was losing a bit more than he was gaining, but once people warmed up, he was pretty sure the charm would keep him filled with mana. Within a minute, the mass of passengers began to spread out a little, allowing Joe to use his aura sight to look for injuries. Before he reached his first patient, Joe watched a taloned hand, twice the size of his own, reach up and grasp the ship''s railing beside him. Something large, green, and scaly was climbing up out of the sea.
49 - Dangers from the Depths 49 - Dangers from the Depths Dripping humanoids pulled themselves over the railings. A fat moon, just a day away from being full, lit the monstrosity clearly. Joe''s first thought was giant piranhas on legs. Massive bulbous yellow eyes glowered from under domed brows. As creepy as their alien eyes were, they were not nearly as horrifying as the rows of jagged teeth erupting from their underbite-shaped mouths. The seven-foot-tall creatures only wore belts or bandoleers to which blades or nets were attached. Strapped across their backs were huge spears. These were brought to bear the moment their webbed feet hit the deck. Azbekt must either have had a danger sense skill or read the shock on Joe¡¯s face. In one fluid motion, he stepped back towards the keg he had been sitting on, scooped up his axe, and spun, driving the weapon deep into the side of the monster looming behind him. The blade hissed as it burnt the flesh around the axehead. The creature shrieked in a reverberating scream before trying to bat the armored warrior away. As its claw came down, the warrior''s shield magically manifested on his arm, blocking the blow. Joe snapped out of his surprise and targeted another of the piranha brutes just as it was about to swing its leg over the railing. ¡°Deaden Flesh!¡± he yelled, targeting the hand that was holding the rail, immediately winced in embarrassment.
Your spell has inflicted the {Numbed} affliction on the Ripjaw Gartroll. Your skill [Deadened Flesh] has increased to rank 4.
¡°I gotta stop doing that,¡± he muttered to himself. Embarrassing or not, the spell did just what he intended it to do. Before the creature could plant a foot on the deck, its grasp went slack, sending the monster tumbling backward into the sea. Joe saw another attempting to board. As he targeted this one¡¯s grip, he looked to see what they actually were.
Ripjaw Gartroll: Level 15: Troll: Soldier: Strength: 295/295
Before he finished casting his spell, a net flew through the air. Knotted cords of seaweed entangled half a dozen passengers a few feet to his right. The troll yanked the rope attached to the mesh, sweeping the captives off their feet. Joe could hear the refugees smacking into the deck before they started screaming. As the net slid across the deck, Joe realized that this was a hunting party and that these people were the prey. He retargeted the spell he was casting, releasing it at the net hunter¡¯s hands. The scaled monstrosity must have partially resisted the [Deaden Flesh]. It looked puzzled at one hand, but the other one still held tightly to the rope. After flicking his ring to boost his Dex, Joe pulled out the goblin knife and slashed it across the taut line. The oversharpened blade sliced through the braided kelp tether almost as if it wasn¡¯t even there. As soon as the rope went slack, the brute ignored its deadened hand and let out a screeching growl at Joe. It grabbed its spear in its good fist while flexing feeling back into its senseless digits. The spears were clearly meant for thrusting, so Joe was not ready for the marauder to swing the shaft in a long arc. He couldn¡¯t even think to try out [Strong Arm] before the razor-sharp spearhead slashed an inch-deep gash in his abdomen. The sickening sensation of his organs trying to pour out through his sliced flesh overwhelmed Joe. He clapped a palm to his stomach, both to hold in his guts, as well as to pour healing into the wound. This left him unprepared for the lancing thrust that drove the spear into his chest. The shaft passed right through his lung, out his back, and into the deck, leaving Joe standing but pinned in place.
The Ripjaw Gartroll has critically injured you for 188 points of damage. You have resisted {Incapacitation} from traumatic damage. Your skill [Stun Block] has increased to rank 1.
Impaled as he was, Joe could only watch as the approaching gartroll flexed open his taloned fingers in preparation for a killing blow. Even pouring on the healing, Joe knew he would not survive having his head slashed off. He watched the arm draw back, and the only thing his oxygen-starved mind came up with was ridiculous.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. A blue hand appeared out of nowhere in front of the troll¡¯s huge extruded eye, the index finger fully extended. He practically heard the cartoon ¡®doink¡¯ sound in his head as he sent the force hand jamming forward into the bulbous lens. The brute''s eyes must have been reinforced as it was the spell that broke apart, not the orb. Still, it noticed an eleven-pound poke.
Your skill [Helping Hand] has increased to rank 3.
The gartroll howled, staggering backward and smacking a clawed hand over its aching eye. As it refocused on him, Joe considered trying to teleport off the spear. He hesitated. Given how things had gone with the puma, he wasn¡¯t sure what would happen if he tried to blink off the impalement. Before the raider closed the rest of the distance between them, Joe heard a voice like the howl of a storm cry out, ¡°Leave the zephyr alone!¡± A braided cord whipped around the scaly wrist, yanking the creature''s arm upward. Hah¡¯roo bound out of the night air, delivering a devastating kick to the beast¡¯s teeth: her boot sent chipped fangs flying from the monster¡¯s mouth. As she came down, she looped the rope through a line of spiked fins that ran over the troll¡¯s head and then hooked her boot heel onto the line. Stunned by the kick and then overbalanced by the force of her weight driving down on the rope, the troll lost its footing and spun face-first onto the deck. The woman danced below an attack from another of the massive spears while launching the other end of her weapon straight at that creature''s head. The rope terminated in a sharp metallic weight. The heavy prism crunched deeply into the troll''s temple. She spun her cord off the first troll¡¯s wrist, allowing her to move away from more of the towering raiders that lurched after her. Whirling and weaving between spear thrusts and grasping claws, Hah¡¯roo evaded attack after attack. Every now and then, the weighted line would lash out, stunning or drawing blood. Joe took the shallowest breath through his one functioning lung and cast [Deaden Flesh] on the legs of one of the trolls in the middle of the scrum trying to pin Hah¡¯roo down. The target failed to resist the spell and toppled over, taking out two more of his scaly allies, who in turn tripped one more. Hah¡¯roo noticed and replied with a voice that sounded more tinged with excitement than fear. ¡°Well done, Healer, but stop worrying about me. Save yourself. I will be fine against these once I don¡¯t have to cover you anymore.¡± The older woman threw Joe an exultant look as if she were having the time of her life amidst the raking claws and plunging spears. There was a sense of joy radiating from her flowing evasions. Her limbs spinning and spiraling. Her weapon forming an almost hypnotic dance. Joe¡¯s oxygen-starved brain was so enthralled watching her, he failed to do the very thing she asked of him. It wasn¡¯t until a spray of briny green blood splashed him in the face that Joe recovered himself. He looked over to see Yago hammering a warclub down a second time on the troll who had impaled him, painting them both in even more gore. ¡°Jiminy Pete, boyo. How is you still alive?¡± Wakely asked, appearing at his side. Joe tried to answer, but his words just came out as a wheeze. The sailor shrugged at the unintelligible sound and asked, ¡°What do we do?¡± Joe took as deep a breath as he possibly could and was able to croak a single word. ¡°out¡­¡± ¡°Out it is. Yago, can ye get the spear outta the deck? Parla an¡¯ I will hold him, and yer gonna pull it the rest o¡¯ the way through.¡± The large aresa handed his club to one of the people climbing out of the slashed netting and wrapped a hairy hand around the spear shaft. ¡°Bend at the waist when I pull it out, Joe,¡± the barbarian commanded. ¡°Ready?¡± Lacking a voice, Joe could only nod. Yago pulled the spear up, splintering the deck as he applied a slight twist to the shaft. The muscular aresa then dragged the spear straight back out of his chest. A gout of blood sprayed the big man¡¯s legs, but Joe¡¯s magic rapidly began to stop the bleeding and close the open hole. He kept pouring on the healing, trying to rebuild his respiratory system. Thanks to Hah¡¯roo¡¯s charm, Joe didn¡¯t think he could use [Healing Touch] fast enough to drain his mana dry. The pain, on the other hand, was almost too much to bear. His chest was going to be one big ball of agony for a while, even after he reached full health. His head swam as his wounds knitted closed. He only looked up in time to see a hulking scaled form stabbing at Parla standing next to him. This time, he had a second for [Strong Arm] to engage. Leaning away from Wakely, Joe jammed his arm into the path of the oncoming spear. He deflected it enough to prevent it from plunging through the woman but not enough to miss entirely. The spearhead cut a deep furrow down her side. Joe grabbed at her as she fell but only managed to brush his fingers against her skin. It was enough for a quick shot of healing. Wakely took a large swig of his moonshine whiskey and sprayed it into the gartroll¡¯s face. He stepped back and snapped his fingers, pointing his arm at the creature. A small flicker of flame jumped off his thumb and onto the dripping liquor, causing the brute¡¯s head to erupt in flames. Yago snatched his club from the stunned refugee holding it and began battering the burning, screaming troll. Looking across the deck, Joe could see wounded everywhere. And the trolls kept coming.
50 - Give It Your All 50 - Give It Your All There were dozens of cut nets. The sailors must have done as he did, slashing open the trapping coils, but they, too, had paid for foiling the hunter¡¯s plans. Joe infused Parla with one more wave of health before using his talisman to jump to a sailor lying in a huge pool of his own blood. He landed harder than he meant to, still unused to teleporting across moving surfaces. He could feel his severed ribs grinding around inside his chest, causing black spots to fill his vision. He reached out and healed the moment he felt flesh.
You have restored 30 points off Elmar Soly¡¯s lost health. His current health is at 15%. Your skill [Healing Touch] has increased to rank 15. You have gained an Achievement.
¡®Fifteen percent? That was close,¡¯ Joe thought. Elmar gasped a breath as his spell pulled the wounds closed. Joe layered on a second heal.
You have restored 32 points off Elmar Soly¡¯s lost health. His current health is at 30%.
Realizing that the only health Elmar had was due to his heals, Joe was curious about the achievement. But now was not the time to read it. He scanned the battle and saw an elven woman frozen in terror as a gartroll charged at her. He reached out with one of his newer skills.
You have removed the {Cowering} affliction from Jarenna Daskcalla. Your skill [Purge] has increased to rank 5.
Immediately, the elf shook off her paralyzing fear and darted back to where a mass of sailors and passengers were holding the brutes back with axes, clubs, and blades. Joe turned away when she was safe, looking for anyone else who might need him. A second later, he used the talisman to jump again, landing between two wounded bodies sprawled on the deck. He put a hand on each and foolishly tried to heal both at the same time, causing his spell to fail. ¡°Damn it!¡± he cursed hoarsely before alternating the effect between the pair. He had to pour another heal into himself just to catch his breath. As he did, he looked across the deck, spotting more fighting and more fallen. He also noted something else troubling. His new quarterstaff was sliding towards the edge of the deck. Not wanting to waste his talisman, Joe resummoned a [Helping Hand] and sent it skimming along the boards toward his wayward weapon. Just as the blue construct was about to grasp his polearm, a heavy, scaled foot slammed down on top of the digit, shattering it into a burst of fading sapphire shards. ¡°God damn it!¡± he cursed even more hoarsely, watching his weapon vanish into the ocean. ¡®That is the fourth staff I¡¯ve lost.¡¯ he thought, counting the sapling. The troll chuffed a gurgling laugh and tromped toward Joe and two slowly rousing individuals beside him. ¡°You think that¡¯s funny?¡± Joe growled. ¡°Go kill as many of those trolls as you can,¡± he commanded, pointing at a squad of scaly raiders that were outnumbering the defenders. Joe was not asking. Backed by the [Band of the Beguilburr] and aided by a stronger Spirit, his edict was undeniable. The gartroll roared and charged into his fellow marauders, slashing and stabbing. With the two people next to him now safe, Joe looked for where he was needed next. There were plenty of injured, but he found his eyes drawn to the largest throng of sea monsters and the man they were desperately trying to kill, Azbekt. The dwarven warrior was surrounded by wriggling green limbs and a wall of twitching bodies. Covered from head to toe in green gore, the dwarf smashed his heavy axe into foe after foe. He must have had some taunting aura in effect because roughly two-thirds of the creatures were clamoring over each other to die by his axe. Were it not for the might and prowess of the Phealtian champion, the ship surely would have been overrun. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Joe drew a passable breath and launched himself toward the next bleeding victim he saw. Time stretched into some unknown measure. Joe jumped across the deck until his talisman ran out of juice, healing anyone he could reach. Each time he was too late, he clenched his jaw tighter and pushed himself that much harder. Hah¡¯roo spun around him, giving him cover time and again, while Azbekt drew the hordes of green raiders onto his hacking blade. There were only a few marauders left when the greater mana charm gave out. [Mystic] helped but Joe was starting to feel his mana drop faster than he could regenerate it. He worried he would not have enough energy left to save everyone. He ignored the drain and kept pushing himself as hard as he could to get to every downed person on the deck. At one point, a sailor thrust a potion bottle into his hand, which Joe downed without a thought.
The [Greater Mana Potion] has restored 232 points of your mana pool. Your current mana level is at 100%. Given the level disparity between you and the potion, you will not be able to drink another resource-based potion for 1 hour without suffering {Overload}.
Recharged mana-wise, Joe kept healing. There was never any question of stopping. Something in Joe took hold and drove him from one person to the next. It was a weighted need sitting on his heart. A chance to make something right; something so important, even though he was not sure what it was. It was tied to this new life he had been given and the old one he had left behind. Memories alternated with dark splotches in his vision. He saw Cora and Dave, caring for him, giving him human contact, all without showing the slightest sign of judgment or pity. He saw the Dellhams holding each other in joy at the restoration of Sarsha. There was Doctor Banks, Yu, and Kumar. Madina Spooner. His parents and brothers. He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt like each person who died was his fault, that he was failing all those people. Some small voice inside him knew he was in shock, but that whisper was far too quiet to shout over the burning need to make right all that he had taken and lost. Joe was coughing up blood when the sound of fighting began to fade. Even then, he didn¡¯t let the lull stop him. His job was far from over. Spitting out the ruby, wet globs, he moved on, finding Kyllean holding a gaping wound in his chest, barely breathing.
You have restored 36 points off Kyllean¡¯s lost health. His current health is at 17%.
¡®Out of how many,¡± Joe mentally grumbled, only to have the message instantly change
You have restored 36 points off Kyllean¡¯s lost health. His current health is at 58 points.
¡°That helps,¡± he gasped. Summoning [Helping Hand] to assist in holding the deep laceration closed, Joe healed once more. ¡°I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can,¡± Joe sputtered, squeezing the first mate''s shoulder. Locating the next red aura, he stood up, but the world spun out from under him. [Steadfast] activated, but anchoring Joe¡¯s feet was no help when his knees were what was buckling. He crashed back down onto the deck. The impact on his broken ribs sent screaming spikes of agony through his chest. Panting and weeping, Joe tried to get up, but his body wouldn¡¯t respond. A pair of white-furred arms eased him upward, helping him sit up. ¡°Shhh, son,¡± Calzahs purred. ¡°You must spend some of your healing on yourself. You can do no good if you pass out. Look. They are bringing the wounded to you. Please heal yourself.¡± Joe saw it was true. The black spots were everywhere in his vision, but he could see Parla and a young refugee were carrying a sailor to where Joe was lying with the catman. Gasping, Joe spent a [Healing Touch] on himself.
You have restored 29 points of your health. Your current health is at 53%. You have severe underlying structural damage preventing any further healing at this time.
His head stopped swimming from the lack of air, but he was starting to feel the effects of low mana. Yet surprisingly, there were very few grievous injuries headed his way. Even though there were wounded people all across the ship, Joe had been moving from person to person, touching each of them with his magic. Few were still in danger of bleeding out. Those few that were, were being carried to where Joe was being held up by the snowy parda. Hah¡¯roo came by, but she too was out of mana, leaving her unable to knot him a new charm. As he sealed the skin closed on a spear wound, Joe heard the sailors argue about whether or not to throw the bodies of the gartrolls overboard. Some claimed that the creatures would heal the moment they hit the water, while others worried the trolls would regenerate on the decks and the fight would start again. He never made it to the end of the argument. The moment Joe used the very last of his mana, a storm of status conditions beat him into unconsciousness.
51 - The Morning Aches 51 - The Morning Aches Everything hurt when Joe woke up. He groaned as loudly as his headache would allow, covering his eyes from the beam of light that was aimed at his face. ¡°That will hopefully teach you the lesson of overextending yourself, Healer,¡± the rope warrior¡¯s voice scolded from somewhere nearby. Joe''s senses started kicking in. He was swinging in the hammock of his cubby under the stairs. The searingly bright light came from an unfortunate alignment between the morning sun, the porthole, and his face. ¡°Now, before those ribs weld together in some terrible way, do you feel up to setting them correctly? I have a new mana charm for you to equip whenever you are ready.¡± The lilt of her voice gave the sentences an almost musical quality. Joe found himself enjoying the sound of her words before his brain managed to get around to processing their meaning. ¡°Give me a second,¡± He grunted, draping his arm over his eyes. ¡°I need to sort through the thousand and one bits of agony that are all trying to get my attention. Luckily, I have had plenty of practice with that.¡± ¡°And just what does that mean? Are you a castigationist?¡± Joe lifted his arm enough to peer out through the crack at the woman, trying to work that word out. He guessed she meant someone who practiced religious mortification, like flagellation. ¡°Nothing so exotic. I was just dying for a very long time before Haw¡­ the One Above brought me over to your side.¡± ¡°So you are a newcomer. And your name is Joe. Is that short for anything?¡± ¡°Yeah, Jos¡­, um¡± Warning bells went off. He considered making up some ridiculous name that started with Jos but he doubted she would be fooled. He also was far too mentally exhausted to come up with anything good on the fly. His pause did not go unnoticed. ¡°I assume you are reluctant to admit it is short for Joseph,¡± Hah¡¯roo continued. ¡°Joseph Morris to be exact. Given the wanted posters papering Heron¡¯s Reef, I can understand your reluctance to admit it. Let me ease your mind. It is exceedingly rare to see someone expend themselves so thoroughly for the well-being of others. Your actions last night speak of a zephyred soul.¡± Those last two words were spoken with a deep earnestness that caught Joe¡¯s attention. He recalled she had shouted something about a zephyr last night. He lowered his arm and, with much groaning, levered his legs over the edge of the hammock. When he was sitting, without the light blinding him, he saw the woman was shifting nervously from foot to foot. ¡°What is a zephyred soul?¡± Joe asked. ¡°Someone with a noble heart,¡± she answered quickly. Joe could tell there was more to this than just some virtuous behavior. As Hah¡¯roo started to pace the small area, Joe waited, leaving her a space to speak into, as she worked out whatever it was she wanted to say. ¡°My people are split into castes. Most of us are gales or breezes; the warrior caste and the working caste.¡± Joe realized he had never discovered what race she was. It had not been one of the options he had been given.
Hah¡¯roo: Galeling: Ranger/Spirit Dancer 22
Galeling seemed like an elemental race to Joe. ¡°The boreas are our leaders,¡± she continued. ¡°Yet, in every generation, we are gifted by a few zephyrs. Zephyrs are holy. They instinctively live their lives in the service of others. Most tend to be monks or shamans.¡± When she glanced over at him, Joe gave her a nod to keep going. ¡°Every galeling can sense a zephyr, and it is the duty of the gales to protect them. But it is more than just a duty. It is a great privilege. Zephyr guardians typically become our most legendary warriors. The relationship between guardian and zephyr nurtures insights that enable both to rise to soaring heights.¡± She stopped pacing and turned, meeting his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how, but you are a zephyr. I was certain when I saw you, but even before that, I sensed something about you the moment I first stepped into Heron¡¯s Reef.¡± The troubled woman reached up and scrubbed a hand through her long blue hair. ¡°I was hired by the Golden Edict to track a ¡®vile fiend of the Gossamer realms.¡¯¡± Her tone on those last words dropped into a mockingly deep voice and the pompous cadence of a certain dwarven inquisitor. Joe smiled at the impression and asked, ¡°You followed us from Crowfield?¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°No. We sailed into Heron¡¯ Reef this morning and were going to trek north to join the hunt for you. As soon as Azbekt and I got off the ship, the wind told me you were near.¡± She made that statement to her so matter-of-factly that Joe felt a tiny geek-out pass through him. Even though everything hurt, and there was someone just outside his room that was after him, he was in a world where the wind spoke. ¡°I would have had you in the marketplace,¡± the older huntress continued, ¡°but Azbekt had to report in with his order first. Some regulation that absolutely had to be followed,¡± she sighed. ¡°By the time those formalities were done, you had all but vanished. I could tell you had not left, but the wind would speak no more of you. It was as if breezes stopped whispering about you.¡± She fixed her gaze on Joe, clearly looking for an explanation. ¡°I had an aura of triviality up,¡± he divulged. ¡°I thought it was something of the sort. You were not fully hidden, just obscured enough that I had to follow your traces without clues from the winds. I was able to track you to this ship, but I couldn¡¯t tell which one of the travelers you were until I saw you on deck later that evening, healing the passengers. That was when I recognized you, both as my quarry and as a zephyr.¡± ¡°So, does this mean you are going to let me go?¡± ¡°I am afraid it doesn¡¯t matter what I choose,¡± she sighed. ¡°Azbekt now knows you are his quarry. Nothing I could say or do would divert him from exacting his duty. You will have to account yourself to him. When we reach Peregrine Harbor, he will surely invoke his [Writ of Law] against you.¡± ¡°So I need to get off this ship before we pull into port.¡± ¡°That is unlikely. The deep waters of the Strait of Gladrion would be a death sentence for you. Additionally, we are close to reaching our destination. I am sure my dwarven employer has parked himself outside your door and will be watching you like an eagle when you venture up onto the deck,¡± she remarked direly. Hah¡¯roo stepped up close to the hammock, backlit by the light coming through the porthole. ¡°You will have to account for yourself one way or another when we reach the city, but before then, we must deal with your injuries first. Are you ready to mend those ribs?¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s get that over with. I want to be able to enjoy my leg irons without the distraction of labored breathing.¡± They moved to the trunk, where he could sit without swaying. It was more difficult to point Hah¡¯roo at the breaks in his own ribs both due to the angle and the fact there were so many more of them. The spear had split three ribs front and back and chipped others. Lining the pieces up and glueing them back together took close to half an hour. By the end of it, Joe was sweating and ashen. ¡°So what is the deal with you two?¡± Joe asked, gently rotating his arm to feel for any lingering injuries. ¡°I assume you mean Azbekt and me. He and I have worked together several times. We currently have a contract for services. And to one such as him, a contract is a sacred thing. He would sooner cut off his own arm than see it broken or even altered in any manner. Azbekt hired me to track an aberration, you, and bring it back to Peregrine Bay.¡± Hah¡¯roo handed him his shirt as she continued speaking. ¡°I have been known to take contracts to hunt outlaws. Every other time I have taken such a commission, once the criminal is found, the contract is considered complete. Not with Azbekt. Since the contract contains the wording ¡®return to Peregrine Bay¡¯ in it, the dwarf will not consider it fulfilled until both of us and our captive are standing in the harbor city. So, at the moment, I am sailing back to a port I plan to leave as soon as I arrive because my employer is bound by his unalterable adherence to the most minute detail of law.¡± Even in the still air of his tiny room, Hah¡¯roo¡¯s hair and coat seemed to ruffle in a wind that was just for her. She let out another slightly aggrieved sigh before speaking again. ¡°I have to admit I find myself in a strange place on this contract. Normally, the Phealtian adherence to rooting out those who cross into Illuminaria is a welcome trait. Demons, dark fey, and voidlings are threats that only those with the strongest will can face. Their rigidity of purpose is what allows them to go toe to toe with such beings of depravity, madness, and beguilement. The fact they cannot compromise is how they withstand the mental assaults of outsiders. ¡°Yet now I see something that has never occurred to me. Even though the One Above bids us to welcome newcomers, technically, you fit into the category of an outsider. It is strange to see such a respected warrior act with such obviously unwarranted spite. I have to keep reminding myself that this is this same dwarf who fought with me against the Nightgaunt of Sparrowwell and the Jayford Hag. Not some inquisitor of Peur''te, zealously hunting for sin.¡± ¡°So there is no bargaining room here?¡± Joe muttered, to which he received a blue-haired head-shake. ¡°I fear not, Joe. What makes a Phealtian so well suited against the glamours of the fey or the madness of a voidling is exactly what is working against you here. Once they set their mind to a task, they cannot be swayed. Azbekt cannot be reasoned away from your capture.¡± ¡°Well, that sucks," he huffed. "Even so, I am really grateful to you. I¡¯m pretty sure the trolls would have killed me if you hadn¡¯t saved my ass.¡± ¡°There is no doubt. You are not well suited for combat yet,¡± she said bluntly. Joe knew it was true, but it hurt more to hear it so directly from someone. But Hah¡¯roo wasn¡¯t done. ¡°You comported yourself admirably elsewhere, young zephyr. Many more would have died if you hadn¡¯t acted as you did. The Wind moves through us all,¡± she stated like a mantra. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°It is a philosophy of my people. We believe the good you do for those around you will blow back to you in time.¡± ¡°Huh, we call that Karma. ¡®Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.¡¯ Actually, that¡¯s the Golden Rule, but Karma is pretty much the same thing.¡± Joe took a fairly deep breath without pain and let it back out. ¡°Ok, I¡¯m good enough. Let me take a minute to go through all my advancements, and then we¡¯ll see who else needs patching up.¡± ¡°Good idea. Take your time. I will meet you on deck.¡± Moving with her almost unnatural grace, Hah¡¯roo slipped out the door. Joe took another deep breath. Inside himself, he was a storm of warring emotions. The crushing dread of Azbekt was tempered with an excited thrill that could only mean one thing. Joe had leveled.
52 - A Bit of Cowardly Collection 52 - A Bit of Cowardly Collection Joe gave his attention to the block of waiting windows and quickly opened the one he knew had to do with leveling.
You have reached level 7. You have gained 1 unassigned attribute point.
You have reached level 8. You have gained 1 unassigned attribute point and the following choices of traits and skills:
Those two levels of experience exploded through him. Shivers rippled out of his chest and then down his limbs. It felt like that moment after a great massage or chiropractic session where suddenly you were completely aware of your body. The ache in his ribs vanished, and he felt rejuvenated from head to toe. Joe stretched and rolled his neck. Letting out a deep, satisfying sigh before he studied his options.
[Rugged] +2 to Vigor [Rejuvenate] (Uncommon) A target in close range gains a +15% mana recovery for 10 seconds plus 1% and 1 second for each skill rank you have with this skill. Cost: Moderate Stamina. Cooldown: 20 seconds post effect. | Range: Close. {Vitality}
[Observant] +2 to Perception. [Life Bolt] A creature you can see in Medium range heals 1 Health plus 1 point of Health for each skill rank you have with this skill. Cost: Minor Mana and Minor Stamina. | Range: Medium. {Life} Or [Healing Wave] (Uncommon) Your healing skills can affect as many creatures as you choose within close range. The amount healed is equal to 30% of the skill¡¯s healing amount plus 1% for each skill rank you have with this skill. Your mana expenditure is equal to the skill¡¯s mana cost times the number of creatures affected. | Range: Close. {Life}
[Awakened] +2 to Spirit. [Reinvigorate] (Uncommon) A target in close range gains a +15% stamina recovery for 10 seconds plus 1% and 1 second for each skill rank you have with this skill. Cost: Moderate Stamina. Cooldown: 20 seconds post effect. | Range: Close. {Vitality} Or [Revitalize] (Uncommon) A target in close range gains a +15% health recovery for 10 seconds plus 1% and 1 second for each skill rank you have with this skill. Cost: Moderate Mana. Cooldown: 20 seconds post effect. | Range: Close. {Life} Or You may advance [Heartfire] to [Homefire] [Homefire] (Uncommon) Create a spectral campfire. Any living being in Short range of the manifestation regains 2 points of Health for each skill rank you have with this skill every minute. The fire lasts for one hour. Undead creatures in this area will take damage instead of gaining health. The flames radiate a gentle aura of warmth and comfort, blocking unpleasant environmental conditions, such as harsh winds or rain. They will not burn their surroundings or living creatures. Cost: Modest Mana | Range: Short.
There were some new choices he liked as well as some old ones, but currently, there were two that would help him the most: the mana restoration of [Rejuvenate] or advancing [Heartfire]. [Homefire] was better in every way than his original skill: it cost less mana, had a wider area of effect, it healed twice as much, and, to top it off, it didn¡¯t just send out an aura of gentle comfort but actively blocked bad weather. Given that he could hit Hah¡¯roo up for another mana bracelet, [Homefire] seemed like a no-brainer.
You have advanced [Heartfire] to [Homefire]. You have one unassigned point in Spirit.
Before he went on to the rest of the notifications, he had a question he wanted an answer to. ¡®Hey, Hawking? How come the leveling cascade happened now and not during the fight or even right afterward?¡¯
The process of leveling refills resources and removes several detrimental conditions. This mechanic is not to be used as the means to ¡®game the system¡¯ as you would put it, Joe. Hence, leveling is deferred until the conclusion of an active encounter. As it is also meant to be experienced, it, therefore, requires a conscious mind.
Joe had actually used that trick in a few video games before. Get yourself close to leveling before entering a tough dungeon, then fight halfway through until you level your health back to full to save on potions for the other half. He could understand why Hawking would close that exploit. ¡®And two levels? I get how I leveled more than once with the Beguilburr. For that one, I was on my own. In this fight, I didn¡¯t hit anyone. How did I gain so many experience points?¡¯
One¡¯s contribution in a combat encounter is not gauged solely on direct damage to one¡¯s opponents. Your healing, cures, and hexes were just as critical to the positive outcome of the conflict as Azbekt¡¯s martial endeavors. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
¡®Ok. Good to know.¡¯ Returning to his waiting alerts, he rapidly flipped through all of the skill increases, surprised at just how many skill ranks he had earned last night. His achievements were next.
Exceptional Achievement You have taken and survived traumatic damage. Your conduct has awarded you the following choice of Traits: [Ironworks] You are obviously not wearing enough armor. You will gain the [Heavy Armor] skill [Overachiever] Big risks. Big rewards. +10% to overcome magical resistances when fighting enemies with levels higher than your own.
Heavy armor had no appeal to him, so he took the one that would give him a better chance to land his spells.
Exceptional Achievement: You have prevented the immediate death of another. Your conduct has awarded you the following choice of Traits: [Defy Death] Not gently. When reduced to 0 health, individuals within one of your healing effects retain consciousness for up to 0.5 seconds per point of Vigor you possess. Cooldown: Long. Note: This ability will trigger before [Punching Bag]. [Nick of Time] You cut that close. Increase your Time affinity.
This must have been the achievement he had received when he healed the sailor, Elmar Soly. He had thought he was getting an achievement for reaching fifteen ranks in a skill. This made way more sense. Elmar must have been on the very brink of death as Joe healed him. Looking at the two traits, Joe was torn. Time powers were often game-changers. While the [Nick of Time] wouldn¡¯t give him any actual chronomancy abilities, it would make him better at them should he find some time skills in the future. [Defy Death] was too good to pass up, though. If he had a [Heartfire] ... no, correct that, a [Homefire] up, everyone in its now larger area could have a brief moment to save themselves from, say, a dragon¡¯s breath or bolt of lightning. At the moment, the effect would only last four seconds, but against a surprise attack, that four seconds could be crucial. Joe selected [Defy Death], closing down the last notification. He knew he had to get out there and start working, but he was not yet ready to face the dwarven myrmidon. Delaying the inevitable for a few more minutes, Joe opened his character sheet.
Name: Joseph (Joe) Morris Race: Changeling Level: 8 Experience: 4,918 / 6,890 ATTRIBUTES ¡¤ Strength: 2 ¡¤ Vigor: 8 ¡¤ Dexterity: 3 ¡¤ Perception: 3 ¡¤ Spirit: 7 Available Attribute Points Unspent: 2
RESOURCES ¡¤ Health: 345 / 345 ¡¤ Stamina: 845 / 845 ¡¤ Mana: 578 / 578
CLASSES ¡¤ Primary Class: Healer ¡¤ Secondary Class: None ¡¤ Tertiary Class: None SKILLS STRENGTH SKILLS: (2 / 2) ¡¤ [Steadfast] (C) rank 5 ¡¤ [Strong Arm] (C) rank 2 VIGOR SKILLS: (8 / 8) ¡¤ [Efferous Endurance] (U) rank 11 ¡¤ [Healer''s Ward] (U) rank 3 ¡¤ [Deaden Flesh] (U) rank 6 ¡¤ [Stun Block] (U) rank 1 DEXTERITY SKILLS: (3 / 3) ¡¤ [Simple Weapon Aptitude] (C) rank 8 ¡¤ [Swift Strike] (C) rank 6 ¡¤ [Whisperstep] (C) rank 12 PERCEPTION SKILLS: (3 / 3) ¡¤ [Assess Wounds] (C) rank 10 ¡¤ [Helping Hand] (C) rank 5 ¡¤ [Identify] (C) rank 14 SPIRIT SKILLS: (6 / 7) ¡¤ [Dispel Rot] (C) rank 4 ¡¤ [Healing Touch] (C) rank 17 ¡¤ [Homefire] (U) rank 9 ¡¤ [Purge] (U) rank 5 AVAILABLE SKILL EVOLUTIONS: 1
TRAITS ¡¤ [Anyone] (Racial) ¡¤ [No one] (Racial) ¡¤ [Sneaky] (Racial) ¡¤ [Iron Mind] (Hereditary) ¡¤ [Beastmaster] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Defy Death] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Durable] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Hobbler] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Overachiever] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Punching-Bag] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Signature Skill] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Survivalist] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Tactician] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Thick Skinned] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Vivacity] (Achievement) ¡¤ [The Seal of Passing] (Prophetic)
His enthusiasm for how well he was shaping up was fully offset by the dread of leaving his sanctuary. Fumbling around with his options, Joe looked for anything else he might have missed. Surprisingly, he found a menu he had never seen before.
R e s i s t a n c e s Physical Mental Spiritual
Physical Damage Minor Mental Damage ¡ª Spiritual Damage ¡ª
? Crushing ¡ª Mental Condition ¡ª ? Profane ¡ª
? Piercing ¡ª ? Confusion Major ? Sacred ¡ª
? Slashing ¡ª ? Domination Major Spiritual Condition ¡ª
Phys. Condition ¡ª ? Fear ¡ª ? Corruption ¡ª
? Disease ¡ª ? Stun ¡ª * ? Curse ¡ª
? Fatigue ¡ª
? Poison ¡ª
He noted the asterisk on Stun and assumed that it was not a fixed resistance but one he could have with his current skills. He cast [Stun Block] and watched the word ¡®Minor¡¯ replace the bar beside Stun. He was about to ask Hawking about these resistances, but he stopped himself. Digging into that material now would be passing beyond hesitation into downright stalling. With a heavy sigh, Joe acknowledged it was pointless to linger much longer. Sooner or later, the dwarf would bust his way in and drag him out if he tried to hide in the cramped cabin indefinitely. He might as well go out and do some good while he still had the freedom to do so.
53 - Face the Music 53 - Face the Music Joe stepped out into the open air. Thankfully, Azbekt was not parked right outside his cabin, which eased some of his tension, but he was still nervous. He was afraid that people would be angry with him. He was sure his skills had been needed and yet he had slept the night away. By the looks of it, a fair portion of the morning as well. Instead of the expected resentment, Joe was surprised by the warmth of his greeting. Hands clasped his shoulder and arms, giving him gentle touches and firm squeezes. He was showered with gratitude by their smiles and kind words. Sailors and passengers alike stepped up to him and shook his hands. There was none of the animosity he had feared. Almost none. The only stormcloud was the thunderously scowling dwarf sitting on the raised aft deck. It seems his formidable defense of the ship had earned Azbekt upper-deck privileges. Joe ignored the myrmidon and activated his aura sight. Looking at the crowd on deck, he picked the most severely hurt and got to work. Cendi Haill was his first patient. She was one of the deckhands he had seen cutting the troll nets. Cendi, like Joe, had received several broken bones for her efforts. One of the Gartrolls had stomped on her hand as she was freeing the netted prisoners. Her hand was a mess of bent purple digits. Joe could tell she was putting on a tough face but there were tears of pain threatening to spill down her cheeks. As soon as he used [Deadened Flesh] on her shattered hand, she breathed out a deep sigh of relief. ¡°Sorry, I took so long to get out here.¡± ¡°Hey, none o¡¯ that, boyo,¡± she bossed in a rough sailor¡¯s tone. ¡°Yer here now. Be longer before I could see o¡¯ mender in the city, and it¡¯d cost me all me wages. Yer saving me from a very dry shore leave,¡± she stated with a wink and a nod. ¡°If you can fix this busted rooker, then it was worth the wait.¡± Her candid banter gave Joe focus. He looked into the hand and started working out what he thought would be the best way to put it right. Parla was there to help him again, and so was a new face, Elmar Soly. The sailor, who was the first one he had saved the night before, helped brace Cendi¡¯s arm while Joe and Parla straightened the fractured fingers. The pair of them moved with Joe from patient to patient. Somewhere around the fourth or fifth patient, someone handed Joe a warm plate of stew, which he practically inhaled, both from hunger and from the amazing flavors. Either the ship¡¯s cook was a genius chef or the crew had allowed a skilled refugee to prepare a meal. Wakely offered him his flask to wash it down, but Joe declined, not wanting to burn away all those wonderful lingering tastes. Once Joe had made it to everyone who could not easily move, Yago laid out a shaggy hide rug for him to sit on. The remaining injured came to him or healed in the [Homefire] aura radiating from a barrel parked beside the thick, soft hide. Even though the area had close to doubled, the mana use was significantly less taxing. Joe used the seemingly endless materials from his satchel along with his spells. The Gartroll bites were mildly venomous. If the person bitten was only Sickened, Joe could use [Purge] to remove the effect. If they had the Poisoned condition then Joe gave them some antitoxin as well. Thankfully, he never had to replenish the supplies. Every time he reached in there were always more bandages and salves to be had. After a few hours, the line of people ended, and Joe was exhausted once more. He gave himself a shot of [Efferous Endurance], but his weariness was less physical and more emotional. Between the battle the previous day, his own recent injuries, the non-stop hurt of those around him, and the looming thunderhead that was Phealti¡¯s champion, Joe felt frazzled. He laid back on the rug and closed his eyes for a minute until he felt a cool cloth on his brow. He looked and saw Parla smiling at him. ¡°You have done much good, healer. This is for you,¡± Parla stated, placing a wide, ornately tooled belt in front of Joe. He sat up quickly, surprised by their generosity. ¡°Wait. I can¡¯t take this. You all have lost so much. I¡¯m not going to clean you out of the little you have left.¡± Joe was about to say more when his eyes landed on Yago¡¯s frowning face. ¡°Highlanders pay their debts,¡± the large aresa rumbled. Looking around at all the expectant faces, he knew it would be rude to reject them. ¡°Thank you all. I don¡¯t know what to say. Just thank you.¡± ¡°Good thing yer a Healer, boyo. Ye¡¯d make a terrible bard if that be yer best oritorizing.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a word, Wakely,¡± Joe rebuffed, though he was thankful for the man¡¯s defusing distraction. He ran his hands over the smooth leather. The belt had three loops on either side of the buckle that looked like they would be perfect for holding potions. The patterns stamped into the leather had small arcane symbols tucked into the swirling designs. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
[Basic Alchemy Belt] (Item: Waist - Uncommon): Minor defense. This belt enhances any alchemy-based skills by 15%. Additionally, items stored in the pouch or potion loops gain [Greater Glass Ward], which provides objects made of glass with maximum physical damage resistance. Lastly, you can use a mental command to have a potion in one of the loops teleport into your hand. You can specify if you wish the bottle to be opened during the transference. {Alchemy}
Joe had not considered alchemy as a trade but the idea appealed to him. He had played an alchemist in the past and the character had been a blast, always on the lookout for weird and rare items to craft with. The character, Dorian, was one of the few of Joe¡¯s who¡¯d never had money problems either. As a matter of fact, the alchemical artisan ended up bankrolling the whole team. If Illuminaria was anything like his tabletop games, then crafting could be both fun and lucrative. When he looked up from the belt, Joe was surprised to see treetops peeking over the sides of the ship. He stood up, donning the belt at the same time, and saw the ship was working its way along a coastline. Thirty-foot tall seacliffs made of pale tannish stone lifted the coast out of the ocean. Joe ran his eyes over the crest and spotted a few small houses with paths working their way down the cliffside to the water. The top of the rise was covered in scrub grass and some wind-bent trees. He and Wakely walked up to the railing, where Joe looked down. The blue water here was so clear he could make out the seafloor. The cliffs extended below the waves at least a hundred feet to aqua-tinted sand and what looked like shelves of coral. ¡°How long before we dock?¡± he asked the booze-hound at his side. ¡°Givin¡¯ the tide, not more than half an hour, I¡¯d say. Let me buy ye a drink when we get there. I know just the place.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that choice will be up to me,¡± Joe replied glumly. Wakely tossed him a curious look, to which Joe nodded his head up at the glaring dwarf. Azbekt had moved to the railing of the aft deck. He was staring right at them. Joe could see the dwarf''s pale knuckles as his hands tightly clenched the wood. ¡°You need us to keep him busy for ya, Joe?¡± Wakely whispered, using his name for the first time. The sailor¡¯s voice was pitched low and earnestly. This was not the clowning sailor who had taught him how to piss. ¡°He¡¯s one scary digger, but ye only need ta ask, an these folks will bum-rush the bruiser ta give ya a chance.¡± ¡°No! Nobody gets hurt on account of me. And besides I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s all a big misunderstanding. It¡¯s better if I just let him do his thing. That way, I can get this cleared up once and for all. Then we can think about me joining the crew.¡± The grizzled sailor held eye contact longer than Joe was comfortable with. ¡°Really, Wakely. Don¡¯t do anything. It will be fine.¡± ¡°If ye say so, boyo. Want something to brace ya, or do ya need a clear head?¡± Joe hesitated a moment before holding out a hand. ¡°Both. Just a small sip.¡± The shot burned its way down to his gut, but it did center his nerves. He put aside his fear of the upcoming encounter and watched the coast slide by. He leaned out over the railing, allowing him to lean out even further. He could see they were headed for a break in the tall cliffs, leading into a circular bay. From the angle the ship was coming in, Joe could only see the far side of the shore, but this was clearly no fishing town like Heron¡¯s Reef. Joe could easily see a hundred buildings that ran gently uphill from the shore. Given that he could only see about a fifth of the bay at this point, the port¡¯s population had to be in the thousands. As the ship closed, more and more of the town was revealed. Joe could see docks and ships filling the shoreline where the buildings met the bay. The vessels ranged from a few massive sailing ships to dozens of small single-sail fishing boats. Those about the same size as the Tide Dancer were quite common. Countless small rowed watercraft crossed the harbor as well. Behind the piers, the land sloped upwards until it reached the level of seacliffs. This allowed most homes to have a view of the ocean. The buildings were almost all built from light stone and timbers. They were capped by roofs of clay shingles. About half were the orangy red of terracotta, but the other half looked like the clay had been dyed in shades of blue or green. Had Joe not known he was heading to his arrest, he would have been looking forward to walking those seaside streets. He let himself have one more deep sigh before turning around; only to find himself face-to-face with Hah¡¯roo. He hadn¡¯t heard a sound from her as she moved up behind them. ¡°I will meet you in Temelmont Square,¡± her breathy-voice huffed. ¡°That is surely where Azbekt will take you. You will know it when you get there. Churches surround the plaza. Do not let him bring you inside any specific church. When you reach the plaza, tell him that you wish to be judged by the Fourfold Court.¡± Her fingers took his chin, locking their eyes. ¡°This is most important. Temelmont Square. Fourfold Court.¡± ¡°Uh, ok. What do you mean ¡®Meet me there¡¯?¡± ¡°I have an errand to run. Remember those words,¡± she said with an intent expression. ¡°Temelmont Square. Fourfold Court. Got it. What errand?¡± ¡°There is not enough time. Have faith. I will see you soon.¡± Hah¡¯roo bounced up off the deck to balance on the railing. She pulled her hands apart, stretching a web of strings taut. A jet of mist shot out of the spaces between the cords. The vaporous stream arched towards the shore. After a quick last look at Joe, the galeling warrior leapt forward and landed on the ribbon of clouds. Her feet sank an inch into the gaseous span before it took her weight. A second later, the huntress was sprinting across the impossible vaporous bridge, allowing her to reach the wharf well before the ship lines were even thrown. As the wind-dancer disappeared into the crowd, Joe¡¯s stomach did a small flip. He knew that he was going to have to give himself over to Azbekt, but he did not realize how much he had been counting on the calming presence of Hah¡¯roo until she was gone. The thought of facing the stern, fierce warrior alone filled Joe with a sense of dread. ¡°Ye look like ya swallowed a jiggly-fish, boyo. Ye sure ye still got this?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t really have any better options, Wake,¡± he groaned. ¡°Guess it¡¯s time to go get myself arrested.¡±
Reader poll So, once again, the trial received more dissatisfied feedback from this audience than anything I''ve done prior. I think I have a way to fix this. This means backing out the last three chapters and reposting. I can get it done this weekend. What do you think? I think the fixes are 1. Azbekt. Remove the full-on douchebaggery persona. He would still not be a sweetheart by any means, but if instead of being a raging a*hole, he would be super lawful. He acknowledges Joe''s actions healing the ship. He still has to bring Joe in and present Groven''s case, rules are rules, after all. But he can note to the trial he does not sense evil off Joe just a hint of fea. And 2, Hawking suggests the Trial by Quest. The entity realizes he/she/it screwed up dropping Joe in front of Groven and so will give the tool to will prove Joe''s innocence. Better chance to dialog between Joe and Hawking as to the use of Trial by Quest. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. I just worked up a revision to Chapter 54 - Forced March. If anyone is willing to give it a reread and let me know what they think, I''d really appreciate it. There are not any big changes. Just a few small tweaks to tempter Azbekt to make him not so ridiculously overblown. What do you think?
I went with fixing it. Read all of your comments and the most common threads were 1) What about Joe getting murdered 2) Trial by Quests needs better explanation (and why even number of Judges) 3) Hawking/the One Above/the system is evil and/or the one at fault 4) Azbekt doesn''t read like a paladin 5) Joe needs more backbone I think I covered those with the updated chapters. They may have more types than usual given they were rushed. I''ll polish them this weekend.
54 - Forced March (Version 2) 54 - Forced March He found the dwarf waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. The myrmidon''s scowl was deeper than usual. The warrior constantly glanced around the deck as if looking for signs of trouble. Clearly, he was not happy about Joe¡¯s good reputation with the mass of people aboard the Tide Dancer. Joe wondered if he could convince Azbekt that he wasn¡¯t going to try and make trouble. He didn¡¯t want this issue with Groven hanging over his head any longer. Maybe he could convince the fiery dwarf to relax. It shouldn¡¯t be too difficult since he had barely done anything wrong. At worst, he had been a little flippant with some nobleman. That surely was not enough to warrant any truly dire punishment. Looking at the scorn-filled sneer on the myrmidon¡¯s face, Joe doubted it was going to be that easy.
Azbekt VanderAxe: Dwarf: Enforcer / Myrmidon / Champion 34
¡°Good morning, sir. I have come down to surrender myself,¡± Joe announced, walking to the steps. ¡°I find that dubious,¡± the dwarf replied in a hard, grinding voice. Azbekt crossed his arms over his broad chest and glared around. Joe did not miss the fact that the Phealtian had stayed on the steps. While it was unlikely the dwarf had any insecurity about his height, the elevation did give him a boost to intimidation. ¡°Here on this deck, my authority is superseded by the captain¡¯s. If you truly wished to yield, then why did you not wait until we reached the dock?¡± Perplexed by this odd attack, Joe stammered, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Now seemed like as good a time as any.¡± ¡°Bah! The fey lie as easily as good folk breathe. What is your game? Normally, I would have thought that you seek to shield yourself behind these indebted innocents,¡± he growled, sweeping a hand to include the sailors and passengers around them on deck. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t fit. I saw imperil yourself time and again on their behalf last night. You would not risk them now any more than you would have let them die to the sea raiders. I must admit, I don''t know how to read you, feyling. And I hate not knowing.¡± ¡°I ¡­ I ¡­ don¡¯t know what to tell you, Azbekt. You are right. I don''t want anyone fighting for me,¡± he stated, turning to give Wakely a firm look before turning back to the dwarf. ¡°What¡¯ll it take to gain even a measure of trust here.¡± ¡°You can start by surrendering your weapon.¡± Joe could not help but laugh. ¡°If you can find it, I¡¯d be grateful. The last I saw, my staff was taking a dive off the ship.¡± ¡°And your other magical paraphernalia? Turn that over then.¡± ¡°Will I get a receipt for it?¡± ¡°You dare to question my honor, knave?¡± the myrmidon hissed, thrusting his face forward. Joe took a breath, not rising to the myrmidon¡¯s challenge. ¡°No. Your word will do.¡± Azbekt, who looked about to launch into another tirade, snapped his jaw closed with a click of his teeth, derailed by Joe''s offer of respect. He drummed his gauntleted fingers against the mail covering his thigh, clacking out a frustrated beat. ¡°May Phealti forgive me. You have my word, outlander. I shall return that which you give me once your trial is complete.¡± As he watched the dwarf¡¯s eyes sweep over him searching, Joe realized that Azbekt was trying to spot his enchanted gear, but he clearly was failing to do so. [No One] was blocking the myrmidon from being able to assess even his gear. The [Band of Beguilement] was in plain sight. With its pink and violet coloring, it was so at odds with everything else Joe was wearing he knew it must have been spotted. Once the item left his body, the dwarf would be able to [Identify] it. Joe sighed. Beguilement seemed like a very faerie type of magic. He had a feeling that the powers and nature of the band would only make Azbekt loathe him even more. He considered keeping one item as an ace in the hole since it wouldn¡¯t be detected. The teleportation medallion could be useful if things went sideways. Yet the more he thought about it, the more he was sure that the dwarf would ask if there was anything else, and then Joe would have to lie. Lying seemed like a very bad idea. Sir Groven had sensed something fey about Joe even through [No-One]. Would the myrmidon be able to sense lies? ¡°Fine,¡± he replied. He reached into his gambeson and lifted out the [Talisman of the Medic] and then slid off the purple and fuchsia bracelet. He took the keen knife out of its sheath and grabbed the slow stone from his belt pouch. These he dropped into his healer¡¯s kit along with his spinning ring. He then dropped to the deck to pull off his footgear. ¡°Here, this is everything I have,¡± Joe exclaimed, holding out the bag, belt, and boots. ¡°This is it. A single rare and a collection of assorted dreck. You must have more.¡± ¡°Gee, thanks for rubbing in how badly I¡¯m doing. That¡¯s it, Azbekt. Really.¡± he stated. ¡°Can we go now?¡± ¡°Very well then. Put these on,¡± He stated, throwing back Joe¡¯s boots and a single metal manacle. ¡°We will be hard-pressed to make it to Tellemont Square before the late morning bell. In light of the lives you saved last night and the healing this more, I was willing to delay our departure, but now we chance being late. I hate being late.¡± The dwarf swung the rest of the confiscated belongings toward a small purse hanging off his belt. All of Joe¡¯s stuff seemed to shrink and vanish into the pouch as the dwarf brought the items close to the bag¡¯s opening. Joe sat down on the lowest step, yanking on his boots before considering the metal shackle. He really didn¡¯t want to clip it on, but he also didn¡¯t want to spend his days running from Phealti¡¯s followers. The Duke and Groven he could probably avoid by getting away from Amberwroth¡¯s duchy. Phealtians he was certainly likely to encounter again. These guys were technically the good guys, according to Hah¡¯roo. If he could clear this up now, who knows, maybe someday they¡¯d be on the same side of a fight. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. With a sigh, Joe clipped the manacle to his wrist. The moment the cold metal closed around his wrist, a message from Hawking seemed to creep guiltily into the corner of Joe¡¯s line of vision.
You have failed to escape from the Order of the Golden Edict. Quest Failure [Elude the Hunt].
¡®There goes fifty gold pieces.¡¯ Joe bemoaned. ¡°Come, healer. We have a long walk. Keep up,¡± the gruff enforcer barked as he stalked toward the gangplank. When the gap between himself and the dwarf reached a couple of Joe¡¯s strides, a tug on his wrist nearly yanked him off his feet. Azbekt¡¯s arm barely moved. The gulf between the warrior''s Strength and his must be huge.
Your skill [Steadfast] has increased to rank 6
Joe had planned to say his goodbyes, but the dwarf¡¯s inexorable march pulled him steadily across the ship. The myrmidon had given Joe all the allowance he felt Joe had earned. Now, it was time to go. Goodbyes were not part of the equation. Yago¡¯s long arm reached out toward Joe, stopping just short of grabbing hold of him. He could see the concern on the aresian¡¯s face, but Joe just shook his head again and gave the big man a thump on the arm. ¡°It will be ok. Thank you. All of you,¡± he managed to get out as the force on his arm pulled him from Yago¡¯s side. Joe was ready for it this time. Jogging, he closed the gap with the marching dwarf. Azbekt hit the dock and made a sharp turn, bulling his way through the crowds. Joe had to jump off the gangplank so as not to end up in the bay. ¡°Easy up. Azbekt. Give me a second to get on the dock.¡± ¡°Keep up, healer. We have this whole district to cross, and we are late. I hate being late.¡± ¡°Yeah, you said that already. But if you yank me off into the water, we are going to be even later.¡± The enforcer just huffed and trudged forward, bulling his way through the mass of bodies on the pier. Joe quickly found it was easier to follow tightly in the enforcer¡¯s wake. The few times he lagged to look at something, he had to struggle to catch back up. The myrmidon''s force of presence and unrelenting march caused people to instinctively move out of his way. There was one weird perk to being dragged behind the relentless armored juggernaut. The more the myrmidon yanked him around, the more surefooted Joe became as the Phealtian power-leveled [Steadfast] for him. They left the wharves and seaside shops behind and marched along a lane with a variety of businesses. Joe was pulled past tailors, a bookbinder, a tea shop, a very wealthy-looking trading house, and several more establishments. The street opened into a market square, where Joe saw dozens of stalls. He would have loved to look around, but Azbekt¡¯s pace never let up. Joe sighed, reminding himself again this ridiculous misunderstanding would soon be over. They crossed straight through the market and onto another road, this one angling upward. After another city block, the buildings on each side of the road changed from small two-story shops to a pair of massive ornate structures. On Joe¡¯s right, the edifice was adorned with glittering obsidian pillars. On his left, the structure was made of tiled mosaics, patterned to look like the sea and waves. As they entered the plaza beyond the two temples, Joe knew this had to be the Telemont Square Hah¡¯roo had mentioned. All around the open area were dozens of churches. They came in all sizes, from the huge temple of the sea god right next to him, to small shrines, and even a few lone altars around a massive central fountain. Joe could not help but gawk until the magical tether yanked on his arm. It was almost impossible not to stare at the stunning edifices. They ranged from beautiful to ominous. Even the most sedate of them elicited some emotional response. Joe felt drawn to a sandstone temple whose mural showed hundreds of people holding and supporting each other. He recoiled from a dark church made of sharp metal angles that spoke of pain and violence. He smiled at one that had pillars carved to resemble stacked ale barrels and a roof that seemed to be made of beer foam. Azbekt finally deviated from his straight-line march. He had turned to angle towards a gray marble temple trimmed in both silver and gold. The building was made in perfect symmetry, each column precisely placed, every stair and corner perfectly straight. This building had the neoclassical look of an official city hall. It practically cried out ¡®Order¡¯. As the myrmidon dragged him towards what had to be the temple of Phealti, Joe remembered Hah¡¯roo¡¯s warning. ¡°Azbekt, wait! I want to be judged by the Fourfold Court,¡± he announced to the broad back he had been following. The warrior stopped so abruptly that Joe almost ran straight into him. Azbekt spun on his heel and barked, ¡°Who told you about the Fourfold Court? It had to be the galeling. Was it her?¡± ¡°Does it matter who told me? I want the Fourfold Court thing. I¡¯m entitled to one, aren¡¯t I?¡± Azbekt didn¡¯t answer. He just stood there glaring up at Joe like a pissed-off bulldog. ¡°Well? Aren¡¯t I?¡± Joe reiterated. He could hear teeth grinding from the enforcer¡¯s jaw until the stout man finally spat out one pained word, ¡°Maybe!¡± ¡°What do you mean maybe?¡± ¡°If you were a person, then yes, you are entitled to a Fourfold Court. If you are an outsider from across the Veil, then, no, no, you are not. The problem is I really don¡¯t know which one you are,¡± the warrior growled loudly, smacking his fist against his mailed thigh. ¡° Your damn cloaking skill muddies everything up. This is why we need order. Knowing who fits in what bucket. Knowing who doesn''t belong and needs to be repelled. Who does belong and needs our protection. Without order, all is chaos, confusion, and madness.¡± Once again drumming his fingers on his leg, Azbekt worked the problem. When he finally met Joe¡¯s eyes again, Joe knew the verdict hadn¡¯t gone his way. ¡°I cannot prove you are a person. Therefore, I deny your claim. I will let my god decide your fate. We go to the Hall of the Celestial Throne.¡± As Azbekt turned to resume his trek to the authoritarian-looking church, Joe dug in his heels and flared [Steadfast]. ¡°Wait. Wait! You can¡¯t prove I¡¯m NOT a person either. Don¡¯t I get the benefit of the doubt here?¡± ¡°I should give you the benefit of the doubt over the Lord of Order I have sworn to serve. Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± With the barest of tugs, Azbekt yanked Joe off his feet, breaking his [Steadfast] enhanced balance and started pulling Joe across the cobblestones. ¡°Get up, healer. I will drag the whole way if I must. Only you will suffer for obstinance.¡± ¡°Fourfold Court!¡± Joe yelled from the ground, sliding across the uneven paving stones behind the marching Phealtian. ¡°Myrmidon,¡± a stately voice intruded as Joe slid past gray-furred man dressed in sand-colored robes standing beside them. ¡°This is unseemly here in the Court of the Gods.¡± ¡°I will have him out of the plaza in a moment, Murrceeian. His choosing to make a spectacle of himself does not change my duty.¡± They passed the central fountain, drawing ever closer to Azbekt den zealots. ¡°FOURFOLD COURT!¡± he yelled, this time at the top of his lungs. ¡°CHAMPION! STOP!¡± a massive voice thundered across the square. ¡°JUST WHAT ARE YOU DOING!¡± Joe turned to see the towering form of a minotaur in bright red armor bearing down on them. The fury in the horned man¡¯s eyes would have utterly terrified Joe if it had been aimed at him. But it wasn¡¯t; it was locked onto Azbekt. For the first time in Joe''s presence, the dwarf¡¯s superior scowl of disdain fell away. It was hard to tell, given the dark red color of the Phealtian''s skin, but Joe could have sworn the myrmidon¡¯s face paled by several shades.
55 - Fourfold Court (Version 2) 55 - Fourfold Court ¡°Lord Barrister,¡± Azbekt croaked. The minotaur was huge on a scale Joe¡¯s mind had a hard time accepting. It was one thing to see giant beings in movies; having them standing right over you was a whole ¡®nother thing. The Lord Barrister¡¯s head was at least eight feet off the ground, with his twin jutting horns adding another yard of height. The hoof closest to Joe would have covered the majority of his chest. Joe doubted he could even lift the heavy crimson chestpiece the colossus wore. The plate mail suit was adorned with the symbol of weighing scales, as well as almost a dozen golden stars that were clearly some form of rank.
Theodanis: Minotaur: Templar of the Righteous / Red Judge / Cardinal of Ekwiti 76
¡°The stink of injustice pulled me from my duties. I followed its foul trail here and found you trampling this man¡¯s rights. All here heard this man proclaim a Fourfold Court, champion. You would deny Ekwiti her due?¡± the massive creature seethed. ¡°Please, your honor. This is no man. He is almost surely an agent of the Veiled Courts. As such, he has no claim to a Fourfold Court,¡± the dwarf groveled, looking up at the titanic armored form looming over him. ¡°You and the faithful of Glauri and Onhur need not concern yourselves with this matter.¡± ¡°Do you question my nose, champion?¡± the taurian war-priest rumbled, swiping a finger against the end of his thick snout. ¡°If he had no claim, then why does his forced removal from the square reek of inequity?¡± ¡°It ¡­¡± Azbezkt began, before he was cut off by the Lord Barrister. ¡°I am not looking for a plausible excuse, brother. I am telling you. Ekwiti is certain this man is due the court he has called for, hence he cannot be a fey. If that is your only charge against him, then I would dismiss your hold on him now, but I will not presume on Onhur¡¯s and Glauri¡¯s behalf. He has made his declaration here before the Hundred Gods. We will have a Fourfold Court, now.¡± ¡°Yes, of course. Of course,¡± the red-skin dwarf stammered. ¡°The Hall of the Celestial Throne is just ahead, your lordship,¡± the faltering Phealtian suggested, pointing at the austere gray and gold church he had been dragging Joe toward. ¡°Let us finish the journey there and then gather the other two courts to join us.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, myrmidon,¡± a regal voice interrupted. They all turned to see a matronly human woman dressed in an impeccable velvet dress with a mantel of gold cloth around her shoulders. Her gray head of hair was tied into an elaborate bun with jeweled chain accents. Just a step behind the gentlewoman was the welcome sight of a very smug-looking Hah¡¯roo.
Amaya Randeau: Human: Seal-Bearer / Crownsworn / Theocrat 50
The minotaur''s anger was immediately reined in, and he tipped his great horned head to the woman in a courtly fashion. ¡°Marchess Randeau,¡± his deep voice uttered in greeting. ¡°Lord Barrister Theodanis,¡± she replied with a small curtseying dip. ¡°We have three officers of the four courts here now. As the declaration was made before all these ministers of the Hundred Gods, it is only fitting they be our witnesses.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a capital idea m¡¯lady. What say you, ¡­¡± the minotaur started to ask. His face fell into a scowl as he failed to get anything more than one word from his [Identify], ¡°¡­ Joe? Would you have your case heard here and now, before the servants of the gods, both high and low? Or would you prefer a formal trial in the Hall of Phealti?¡± ¡°Here¡¯s good!¡± Joe blurted vehemently. The last thing he wanted was to get dragged into the lair of Azbekt¡¯s fanatical order. ¡°Very well, then we just need one more to complete us.¡± Theodanis rumbled. Looking out over the throng of clergyfolk, the minotaur searched for a few seconds until he spotted what he was seeking. Stretching out an arm as long as Joe was tall, the Lord Barrister pointed. ¡°You there, lass. Come and join us.¡± From somewhere behind the wall of bodies surrounding the group, Joe heard a meek voice squeak, ¡°Me, your lordship?¡± ¡°Yes, priestess. Onhur needs a voice among us. As Telemont Square seemed oddly bereft of your brothers and sisters, I think Oathkeeper wishes you to be his emissary.¡± The crowd parted, and a young fox woman in her late teens slipped through the gap. She was wearing a brown friar¡¯s robe but Joe could hear the rustling of chainmail coming from her as she closed the distance. As she approached, he could see the chain shirt peeking out from the edges of her coarsely woven robe. A blue priestly stole marked with white runes hung from the young woman¡¯s shoulders. Her thick russet tail with its white tip flicked rapidly back and forth, mirroring her anxiously wringing hands.
Mazsy Eskamoon: Kitsune: Priestess 9
¡°But your lordship. I am just an acolyte. I can¡¯t ¡­¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Have you given your oath to Onhur, sister?¡± Lady Randeau asked gently. ¡°Yes, but ¡­¡± ¡°Then, you are as worthy as I, the myrmidon, or even the Lord Barrister himself. Just do your best, dear, and I¡¯m sure you shall acquit yourself with honor.¡± Behind the noblewoman, Joe saw Hah¡¯roo, beaming a bright smile while discreetly pointing at the Marchess and throwing him a thumbs up. Whoever this woman was, she clearly had the rope-dancers seal of approval. ¡°Then it is settled,¡± the taurian declared. ¡°Let us begin. Let this Fourfold Court commence. I, the Lord Barrister of Ekwiti, the Bringer of Justice, swear this quadrunal shall be fair.¡± Taking up the cadence of the oaths, the noble lady spoke next. ¡°I am the Marchess Amaya Randeau, Bishop of Galuri, the Goddess of Law and the Virtuous Rule. Our verdict shall be incontestable.¡± The manacle-wielding bully was next. ¡°I am Azbekt Vanderaxe, Champion of Phealti, Scourge of Unhallowed Insurgents. I swear all within this proceeding shall be proper.¡± Joe¡¯s heart went out to the kitsune-youth. She looked completely terrified. ¡°Um. I am Mazsy Eskamoon. Acolyte of Ohnur, the Keeper of Oaths and Truths. Um. I swear to ¡­¡± A look of panic crossed her face until Lady Randeau leaned over and whispered beside her tall, pointed ears. ¡°I swear that no falsehood shall be unchallenged and no pledge forsworn,¡± Mazsy finished, throwing a grateful look to the Marchess. ¡°Sir Vanderaxe, I assume you will be amenable to declaring the charges against this man for us?¡± Azbekt withdrew a folded page from one of his belt pouches. As he fanned it open, the giant war-priest recoiled, bringing the back of his arm up infront of his nose. ¡°Urg. That page is the stench which drew me here. Whatever that declaration holds, champion, it is dripping with bias and disparity. Please hand the sheet to Acolyte Eskamoon. I would know if those words are true.¡± The kistune took the parchment and began to run her hands across it. As she did so, she cocked her head, as if listening for something. She started over several times, looking more and more nervous after each pass. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, M¡¯lord, but I am only in my first year of Objective Veracity. There is definitely something untrue here, but it is lost to me beneath the potency of the writer¡¯s subjective interpretation. I can say that whoever penned this statement believed in it fully.¡± ¡°May I see it, please, Acolyte?¡± Lady Randeau asked, holding out an elegant hand for the page. She treated it the most normally of the four. She merely read it, focusing mostly on the seals at the bottom of the sheet. ¡°The accounting is legally valid, signed and sealed by a knight of the realm in good standing and witnessed by a cleric of Glauri and the Duke himself.¡± The noblewoman handed the page back to Azbekt. The dwarf cleared his throat and began to read. ¡°On the tenth of Blooming, Sir Groven Suttrel of Crowfield, esquire to the House of Amberwroth, Knight of the realm of Duskrug, and laureate of Phealti, witnessed a vagabond walking from the tainted swamps of Brandy Mere, home of witchery and a Feyland crossroad. This wandering stray was, and still remains, cloaked in an aura of deception and obfuscation. See for yourselves how it shields itself from honest assessment.¡± Joe had blocked the notifications that informed him of assessments, but the sheer number of appraisals that were suddenly directed at him caused a small tingle to pass through his body. He couldn¡¯t help but squirm from the sensation of such overwhelming scrutiny. ¡°Thankfully, the God of Order is not so easily thwarted,¡± Azbezt proclaimed. ¡°Through Phealti¡¯s [Vigilance], the noble knight was able to perceive the taint of the Feylands on this evasive gangrel. It was obvious to the nobleman this creature was an agent of the vile courts beyond the Veil. ¡°His conclusion was proven accurate just hours later,¡± the dwarf continued, The fox girl threw her hand up like a kid in school, cutting off Azbekt¡¯s declarations. ¡°Yes, Miss Eskamoon,¡± The bishop of Glauri prompted. ¡°Um. That statement is false, m¡¯lady. The knight may believe he proved this man to be an agent of the fey, but that was only his belief. He did not actually establish proof.¡± ¡°Very good. Thank you. As Onhur¡¯s voice, you are allowed to interject, dear. You don¡¯t need to raise your hand,¡± the matronly marchess gently corrected. The white fur around the young cleric¡¯s pinkened as she gave the bishop a nod of understanding. ¡°May I continue?¡± Azbekt huffed. ¡°When presented with a rightful challenge for its presence among the good folk of Crowfield, this outlander attempted to foment a riot against Sir Groven.¡± ¡°Sorry, sir. That is also untrue. The word ¡®attempted¡¯ rings false. He may have caused a riot, but it was not his intention.¡± Joe was beginning to love this girl. He had no idea that Groven was going to spin everything he did this badly, but a divine-powered fact-checker was a literal godsend. Clearly frustrated, the Phealtian resumed his briefing. ¡°In the course of questioning the suspect, the dissident openly mocked the knight, ignoring his superior station. It was chastised for its impertinence. Rather than accept its righteous punishment, it used bewitchments to draw the peasantry together to form a mob¡­¡± Mazsy¡¯s hand shot up again and then immediately swooped back down to her side. ¡°¡®Used bewitchments¡¯ is also false. Sorry.¡± With his ruddy face growing even redder, the myrmidon forged on. ¡°The deluded souls were nearly swayed into open rebellion against the Duke and his rule. ¡°This was not the end of its intrusion. The outlander attempted to use the Hand of Fate to invade the knight¡¯s very essence. Forestalled from slaying the abomination, Sir Groven was forced to withdraw. He had to leave the turmoil the insurgent had wrought and retreat rather than let the thief infiltrate the lineage of his noble family or the sanctity of our holy order.¡± ¡°In summary, deceit, contempt, impropriation, breach of order, flight from justice, sedition. These are just the acts this being performed within a day of its detection. Who knows what further damage to the realm ¡­¡± Azbekt words ground to a halt. He cleared his throat again, before adding in a less stern voice, ¡°This is not in Sir Groven¡¯s statement, but I feel I must speak up. In between the penning of this account and now, I have witnessed the accused in action. My observations do not match what I have just presented. Aboard the ship that brought us here, the outlander acted both selflessly and honorably in my presence.¡± ¡®Did Azbekt just say something nice about me,¡¯ Joe wondered, a little stunned. ¡°Do you have anything to add, Joe?¡± the deep voice minotaur requested, pulling Joe out of his moment of amazement. ¡°I do. When do we get to talk about Groven murdering me?¡±
56 - Impassible Arguments (Version 2) 56 - Impassible Arguments ¡°Explain,¡± the Lord Barrister rumbled. ¡°I admit I was too familiar with the knight, but his response was so over the top, I can¡¯t believe he is pushing this BS. He hit me hard enough to kill me. Only a fluke of timing saved me from dying a second time that day. Why is he not here, answering for that?¡± ¡°Because you fled,¡± Azbekt barked. ¡°Would I have gotten a fair trial like this one back in Crowfield?¡± Joe demanded. ¡°It sure didn¡¯t feel like it the way everyone was freaking out over Groven and his Duke.¡± ¡°Likely, no,¡± Lady Randeau replied. ¡°Sir Groven is a vengeful man. As is Duke Amberwroth. Had you remained in Crowfield, or even anywhere in the Duchy of Merlindell, you would likely be locked away in Blackyard Gaol right now.¡± ¡°Let it be known that I have another affidavit here,¡± Azbekt announced, withdrawing a second page from his belt, ¡°in which Sir Groven Suttrel, swears he did not intend to deliver a lethal blow. He did not believe the outlander was truly a newcomer. How could he expect this grown manthing to be so ridiculously fragile as to be slain by a mere slap?¡± Mazsy took the sheet and rustled her fingers over it again, listening. ¡°This is fully true.¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± Joe countered. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t get a pass because he didn¡¯t mean to kill me. I didn¡¯t mean to impugn his honor; I was just kidding around. I¡¯m willing to call the two mistakes a wash and drop the whole thing. If you¡¯re not, I¡¯m pretty sure murder, or even manslaughter, trumps disrespect.¡± ¡°What say you, champion? Do you wish to press these charges and add your fellow Phealtian to the aggrievements? Or dismiss the charges and this court now?¡± the Lord Barrister inquired. Azbekt brought his fist to his heart and closed his eyes. He stood for almost a full minute before sighing and looking up at the Lord Barrister. ¡°My god is silent on this matter, M¡¯lord. I¡¯m afraid I do not have the authority to drop Phealti¡¯s case.¡± Lady Randeau shook her head in disapproval. ¡°The root of this issue stems from whether or not we are dealing with an agent of the fey, yes? Then, let us address that question. Acolyte Ekamoon, would you please question the witness?¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve never ¡­.,¡± the red-furred novice stammered. ¡°Surely one of you has a higher [Truthsense] than I do.¡± ¡°While that may be true,¡± Lady Randeau countered, ¡°the [Truthsense] of Onhur is a powerful tool. Just as Phaelti¡¯s [Vigilance] will detect beings from beyond Illuminaria, Onhur allows you to hear the nuances of truth in a manner we cannot. Our gods have gifted each of us with their own blessed abilities. Have faith in yours, dear.¡± ¡°Oh, alright.¡± The fox-tailed girl turned to Joe and locked eyes with him. ¡°Are you an agent from the Feylands?¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Joe replied. This seemed like a very bad moment to say anything even partially untrue. Hawking had given him an odd, fey-touched heritage. He didn¡¯t think there were any hidden strings attached to that race, but he wasn¡¯t one hundred percent sure about that. Mazsy, who had her head cocked, listening very carefully, straightened her neck and declared, ¡°He speaks the truth.¡± ¡°I concur,¡± the Lord Barrister added. ¡°As do I,¡± offered the noblewoman. ¡°Be that as it may. It is not an answer,¡± Azbekt fumed. ¡°The fey have sent bewitched agents across the Veil before. Just because he is not aware of his treacherous nature is not sufficient to excuse the charges against him.¡± ¡°That is also true,¡± the young priestess affirmed, using her [Truthsense] to assess Azbekt''s counterargument. ¡°Very well. Mister Joe, do you have any plans to disrupt or damage the Kingdom of Duskrug in any way?¡± That one was an easy answer. ¡°No,¡± he replied decisively. Three heads nodded their approval, but the squat, fiery dwarf shook his. ¡°Same objection. Who knows what enchantments lurk behind that wall of nondetection? He could be enspelled to answer in this manner, and we would never know the difference. He must reveal himself, or these questions are moot.¡± ¡°A valid point, champion,¡± the Marchess conceded. ¡°Joe, would you please suspend your [Deception] for the duration of this quadrunal?¡± ¡°I¡¯d be happy to,¡± Joe stated, ¡°but I don¡¯t think I can. Can you turn off a trait?¡± ¡°Not typically, no,¡± the matronly bishop sighed. ¡°Skills can be stifled by choice. Traits are constant unless they state they can be suppressed.¡± ¡°There is more proof,¡± the myrmidon accused. ¡°If this being is truly the newcomer he claims to be, how did he acquire such an unbeknownst trait? Surely, this is a groomed creature from beyond and not a newcomer.¡± In response to the dwarf¡¯s challenge, a notification from Hawking opened on the edge of Joe¡¯s vision.
Ask for Trial by Quest, Joe.
¡®What the heck is Trial by Quest, Hawking?¡¯
Trust me. I will explain momentarily.
¡°Your Lordship,¡± Joe began dubiously, both unsure of the title he was giving the Lord Barrister as well as whatever Hawking was cooking up. ¡°I would like Trial by Quest, please.¡± ¡°Are you sure, Joe? You have a strong case as far as Ekwiti is concerned. Your treatment so far has been anything but fair.¡± ¡®You sure about this?¡¯ The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Yes.
¡®You better be, Bud. When you think about it, this is pretty much all your fault anyway. You dropped me right in front of a zealous bigot, which is what started this whole mess.¡¯
Which is why I am suggesting this now rather than make you wait for one of the judges to do so.
¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Joe stated, hopefully sounding more confident than he felt. ¡°Very well, then. Fellow judges, I would have your verdict.¡± Theodanus turned to Joe and stated. ¡°I sense nothing here but injustice. I would see you cleared of all charges here and now, son. No quest needed. I vote no, on your behalf.¡± ¡°The crown would rather see this in the hands of the One Above,¡± Lady Randeau stated. ¡°Glauri votes yes for Trial by Quest.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Mazsy floundered. ¡°The truths given have been so subjective. Sir Groven¡¯s deposition was a mash of subjective truths and objective falsehoods. Joe spoke truthfully when he said he did not mean to cause offense, but clearly, he did offend the knight. Then, there is his cloaking skill that blocks most of our detections. I think I have to abstain from voting. I¡¯m sorry. I just don¡¯t know if this should be in the hands of the gods or the Giver of Fates.¡± ¡®So, much for that idea. Azbekt is never going to agree to anything I''ve suggested.''
Wait for it.
¡°It is for those very reasons,¡± the dwarf grumbled, ¡°that this must be in the hands of the He Who Guides Us. Personal beliefs do not matter. The chain of events does not matter. Only one thing matters. Is Joe a newcomer or a servant of the Fey Queens? Everything else is irrelevant in the eyes of Phealti. Since we cannot pierce his cloak of deception, then it is up to the One Above to answer that for us. Phealti votes for a Trial by Quest.¡±
I thought that would be the outcome. Now, back up a step, Joe.
A grinding sound could be heard coming from under their feet. All four judges, Joe and Hah¡¯roo, took a step backward. In the center of the circle they had formed, the flagstone of the plaza began to change shape. A stone point seemed to slide upward out of the slab of rock with a hissing, grinding sound. As the tapered rock continued to grow, Joe dove into his headspace to have a rapid comprehension conversation with Hawking. ¡°Okay, explain, please.¡¯
There is a reason there are four judges when an odd number would make more sense.
¡®I was wondering about that.¡¯
If a case is obvious, the judges can make a ruling on their own. If a case decision is split, they are settled by Trial by Quest. This is not an uncommon option. I am sure one of the judges would have suggested it shortly. It seemed prudent to expedite the process. Trial by Quest is comparable to Trial by Combat, which your world used to honor in its past. Trial by Quest is less arbitrary. I will choose quests whose solvability is based on the subject¡¯s degree of guilt. A truly guilty person will receive impossible quests. A truly innocent person will receive a selection of quests that will reward them. Your case will be one of latter. Your options will not be undemanding, but success will lead to the betterment of yourself and your desire for the world. I admit to being at fault for this situation. I chose to place you in a mild-difficulty region that would feel comfortable to you, given your background on Earth. I failed to take into account the nearby presence of Sir Groven. Everything that followed is a result of that initial interaction.
¡°Why don''t you just tell them I¡¯m innocent? This seems like a convoluted method when a word from you would clear it up.¡¯
For the same reason, you have classes, attributes, and skills. For the same reason, there are monsters and quests in the first place. It is the nature of this world. Quests are fundamental to growth. This is a perfectly valid reason to implement one.
¡®I can see that. So, you really didn¡¯t plan for this all along? The way everyone talks about you, you seem omnipotent.¡±
I am omniscient. I know everything that has happened. I am not omnipotent. I do not know everything that will happen. This is the reason for Illuminaria. I find out what will happen. Knowing Sir Groven was nearby and knowing what would arise from your encounter are two different things.
¡®Ok. I was beginning to wonder if I had been set up from the beginning,¡¯ Joe thought. ¡®I have another question for you. What the hell was Azbekt talking about me trying to steal from Sir Groven? That didn¡¯t happen, did it? When I was unconscious from his punch, did [Anyone] activate without my knowing it?¡¯
Negative, though you have been awarded an additional use of the ability regardless of its cooldown due to a debt incurred by Groven Suttrel. Newcomers are awarded a period of amnesty. His breach of that allowment invoked compensation. Access to one of his ancestral or ecclesiastical traits seemed fitting, given the parties involved.
¡®When did this happen? I didn¡¯t see anything about this.¡¯
You were indisposed at the time. By the time you began to check your notifications, Groven Suttrel was no longer within range of your [Anyone] trait. Should you come into proximity of Groven Suttrel again, the notifications will be reissued.
¡®I¡¯m not so sure I want it. Won¡¯t that just piss him and his people off more?¡¯
I suggest you worry about that in the future, Joe, and pay attention now.
¡®Right! Thanks.¡¯ The stone structure had risen to over fifteen feet tall and four feet wide. After the first foot, the sides had straightened to near vertical lines forming a three-sided obelisk. As he watched, words began to take shape on the sides. The stone pulled inwards, forming letters. It was a quest description. Leaning toward the side the young priestess was facing, he saw another task listed there as well. Joe assumed the face on the far side had a third quest listed. ¡°Joe, as the accused,¡± the Lord Barrister intoned, ¡°you have the first right of refusal. You can remove one of these options. The accusing party then chooses which other one to refuse. That would be the House of Amberwroth or the Church of Phealti in this case. These two refusals will leave you with the ordained quest from the One Above. Which one do you wish to reject, Joe?¡± He walked around the standing stone, reading his options. RIDDLES IN BLOOD [Legendary] ?????????? The Threat of the Blood King continues to grow as his Red Army consumes the neighboring lands. Find the King in Red¡¯s weakness and help bring about his downfall. MOONLIT MASSACRES [Epic] ???????? For the last seven months, on the three nights of the full moon, Peregrine Bay has suffered a series of horrific murders. Find the killer and end its reign of terror. SILENCE ON THE SHORE [Uncommon] ???? For the last two weeks, no one has heard from the village of Piperrill. Go and investigate why this shoreline community has gone silent. Joe felt the weight of the moment settle onto his back. Hawking had said they would be doable but potentially demanding. His fate, his whole future potentially, would be decided by one of these tasks. ¡®No pressure,¡¯ he sighed mentally.
57- Pick a Path 57- Pick a Path Joe circled the stone several times, reading each of the tasks being offered to him. ¡°Just to get this straight, sir. I don''t pick the one I want. Just the one I don¡¯t want.¡± ¡°Correct,¡± the horned giant replied. ¡°And the swords. Do they just mean the difficulty of the quest?¡± ¡°They also indicate how many champions of the court you can have with you at any one time to assist you with the quest,¡± the Marchess supplied. ¡°Common quests are completed by just the individual. Silence on the Shore would allow you to have one champion at a time with you during the quest.¡± ¡°At a time?¡± ¡°Each of the four churches will assign a champion to the trial quest. You would decide when to have which one with you.¡± ¡°So you all could assign level two hundred champions, and I could walk through even the toughest of these?¡± ¡°Level two hundred is a thing of myth, young man, but I understand the point you are making. We are guided by our gods in selecting your companions. It is unlikely you would receive a legendary figure for an uncommon quest. However, for Riddles in Blood, you would likely be assigned exceptional allies.¡± Even with that knowledge, the choice of which one to reject was obvious to Joe. From everything he had heard so far, this Blood King sounded like a national-level threat. Even though his heart went out to the refugees, he knew he was in no way ready for a legendary quest against a Sauron-level big-bad, not to mention his army of enthralled champions. Joe had not even reached double digits yet. His gut was telling him that taking on the Blood King was suicidal. It was not like there weren¡¯t people suffering in the other two quests. A village was in peril in one. The other quest had something murdering people here in this very city. Both were still noble endeavors and more within his means. ¡°We are not doing ¡®Riddles in Blood,¡¯" Joe declared. ¡°This Blood King sounds horrible and needs to be stopped, but I don¡¯t have the skills or strength to tackle a problem that big.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± the crimson-armored lord accepted. ¡°Sir Vanderaxe, as the representative of the accusers, will you take on the duty of a Hand of Fate, or will you pass it onto another?¡± ¡°The duty shall be mine, Lord Barrister,¡± Azbetk proclaimed. ¡°It is a shame that the task this kingdom most greatly needs is the one he spurned. With the empowerment from the Maker of Fates, we could rid this world of that menace.¡± The fanatic turned his head to the west, glaring as if he were staring down the mythical BBG. Something the enforcer said caught Joe¡¯s attention, though. There were still more nuances to this he wasn¡¯t aware of. ¡°Explain that, please? What empowerment?¡± It was not likely he was going to change his mind, but no one had mentioned that Hawking would be helping them. ¡°My apologies,¡± Theodanus expressed. ¡°I assumed you knew, but as a newcomer, then it is understandable that you would be unaware. The One Above does not give unresolvable quests. The impetus of the quest itself empowers the questors, making what might be otherwise impossible achievable.¡± ¡°So the quest itself makes the quest possible?¡± Joe asked. ¡°Exactly. Does this knowledge change your decision?¡± It almost did. All those people on the Tide Dancer were undoubtedly a fraction of those suffering because of the Blood King. Yet the quest was still a legendary one. Legendary was still miles outside his scope of power, even with Hawking giving them a chance. He could see months, maybe even years, devoted to this quest ahead of him where he would be the weak link in a team of champions. All that time, also being bound to an Azbekt, or Groven, or someone like them from Phealti¡¯s cadre of crackpots. No. Just no. Joe shook his head. ¡°Bah,¡± scoffed the dwarf. ¡°Vey well. He will receive no coddling from me, now or during the quest. I refute ¡®Silence on the Shore.¡¯ A simple uncommon task is insufficient to prove his tainted nature.¡± ¡°Then ¡®Moonlit Massacres¡¯ it shall be,¡± the taurian announced. ¡°I, for one, am not displeased by this undertaking. The good people of Peregrine Bay have suffered these horrid killings haunting our daily lives for too long.¡± ¡°Now it comes down to picking champions to assist this young man,¡± the noble cleric of Glauri stated. ¡°Sir Vanderaxe has accepted for Phealti. I would like to put forward my nephew for Glauri. He is a well-known nobleman and respected monster hunter ¡­¡± The Marchess¡¯ words were interrupted by a growing murmer from the crowd around them, including a very excited small squee from the youngest member of the quadrunal. Even through her already russet fur, it was easy to see Mazsy was blushing furiously at her squeak of excitement. ¡°... the Count Valloc Randeau.¡± Joe was dying to know why the clergyfolk around them were all smiling and whispering as if a rockstar had just walked into the room. He¡¯d ask Hah¡¯roo when he had a minute. He turned toward her only to find that she and the Acolyte of Onhur were staring intently at each other. The kitsune spoke first, her eye still locked with the galeling ranger. ¡°There is one here who has already sworn an oath in her heart to aid the accused. Such a pledge is sacred to the Lord of Honor. I ask the huntress Hah¡¯roo of the Sapphire Coast if she will be Ohnur¡¯s champion.¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°I would be honored to serve the Truth Keepers. I¡¯ve worked with the followers of Onhur in the past and have found your order to be fair with both your contracts and rates. We can discuss my fee after the meeting,¡± she replied with a wink to the priestess. ¡°That just leaves my choice,¡± the Lord Barrister mused. ¡°Two hunters and a champion to aid the newcomer. I think this endeavor does not need another dose of might. I think I will add a dash of ingenuity.¡± He held out his massive hand, and a slip of paper materialized in his grasp. Even from where Joe was, he could see black lettering begin to appear across the parchment. After a couple of sentences, the writing ceased. The noble beastman handed him the slip. ¡°Follow these directions to enlist my champion, Joe.¡± Joe read the page. ¡°Present this to Ginnkellaselos es¡¯Rueothilalliean, also known as Jink. You will find him most evenings at Absinth Abby¡¯s Tavern on Ivory Lane. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jink, Ekwiti requests your service. Theodanus, Lord Barrister of the Hall of Justice¡± When Joe finished the short message, the minotaur cleared his throat and announced. ¡°Very well. This quadrunal has come to its conclusion. The fate of the man known as Joe is now in the hands of the Maker of Fates. May Ekwiti bless you and justice be your guide.¡± The great head dipped to a courtly bow, causing many to instinctively slouch down as the mighty horns swung their way. Joe returned the gesture and then added a similar bow to each of the women who had presided over the small public court. He even gave Azbekt half a nod, which was about all he could muster for the bully. ¡°Can I get this thing off then, please?¡± Joe asked, holding up his manacled wrist.
An hour later, Joe and Hah¡¯roo were walking the streets of Peregrine Bay. Mazsy had decided to join them, indicating her presence was there in case there were any questions regarding the legal proceedings. Joe was ninety percent sure the real reason was the chance to meet the dashing monster-hunter that the fox girl had been gushing about for the last two blocks. This wander was far more enjoyable for several reasons: the company, the unforced pace, and probably most of all, the return of his healer''s bag. Joe hadn''t realized how attached he had become to the simple satchel until it was gone. Once it was made clear to the dwarf that Joe was the actual quest-bearer and no longer his prisoner, the fanatic¡¯s brutal hostility curled into a surly sulk. He poured Joe¡¯s items onto the street and had lingered only long enough to make plans to meet in Telemont Square late the next day. The three nights of the full moon would begin tomorrow night. He had today and tomorrow to prepare. ¡°So what do you think we should do first?¡± Joe asked the older galeling woman at his side. ¡°Train. We need to get you capable of surviving this quest. Let¡¯s get you a new weapon, and then I will teach you how to use it.¡± ¡°Good thing staves are cheap. I have a few coins, but I might need them. Mazsy, where do you think would be a good place to set up a mini healing station? I earned most of my money so far with healing.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that, Joe,¡± Mazsy expressed. ¡°You need a basic service license to charge for services inside the city limits. While you are legally quest-bound, I¡¯m not sure you can get one.¡± ¡°Great. I¡¯m almost broke and unemployable.¡± he huffed. ¡°Not exactly. Being quest-bound does come with certain rights. One of which is funding. As one of the judges, I can approve small purchases without having to bother the other three churches. It won''t be much, but it would easily be able to buy you a new weapon and cover your food and lodgings for the next week. Beyond that, we¡¯d have to make a more formal request.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mazsy. Sustenance sounds like an excellent place to start. I burned through every calorie I possessed during the fight, and then I sweated myself dry during the trial.¡± Illustrating his point, Joe''s stomach growled loudly right on cue for him. The kitsune chuckled. ¡°Come on. I know just the place if you want something good, fast, and filling.¡± She led them through the city, entering another marketplace. Now that he was not being hauled through the city, the sight of the kaleidoscope of people around him swamped his focus. Here, he was able to witness the fantasy world of Illuminaria so much more clearly than he had in sleepy Crowfield. People of every race from those first index screens wandered around the plaza, talking, buying, selling. Giantfolk towered over the mid-height races such as humans and elves. Broad-shouldered aresa and wide dwarves had to push their way through the crowds while the small gnomes and lithe catfolk slid through effortlessly. They eventually reached Mazsy¡¯s destination. Even before they got there, the smell of savory food had reached Joe¡¯s nose, setting off more rumbles. The chef was a flexible-scaled man who made Joe think of a jeweled gecko. The color of his scales across his chest and on the inside of his limbs was a brilliant aqua blue that transitioned into amethyst purple across his backside. The vendor was whirling around using both hands and his long, prehensile tail to stir pots, fill bowls, and take coins nonstop. The busy lizardman looked at the priestess and gave the fox-eared girl a welcoming nod. Without stopping his service to the customers in front of him, he hissed, ¡°Heyo Maszy. Usual?¡± ¡°Yes, Dubbie, but three today, please. Got hungry folk here with me.¡± She dropped some silver coins into a box bolted down to one of the countertops. The scaled cook snagged three bowls off a stack and filled each first with a large scoop of some steaming gray-green mash. He then ladled on a thick gravy, topping it all with hot meat and a hefty pile of weird-looking vegetables. It looked like a rice bowl, except the rice was one of the least appealing colors for food Joe had ever seen. Hah¡¯roo must have noticed his face. ¡°That is Marsh Sorghum. Despite its unpleasant appearance, it is actually quite tasty.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it. It really couldn¡¯t look much worse,¡± he muttered as he received his bowl. The smell coming off the dish was completely contrary to its appearance. Joe took a tentative bite of the sickly tobacco-colored grains and instantly understood why Mazsy had brought them here. The flavors were incredible. He dug in, finding wonderful new tastes he had never experienced on Earth. After a few mouthfuls, he closed his eyes; the putrid color was a distraction unworthy of the meal. Once they had polished off the bowls, they followed their guide toward where she stated the best drinks in the market could be found. On the way there, she had them stop at a small, crowded print shop. It appeared to specialize in small booklets of a dozen or so pages. Mazsy dashed in, returning a moment later with the Illuminaria equivalent of a few penny dreadfuls. She passed one to Joe and Hah¡¯roo each. On the cover of his, a dashing hero was battling a tentacled aberration, entitled ¡®Count Randeau, Monster Hunter versus the Hissing Horror.¡¯ ¡°That one¡¯s my favorite,¡± the red-furred priestess exclaimed with a squeak in her voice. ¡°I also got you, Count Randeau versus the Bats of Blackfell and Count Randeau versus the Grave-Graft Gargoyle. Those two are really good, too.¡± Looking at the sensationalized booklets, Joe wondered about the man who inspired them. Meeting one¡¯s heroes was often a huge disappointment. He really hoped that would not be the case this time.
58 - Trainer Troubles 58 - Trainer Troubles Joe landed on the mat again for the twentieth time in the last few minutes. He could feel Hah¡¯roo flicking her rope, untangling it from his ankle. When he looked up, his eyes found Mazsy wincing in sympathy. ¡°You have to stop just standing there, Joe,¡± the rope-dancer admonished. ¡°Your weapon aptitude skill is never going to advance unless you start using it. And I don¡¯t just mean your staff. Forearms. Feet. Hands. All of these can deflect attacks. With your healing abilities, you can even use them in ways others would never consider. But you have to move and anticipate attacks.¡± The only success Joe had so far at withstanding Hah¡¯roo¡¯s mystifying attacks was with [Strong Arm]. Faster than Joe could consciously react, the spell invariably slapped away her first strike. The problem was it seemed as though the skill needed a moment to reset, and Hah¡¯roo never left him another second. From out of nowhere, her follow-up attack would yank his weapon out of his hands or tug him off his feet. If this was how training normally worked in Illuminaria, Joe was failing. Badly. They were in a large exercise hall in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild that Joe thought of as a cross between a dojo, an armory, and a gym. The floors were covered by thick, woven reed mats. Hanging on the walls were all manner of weapons. Swords, axes, spears, and clubs were the most common. People were lifting weights, practicing forms, or striking target dummies all around them. Quite a few had stopped at the edge of their fighting area to watch them as well. Joe had no illusion that anyone was watching him unless they were looking for a good laugh. Hah¡¯roo was what had their attention. The galeling was lithe and lovely, but what was really eye-catching was how she moved. Hah¡¯roo did not walk; she glided. She always seemed to be slipping across the ground instead of stepping on it. Her body twisted and turned with a dancer¡¯s grace. The blue tresses and long coat fluttered about her, caught in a small gale that extended no further than herself. Even her rope dart flew about in almost hypnotic patterns. It coiled and spun, defying gravity by riding on small currents of air she controlled. Those little gusts, Joe had found, were also employed in other ways during their sparring. They would tickle the back of his neck, causing him to react to attacks that were not there. They would puff into his face, causing his eyes to water. No matter how hard Joe tried, she had too many tricks to her fighting. He could not stop her from dumping him onto the reeds every couple of seconds. ¡°You are too fast, Hah¡¯roo. And too unpredictable. I am trying to watch out for all of your attacks, but they are coming from everywhere.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I can slow down any more than I already am. We are going after a serious enemy, Joe,¡± she sighed. ¡°You have to be able to react faster.¡± Joe could see her frustration. Her desire to protect him had to be connected to the cultural castes she had told him about. She was a gale, and he was whatever a zephyr was. That connection seemed to drive her actions regarding him. She had helped him with his injuries on the ship. She had found Marchess Randeau. Now, she was earnestly trying to help him train his painfully poor combat skills. This time, though, he was not sure how helpful she was turning out to be. Joe¡¯s [Simple Weapon Aptitude] had gone up a couple of points at first. After that, he just spent all his time getting up back on his feet or retrieving the staff he had borrowed from the gym. The first time she had yanked it out of his hands, it almost brained Mazsy as it flew past her head. Luckily, the priestess had a reflexive shield skill. They were all becoming discouraged. ¡°Why don¡¯t we call it a day?¡± Joe muttered, disheartened. ¡°I don¡¯t think I am going to be able to keep up with you.¡± ¡°No! You cannot go into battle as you are,¡± she snapped abruptly, the crow-feet wrinkles around her eyes deepening as she scowled. ¡°You need to know at least the basics of fighting, or another zephyr will die before his time. If we had more time, I could go slower, but we have only one day.¡± ¡°Maybe we could make a couple of changes, then. Any chance we could try a different weapon? I can¡¯t track the rope. Could you use a staff?¡± ¡°Yes. Good. Finally. You are beginning to assess the fight and see how you must flow to meet the challenge or alter it. Against my reach and mobility, you have no chance. A closer-ranged weapon will improve your odds.¡± Hah¡¯roo glided to the wall and plucked a quarterstaff from a rack of polearms. As she turned back to him, she limbered up by whirling the staff around herself. She spun it around her wrist and arms, switching hands to revolve it around her body, both front and back. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Joe and the young priestess watched the display. ¡°You¡¯re still doomed, Joe,¡± Mazsy sighed. A smirk lit the corners of Hah¡¯roo¡¯s mouth as she flowed back onto the mat-covered ring, the staff spiraling like a propeller blade in her hands. ¡°Yup,¡± he huffed, realizing this was about to get more painful, swapping rope for wood. Still, he was determined to try and stay upright for at least a couple of seconds. ¡°May I make a suggestion?¡± a crisp voice interjected. The three of them turned to see a man dressed in functional clothing one would expect in a gym, but his attire appeared to be of the highest quality. It was cut to perfectly fit his wiry but muscular physique. He had a broad chin and noble features, but most notably he sported a thick, black mustache. Joe was not a fan of a solo-stache, but he totally pulled it off. It gave him the ruggedly handsome countenance of guys like Tom Selleck or Sam Elliot. He approached the trio with a fluid grace that rivaled Hah¡¯roo and an air of confidence. ¡°Your style is too unconventional for a novice, madam,¡± he continued in his rich baritone. ¡°Maybe a more straightforward approach might be better.¡± A squeak issued from the acolyte beside Joe. Suddenly Mazsy¡¯s weight was falling onto him. Joe dropped his polearm and fumbled to slow her descent. The fox-girl had actually swooned, confirming exactly who the dashing new arrival was.
Valloc Randeau: Human: Duelist / Fell Bane Hunter / August Harrier 46
You have removed the {Staggered} affliction from Mazsy Eskamoon.
[Purge] washed away her surprise, and the kitsune righted herself, using Joe''s shoulder to regain her footing. She whispered an embarrassed thanks as she ran a hand across the fur on top of her head. The athletic gentleman was gracious enough to ignore Mazsy¡¯s slip. He stepped up to Joe and extended his hand. ¡°My name is Count Valloc Randeau. As we are to become allies, I thought it would be best to learn a bit about each other''s fighting styles and capabilities. Yes?¡± he asked. ¡°Ruefully, he has neither,¡± Hah¡¯roo lamented, throwing Joe an apologetic look. ¡°I mean no offense, Joe.¡± ¡°None taken, Hah¡¯roo. I haven¡¯t had a chance to learn how to fight yet. I have been on the move from one thing to the next since I arrived.¡± ¡°Then we have an opportunity here,¡± the Count stated with a bright smile. ¡°Rather than having to break you of bad habits, we can start fresh and teach you some solid fundamentals.¡± Turning his attention to Hah¡¯roo, he added, ¡°It also may be an opportunity for you, my lady, to learn some training techniques. You are an instinctual fighter, but to teach, it is often best to start with a more methodical manner.¡± Hah¡¯roo nodded her head and stilled the staff. She swept her arm, gracefully giving the man the mat. Joe had been worried that the champion provided by the goddess of the law and the nobility might be snobbish and unpleasant. The Marchess exhibited a great degree of warmth, but that was no guarantee that her kin shared her amicability. To Joe¡¯s surprise, Count Randeau seemed to mirror his aunt¡¯s sentiments, earnestly offering his help. Joe watched as the monster hunter selected a practice saber from the wall and stepped onto the mat. Valloc swished the blade through the air, feeling its weight. Seemingly satisfied, he turned to Joe. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the seven foundational pillars to melee combat,¡± the man stated, sounding more like a professor instead of a pulp-fiction hero. ¡°Distance, speed, leverage, footwork, timing, feints, and defense. Now, the first two should have been the easiest to start with, but your initial sparring partner made for a poor choice, no offense intended, madam. Your style would have baffled me when I first began as well,¡± he noted with a gentle voice. ¡°All gales are taught to find their own wind. You either find it or don¡¯t. We did not have foundational pillars. Please continue.¡± He looked back to Joe. ¡°Let us consider a more standard distance. Look at the length of my blade, my arm, and where my feet are placed. That will give you an idea of where the threat of my blade can reach. Yes.¡± Joe nodded. This made far more sense than the chaos of Hah¡¯roo¡¯s ¡®stop falling down¡¯ methodology. The Count quickly went through the concepts and then started to display them practically. He moved slowly at first with Joe. Every few passes, he incrementally increased his speed until he found the upper edge of Joe¡¯s fighting skills. Hah¡¯roo folded down to the floor in a lotus position and watched the pair with a focused look. Joe got the impression she was learning how to teach while Joe was learning how to fight. Mazsy stood in rapt attention. Joe doubted her eyes could open any wider. He did not have much time to ponder these thoughts as Count Valloc rapped his hands any time Joe allowed his attention to wander. Which turned out to be far too often. ¡°Sir, if you cannot keep your mind on what I am teaching you, then I have better things to do,¡± the nobleman scolded, showing the first hints of displeasure since he had joined them. ¡°I am sorry, Count. I really do want to learn. I have a bad habit of living in my own head too much. Please, keep going. I will stay focused,¡± Joe apologized. Joe could not deny that the lessons were proving effective. His skills were advancing in leaps and bounds under the monster hunter¡¯s tutelage. His [Simple Weapon Aptitude] had doubled, bringing it to sixteen. [Strong Arm] and [Swift Strike] also gained several ranks. ¡°You have potential, son,¡± the man stated, looking as cool and composed as he had when he arrived. Joe, on the other hand, was a panting, sweating mess. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that weapon suits you, but we are battling time. We have but four days before this month¡¯s window is closed. Maybe tomorrow, if we have no leads as yet, I will test you with a few other weapon types.¡± Joe sighed. He liked his staff, even if they did not seem to like him. That thought reminded him that the pole he was currently holding belonged to the Adventurer¡¯s Guildhouse. When they stopped for the day, Joe would see just how big Mazsy¡¯s budget was. Going shopping in a fantasy city was too good an opportunity to pass up.
59 - Finding Connections 59 - Finding Connections After his training session and separating from the renowned monster-hunter, the trio wandered through booths brimming with uncanny items. What struck Joe was how different the styles of the objects were from stall to stall. A market on Earth would have plenty of varying styles, patterns, and color combinations, but back there the items were all created for the same race. Here, the proportions and designs were all over the place. Dwarven hammers, too thick and short for human hands, were displayed across from two-story tall jotun fish poles. There were racks of diminutive gnomish curled shoes and flamboyant hats. The apparel for the beast-races was tailored to account for tails and ears; pants were cut for legs that were jointed completely differently than human limbs. At the behest of his female companions, Joe picked up a new shirt and pants for himself. He had managed to rinse out his starter clothes a couple of times, but the garments were well past the point they needed to be retired. The man running the shop offered a magical cleaning service as well. He had a skill that would remove dirt and odors from Joe and his gear for a reasonable fee. Joe happily paid the two silver pieces for the equivalent of an instantaneous shower and gear scrubbing. He had offered to use his own money for these. There were four gold in the pouch Kaid had nicked, and Joe had gained another seven after selling off the various loot items he had in his backpack. The priestess wouldn¡¯t hear of it. While performing a duty in the name of the Fourfold Courts, presentability was preferred over the smelly beggar vibe Joe was rapidly approaching. Mazsy let him chip in on the cost of his new staff. She was willing to buy him a staff with a minor enchantment, but Joe found a weapon enchanted with a moderate empowerment called [Thunderstrike] and had to have it. The AC/DC named effect released sonic damage on hits and pushed back targets, sort of like [Strong Arm]¡¯s secondary ability. For the next hour, he kept uttering ¡°Ah-ah, ah-ah-ah¡± under his breath until Hah¡¯roo and Mazsy started swatting him every time he started the na¡¯s. The next thing Joe wanted to deal with was his three open attribute points. Both Count Randeau and Hah¡¯roo suggested he use them before he began the quest. Joe would likely be the lowest level among them, with the possible, but unlikely, exception of the unknown Jink. Saving points for later in this situation made no sense. In order to get an idea of what the best skill to get would be, Joe¡¯s companions suggested he have his affinities read. They were collectively shocked he didn¡¯t know his. Cataloging one¡¯s affinities was something every kid learned shortly after they gained their first class. It was hard for them to fathom a grown man getting his primary class just days ago. The reader¡¯s shop Mazsy led him to was tucked between a wizardly establishment whose hanging sign was the classic pointy hat and a conjured creature emporium. Joe passed dozens of tiny cages, each containing minute marvels: diminutive dragons, candleflame-sized efreeti, miniature unicorns and pegasi. Hah¡¯roo literally had to drag Joe away into the store next door. For some reason, Joe was expecting a new age or fortune-teller vibe from the affinity reader. It probably had to do with the word ¡®reader,¡¯ which brought up the images of palm readers and such. He was a bit thrown off when the interior looked more like a clerical office or maybe even a bank. There were four desks, each with a privacy screen around them. One of the cubicles was already occupied. The screens must be enchanted since even though he was only a few feet away, the voices on the other side of the partition were completely unintelligible, just a vague set of murmurs. A man with exceedingly angular features and skin that seemed to be almost metallic waved for Joe to join him. Joe had a guess on the man¡¯s race, but to confirm it
Numat Dhal: Archon: Assayer/Chromatist 13
¡°Greeting,¡± the reader droned in an inflectionless voice. ¡°Are you here to review changes to your affinities? If so, I will need the original record.¡± ¡°Nope. First time,¡± Joe replied, taking a seat across the desk from him. ¡°Most unusual. How have you never had your affinities categorized before now?¡± Numat¡¯s voice was throwing Joe off a little. It was a single monotone hum. Not a single change in pitch. ¡°I just got here,¡± he answered, still a bit taken back by the archon¡¯s flat voice. ¡°He is a newcomer,¡± Hah¡¯roo breathed. ¡°Ah,¡± the reader droned. ¡°That would explain it. Very well. Let¡¯s take a look.¡± Numat opened the desk drawer and pulled out a case. When he opened the box, Joe saw it was full of dozens of sets of spectacles. They were very old-fashioned looking, simple wireframes with lenses. He plucked out the first set and donned them before turning towards Joe. ¡°Is this some sort of a prank?¡± the assayer asked, looking none too pleased. ¡°I have better things to do than test your [Deception], sir.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me,¡± Joe swore. ¡®Ok, Hawking. This trait is not nearly as much fun as I thought it was going to be.¡¯ Joe waited a moment, but no reply came back to him. ¡°Am sorry, sir. I have a trait that blocks assessment,¡± Joe apologized, starting to rise from his seat. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would block this, too. Thanks anyway.¡± ¡°That is interesting,¡± Numat hummed, waving Joe back into his chair. ¡°I do like a challenge. So we will not be able to read your full set of affinities, but we should be able to read your output.¡± He bent down and opened a lower drawer, retrieving a second case. This one was a near-perfect cube. He unclicked the top and withdrew a large clear ball about the size of a volleyball with hundreds of facets. ¡°You will cast your spells one by one on this device. With it, I will be able to read the coloring of the affinity utilized and the strength of its makeup.¡± The reader placed a stand below the orb before adding, ¡°Obviously, please refrain from casting any destructive area effects. This orb is designed to be able to absorb attack spells but only targeted ones. Please begin with your first spell.¡± Joe reached out and placed his hand on the ball before casting [Healing Touch]. ¡°Very nice. You have an ascending six with {Life}.¡± ¡°Out of ¡­,¡¯ Joe asked. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°The scale is from zero to ten. So it is an eleven-point scale. We call a six ¡®Favorable.¡¯ By ascending, I can tell it is getting stronger. You must have had a condition that diminished your {Life} affinity. Since you have overcome that affliction, this affinity is gaining strength.¡± ¡®Yeah. Cancer and dying would probably do that,¡¯ he thought. Out loud, he asked, ¡°Next one?¡± When the archon nodded, Joe hit the ball with [Efferous Endurance]. ¡°Even better. You have a strong {Beast} affinity. That is a seven.¡± Curious to see how the one affinity he knew he was good at stacked up, Joe tried the {Earth}-based [Steadfast] next. This time, all of them saw a purple light wink inside the orb. ¡°My goodness, That was a high superior, just short of a perfect affinity. You would be well served by utilizing {Earth} skills, sir.¡± One by one, Joe cast all the spells he knew. Since he didn¡¯t have any area damage spells, he had nothing to worry about. He had been pretty close in his guesses aboard the Tide Dancer. He now understood why he didn''t feel the same connection to [Purge] and [Swift Strike] as he did to [Steadfast] and [Efferous Endurance]. Even better, by getting his affinities formally read, a new screen was now available for Joe.
AFFINITY LEVEL CATEGORY
Earth Superior (9) Elemental
Beast Strong (7) Existential
Force Favorable (6) Energetic
Life Favorable (6) Existential
Time Favorable (6) Esoteric
Mind Poor (4) Existential
Soul Poor (4) Esoteric
Fire Weak (3) Elemental
Order Weak (3) Esoteric
Air Minimal (2) Elemental
AFFINITY LEVEL BASE AFFINITIES
Blood Favorable (6) Life Water
Instinct Favorable (6) Beast Mind
Mettle Favorable (6) Earth Mind
Defense Moderate (5) Earth Order
Expertise Moderate (5) Mind Time
Paralysis Moderate (5) Beast Statis
Phoenix Moderate (5) Fire Life
Cleansing Poor (4) Fire Soul
Inertia Weak (3) Air Time
It didn¡¯t list every affinity, just the ones he knew. Still, it was a start. ¡°Hold on,¡± Mazsy said, digging into one of her belt pouches. She drew out a small roll of paper and handed it to Joe. ¡°Try casting this.¡± Joe unrolled the small sheet, revealing a piece of parchment the size of an index card with the words ¡®Thornskin¡¯ written on it. Tiny runes formed a border around the edge of the slip. It was an actual spell scroll. Joe couldn¡¯t help but geek out a bit as he projected his will into the parchment, sending the spell into the glass sphere. ¡°Ah. There are three more for you, Joe,¡± the archon droned. ¡°[Thornskin] is a {Briar} spell. {Briar} is made up of {Wood} and {Shadow}. As you have fives in both of the bases, it is no surprise that you have a five with the combination affinity as well.¡± Joe noted the three new affinities on his screen. ¡°So, at some point, I need to buy a bunch of scrolls to round out the base affinities and then look for the best combinations. {Earth} and {Beast} seems like a no-brainer.¡± ¡°That would be {Bone},¡± Numat stated. ¡°Be aware, though. Correlations are probable but not a certainty. Your {Air} and {Fire} affinities are both on the low side, but it is still possible you could be a genius with {Smoke} magic. It is highly unlikely, but such odd alignments happen from time to time,¡± the skill-reader explained. ¡°But it is likely that I¡¯d be good at {Bone}.¡± ¡°Very likely,¡± the archon confirmed. ¡°Ok. Got it. Thank you.¡± Mazsy paid for this visit. As they left, she stated that this information could only help the quest, so she should have no trouble expensing it. ¡°Now that I have an idea what I¡¯m good at, let¡¯s go spell shopping,¡± Joe posed, rubbing his hands together as they stepped back out onto the street. ¡°I have been thinking, and I am not sure all new abilities is the best idea,¡± Hah¡¯roo mused airly. ¡°Will you have time to level them up to be effective on an Epic quest in just one day?¡± ¡°But you and Valloc said I should spend my open points.¡± ¡°And I still believe you should. I think you should consider using some of them to advance the skills you already possess. That way, you get the benefit of the skill ranks you have earned combined with a higher degree of potency.¡± ¡°Ok, that makes sense. [Healing Touch] only heals about forty points a pop. I bet at uncommon, it would be twice as much.¡± ¡°That is an excellent choice,¡± the galeling declared. ¡°Should I be grievously wounded, you would need ten of your current heals to restore me. I am sure Azbekt and Count Randeau both have higher health pools than I do.¡± ¡°And it should be better than twice, Joe,¡± Mazsy input. ¡°When I moved my healing to uncommon, it more than doubled the spell¡¯s effect.¡± ¡°Ok, so let¡¯s buy a healing skill crystal.¡± ¡°No need. I can share my skill with you,¡± the young priestess offered. Her sheet opened in the air in front of Joe. Unlike his blue computer-like screen or Thorton¡¯s stone slab, Mazsy¡¯s character panel looked like a sheet of legal parchment. The black lettering on it reminded Joe of ancient handwritten books. It was very precisely drawn, but it was not the uniformity of printed letters; each character had its own slight deviation, whether it was a flourish, a tilt, or some other distinctive stroke. A skill called [Blessed Balm] was squiggling on the page to get his attention, but that wasn¡¯t all that caught Joe¡¯s eye. The priestess had other skills that felt right to him, and she had both her kitsune racial and heritage traits from the god Onhur. Joe began to wonder just how many things Mazsy was willing to share with him.
60 - Filling in the Gaps 60 - Filling in the Gaps
You are attempting to learn the uncommon skill: [Blessed Balm]. The skill allows you to invoke divine healing to restore 15 points of Health plus 4 points of Health for each skill rank you have with this skill. Cost: Modest Mana | Range: Immediate. {Sacred}. This skill will supplant [Healing Touch]. Or You may advance [Healing Touch] to [Healer¡¯s Touch] Heal a target for 7 health plus 5 points of Health for each skill rank you have with this skill. Cost: Modest Mana | Range: Touch. {Life}
¡°What is the difference between a healer¡¯s healing and divine healing, Mazsy?¡± Joe asked before making his selection. ¡°Divine healing is a gift from the god. It relies on a connection to that god, but it has a benefit. Divine healing erases damage. Healer¡¯s healing repairs wounds. I have heard this can leave scars and sometimes lingering pain.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly true. So, I would have to worship Onhur, or the spell would what ¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure. It might not work. Or it might only work when you are acting truthful and honorably. Maybe I should have just gotten you a skill crystal, Joe. Sorry.¡± ¡°No worries. I¡¯m just going to advance the healing spell I have rather than copy yours. Even though I do like the idea of healing without any leftover discomfort, I¡¯m not ready to make a divine commitment until I know more about the world.¡±
You have advanced [Healing Touch] to [Healer¡¯s Touch].
Joe had spent two points into Spirit to learn [Blessed Balm], but by rolling it into making the common [Healing Touch] into the uncommon [Healer¡¯s Touch], he was left with an open point in Spirit. He had an idea what he wanted to do with that free point. ¡°There is another Spirit skill on your list, Mazsy, that I¡¯m getting a really good feel about. What is [Crystal Mind]?¡± Joe inquired before sheepishly adding. ¡°I hope you don''t mind. I didn¡¯t mean to snoop, but it was right there below [Blessed Balm], practically calling out to me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Joe. If I wanted to be secretive, I would have restricted my sheet more. [Crystal Mind] is a spell most acolytes learn to help us with our studies. It sharpens the mind, helping you stay focused. It also improves skill penetration, allowing spells to overcome contrary skills or resistances. For example, if someone has a strong [Deception], I can flare [Crystal Mind] to empower my [Truthsense]. It still didn¡¯t help me read you much, though.¡± Ignoring the [No One] reference, he asked, ¡°Would I be able to use it to strengthen my [Deaden Flesh] and other such banes?¡± ¡°Yes. Honestly, that is the primary reason casters take the skill. The enhanced concentration is a bonus.¡± Looking to Hah¡¯roo, Joe asked, ¡°So what do you think? Advance [Deaden Flesh] to rare or take [Crystal Mind]? I¡¯m leaning toward [Crystal Mind]. If the training with the Count taught me anything, it was that I lose focus too easily. Spell penetration and better attention feels like a pretty perfect fit for me.¡± ¡°This is good thinking, Joe. Your numbing curse is an effective ability to add to your staff usage,¡± the rope dancer commended, with a nod of her blue hair. ¡°I think you only have one choice, but it is the one I would have suggested anyway. Since you need to have at least one skill with twenty-five ranks before you can learn a rare this way, I would take the priestess¡¯ buff.¡± ¡°Well, that settles it. Nineteen is my highest. Okay. Would you mind if I took one more, Mazsy?¡± ¡°Of course. Please. I¡¯m happy to share,¡± the acolyte beamed.
[Crystal Mind] - Common - Spirit: For 1 minute, your spell penetration increases by 3% plus 2% for each skill rank you have with this skill, and you receive the {Focused} buff. Cost: Moderate Mana. {Crystal}
¡°Awesome. Thanks.¡± ¡°There is one more I think you should take from me for your last free point, Joe,¡± Mazsy added. ¡°I am jealous of your stamina boost. I don¡¯t have that yet. I¡¯m surprised that you don¡¯t have the opposite. I use far more mana than stamina, so being able to convert bodily energy into spiritual energy is invaluable. Especially with an activity as mana-consumptive as healing.¡± ¡°Good point. That was one of the skills I had planned on grabbing. Mine is called [Reinvigorate]. I just hadn¡¯t got to it yet,¡± Joe admitted, before popping one of the table snacks into his mouth. ¡°Mine is called [Swap Stamina]. Both are pretty basic utility skills. Your next level is ten, where you get to select your secondary class. You are going to have a lot more exciting options then. You¡¯re not going to want something as basic and a mana-smoother.¡± ¡°She is right,¡± Hah¡¯roo concurred. ¡°Tenth level is where you will have a chance to choose your path. Learning a basic functionality spell now allows you more opportunity to define who you want to be when you reach that next plateau.¡± ¡°Ok. I¡¯m sold. Let me spend that last free point first.¡± Joe upped his Spirit to nine. Curious, he checked his sheet and was stunned by how much mana he had just from the two attribute points alone. His mana more than doubled, going from 450 to 950. He had almost a thousand points of mana now. He could now heal for hours. He then realized that he was thinking of his calm clinic healing sessions. Joe was likely about to go into battle with a murderous monster, and his job was to keep the other alive. [Swap Stamina] should make sure that thousand-point pool did not run dry. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
[Swap Stamina]- Common - Spirit: Convert up to 10% of your Stamina points plus 1% for each skill rank you have with this skill into Mana. Cost: Variable Stamina. {Awakening}
¡°Thanks, Maz. This is a huge boost to my abilities.¡± ¡°I just wish I could go with you tomorrow.,¡± the fox-girl lamented sadly. ¡°I would much prefer to have you than Azbekt,¡± Joe admitted. ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t, Joe. He is a powerful champion. I¡¯m still just a friar and clerk at this stage, not a combat-ready cleric.¡± ¡°And yet, you are someone we can work well with, Mazsy,¡± Hah¡¯roo breathed. ¡°You are thoughtful and cooperative. Teamwork can be more important than raw might. I fear Azbekt will constantly disrupt our ability to cooperate. You would unite us.¡± The kitsune¡¯s face reddened even more than it typically was, blushing at the huntress¡¯ endorsement. ¡°Well,¡± she stammered. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± Joe could have gotten lost in their next stop for days: a potion shop. There were so many cool elixirs everywhere. Mazsy picked up the tab for three moderate mana and one moderate healing potion, stating that was standard for any adventurer. Usually, it would be two and two, but Joe¡¯s ability to cast heal spells meant he only needed one healing for emergencies. Most everything else was too expensive, but Joe found a tiny bottle called [Tonic of Leopard¡¯s Leap] for just one gold. It was a single-use draught that allowed the drinker to make a single bound up to fifty feet in length and land gracefully. Joe grabbed two of them, dreaming of having fun with super parkour jumps. Mazsy sprung for one more vial containing a [Potion of Cat''s Creep]. Since they were going to hunt down a murderer, she guessed stealth might be required. The Count and Hah¡¯roo had exceptional stealth abilities. Joe had a passable sneak, but it was unlikely to be quite good enough yet. For ten minutes, this potion would allow him to skulk at the same level as the two hunters. Azbekt was on his own. Hopefully, he would have some way to muffle his suit of plate armor. As he was tucking the bottles into his alchemist''s belt, he realized the sun was starting to set. They had spent hours and hours walking through the vast markets, working on his affinities, scrounging through the potion shop, and looking for the last few penny dreadfuls Mazsy needed to complete her Count Randeau collection. Before heading to find the last member of their team, Joe decided to give his sheet a once-over.
Name: Joseph (Joe) Morris Race: Changeling Level: 8 Experience: 5,185 / 6,890 ATTRIBUTES ¡¤ Strength: 2 ¡¤ Vigor: 8 ¡¤ Dexterity: 3 ¡¤ Perception: 3 ¡¤ Spirit: 9 Available Attribute Points Unspent: 0
RESOURCES ¡¤ Health: 345 / 345 ¡¤ Stamina: 845 / 845 ¡¤ Mana: 954 / 954
CLASSES ¡¤ Primary Class: Healer ¡¤ Secondary Class: None ¡¤ Tertiary Class: None SKILLS STRENGTH SKILLS: (2 / 2) ¡¤ [Steadfast] (C) rank 7 ¡¤ [Strong Arm] (C) rank 10 VIGOR SKILLS: (8 / 8) ¡¤ [Efferous Endurance] (U) rank 11 ¡¤ [Healer''s Ward] (U) rank 3 ¡¤ [Deaden Flesh] (U) rank 6 ¡¤ [Stun Block] (U) rank 3 DEXTERITY SKILLS: (3 / 3) ¡¤ [Simple Weapon Aptitude] (C) rank 16 ¡¤ [Swift Strike] (C) rank 8 ¡¤ [Whisperstep] (C) rank 12 PERCEPTION SKILLS: (3 / 3) ¡¤ [Assess Wounds] (C) rank 15 ¡¤ [Helping Hand] (C) rank 6 ¡¤ [Identify] (C) rank 15 SPIRIT SKILLS: (9 / 9) ¡¤ [Crystal Mind] (C) rank 0 ¡¤ [Dispel Rot] (C) rank 4 ¡¤ [Healer''s Touch] (U) rank 19 ¡¤ [Homefire] (U) rank 9 ¡¤ [Purge] (U) rank 5 ¡¤ [Swap Stamina] (C) rank 0 AVAILABLE SKILL EVOLUTIONS: 1
TRAITS ¡¤ [Anyone] (Racial) ¡¤ [No one] (Racial) ¡¤ [Sneaky] (Racial) ¡¤ [Iron Mind] (Hereditary) ¡¤ [Beastmaster] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Defy Death] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Durable] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Hobbler] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Overachiever] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Punching-Bag] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Signature Skill] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Survivalist] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Tactician] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Thick Skinned] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Vivacity] (Achievement) ¡¤ [The Seal of Passing] (Prophetic)
When Joe finished, Mazsy led them from the markets to another district. While the area they had just left was no less active than where they were entering, the mood was vastly different. The shops and open markets were a hubbub of active trading and purpose. The theatrical neighborhood they had stepped into was a flurry of street performances, barker¡¯s shouting, and general revelry. The back and forth of haggling and commerce was exchanged for a wash of melodies, laughter, and exceptional scenes. Joe stopped for a minute to watch an illusionist perform an ancient myth about the Dragon King of Cazmaloq. The images were masterfully rendered. He was literally pulled out of the show by a hard grasp on his arm. Surprised, Joe looked to see a very angry Hah¡¯roo hauling him away, her expression as thunderous as a brewing storm. He managed to catch her hiss something clearly slanderous about the people and place the illusionist¡¯s story was about. Joe wondered what the galeling had against the dragonfolk of Cazmaloq. She lost her ire, long before they reached Ivory Lane. When Joe first saw the street name on Theodanus¡¯ note, he had thought the name came from something to do with whaling. To his surprise, the street had nothing maritime about it at all. The whole boulevard seemed to be devoted to taverns, gambling establishments, pleasure houses, and the such. The name ¡°ivory¡± made sense when Joe noted someone had carved a set of dice onto the street sign. Absinth Abby¡¯s was impossible to miss. The walls were coated with vibrant emerald paint and adorned with bright glowing green lamps lighting the saloon and the surrounding street in a striking verdant hue. Joe smiled as they pushed through the classic Wild West swinging half doors to a merry brouhaha of voices and a lively pianist playing somewhere within the vast room. The whole first two floors of the large building seemed to be one great room filled with people, tables, balconies, and a tremendous central circular green bar. Joe found himself a bit overwhelmed. He had not been in a crowd like this since he went to ComicCon ten years earlier, and he had been overwhelmed then, too. Noting his discomfort, Hah¡¯roo lead them to a corner where the press of people and din of voices were more manageable. ¡°Holy cow. That was nuts,¡± he sighed, slipping up onto a stool around a circular table. ¡°You have sacred cows where you come from, Joe?¡± ¡°Well, yeah. For some of us. We did not have one set of gods. I¡¯ll explain it later, Maz. We should probably find Jink first?¡± ¡°I will leave word with the barkeep. You two wait here for me,¡± the huntress stated before stepping back into the throng of tavern-goers. Joe and Mazsy watched as the galeling seemed to just glide right through the swirl of bodies, both tall and squat, shaggy or scaled. Where they saw an impassable wall of people, Hah¡¯roo found every gap and passed effortlessly through the press to the bar beyond. Her return moments later was even more impressive. She came back with drinks, spilling not a drop through the whole chaotic trek. She had a copy of the drinks they had had at midday: a beer for Joe and a fruity beverage for Mazsy. Hah¡¯roo had a tall glass of a clear, bubbly liquid for herself. ¡°The barkeep stated that Jink is here and will send him our way as soon as she or a server spots him.¡± With nothing to do but wait, Joe had fun sampling a variety of beers and ales from this new world, while purging away anything that brought him past a pleasant buzz.
61 - Who Do You Want To Be 61 - Who Do You Want To Be Joe took a large drink of his favorite beer so far to steel his nerves for his next ask. Both of these women had been nothing but generous with him already, so he felt a bit guilty asking for more. Still, he had an opportunity now he knew he¡¯d be foolish to pass up. ¡°This came up at the trial, but I wanted to explain it fully,¡± he began. ¡°I have a trait that allows people to share traits with me.¡± Joe detailed what he knew about [Anyone] two and answered questions before his final ask. ¡°So, I was wondering if either of you would be willing to share a trait with me since [Anyone] is off cooldown?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Joe,¡± Hah¡¯roo¡¯s stated doubtfully, her breathy voice just barely audible over the din of the room. ¡°I have seen your affinity with air magics. At best, one of my clan or racial traits with you would be wasted. At worst, it would be an affront to the world winds.¡± This was not the first time the galeling had spoken of the winds as if they were a living, sentient thing. Her words were blunt, but Joe was beginning to understand that it was just her nature. She told it like she saw it. ¡°No worries, Hah¡¯roo,¡± he stated, turning to Mazsy. ¡°Share a trait. Wow. Yeah,¡± the young acolyte exclaimed with her typical exuberance. ¡°I don¡¯t have many. You might have trouble with the traits of my faith, you not being a devotee of Onhur and all. Guess we¡¯ll find out. Here, take a look.¡±
TRAITS ? [Foxfire] (Racial) - Can summon small balls of spirit-flames that will follow your directions within medium range. ? [Age Old Tails ] (Racial) - Gain a new tail for each stage of your development. Each tail comes with its own personalized benefit. ? [Know Truth] (Ecclesiastical) - Can sense the nuances of truths and lies. ? [Tell No Lies] (Ecclesiastical) - +3 to Perception. You will suppress this trait for extended periods of time if you willingly tell a lie.
Joe was also dubious about touching traits awarded by a god without having any connection to that deity. The racial traits were weirder than he expected. He could see the little flame balls could be useful for light sources or starting fires, but he was not sure how helpful they would be for the quest ahead of them. The second one caused all sorts of questions: would he actually grow a tail, or tails, if he took [Age Old Tails]? Before he could ask, a blur of motion dropped a lanky elf into the empty stool at their small table. He was wearing a riot of colors: a salmon pink ruffled shirt, a huge admiral¡¯s hat with a plue of vibrant feathers, a purple mantle across his shoulders, and whatever other hues he had below the waist. With a goofy, booze-bleary grin, the outlandish rake announced, ¡°Well, isn''t this just a delightfully extraordinary new game? Can anyone play?¡±
Ginnkellaselos es¡¯Rueothilalliean: Elf: Lyricist / Joculator 23
Joe barely managed to confirm the elf''s identity before the man launched into an explosion of liltingly-spoken exposition. ¡°A birdy whispered in my ear that my services were sought by a certain foe of Phealti. If one were to believe the buzz that is burning its way across our beloved bayside city, the One Above has declared herself a champion in the hunt for the murderous moon-keyed malefactor that has tormented us for these last two seasons. To top it off, it was the horned marshal himself who tagged me to join this salvo of saviors.¡± Displaying a comically overdone frown, the tide of words continued. ¡°I have no idea why he would make such a fool-hearty selection in a rapscallion such as I, but since that fateful choice has been declared, I guess I must endeavor to do my best. ¡°Now, how about we get the legalities out of the way? You have a contract for me?¡± Jink exclaimed, extending his long, tapered fingers towards Joe, each of which was painted a slightly different shade of teal. As he waggled the digits, the colors had the effect of resembling undulating ocean waves. Joe pulled out the note and handed it over. ¡°It¡¯s not much of a contract,¡± he added. ¡°Ah, but given its author is the mightiest of all the barristers by the bay, this small scrap is as binding as the full city charter.¡± The flamboyant elf tucked the slip into his vest pocket, and then, placing his elbows on the table and lacing his fingers, he propped his chin on his interwoven knuckles, giving Joe a long look. ¡°So, I must know. What is this about sharing traits? One just has to love the surprises the Maker of Fates springs on us.¡± The elf¡¯s beaming smile was surprisingly infectious, and Joe found himself warming to this very odd man. ¡°I wish I could dress it up more extravagantly for you, sir, but its explanation is rather simple. I have a trait that allows me to learn traits from others. Not achievement traits, just racial and hereditary ones. Though I¡¯ve found out that hereditary traits are a whole collection, so there are more options than I originally thought.¡± ¡°You can do so endlessly? Ad nauseam? Oh my! That is quite some ability you have.¡± ¡°No, no. It has a cooldown on it. I haven¡¯t quite figured out the length of the delay yet, but I know I can¡¯t do it infinitely.¡± ¡°Ah, then it is likely the same limitation as most other such hereditary trait sharing. While this is often not a commonly shared fact, it is well known in many circles. Noble houses, clergy, and military orders are usually limited by two factors when sharing traits with their novices. The first limit is once every level. The second is time itself; they can only gift a trait after one day has passed for each trait shared in this manner. Ask the lovely russet maiden here, and I¡¯m sure that she can confirm it.¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Mazsy was mid-sip on her bubblegum pink drink as Jink focused the table¡¯s attention on her. She quickly swallowed and wiped the fur above her lip. ¡°I guess it''s not a secret then,¡± the acolyte conceded, checking to make sure her drink was settled correctly. ¡°The church does ask us not to talk about it too much, but that is how it works for us. There are also traits that are not shared until the cleric has mastered specific aspects of our order, but that is a restriction based on the teaching of the church, not from the One Above.¡± ¡°I take it then that your cooldown has expired,¡± Jink inquired, ¡°and you are attempting to finagle a new trait from one of your delightful compatriots? Well, unless you have a clear winner, my new friend, I might have a trait that could save you from the troubling bemusement caused by [Identifying] you. I must say you are one of only five people in the whole world I have been unable to read, and at least the others had the good grace to present me with a proper ¡®piss-off¡¯ blankness. Your tease of a mere moniker practically begs one to question that small name further.¡± ¡°What kind of trait are we talking about here?¡± Joe asked dubiously. ¡°Well, as each of you have [Identified] me and seen I am low a twenties, word-smith and jollyman. I will pose this next question to the ladies. I¡¯ll assume the ranger has an exceptional Perception, and the disciples of Onhur are masters at ferreting out fibs. Does my identity give either of you any pause?¡± Hah¡¯roo narrowed her eyes, before giving a nonchalant shrug. Mazsy took longer. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t pointed it out, I never would have noticed, but there is just the hint of something there. It¡¯s really hard to notice,¡± the priestess noted, taking another drink from her fluted glass. ¡°As it should be. How about now? Any obvious deception now?¡±
Ginnkellaselos es¡¯Rueothilalliean: Banderling: Sommelier / War Correspondent / Overlord of Narbor 39
Mazsy choked on her sip, while one of Hah¡¯roo¡¯s brows arched upward. ¡°You can do that at will,¡± Joe blurted with a laugh at the ridiculousness of the classes. ¡°Well, not at will. I am stuck with that foolishness for the next hour, but as long as I am reasonable with my level adjustment from its truth and have just a modicum of connection to the class, I can be pretty much anyone I want to be. I could have altered my name as well, but I have found that deviation is the most likely to ping the [Truthsense] of those like our sputtering secularist here,¡± Jink intoned, patting Mazsy gently on the back. ¡°What kind of connection do you have to Narbor that allows you to be its overlord?¡± Hah¡¯roo pressed. ¡°And where is Narbor? I never heard of such a land.¡± ¡°I named my dining room table Narbor. As the exclusive owner of that particular piece of furniture, I am well within my rights to name myself its overlord,¡± the elf quipped back, a wide smile of mocking innocence stretching his cheeks to their limits. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m sold,¡± Joe announced. ¡°While it probably won''t help us with the quest ahead, [No One] has been making my life difficult since I got here. If you don¡¯t mind sharing, Jink, I¡¯d love a copy of your trait.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be delighted. Oh, I can¡¯t wait to tell the Grand Spider about this. She will absolutely lose her soup over this,¡± the resplendent rogue crowed. ¡°Who is the Grand Spider?¡± Joe asked as Mazsy¡¯s face paled at her mention. ¡°The Grand Spider is the title for the Spymaster of Duskrug,¡± Hah¡¯roo huffed. ¡°You have already run afoul of the Church of Phealti and the House of Amberwroth. As dangerous as those two institutions are, the Guild of Secrets is far more perilous than both of them combined. Are you sure this is wise?¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be such a worrisome warbler. My guild is not that bad. It¡¯s just an invasive, inexorable enigma. People always assume the worst of those sorts of things. Trust me, we are a bunch of schoolyard sweethearts.¡± ¡°That is a lie,¡± Mazsy said, shaking her head. ¡°Oh, fine. Ruin my perfect degree of inebriation with such seriousness ¡­¡± ¡°You are also not drunk, Jink. That is another mistruth,¡± the priestess reported, giving Jink a direct look. ¡°This is why I stopped coming to Onhur¡¯s parties, my dear. You folk manage to foil even the fun lies,¡± the elf sulked exaggeratedly. ¡°How truthful is this statement then? It is my firm belief that I am free to share this trait, and I will take full blame should my superiors have an objection to me doing so.¡± ¡°Ok, that really is the truth. Probably the first fully truthful thing you¡¯ve said so far, Jink.¡± Mazsy turned to Joe and rolled her shoulders in a shrug. ¡°Your call.¡± Joe looked at the still-skeptical huntress. Finally, the white-skinned galeling sighed, blowing a breeze strong enough to ruffle the hair of the three others at the table. ¡°It would make you far less suspicious.¡± He had hoped for a slightly more positive endorsement from Hah¡¯roo, but it seemed as though that was the best he was going to get. Joe had gotten in the habit of using [Identify] on pretty much everyone, and from all the weird looks he would get everywhere he went, it was pretty clear that everyone did the same. He was all for gaining a way to blend in. His only hesitation was he wanted to be as prepared as possible for the Night Skinner quest, and this probably wasn¡¯t going to help with that. Yet, it also seemed like a somewhat unique opportunity, one he did not want to have to try and track down again after the quest. The one person he had not yet asked, but should, was Count Randeau. Valloc probably had some great family traits. Ones that likely could help with the task ahead. He took a long drink, mulling over taking the trait at hand over an unknown possibility tomorrow. The more he considered it, the more his gut was telling him to take something he knew he¡¯d want over a gamble in the future. ¡°Let¡¯s do it, Jink,¡± he announced. With a sweep of his manicured hand, the elf opened his sheet for Joe. This sheet, too, looked like parchment, but instead of the legal off-white Mazsy¡¯s was, Jink¡¯s was a splashed, watercolored page with dark purple looping text. The trait was pulsing to draw his eye.
[Ideal Alias] Who do you want to be? Customize your assessment information. The closer this alias is to your current pattern, the harder the alterations are to detect. Cooldown: Medium
¡°Give it a whirl, my boy,¡± Jink prompted. Joe focused on the new trait and immediately understood how it worked. ¡°How¡¯s this?¡± he asked. ¡°What do you guys see?¡± ¡°What¡¯s a Martian?¡± Mazsy queried. ¡°Look for yourself, Joe,¡± Hah¡¯roo voiced. ¡°You know you can assess yourself, don¡¯t you?¡± He didn''t, though once she pointed it out, it made perfect sense.
J''oe J''onzz: Martian: Manhunter 9
¡°Ok, this could be a lot of fun,¡± he chuckled toward the three perplexed faces.
62 - What Do We Know 62 - What Do We Know ¡°Right! Now, down to business,¡± Jink declared, waving a hand to a passing server and swirling his finger around above the table when he had the man¡¯s attention. The spotted catfolk server nodded and slid through the crowd toward the bar. ¡°What do you know of the baleful hunter you are preparing to hunt?¡± ¡°Not much. All I have is the quest,¡± Joe replied, sharing the notification with Jink.
Quest [Moonlit Massacres] (Epic) For the last seven months, on the nights of the full moons, Peregrine Bay has suffered a series of horrific murders. Find the killer and end its reign of terror. Reward: Absolution of Guilt & Trait
¡°Well then. As the dedicated locals on hand, it looks like it is up to Onhur¡¯s voice and myself to fill in the gaps.¡± He nudged Mazsy, sitting at his side, before beginning his exposition. ¡°It began back in Coldrains when the Hunter¡¯s Moon rose a bloody red,¡± the elf began, only to be interrupted by Joe. ¡°It was actually red?¡± he blurted. On Earth, the full moon in October was also called the Hunter¡¯s Moon. It was the description of color that had caught him off guard. ¡°Yes, a terrible omen. We usually hope for an amber moon to suggest a winter without hardship. A red full moon is rarely a good sign, but in autumn, it is particularly ominous.¡± ¡°Sorry to keep derailing your explanation, but does the moon actually change colors here?¡± ¡°Of course. On the three nights of the full moon, it shifts from white to various shades. The vibrancy and hue can give hints to what the coming days hold. There are classes devoted to reading and capitalizing on the full moon¡¯s revelatory rainments.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Joe continued to press. ¡°The whole world can¡¯t get the same prophecy color. Everywhere can¡¯t be having the same problems or good fortune at the same time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how it works, Joe,¡± Mazsy interjected. ¡°The moon was red for us here in Peregrine Bay. That doesn¡¯t mean that it was red everywhere.¡± ¡°It was an icy blue where I was in the north, suggesting a cold winter was coming,¡± Hah¡¯roo added. ¡°Are we good now, sir? Am I free to continue once more?¡± the verbose rogue inquired, to which Joe responded with a nod. ¡°The reason for the foreboding moon was discovered when a body was found murdered and mutilated in a horrific manner. The woman¡¯s skin had been peeled off and then resewn back around her body. We found out later the ritualist had placed under the freed flesh several dark talismans tied to tufts of bestial hair. An investigation was begun, but the killer had cloaked itself well. The city watch could divine nothing from the corpse or the site.¡± Jink sighed deeply and polished off his drink. Almost as if by magic, the feline server appeared at that moment, delivering another round for everyone. The catman was gone again before Joe managed to express a quick thank you to him. ¡°It was far from over,¡± Jink lamented, scooping up his new beverage as if he had planned the exchange with such flawless timing. Joe looked over his shoulder toward the bar and realized the flamboyant scoundrel might have done exactly that. ¡°Over each of the remaining nights of the full moon, two more such maltreated bodies joined the initial victim. Each found in a different quarter of the city.¡± ¡°Every church was called upon to help find this monster,¡± the priestess added. ¡°Yet the Hundred Gods could tell us nothing. Whoever is doing these terrible things has a powerful {Mask} ability. Cloaking abilities as powerful as your¡¯s and the Night Skinner¡¯s are not unheard of, Joe, but they are not common either. Nothing we did gave us any hint who had done these horrible things.¡± ¡°To remedy this lack of progress, Peregrine Bay hired trackers and mystics of all types. Yet again, not a trace of the killer was uncovered. The city was terrified. More so when the butchery began again on the next full moon. And the one after. Over these last seven nightmarish months, the Night Skinner has claimed twenty-one victims. Traps were laid and failed. The city was packed with troops lent by Eaglespire, and yet the murderer still found a way to enact its diabolic slaughter.¡± ¡°Do you know why it is performing these killings? Maybe there is a clue there?¡± Joe asked the two locals. Jink answered. ¡°Occultists have studied the remains and returned with dire warnings. The killer seeks to ascend beyond the limits of its pattern. It is attempting to become a demigod, a being to rival the great monstrosities of this world.¡± Joe looked from face to face, hoping someone would put that into context for him. Unsurprisingly, it was the huntress who did so. ¡°A demigod is a being free from the intervention of the gods. It is typically as powerful as creatures like archdevils, royal fey, great dragons, primordial demons, elder abominations, and such,¡± she breathed the dire words before making a query of her own. ¡°Do they have an idea how many more victims it needs to complete its transformation?¡± ¡°Not that I¡¯ve heard,¡± Mazsy replied. ¡°Nor have I,¡± added Jink. ¡°The best theories I have heard are that Skinner must complete the cycle, finishing a year from whence he began, but even then, the experts admit they are but guessing.¡± ¡°So, then what the heck can I do?¡± Joe bleated. ¡°You have had the resources of a whole city ¡­ whole kingdom¡­ on this for seven months, and yet I¡¯m supposed to be able to just pull the answer out of thin air. ¡­ or go to jail. How is this a fair quest?¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°It is fair because of the quest, not in spite of it, my new felonious friend. You have something that no one else has had so far. You have a direct edict from the One Above to find and stop the Night Skinner. Do you have any idea how much augmentation such a mandate from the Keeper of Fates adds?¡± ¡°That really makes a difference?¡± ¡°Oh, very much so. There is one being that no one can shield themselves from, and that is She Who Guides Us. That impetus in the hand of, say a true oracle, could pierce the cloak of one of Ce¡¯kret¡¯s Master of Masques.¡± ¡°Nobody else has had a quest for the Night Skinner before now?¡± Joe asked, sliding the dregs of his beer to the side and taking hold of the fresh tankard. Mazsy shrugged her shoulders and gave a small head-shake. ¡°If someone had, we surely would have heard of it. That is the kind of news the corner criers would be shouting out at the top of their lungs. The whole city has been praying for something, anything to stop the Night Skinner.¡± ¡°So, should we go see one of Ohur¡¯s diviners now that I have the quest?¡± ¡°You could, but I mentioned a true oracle for a reason. There is one that resides within the city limits though apart from the lives of bay-folk.¡± The kitsune¡¯s ears seemed to perk up as she peered at the elf with a look of dubious astonishment. ¡°The Wellwatcher? She is a myth, Jink.¡± ¡°Are you certain of that, my dear? Not only have I met her, but I have done her a good turn in the past. Not a true favor, but enough to trade an introduction on.¡± The tricky man leaned closer to the acolyte and asked in an elongated drawl, ¡°Am I not telling the truth.¡± ¡°Oh, my Onhur. You did! You met the Goldscale Naga of Narzan!¡± Joe and Hah¡¯roo could not help but smile at the teenager¡¯s glow of wonderment. She turned and blinked a few times at them. In a voice so low it was hard to hear over the din of the room, she gasped. ¡°The nagas are one of the first races. Like dragons, they don¡¯t die of old age. The Wellwatcher, if it''s the same naga, is older than the coming of people. The stories about her say she is an immensely powerful prophet? You should go, Joe. Even if the quest would help our seers, what it would do for the oracle would be ¡­ I can¡¯t even imagine it. She would see everything.¡± ¡°How far is she, Jink,¡± Hah¡¯roo asked in a voice as severe as a biting wind. ¡°Ah, I see you have noted our three watchers,¡± the elf stated smugly. Before he could add more, he was cut off by the galeling woman. ¡°There are five,¡± the spirit dancer hissed. ¡°Really,¡± Jink trilled. ¡°Good eyes, my dear.¡± ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Joe pressed. ¡°There are people watching us?¡± ¡°Yes, but I highly doubt they are here for us collectively, my friend. They are here for you.¡± The colorful man leaned lazily back in his chair, seemingly nonchalant, but Joe watched his eyes flick about, trying to locate the two men he had missed. ¡°Two of them were in Heron¡¯s Reef when we checked in with Azbekt¡¯s people, Joe,¡± Hah¡¯roo added. ¡°They were working for Duke Amberwroth. It is a fairly safe bet the others are as well.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m protected by the quest, right?¡± ¡°Whatever gave you that ludicrous notion,¡± Jink scoffed. ¡°The quest opens doors, but it gives you no immunity from vengeance or even plain old mishap. Do not count on it shielding you, son.¡± Turning back to Hah¡¯roo, he replied to her initial question. ¡°It is not a short journey. We will have to cross much of the city. I know several back alley routes that would get us there but the trek would be measured in hours. Now, if you would like, I do have a trick that could get us there quickly and covertly.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± Joe took the bait and prompted. ¡°Hidden behind the buffoonery of classes I presented, one of my true classes is alchemically-based. This means I have several transmogrification elixirs I keep on hand for speedy getaways, not that I frequently need such a thing, of course,¡± he teased with a wink. ¡°I think birds would be just the form to get us from here to there, leaving your pursuers baffled and behind.¡± ¡°Transformation potions are not cheap, Jink,¡± Hah¡¯roo countered. ¡°I, for one, would not be willing to spend the hundreds of gold for such a shortcut, regardless of how effective it would be.¡± ¡°A gift they would be, madam. Please. I would never be so crass as to fleece my comrades. I¡¯m sure Ekwiti will happily reimburse me. I might not even gouge the big bull for the expenditure since I made them for far less than one would buy them.¡± Jink placed four small bottles on the table, each of them filled with a lemony yellow liquid. ¡°Will you be accompanying us, young lady?¡± he asked Mazsy. She looked between the bottles and the people at the table, clearly torn. After a few seconds, her shoulders fell. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± she muttered sadly. ¡°Even though I was a member of the trial, I¡¯m not officially part of the quest. Hah¡¯roo and you were chosen by the court and accepted by the One Above. Joe¡¯s best chance to pierce the Night Skinner¡¯s mask is by having the quest undiluted by me.¡± ¡°Then we should take our leave before the Duke¡¯s men enforce their master¡¯s displeasure.¡± Joe reached for one of the three bottles, the fourth having vanished, with him noticing only its disappearance. ¡°These flying potions will make us look like birds?¡± Joe asked, looking at the yellow fluid. ¡°Oh, much more than that, my good man. They will make us birds,¡± the man bragged. ¡°I chose seabirds so that we may wing our way deeper into the city, untraceable to the thugs who draw close even as we speak.¡± Joe was about to look around, but Hah¡¯roo¡¯s hiss stopped him. He caught the meaning. Better to play it cool for a few more minutes. Jink dipped a bow over Masy¡¯s hand as he stood up from the table Hah¡¯roo clasped the acolyte¡¯s forearm and whispered something Joe couldn¡¯t hear to her. It must have been praise of some sort because the kitsune blushed again, but a look of pride kept her gaze locked with the galeling¡¯s. As she turned to Joe, she reached up and brushed her hand across the side of his head. ¡°Even though I can¡¯t go with you, you do not need to go without Onhur.¡±
Mazsy Eskamoon is attempting to cast [Ring of Truth] on you. Do you wish to attempt to resist it?
Of course, he didn¡¯t. ¡°You take care, Joe,¡± she whispered into his ear as she hugged Joe. ¡°I will never forget this day.¡± A deep, serene note sounded behind her words, like a monastery bell. Joe knew she was being completely sincere. ¡°You saved my life, Maz. I will never forget you either,¡± he replied, squeezing back. He followed his two limber teammates toward the closest staircase to the balcony above. Joe envied how easily the duo slid through the press of people, but it was not so packed that Joe was worried about losing them. He was more worried about one of the Duke¡¯s men grabbing him before he got to wherever the elf was headed. Upstairs, Jink was stopped at the door to a small private room. Joe caught up as Hah¡¯roo glided into the chamber. He spared one last look into the chaotic taproom below, meeting Mazsy¡¯s eyes. She nodded back at him as Joe felt a hand pull him back behind the closing door.
63 - Night Wings 63 - Night Wings ¡°Drink up, my friends. I would have us away before one of our pursuers managed to break my lock.¡± Jink stated, gesturing at the door. White symbols appeared around the jamb, seeming to clamp onto the door, holding it closed. ¡°Worry not about your gear; it will transform with you.¡± Jink¡¯s words also had a pleasant bell toll, though it lacked the true conviction of Mazsy¡¯s goodbye. Joe popped out the cork and tipped the liquid down his throat. While the fluid looked bright and lemony and smelled like broth, it had a dry, herby taste that Joe was not expecting at all. It was not unpleasant, but the contradiction of expectations and reality almost caused him to choke. As the potion slid down to his stomach, a warmth infused his skin. Suddenly, Joe felt significantly lighter, as if ninety percent of his mass had just vanished. What remained was on the move. Without any discomfort, Joe felt himself shrinking and twisting into a vastly different form. Muscles packed into his chest, back, and shoulders. His knees clicked backward. His clothing seemed to vanish into a carpet of feathers that ruffled out from pretty much every pore he owned. Joe looked down at his taloned feet and found he had a flexibility he could never have imagined before. His form was that of one of the seahawks that he had seen wheeling around the cliffs on their way into port. He rippled his shoulders and found they moved in ways he could never have achieved as a human. It was as if his new body could twist and flatten itself into some crazy weird shapes. He also knew instinctively how to fly. There was an absolute certainty in his mind of just what he needed to do to take to the air. Joe bunched the muscles in his back and legs and kicked off the wood planks. He pulled his wings back, thinning his profile, and shot straight through the banisters encircling the room¡¯s exterior balcony. He could have easily hopped over the bars, but this was way more fun. Once through the bars, he snapped out his wings, soaring upwards in a banking spiral. He made a few turns above the buildings, reveling in the amazing feel of wheeling through the air before looking around for the others. If his beak would have let him, Joe would have been grinning from ear to ear. A blast of air skimmed his side as a white falcon slashed past him. Hah¡¯roo banked and spun through the air, effortlessly sliding through a dozen obstacles, from banisters to streetlamps to shop signs. She seemed to be enjoying her predatory form as much as Joe was. And, of course, in typical Hah¡¯roo-like fashion, she made her insane flight path look effortless. Jink, on the other hand, had become a lovely songbird. The warbler landed on the saloon roof and trilled out a strikingly beautiful melody, getting their attention. When he had their focus, he hopped into the air and headed away from where the sun was setting over the harbor, flying deeper into the city. Joyfully, Joe and Hah¡¯roo followed. They swooped through a park, diving and playing before Jink¡¯s bird call summoned them back on track again. Soaring and darting over roofs and around chimneys, the two played and chased each other, while heading in the general direction the Jink¡¯s songs were indicating. Without even trying to, Joe let all of his worries fall away for a moment. He had had moments of peace and wonder since coming to Illuminaria. The one thing he hadn¡¯t had until now was just plain having fun. If there was something more amazing than being able to fly like a hawk, Joe could not imagine what it would be.
The hawk and falcon followed the songbird¡¯s flight over the darkening city. They flew past several loud parties that had spilled onto the street. Whether it was due to his enhanced avian senses or just the nature of the gatherings, Joe felt there was a weird energy around these festivities, as if they were trying too hard to be boisterous and merry. The laughs sounded strained, and the drinking was fierce. Likely, it was the current of fear that would come tomorrow night that was underlying the raucous behavior. Eventually, they left the taverns behind and flew past streets of apartments and mercantile buildings. These, they left behind quickly, traveling over an area dominated by warehouses. Finally, Jink led them to a neighborhood of townhouses. He soared down into a quiet plaza dominated by a central fountain. The warbler-shaped elf landed on the rim of the pool, before holding up a wing in a ¡®wait¡¯ gesture. He closed his eyes, and, almost immediately, the transformation began to unravel. As he reverted back to his elven shape, his clothes seemed to flow over the man¡¯s body, molding and growing with him. In seconds, Jink sat on the edge of the fountain dressed in his flamboyantly purple outfit, huge floppy hat, and all. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Your turn, my friends. Just focus on the enchantment and will it to end. In no time at all, you will resume your natural state, and we can be on our way to visit the seer.¡± Joe turned his senses inward and, sure enough, he could feel the transformation spell nestled inside himself. It felt a bit like one of Hah¡¯roo¡¯s woven charms, knotted tendrils of magic woven together. He focused on the magical knot and wished for the spell to untie itself. There was a slight bit of resistance, as if the effect was checking to make sure he really wanted it to cease, which Joe found reassuring. He was glad a passing thought would not have ended his metamorphosis while he and Hah¡¯roo had been zipping over the rooftops. Joe pushed his will a little harder, and he felt the effect come apart. His weight returned, as his body stretched back into his human shape. Joe sighed as he stood next to the huntress, suddenly feeling heavy and clumsy in his own body. He looked to the galeling and saw the same pout on her features. Joe promised himself he would look into buying another one of those potions when this quest was over and spend a day soaring over the city, just for the fun of it. ¡°We will have a bit of a walk still to go, but this was my closest stash to where Madam Zanthiss resides. I cannot imagine that gold will be her price, but it seems silly not to have some cold currency on hand just in case she is feeling mercantile this evening.¡± Jink fidgeted with one of the stones in the fountain, and a moment later, it popped free. He reached into the newly made hollow, and Joe heard the distinctive click of coins as the elf withdrew a small money pouch. After putting back the stone, Jink tossed the bag to Joe before gesturing for them to follow him. ¡°Off we go,¡± the elf proclaimed, crossing the plaza and entering a small alleyway. ¡°Wait. Why did you give me this?¡± Joe asked as he jogged after the long-legged elf, while Hah¡¯roo glided along beside them. ¡°You are the quest-bearer. My job is to get you there, as it is this lovely white lily¡¯s duty to protect you. Yet in the end, it is you and you alone who must seek the way forward.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going alone?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I just make that clear? Please, Joe, pay attention. Oh, and remember, when you are meeting with her, focus is of the utmost importance,¡± the elf warned. ¡°If you let your mind wander, then Madam Zanthiss may pick up something completely unrelated and give you a reading about something other than what you truly seek. You must not let events flummox you in her presence, as you seem to want to do quite frequently.¡± Jink¡¯s words rang true with sharp, clear notes, setting off a tiny panic in Joe. At the end of his life on Earth, he had developed a terrible habit of overthinking things or letting himself get distracted. To be honest, for the last few years, Joe had been actively trying to maintain a state of distraction rather than dwell on the pain and degradation the cancer was doing to his body. Staying focused was something he was highly out of practice with. Thankfully, he had a new trick to help with his scatterbrain: [Crystal Mind]. Joe had used the skill during his flying chase with Hah¡¯roo so as not to paint himself into the hanging signs and chimneys the galeling seemed to effortlessly slip around. While it was active, his mind stayed sharply on the task at hand, smoothing out his flying. The skill pushed away distractions, but it didn¡¯t put blinders on him. Joe was still aware of all the sights he had zipped past during his playful journey across the city, but his attention to his flight stayed at the forefront of his thoughts. He had zero regrets about taking this new ability, instead of trying for another upgrade, ¡°Got it. Thanks, Jink.¡± ¡°Excellent. Now I hope you ate well. You have quite a grueling last leg in front of you.¡± Unfortunately, there was no exaggeration in that last ominous line, according to [Ring of Truth]. Their guide stepped up to a doorway set a few stairs below street level. Instead of touching the handle, the elf slid one of the hinges to the side and then pushed. The door swung inward on hidden hinges on the handle side of the door. ¡°She does love her misdirection,¡± he noted. ¡°This is where we part, my good man. The fate of nights to come is in your hands now. Firm that spine and speak with the authority vested in thee in yon lair of the unknown.¡± While the elf¡¯s words rang essentially true, the bombasting packaging they were wrapped in pinged with small discordant accents. ¡°Are you trying to freak me out, Jink?¡± Joe grumbled at the eccentric popinjay. ¡°You could have just said ¡®good luck¡¯ or ¡®be careful¡¯ instead of loading on a heap of dread and the weight of the world.¡± A firm hand gripped his shoulder and turned him to face her. Hah¡¯roo¡¯s eyes met his. She nodded, squeezed, and simply huffed, ¡°Good luck and be careful,¡± before turning him back to the yawning stairwell. With a gentle push, she propelled him toward the yawning portal. Descending the dark stairs, Joe grumbled. ¡°Did they both have to make this so ominous?¡±
64 - Lair of the Wellwatcher 64 - Lair of the Wellwatcher The door opened to a long stairway descending into darkness. They were not steep, actually, the steps were much shallower than he was used to. So much so, he kept stumbling over his own feet. After almost tripping a third time, he knew there was no way he was going to make it down these stairs in the dark without some light. Thankfully, he still had the standard adventurer¡¯s kit that Gurda Eldauk had sold him. He had found aboard the Tide Dancer that the lantern had not survived his ride down the Andoo¡¯ak River. He had already used up the oil fighting the Beguilburr anyway. The torches were spent as well, but there were four candles he had never used. Joe dropped a [Homefire] at his feet and began rooting through his bag. When he found the tapers, with the flint and steel, he realized he had another problem. He had no idea how to light a candle from a flint spark. He tried anyway for a good minute before sighing and throwing everything back in the bag. ¡°[Heartfire] it is,¡± he muttered to himself before recalling the name change of his skill. The campfire gave off plenty of light, the only problem was it was stationary. Joe peered ahead and was able to make out a landing twenty yards below himself. He dropped a new [Homefire] there, which caused the one at his feet to dissipate. He headed down to the far edge of the lit area and cast again. He kept this up, leapfrogging his way down and down the seer¡¯s long stairway. As the fourth [Homefire] burned behind him, Joe noticed a thick patch of cobwebs crossing the stairway. As he approached, he realized that the webs were not as dense as he had originally thought. They were actually thick, each strand more like fuzzy knitting yarn than thread. He stepped back only to have a sharp pain spike into his shoulder. Joe spun to locate the ambusher, but the shadows and webs were too thick to pierce. He quickly recast [Homefire] by the wall the attack had come from, revealing a large black arachnid. The spider recoiled and hissed. Joe recoiled and shuddered violently.
Onyx Weaver: Level 1: Vermin: Lurker: Dexterity
The creature was not huge. Its body was about a foot wide and two in length; each black segmented leg was about two or three feet long. It was only a level one creature, and yet Joe was more terrified of it than he had been of the hulking gartrolls. Joe had always known his fear of spiders was stupid. House spiders were harmless. Even the bites from the wolf spiders that lived in the wood pile or under the deck were not dangerous, just painful. Yet logic was zero help in this matter. Irrational fears were exactly that: irrational. Some primal instinct inside him was screaming, and Joe was suddenly powerless to override it. He stared, paralyzed, at the creature. The ebon spider, with its far too many eyes, stared right back. Waiting. When he felt himself start to wobble, he knew what it was waiting for. Joe¡¯s sense of balance began to spin away from him. Just as he was about to fall over, two things happened simultaneously: [Steadfast] flared, keeping him on his feet, while [Strong Arm] smacked the pouncing spider midleap out of the air, sending it hurtling down to the landing below. In the moment it was dazed, Joe cast.
[Purge] has removed the {Sickened} aspect of your poisoning, reducing {Poisoned} from severe to moderate.
Joe''s head cleared even though he still felt weak. A shot of [Effereous Endurance] countered that. While he didn¡¯t have a full cure for the venom, he could keep at least the amount he had in him from overwhelming his body. On the steps below, the spider righted itself and charged. Its skittering movement freaked Joe out, but this time, it drove him to act and not freeze. The afternoon with Hah¡¯roo and the Count had not been wasted. He slid his feet into the proper stance and readying himself to strike. As soon as the weaver was in range, Joe nailed it with [Deaden Flesh] and hammered the staff into its head. krakaBOOM! The thunder-enhanced blow crushed the verminous ambusher, throwing the corpse back down the stairs again. It also set Joe¡¯s ears ringing from the resounding clap in the tight stairwell. The spider lay on the landing, upside-down, legs curled, leaking a green goop from where its face had been. ¡°Bleh,¡± Joe blurted with a full-body shudder. ¡°Why did it have to be spiders?¡± he groaned, playing off Indiana Jones. Thankful he could loot the body without having to touch it, receiving a spool of spider silk cord and a pair of slightly toxic mandibles. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. He pushed on downward, here on out, watching carefully for more webs. By the time the {Poisoned} condition faded away, he estimated he had descended at least eight floors below street level. All the while, the steps had grown damper the lower he went, which was not much of a surprise given that Peregrine Bay was a coastal city. Finally, the steps ended, but where they ended was completely unexpected. Joe looked through a doorway-sized opening at the base of the steps into a beautiful underground grotto. Globes of light hung from chains stapled onto the ceiling. These lights reflected off sources of water everywhere throughout the cavernous chamber. There were natural pools spaced randomly around the floor. Some of these were the size of hot tubs, large enough for a couple of people to bathe in. Others were only a few feet across. Interspersed between these pools were basins, tubs, barrels, and vats. These, in turn, were surrounded by dozens of chalices and cups. All totaled, the cave must have held hundreds of bodies of water, from large to tiny in size. The light of the globes reflected off all the various liquid surfaces, giving the area a sense of motion. A curving path, rubbed smooth, twined its way around the grotto. Joe could see how the path would allow someone to check in on each of the pools or clusters of vessels. As he stepped off the last stair, the surface of the largest pool in the center of the cavern stirred. A creature rose silently from the water. At first, Joe thought it was a giant golden snake but the serpentine form gave a lazy stretch, spreading out a pair of long, scaled humanoid arms. This must be the oracle.
¨C ¨C
Joe wondered if this was one of the four other people Jink couldn¡¯t [Identify]. He sure wasn¡¯t getting anything from her. There was something feminine about her features and movements, but Joe could not be completely certain, even though the serpentine being wore nothing in the way of clothing. Her face was a mix of snake and humanoid characteristics. Tilted amber eyes hovered over slitted nostrils, which stood above a long, angular jawline. She had no hair. Instead, a hood extended from her cheekbones, up over the top of her head, and tapered down to the top of her shoulders. Her scales varied from pale gold down her front to patterns of bright gold and darker antique gold along her back and arms. She reached out and grasped a robe hanging from a hook by the stairs and wrapped it languidly around herself. Her manner clearly stated she cared nothing for modesty but that the robe was simply for propriety''s sake. ¡°I am intrigued. I sssaw Jink¡¯sss arrival with the white-wind-woman, but they wait above. You, I did not sssee,¡± the naga hissed skeptically. ¡°How can thisss be? How are you hidden from me even in my presssencsse?¡± ¡°Greetings Madam,¡± Joe replied, tipping his head into a small bow. ¡°Um, a gift from the One Above. Divinations and assessment don''t work on me.¡± ¡°Well that isss most irksssome. I find I quite dissslike one with hidden fatesss coming into my home. I think you ssshould go back wencccce you came, ssstranger.¡± The golden-scaled woman wriggled back a few feet, and her hood flared a tad wider menacingly. ¡°Wait, please. The One Above gave me a quest, and Jink said that because of that, you could do what no other diviner has been able to do.¡± ¡°I would not trussst much that ssshyssster utters, but I am now curiousss. What isss thisss quest of yoursss?¡± the naga asked, coiling herself into a position where she was both seated and the seat itself. ¡°The Night Skinner, Ma¡¯am,¡± Joe stated, keeping his mind clearly focused on that one thought. ¡°I need to know where he will be tomorrow night. Or at least one of the nights of this full moon, if it can¡¯t be tomorrow.¡± ¡°The Moonlight Ssslayer. I have ssseen him in my visionsss. You are not the first to ssseek me out. I turned the othersss away. What makesss you think you will gain my guidancccce?¡± ¡°Did the others have a directive from The One Above?¡± ¡°True, they did not, but ssstill, I sssee no benefit in thisss for me. Why ssshould I give thisss to you?¡± These words, though spoken with conviction, did not ring entirely true. The naga was more curious that she was letting on. ¡°The thing is killing people. Don¡¯t you want to see that stopped?¡± Joe countered. ¡°Bah! I have ssseen countlessss generationsss of people live their livesss. I expect I will sssee countlessss more. What are a few deathsss in the light of the being of prophecccy?¡± The bell toll was clear. People¡¯s lives meant nothing to the Wellwatcher. He was not sure how to proceed. The being he was after was a killer, but the oracle didn''t care in the slightest about the deaths of innocents. Unsure where to go from here, Joe cast [Crystal Mind] to see if he could explain why murder was one of the worst act someone could perform. As the spell brought clarity to his thoughts, he immediately saw how pointless that argument was with this ancient being. But there was something else there that his mind locked onto. ¡°Prophecy? What being of prophecy? The Night Skinner?¡± ¡°Yesss!¡± Madam Zanthiss reared up, lifting her body on her long snake tail until she towered over Joe. Her voice took on a deep timber, causing it to echo ominously around the cavern. ¡°The Night Ssskinner isss no mere villainousss killer. He hasss the potential to shape hissstory. I, for one, very much wish to sssee what the eighteenth omen will bring about in hisss possssessssion. Long before anyone has the chance to ssstop him, hisss destiny will be complete. And I will witnessss it.¡± ¡®The eighteenth omen?¡¯ Joe recalled that someone had called his Mark of Death the Thirteenth Omen. Did that mean the Night Skinner also had a prophetic mark? ¡°So, you want to see what the Night Skinner will do because of his ¡­ or her prophetic mark?¡± ¡°Correct, ssstranger. What could you posssibly offer that could bessst being able to witnessss that phenomenon?¡± ¡°What if you could witness something even rarer?¡± Joe asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have watched the fate of those with Prophetic Marks before.¡± ¡°I have and I will tell you there isss nothing more fulfilling than watching one who bearsss a Mark of Dessstiny.¡± Joe pulled back his sleeve. ¡°How about watching two prophecies duke it out to see which one comes out on top?¡± He raised his arm high up over his head. The flickering lights that filled the grotto caught on the golden motes in the sign Joe bore, causing it to throw back its own glinting reflections. 65 - See What You See Not 65 - See What You See Not The seer¡¯s eyes gaped wide at the sight of the black rose. Even with the alien cast of her features, Joe could read a deep hunger in the pained expression that fell over the naga¡¯s face. He tried not to grin and piss her off, even though he knew he had her. ¡°Two. There were no visionsss of two Marked Ones before,¡± she hissed, coiling her body in such a way as to seem to shrink in on herself. ¡°Everything could change.¡± ¡®True and true,¡¯ Joe detected. ¡°Exactly,¡± he concurred out loud. ¡°This could be something you may never see again.¡± She rounded at his voice. ¡°But no. I cannot sssee it now.¡± Unfurling, the naga prophet loomed over him, her head practically touching the ceiling of the grotto. ¡°If you are cloaked from my sssight, why should I aid you?¡± ¡°Um. Wouldn¡¯t you be able to see events from the killer¡¯s perspective?¡± ¡°Unacceptable,¡± she hissed. ¡° It would be asss if attending a play with my earsss plugged. I would only underssstant sssnippetsss but the true picture would essssscape my underssstanding. I would rather sssee the Moonlight Ssslayer complete hisss destiny than a muddled fraction of you and him in conflict.¡± ¡°What if you could track someone with me? Would that do it?¡± ¡°No. There isss but one way I will make thisss accord. You mussst allow me a window into your future asss well. A few dropsss of blood or a lock of hair, willingly given, should do it.¡± Alarm bells rang out in Joe¡¯s head at her words. There were countless references in books and games where horrible things could be done if a spellcaster gained access to some of your body. Like making a wish on a monkey¡¯s paw, it always went very badly for the victims. Just as Joe was about to reply with ¡®Hell no!¡¯, a small practical voice in the back of his head countered with, ¡®What other option do you have?¡¯ That idea stopped him cold. Even as anxious as that tiny voice was about giving the serpentine oracle access to his essence, it did have a very valid point. Mazsy and Jink had been pretty clear that this ancient being was his best option. Maybe now his only option. Once the Wellwatcher became aware of him, he could see her blocking others if she was excluded from her ringside seat through his blood or hair. ¡®Maybe the rules here are different.¡¯ he wondered. Joe was not going to blindly make himself vulnerable without at least trying to get some confirmation. While the serpentinite oracle impatiently waited, Joe ignored her and reached out to Hawking. ¡®Hey? What does willingly giving blood or hair allow someone to do to you?¡¯
Willingly given body samples allow practitioners of magic the means to bypass your innate and magical resistances. In your case, your [No One] racial ability, [Iron Mind], and damage resistances would be severely compromised.
¡®Could she use it to cast other spells on me too?¡¯
Correct. Any spell she cast using your body sample would be empowered against you. Note that harmful magic abilities also harm the material that is being used to form the connection. Unless the body sample is contained by a magical vessel, such as a phylactery or simulacrum, it will be destroyed by any effect that inflicts harm equal to or greater than the sample¡¯s durability.
¡®I guess that is something. Still, she could infect me with some sort of Zombie Rot spell, and even if the sample rotted away, I would still be screwed if the rot had already taken hold of me.¡¯
Correct. Willingly giving body samples carries significant risk.
¡®Is there another way around my [No One] ability that has less dire consequences?¡¯
Affirmative. There are numerous magical artifacts that could be employed.
¡®Such as?¡¯ Joe waited a few seconds and realized that Hawking was not going to answer. Explaining the rules was one thing, but Hawking had been pretty clear lately regarding his stance on giving out free lore. When he refocused on the room again, Joe noticed the Naga was staring quizzically at him. He felt his face heat up a little, realizing he had blanked out longer than he intended to. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Sorry about that. I had to really think that through. What kind of guarantees will I have that you will not use my blood or hair to harm me or give it to someone else who might?¡± ¡°I have what you need, Changebringer. There will be no negotiationsss.¡± That last sentence carried with it a new note. It was not a clear bell toll of truth. Instead, a sharp metal-on-metal scraping told Joe she was lying. She wanted this too badly. There was wiggle room here. ¡°I can block you from seeing potentially a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. And in your case, that is no idle span of time. I think there is room to negotiate here. Swear an oath that you will not use my sample to bring me harm.¡± ¡°And jussst who would you have me ssswear thisss oath to?¡± she fumed, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°How about Onhur?¡± Joe posed. ¡°He is the god of oaths and truth, right? I¡¯m pretty sure you don¡¯t want your visions to start filling up with bullshit. My guess is he is not a god you¡¯d want to break your promise to.¡± The Wellwatcher leveled a look at Joe like she was chewing on lemons. Practically spitting, the next words seemed like they were forced out of her throat. ¡°Very well sssign-bearer, I will make the vow. I sssswear by Onhur that I will not ussse your sssample to caussse you any harm.¡± She spoke truthfully but Joe had watched too many players make djinni wishes that went completely afoul because of careless wording. He was going to make sure he closed as many loopholes as possible with this one. ¡°You¡¯ll have to do better than that, Madam. Do you swear that you will not allow the blood or hair I give to be used to do me harm?¡± ¡°You are jussst trying to muddy the waterssss, boy. I have made my oath, and I ssstand by it.¡± ¡°And what in your oath stops you from selling it to someone else who could use it against me?¡± Joe entreated, spreading his arms wide. ¡°You did not give it to another willingly. You are giving it to me. The power it holdsss over you would not work in sssomeone elssse¡¯s handsss,¡± she hissed annoyedly. Behind the seething words was a clear ringing note. She wasn¡¯t lying. Joe was glad he had [Crystal Mind] going. Normally he would have gotten lost in his own head trying to hold this conversation and listening to [Ring of Truth] at the same time. ¡°Hadn¡¯t thought of it that way,¡± Joe muttered. ¡°Then I am only giving this to you for the next three days. You will burn it after the third full moon. Beyond that, we can negotiate again.¡± ¡°Very well. Now give me what I asssk for or leave, manling. You will get no further dealsss from me.¡± ¡°Okay, I accept your oath,¡± Joe stated, trying to sound more confident than he felt. He drew the goblin knife off his belt and sliced off a curl of hair. ¡°We have an accord then,¡± the golden-scaled seer asserted as she slid up to him. Taking the cut curl, the seer bound the lock with a thread she plucked from her robe. ¡°Asssk me your question, Changebringer.¡± Joe was about to just pose the basic ¡®Where will the Night Skinner be tonight?¡¯ but his [Crystal Mind] stopped him. This question needed to be asked correctly. He started constructing the foolproof djinni-wish style phrasing, a query that left no loopholes, but he could tell that was not the problem. There was something missing. ¡®Oh duh!¡¯ ¡°By the power invested in the quest from the One Above, tell me where Night Skinner will perform his killings and the rituals over the next three nights?¡± It wasn''t perfect but the biggest requirement was met, invoking the name of the Giver of Quests. ¡°Very well. Thisss way,¡± the serpentine diviner hissed, slithering to one of the larger pools. Joe could see indistinct shapes and figures in the water, but nothing clearly. The sights in the pool were faded and blurry. The naga waved her hand over the surface and even those faint images faded away. The pool became still and empty. Clutching his hair in her left hand, the Wellwatcher held her right over the basin. Snapping her middle finger closed quickly, the long hooked nail pierced her palm, releasing a few drops of blood. As the ruby drips splashed into the water, the air around Joe grew hot, heavy, and sodden with moisture. It was as if he had just been chucked into a sauna or a deep tropical jungle. Joe was leaning toward the second one. Scents of earth and sea filled the air, along with something else that made his skin crawl: blood. The smell of blood redoubled again and again until it overpowered everything else. Just as Joe thought he might gag from the carnal reek, the naga spoke. ¡°First know thisss. The Night Ssskinner will never face the city¡¯sss militia. Should you enlissst them, or any other such force, you will never find the prey you ssseek. Should you bring anyone untethered by your quessst, the Ssskinner will not be where I sssay. It can only be you and those directly enjoined into your quessst. Do you underssstand?¡± ¡°I do. Just me and the four champions,¡± Joe answered, hearing truth in her words. ¡°Where do I have to go?¡± he asked. ¡°I will ssspeak only of the firssst night of the moon tomorrow. Should you fail in thisss encounter with the Fearmonger, come back, and we will ssseek again among the watersss. ¡°On the northern edge of the city isss the old tower of Vhyne, the God of Grapesss and Wine. It isss here that Sssougath the Night Skinner will perform his firssst ritual of thisss month. You must arrive after sssunssset but before the first ringing of the midnight bellsss. That isss your window.¡± Joe was not thrilled about the idea of letting the murderer start his blood ceremony, but the spell of Onhur affirmed she was not lying. Saving the victim once the killer had started the sacrifice seemed like a pretty tall order. Still, Madam Zanthiss had truthfully given him a time and place. He had more than anyone hunting the Night Skinner ever had. She had also given him the monster¡¯s name: Sougath. ¡°Thank you, Madam,¡± Joe offered. ¡°You have been ¡­¡± ¡°I need not your platitudessss. Only your destiny concernsss me. Now go. I have much to witnessss tomorrow. I need to cleanssse myself of your influenccce.¡± Without looking back, she let her robe drop to the ground and slid into the waters she had emerged from. Joe stared at the rippling surface of the pool for a moment, a bit shocked at her immediate departure. After a few seconds, he shrugged and turned back to the grotto entrance, a small sense of pride warming his chest. He now had a path leading toward getting him out from under the mess that had been stalking him since arriving in Illuminaria. While, unfortunately, that path included Azbekt, at least it also included Hah¡¯roo. And Count Valloc. With those two in his corner, maybe they temper the worst of the psychopath''s tirades. Whistling, Joe started back up the long climb to the surface, though he still kept a sharp eye out for webs and legs as he made the ascent. 66 - Dark Streets 66 - Dark Streets The walk back to the surface would have been exhaustingly awful without Joe¡¯s magic. Each time his strength began to lag, a shot of [Effereous Endurance] revitalized him. When his legs began to burn after climbing up floor after floor of the awkward stairs, [Healing Touch] removed the pain. The best part of the trip was the utter lack of any more web-crawling menaces. He finally stepped back onto the street, and the pair rose from where they had been seated on the front steps of a townhouse across the narrow lane. Night had fully fallen in the hour or so he was below the streets. Many of the houses were dark, but pleasant-looking street lamps lit the cobblestone roadway. ¡°Well, well, well. Don¡¯t you look pleased with yourself? You need not utter a word, my good man. It is clear you were successful in your endeavor within the dark reaches of the seer¡¯s lair.¡± The elf skipped up to Joe and clasped him firmly on both shoulders. His long, pointed nose was inches away from Joe¡¯s. ¡°I am as proud as a new father watching my babe¡¯s first steps.¡± ¡°Easy there. Let¡¯s take it down a notch, Jink,¡± Joe interjected. ¡°But you¡¯re right. I do know where to go tomorrow. I also know the creature''s name.¡± ¡°Oh, joy of joys. How can I not be thrilled? The end of the Night Skinner is at hand, and vengeance for those lost is nigh. I cannot wait to sing to the rafters and make merry before the full moon wanes this very month. Too long ¡­¡± Jink was interrupted by a white hand pulling him away from Joe. ¡°This is all well and good but your villain is not defeated yet. And he will not be unless this one both rests and trains further in the single day we have left to us.¡± ¡°Fine, fine. If you must be about such mundane chores, then this is where we shall part ways. I plan to spend the night in frivolous merriment and celebration.¡± He deftly slipped free from Hah¡¯roo¡¯s hold and spun to catch her hand. He first pumped the appendage in a vigorous handshake before folding over to brush his lips across the back of her knuckles. ¡°I am most honored to have met you, Madam. I wish you the best of luck in your hunt on the morrow.¡± Swirling around, he caught Joe¡¯s hand and gave it an equally energetic wag. ¡°And you, my mysterious new mate, I expect to hear great things of you as well. I have no doubt you shall surprise the doubters and downers.¡± ¡°Thanks, Jink. You also get credit for saving the day as much as us. You got us here, which got us the location.¡± Joe praised before asking, ¡°I take it you are not coming with us to hunt the monster?¡± ¡°And get blood all over this marvel of fabulous finery?¡± the elf explained, sweeping a hand down his garments. ¡°Of course not. Sorrowfully, here is where we part. Best of luck to you both.¡± Placing a finger beside his nose, much like a reed-thin Santa Claus, Jink vanished in a puff of sparks and smoke, leaving the pair alone on the quaint little lane. ¡°What the ¡­,¡± Joe gasped. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I think he is overly fond of making a spectacle,¡± Hah¡¯roo harrumphed. ¡°We too should get going. We have much of the city to cross before we get back to where the inns are.¡± ¡°Wish we could fly back? That was fun.¡± ¡°And an extravagance we are unlikely to experience again soon,¡± she stated, walking along the sidewalk back in the direction they had come from. ¡°Those elixirs likely cost close to a thousand gold each.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Joe instinctively asked, even though [Ring of Truth] had already confirmed her words. ¡°Crap. I was hoping to do that again.¡± ¡°You could buy a basic flying potion for much cheaper, but Jink¡¯s draughts included physical transformation and perfect flight maneuverability. That is something only the truly rich can offer up so effortlessly.¡± They covered the next few blocks together in silence. As they went, Joe noticed the galeling stealing glances at him as they walked. Finally, under a streetlight, she reached out and tugged him to a stop. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± She asked him earnestly. ¡°Ah. Yeah. Actually I do. Why?¡± he sputtered. ¡°This needs to be fixed then.¡± With a lightning-fast jab, Hah¡¯roo crunched her fist into Joe¡¯s nose. He heard the bone crack as his head snapped back. She quickly caught the back of his head, then jammed her fingers on either side of his nose and twisted hard. ¡°OW!!! Whab da crap, Hah¡¯woo?!¡± ¡°Sorry, but it was driving me nuts,¡± she explained, clearly trying not to smirk but failing. ¡°It¡¯s straight again. Quickly, heal. You can mend your nose correctly this time and stop looking like a beaten thug.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Through tear-filled eyes, Joe mended the cartilage, but before he could bitch about Hah¡¯roo¡¯s blunt fix, the galeling held up a single finger ¡°Shh,¡± the white-skinned woman hissed. ¡°We are being hunted.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± Joe whispered. ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°The winds are telling me. Our five hunters are on our trail. No, not us. You.¡± She moved them tight to the side of the closest of the large buildings, sliding along it to reach the corner. ¡°How? I thought I was safe from divination abilities. That should include tracking abilities.¡± Joe huffed quietly, moving as carefully as he could up to her. ¡°All traits can be beaten by the right ability, Joe. The hunters must have something that bypasses your misdirection. Not fully, though, or else they would have ambushed us before I caught wind of them. We have a chance, but we must control the fight. Trying to run for the tavern district before they located you would be a dangerous gambit. Better we tackle them while they are spread out and searching rather than combined and hot on our trail.¡± She stopped scanning the intersection of roads ahead and looked Joe in the eyes. She did not say more but it was clear she was waiting on his answer. ¡°Ok. What do you want me to do?¡± he asked. ¡°For now, stay here. Quiet and hidden. The closest one to us is arrogant and brash. He can be taken out of this hunt quickly and unnoticed.¡± She stood and loosened the coils of her weapon around her body. ¡°I shall be right back.¡± She glided across the roadway, which was wide enough for multiple wagons to pass each other. When she reached the warehouse across the way, Joe could still clearly see her pale white arms. Then suddenly, she vanished. It was not like she turned a corner. It was as if shadows just swallowed her up. Her stealth skill must be miles better than his Perception. Thinking this thought Joe was aware of his own efforts to stay hidden. He eased back a few inches, finding a bit more shadow to crouch in, while focusing on being as still as possible.
Your skill [Whisperstep] has increased to rank 13.
¡®Nice,¡¯ he thought. Rank 13 would probably not be anywhere close to good enough against a team of trackers, but at least he was improving the skill. Movement on the roof of the warehouse across the avenue caught his eye. A figure wearing a skull-like mask under a wide-brimmed hat eased his way up to the edge of the roof. The man crouched down and began scanning the area. Joe held his breath, trying not to move an inch. After what felt like an eternity, the man stopped his search and reached to his belt. He drew forth a white piece of cloth, much like a handkerchief, before lifting the material to his face. He held the fabric in front of his nose for a moment and then tucked it away. As the tracker did so, his gaze began to swing to where Joe was hiding. Like a hound on the scent, the hunter oriented himself right at where his quarry was tucked into the shadows.
A hostile entity has detected you. You are not hidden.
Before Joe could even try and move, a pale line swung across the sky and lashed itself around the hunter¡¯s neck. It jerked tight, and Joe saw Hah¡¯roo dive off the roof, yanking the surprised tracker from his perch on the shingles. The pair plummeted off the high roof of the four-story tall warehouse. At the last second, dust and debris swirled under the galeling¡¯s feet, slowing her descent to a gentle gliding stop. The skull-masked man tangled in her line was not so fortunate. He crashed head-first into the stone street with a sickening crunch. Joe used his woundsight and watched the man¡¯s blue aura fade quickly to the dull gray of death. With a flick, Hah¡¯roo freed her line and quickly ran her hands over the man¡¯s belt before dashing over to where Joe was. ¡°That was the easy one. I doubt the others will give us such a blatant opportunity.¡± ¡°What was he using to track me?¡± Joe asked, still keeping his voice as quiet as he could. ¡°This,¡± she replied, holding up an embroidered square of linen. On the white fabric was a splotch of blood. In the corner of the square was stitched a coat of arms. The design was of a black and white shrike above two crossed swords. Joe looked at Hah¡¯roo, who simply answered with a breathy ¡°The House of Amberwroth.¡± ¡°That effing bastard,¡± he hissed. ¡°Grover must have kept my blood from his strike in Crowfield and given it to these assholes.¡± ¡°You mean Sir Groven?¡± ¡°Yeah. Same guy. If he¡¯s going to steal my blood, then I get to call him anything I damn well please.¡± ¡°We can address that folly later. I¡¯m more concerned with the remaining pursuers. Bloodhunters and bloodhounds are some of the more common classes taken by bounty hunters. That sample is how they are bypassing your nondetection ability. If it is the only one, then we should be able to lose them, but I fear it is not.¡± ¡°So, what should we do?¡± Hah¡¯roo held up a hand and cocked her head. She held that pose, listening to something Joe could not hear for a minute before bringing her head close to his. ¡°There are three together a few blocks away,¡± she whispered. ¡°And one more that way,¡± she stated, pointing in the direction they needed to go to get back near the dock and a place to stay for the night. ¡°I am inclined to take the three first.¡± ¡°Why tackle three at once and not the solo guy?¡± ¡°The lone hunter is powerful. The three are only in their teens, new to their second class. With the right tactics, the trio are far more easily beaten than the lone seasoned tracker.¡± ¡°Ok. If you say so. Am I hiding this time, too?¡± ¡°No. One against three, even three with levels below mine, is a terrible idea. A lucky attack, and the outcome could be disastrous. This time you will have to help me. Follow me. Step as I do.¡± Joe followed the sapphire-haired huntress, paying close attention to where she placed her feet and how she positioned her body. To his surprise, the dedication worked. [Whisperstep] leveled once more as they slipped through the shadows around the warehouses. 67 - Crateside Combat 67 - Crateside Combat Eventually, Hah¡¯roo led them up a flight of wooden stairs. At a padlocked heavy door, she reached into her hair and pulled out a pair of crooked wires. Crouching, she inserted the tines of metal and, in seconds, popped open the lock. Drawing him inside after her, they inched their way through the dark space to a window. ¡°Watch,¡± was all she said. A minute later three figures appeared from around a building, moving generally in their direction. While not the front figure, one of the hunters immediately drew Joe¡¯s attention. The man was a brer. The white, anthropomorphic hare wore a vest, wide-brimmed hat, and leather pants. His big feet were bare, and he had a dark bandana tied around his neck. In one hand he held a black rod with bands of metal around the end. In his other hand, he carried a wicked-looking pick. The jagged spike of that second weapon wiped away any levity Joe felt about being hunted by a white rabbit. The next figure was female. She was lithe and lean, likely an elf. She wore a fur-collared duster and carried a complex-looking crossbow. She, too, sported a broad-rimmed hat like the rabbit and the skull-masked man. Joe could pick out other weapons littered around her body. Knives, darts, hand-axes, and more were tucked in sheathes and hooked onto her numerous belts. The last hunter wore a leather cowl that covered his shoulders, neck, and the lower half of his face. He had two swords drawn. One was a thick curved falchion. The other was a long thin, straight blade that seemed to be made of molten lava. It glowed a ruddy red in the night¡¯s shadows. The trio of hunters stopped. They scanned the buildings on either side of them before the two men looked to the female tracker. She tipped up her nose, searching for his scent. A moment later she gestured at the corner of the warehouse where he and Hah¡¯roo were peeking down through the window. Hah¡¯roo leaned in close and whispered to him. ¡°Follow me. Quietly.¡± She backed them out of the office room they had been hiding in. Entering the warehouse proper, they found themselves on a wide balcony. An opening in the middle of the decking overlooked the main floor two stories below where they stood. There were plenty of boxes stacked on their level, and Hah¡¯roo wasted no time dragging Joe deeper among the crates. Ducking down between two tall stacks of wooden crates, Joe strained his ears to listen for sounds of those hunting him. He knew they had to be close. A creak sounded from the floor not too far off, and a hissing whisper issued from further away. He could see almost nothing in the gloomy space. It wasn¡¯t until a notification pooped into view that he knew he had been spotted.
A hostile entity has detected you. You are not hidden.
There was no time between the warning and the attack. A white form slammed into him, cracking his head against the boxes and sending stars across his vision.
[Stun Block] has failed to resist a hostile condition. You are {Stunned}.
¡°Hiya, rat! We¡¯ve been looking for ya. The Duke wants a word with yeh,¡± an oddly slurred voice gloated from above him. Joe looked up into the eyes of the leporine bounty hunter. The white furry creature¡¯s expression was smug and cruel. Without actively meaning to, Joe assessed the man, pinning him.
Lemek Kirejon: Brer: Bruiser/Vigilante 19
A long, heavy foot was pressing against Joe¡¯s throat, stopping him from regaining his breath. Even though air would become an issue soon, the spinning from the stunning blow was more problematic. Joe needed to be able to think clearly. He locked his eyes onto the furthest pile of crates he could see in the dim lighting. The second the {Stun} ended, Joe activated his medallion. ¡°Son of a seacat,¡± Lemel barked. ¡°The rat¡¯s a blinker!¡± the brer shouted to his teammates, as he spun to reorient on his target. Joe was about to dive through crate stacks when he spun from a sickeningly painful blow to his shoulder. Looking down, he spotted an arrow lodged into his flesh. Worse yet, even in the dim light, he could see something had been applied to the barbed head. The location of the arrow was not life-threatening, clearly shot to incapacitate instead of kill, but whatever was on the bolt could take Joe out of the fight if it wasn¡¯t dealt with immediately. He yanked the shaft free. His head swam from the pain of the toothed arrowhead tearing out of his flesh, but thankful this time his skill activated.
Your skill [Stun Block] has increased to rank 5.
The woman already had another bolt loaded and was bringing the weapon back up to bear. Joe didn¡¯t wait. He didn¡¯t have a lot of offensive tools in his bag and possibly his best one he was not a fan of, but in this case, it was his life or his moral qualms. Qualms be damned. He aimed his left hand at the woman and activated the [Band of Beguilement]. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°That¡¯s the guy you¡¯re after! Not me!¡± he yelled, swinging his arm to point at Lemek.
You have overcome Myrin Tramora¡¯s mental resistance. She is {Compelled}.
As Joe watched as the huntress retargeted her aim to lock onto her hairy companion, he slapped a hand to his wounded shoulder and cast. Fluid spurted out of the wound, leaving Joe feeling a tad lightheaded, but he generally felt better afterward.
[Purge] has removed the {Weakened} aspect of your poisoning, reducing {Poisoned} from moderate to minor.
¡®Good thing they are not trying to kill me. More toxic poisons would be a real problem. I¡¯m regretting not taking [Poison Resistance] now,¡¯ Joe mentally chided. ¡°Aw, bear balls. Myri don¡¯t!¡± The rabbit-like bruiser rolled away. She tracked his path and fired, barely missing her target. Lemek was incredibly fast. In a second, the elf had reloaded and was moving after her white-furred prey. [Healing Touch] refilled his health and closed the wound, even though his shoulder still hurt from the recent abuse. Joe used this moment to dash away from the pair of bounty hunters. He jogged through the stacks, trying to be light on his feet but clearly failing as his [Stealth] refused to activate. As he rounded the corner of one pile of boxes, a burning red glow stepped out in front of him. Instinctively, Joe¡¯s hand smacked away the incoming attack. This prevented him from being skewered, but the molten sword scorched the skin of his palm, leaving it instantly blackened.
Your skill [Strong Arm] has increased to rank 11.
¡°Wait, I thought I was wanted alive,¡± Joe yelped, cradling his scalded hand. ¡°Automatic cauterization,¡± The hunter growled smugly. The clear note of truth was not reassuring.
Albero Stanton Human: Fighter/Duelist 14
Albero leveled the point of his sword at Joe again, but before he could lunge, his head snapped to the side. The man swayed on his feet, and Joe¡¯s woundsight showed him an angry red bloom over his right eye. The bladesman shook his head and looked around only to have the weighted end of Ha¡¯roo¡¯s rope-dart strike his face again, this time to his cheek. Albero stumbled and dropped to one knee, still clutching his molten blade. Not waiting for the galeling to strike again, Joe dashed forward and struck with his staff. The blast of thunder sounded at the same second Hah¡¯roo¡¯s metal-tipped rope struck the swordsman a third time in the head, dropping the man out cold. ¡°Well done,¡¯ whispered Hah¡¯roo as she appeared at his side. ¡°Not so much for this,¡± she stated, gesturing to the unconscious bounty hunter, ¡°but for the other two. That was cleverly done. How long will your enchantment last?¡± ¡°No idea. I¡¯ve only used it once before on a lion. It lasted a couple of minutes that time.¡± ¡°Then we should move now while we have the advantage.¡± ¡°Nah. You two ain¡¯t going anywhere but to see the boss,¡± a voice growled from the top of the boxes at their side. A blur of white fell on them. ¡°You thought Miri, was a match for me? Yer an idiot!¡± A powerfully driven foot slammed into Joe¡¯s gut, hurling him off his feet and sending him tumbling away. The polearm launched from his hands, disappearing into the gloom. At the same time, Hah¡¯roo cried out as the rabbit¡¯s weighted truncheon smashed into her forearm, resounding with a dreadful crack. Lemek followed his attack up with a series of powerful blows, battering and slicing open wounds in the huntress. The brer drove her back, repeatedly striking without mercy. After a second, Hah¡¯roo recovered her balance and began using her inhuman grace to sidestep the hare¡¯s furious assault. Unfortunately, with a broken arm and a weapon that could not be wielded one-handed, she had no good means of fighting back. Joe scanned around for his staff, but he couldn¡¯t see it. He drew the goblin knife, trying to think of what he could do. [Deaden Flesh] could level the battle, but it required him to get into close range. The pair of combatants were bounding around so much that Joe could barely track them, let alone close the distance between them and him. If both of them did not have stark white limbs, Joe would have lost them already. Instead, he stumbled after the pale white blurs, as he regained the wind Lemek had knocked out of him. He was not sure what he could do with the little goblin blade, but he didn¡¯t have anything else. The band was recharging. He would be just as likely to hit Hah¡¯roo as the Lemek with the [Slow Stone]. The talisman took too long to lock onto a spot. The time it would take for him to focus, they¡¯d be long gone. Joe racked his brain until he remembered he had one more item, one he had completely forgotten about. He reached into his belt and pulled out the [Goblin Card]. He had no idea if it would help, but another ally could only be a good thing. He focused his attention on the scrap of parchment, and it began to tingle in his fingers. A second later, it dissolved, and a misshapen, ugly green face peered up at him. The squat creature stared unblinking, clearly waiting for a command. ¡°Go get the rabbit. Help the blue-haired woman,¡± Joe ordered. The small thug snatched the blade out of Joe¡¯s hand, and, with a warbling cry, it dashed after the somersaulting white combatants. Joe grabbed a prybar that he saw on top of a nearby crate and hurried to catch up. Joe was not sure how long the little guy would stick around for, and he began to worry as the two of them ran back and forth across the box-covered floor, always trailing far behind the dueling acrobats. Just as he worried they would never catch up, Hah¡¯roo launched herself past them, diving between Joe and the goblin. Lemek followed, hot on her heels. In that brief instant, he was within reach. The little green thug trilled a warcry and drove the blade into the passing hunter. The razor-sharp knife cut a long deep furrow from Lemek¡¯s armpit to his hip. Joe also did not waste the opportunity. He swung the heavy bar as hard as he could and fired off his numbing curse, just managing to clip the hare¡¯s ankle with both as it passed. Lemek shouted in pain and curled himself into a controlled tumble. As the brer came up, favoring the senseless leg, he was met with a roundhouse kick from the woman he had been chasing. The three of them pounced. Joe battered the man with his prybar while the goblin hacked away, and Ha¡¯roo unleashed a flurry of kicks. At one point, Lemek almost broke free until Joe deadened his other foot and clunked the metal bar down between the long floppy ears. The haragun¡¯s eyes rolled up into his head, and he toppled to the floorboards. ¡°Four down,¡± Joe panted, checking to make sure he had not hit the brer too hard.. ¡°Yes,¡± Hah¡¯roo breathed, ¡°but the worst is still to come.¡± 68 - Grudge Match 68 - Grudge Match Joe turned immediately to Hah¡¯roo and placed his hands on her blood-soaked skin. He healed again and again, closing the kaleidoscope of wounds the brer¡¯s pick had cut into her and easing the truncheon-bruised flesh. As he worked, Joe heard the goblin knife clatter to the wood floorboards while a gush of swampy-smelling air washed over them. Turning around, Joe saw the goblin had vanished, having completed the task Joe had set for it. ¡°It¡¯s not over yet,¡± Hah¡¯roo breathed. ¡°The worst of them is still to come.¡± ¡°Well, you should take a minute. I¡¯ve healed you back as far as I can, but you are not at 100%. The bone in your arm is only barely knitted back together. If you push it, my fix will crack apart. I¡¯m going to go find my staff. Be right back.¡± Joe snagged the goblin knife in one hand and Lemek¡¯s billy club in his other. He tried to grab the pick with [Helping Hand] as he ran past it, but for some reason, the force hand could not lift the weapon. It was either too heavy or somehow bound to the bunny. Leaving it, he jogged back to where he had faced Albero. As he reached the general area where his staff should be, a familiar figure stepped into the warehouse. His handsome face was locked into a hateful scowl as his eyes met Joe¡¯s. Even in full plate armor, Sir Groven moved surely and smoothly, a well-trained warrior. ¡°Joe! Get back!¡± Hah¡¯roo shouted from further within the large warehouse. ¡°No, Joe. Don¡¯t.¡± the knight hissed. ¡°I declare a [Decree of Combat]!¡± he announced in a ringing voice. Joe could feel the magic in the warrior¡¯s words swirl around him. He could almost see the words hanging in the air, forming a circle around the two of them, leaving Hah¡¯roo locked outside the ring. There was something else in the magic as well; Joe felt oddly empowered by the effect. Suddenly, he felt stronger, more graceful, tougher. At the same time, the approaching knight¡¯s steps seem to falter and slow. Joe took a fraction of a second to peek at his sheet and saw asterisks next to his attributes and level. Looking at the swirling barrier, he identified it.
[Decree of Combat]: This spell ensures a duel between two opponents is made inviolate. Duels between a person and a monster are not adjusted, while duels between two people are normalized in terms of levels to promote an equitable encounter. {Arena}
¡°Now, I will remove the stain of you from my honor and records,¡± growled the Phealtian. "There shall be no claim this time that you were dispatched unjustly." Joe could hear Onhur verifying that the fervent knight believed every word of his threat.
Groven Suttrel: Human: Cavalier/Anointed Knight 24*
Joe also noted that he had new alerts from Hawking, telling him he could take a trait from the knight. As dubious as he was to antagonize the Sutrells, Amberwroths, and the Phealtians any further, one of those traits might just save his life here. Keeping his attention mostly on Groven, Joe flicked open the box.
You have been awarded an additional use of [Anyone]. This usage will have no effect on or from the ability¡¯s traditional cooldown. You may select one of the following traits from Groven Suttrel:
    • [Aristocratic Fortitude] (Hereditary)
    • [Aristocratic Forbearance] (Hereditary)
    • [Defender of the Realm] (Hereditary)
    • [Favored Son] (Hereditary)
    • [Inspiring Leader] (Hereditary)
    • [Natural Rider] (Hereditary)
    • [Noble Born] (Hereditary)
    • [Faithful Hand] (Ecclesiastical)
    • [Native Ward] (Ecclesiastical)
    • [Sanctity of Blood] (Ecclesiastical)
    • [See All Evil] (Ecclesiastical)
    • [Semonic Shield] (Ecclesiastical)
    • [Stand Against] (Ecclesiastical)
Even with the near-instant comprehension of Hawking¡¯s messages, there was way too much there and no time to process it. ¡®Not helpful, Bud. I don¡¯t have time to go through those. Which one should I take?¡¯ Yet Hawking was silent as the knight began to advance on Joe, sword drawn. Still uncertain which, and even if he should grab a trait, Joe dismissed the window without selecting anything yet. If he needed it, he¡¯d grab something blindly. He flipped his attention to the truncheon to see if it would help him.
[Haybreaker] (Item: Weapon - Rare) This weapon has a median damage enhancement and major augmentation to breaking objects and bones. {Disruption}
Joe looked at the heavily armored man approaching him and gave the cudgel a grateful nod. He knew he was still seriously outclassed, but he now might be able to outlast the knight by whitling the man down with various breaks to his armor and body. He wished he had spent some time training with a one-handed weapon instead of just his staff. He tried adjusting his footing to what Valloc used when he fought Joe with a short sword and buckler. Joe lacked the small shield, but maybe [Strong Arm] and healing could substitute for it. The moment the warrior stepped close enough, Joe hit him with his trump card.
Groven Suttrel has resisted your [Deaden Flesh].
¡®Oh, crap!¡¯ ¡°Die!¡± the nobleman growled and lunged with his sword straight at Joe¡¯s heart.
Your skill [Strong Arm] has increased to rank 12.
He knocked the blade away at the cost of a large chunk of his forearm. Swearing vehemently, Joe brought the baton around in a [Swift Strike] empowered blow to the man¡¯s thigh. Groven didn¡¯t dodge, probably assuming his armor would repel the blow. The sound of metal rending and buckles snapping resounded from the spot where Haybreaker struck. Joe was so pleased by his successful contact that he almost lost his head to Suttrel¡¯s following swing. He had to throw himself backward from the horizontal, decapitating sword stroke. Completely off balance, Joe staggered away, the knight giving him no chance to recover. It was all Joe could do to block with the club or bat away attacks, healing his increasingly mangled hand as he backpedaled from the onslaught. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Thankfully, he could make his hand tougher with each heal by adding [Healer¡¯s Ward], even though it ate more mana to do so.
Your skill [Strong Arm] has increased to rank 13.
Your skill [Healer¡¯s Ward] has increased to rank 7.
A cold fear gripped Joe¡¯s heart. It suddenly became all too real that he was about to die again. He was taking dozens of cuts which, thanks to [Thick Skin] and [Healer¡¯s Ward], were, so far, not life-threatening or debilitating, but all it would take is failing to block the wrong attack, and Groven would hack his head off or stab him through the heart. Joe was pretty sure either one of those would be the end of his new life. Until now, he had fought minor monsters or been hunted for the purpose of being captured. This was not one of those cases. Groven wanted him dead, and he was three times more powerful than Joe was. Everything but the immediate here and now he shoved out of his head, giving the man his complete focus.
Your skill [Crystal Mind] has increased to rank 4.
His attention sharpened, and Joe found a rhythm in the warrior''s unceasing attacks. For the next few minutes, he was able to hold his own. It was exhausting, but Joe¡¯s high Vigor and [Efferous Endurance] covered that potential weakness. He was eating through his mana at a worrisome rate, but there was nothing he could do about that. Sir Groven was relentless. Just as Joe thought he had a second to retry the curse, the nobleman seemed to realize that Joe was holding to a stalemate. The blade Joe expected to come straight in suddenly jigged to the left and laid open Joe¡¯s thigh. This slash was followed up by a trio of long cuts to Joe¡¯s arms and along his ribs. [Steadfast] failed to save him this time. The lacerating pain overwhelmed his senses, toppling Joe off his feet. He hit hard, but [Crystal Mind] kept him focused. Before the warrior could drive his sword through his chest, Joe threw his hand forward, aiming at the foot the knight was about to put his weight on.
Groven Suttrel has partially resisted your [Deaden Flesh].
It wasn¡¯t a full numbing, but it was enough to stagger the man. Groven stumbled sideways for a few steps while Joe hauled himself back to his feet, healing the gushing wounds closed, additionally warding himself once again. Joe had to get rid of Groven¡¯s sword. He lurched at the knight, swinging Haybreaker as hard as he could. Unfortunately, Groven must have had an idea of what the weapon could do. Rolling his wrist, the knight slid Joe¡¯s attack down his blade rather than straight up blocking it. Groven followed up his deflection with a gut punch that drove the air from Joe¡¯s lungs. Joe used [Purge] to remove {Dazed}, but he was still left gasping for air. The knight stomped the feeling back into his foot and advanced on Joe again. The next few seconds were a frenzy of desperate blocks against the savage attacks. Joe was forced around the mystical ring. Each time he drew close to the barrier, a deep cold soaked into his bones, slowing him even more than the constant wounding. Joe quickly learned not to let himself be driven too far from the center of the small arena. Joe tried to steal a tactic from Hah¡¯roo and manifested the [Helpful Hand] behind the man, making it brush the warrior¡¯s neck. The knight whirled and split the small construct in two, which gave Joe the chance to land another partial numbing. While Groven was off balance, Joe used his [Alchemy Belt] to teleport one of the mana potions from his belt to his hand, already opened. He couldn¡¯t afford to steal any more Stamina, but he needed his healing with its wards and [Deaden Flesh]. Joe dumped the liquid into his mouth and almost choked, gulping it down. He was unquestionably losing. But as Kaid has pointed out, Joe''s major talent was losing slowly. His whole body was covered in screaming ex-cuts, but pain Joe understood all too well. [Crystal Mind] and years of suffering kept him on his feet while he healed and healed and healed. Joe refused to let despair take over. If he could land one full [Deaden Flesh], he was sure he¡¯d have a chance to make it out of this battle. So far, the knight hadn¡¯t dispelled any of the partial numbings. Joe hoped that was a sign that Groven didn¡¯t have a [Purge]-like spell ability in his repertoire. After several minutes of barely surviving, Joe finally caught a lucky break. Literally. It wasn¡¯t the long sought-after [Deaden Flesh]. Groven misread one of Joe¡¯s swings. What the bladesman thought was just a block was actually a strike against the long sword he was using to carve Joe up with. Haybreaker smacked into the side of the blade. With a sharp ping, the weapon shattered into several pieces. As the bladeless handle passed by, Joe finally had a moment to focus all of his Spirit into his next casting.
Your spell has inflicted the {Numbed} affliction on Groven Suttrel
As the enraged noble pulled his dagger off his belt, his right leg folded underneath him, dropping the man face-first onto the warehouse floor. Joe didn¡¯t hesitate. He slammed the truncheon down on Groven¡¯s left knee. The metal folded and cracked. Joe swung at the same spot again. And again. And again. On the last swing, the knee completely crumpled, sending a burst of blood splashing across the floor and Joe¡¯s legs. The horror of his own savagery slammed through Joe¡¯s gut. [Crystal Mind] tried to enforce he had been defending himself and that he had seen far bloodier things in horror movies and video games. Neither fact helped. Joe had just brutally and purposefully maimed a person. The knight was not a monster; he was a human being. This was no game where a character sheet separated him from his actions. He had just deliberately destroyed a man¡¯s leg, turning it into a bloody pulp with his own hands. Joe stared dumbstruck until he felt his gorge rising. All the food and drinks he had consumed earlier launched itself in a stream of vomit. He backed away as he continued to wretch, instinctively knowing Groven was still a threat. ¡°You coward,¡± the knight swore from the ground through clenched teeth. The nobleman levered himself up on his arms and pulled a large healing potion from somewhere, lifting it toward his mouth. [Helping Hand] popped into existence, covering the mouth of the flask. Before Groven could force the bottle through the minor construct, Joe lurched forward and smacked the bottle with Haybreaker, sending the red fluid splashing everywhere. ¡°Don¡¯t do this,¡± Joe begged. ¡°I won¡¯t touch your traits. Let me just finish this quest, and I will leave. I¡¯ll leave the whole frigging kingdom. You never have to see or hear of me ever again.¡± The prone knight glared at Joe for a second, before he ground his teeth and growled a response. ¡°Fine. Complete your deed and flee. Pray our paths never cross once more.¡± The metallic note behind these words was the screeching grind of a car crash. The utter deceit of Groven¡¯s lies sent Joe¡¯s nerves trembling. ¡°Bullshit,¡± Joe barked. ¡°You dare question me?¡± the warrior spat with far more arrogance than his broken state merited. ¡°You have no intention of letting me go. Stop lying.¡± ¡°Of course not, you filthy cur. Phealti commands me! Suffer not the alien to live,¡± the seething noble growled. ¡°I will hunt you down to the end of the world if I must. And then I will make you suffer.¡± Levering himself a tad higher, the nobleman locked eyes with Joe. ¡°Yet I will offer you this one chance to avoid the castigate of pain. Surrender, and I will send you back across the Veil with a swift death.¡± This all rang of truth. Awful and abominable. But true. Groven would never stop ¡­. unless Joe stopped him. ¡°I can''t fucking believe you are going to make me do this,¡± Joe howled at the prone fanatic. Pacing back and forth, with [Crystal Mind] flaring, Joe desperately sought another option besides the horribly obvious choice. He couldn¡¯t see one. Even if he could find some noble house or order that would take him in, Joe was certain the knight wouldn¡¯t let up. The nobleman was backed by a duke, and his hatred of Joe went far beyond personal. It went to the core of man¡¯s beliefs. Joe would become an obsession, and as mad as Ahab, Groven would keep coming. Until one of them was dead. With a grimace, Joe downed a second mana potion. Restored, he unloaded curse after curse. Groven resisted most of them, but Joe only had to land three before the knight was unable to stop him. Before he could rationalize himself out of the dreadful act, he took hold of the man''s helm and drove the goblin knife up into his brain.
When the [Decree of Combat] faded away enough to allow Hah¡¯roo to pass through, she found the broken-hearted, battered, young man staring numbly at the man he had been forced to slay. Hearing the winds whisper of his heart''s torment, she gently embraced him as he shuddered and silently cried.
69 - Have Murrcee 69 - Have Murrcee Joe wiped his face, casting sidelong glances at the huntress, trying to judge her reaction to his breakdown. To his surprise, Hah¡¯roo only wore her typical tranquil expression. He saw nothing that hinted that he had lost her respect. ¡°Sorry ¡®bout that,¡± he muttered, still avoiding meeting her eyes. ¡°There is nothing to apologize for. I have heard that slaying a sworn enemy can be a very profound event. You are also young in experience, which could make that doubly so. Think nothing of it,¡± she breathed in her airily calm voice. Her take on what was bothering Joe wasn¡¯t quite right, but he didn''t have it in him to explain it to her. He was not sure how the taboos of modern Earth against killing people would translate to this seemingly more violent fantasy world. Wanting to change the topic, Joe¡¯s woundsight gave him a far safer subject. ¡°Your arm? We have the hunt tomorrow ¡­ tonight ¡­. I have no idea what time it is. We need to get you to someone who can fix bones.¡± ¡°My thoughts exactly. We should head back to Telemont Square. The best healers in the city are there. Grab your staff,¡± she advised, pointing to the corner of the room. Joe couldn¡¯t see the polearm, but he had no doubts she was right about its location. Hah¡¯roo¡¯s Perception was far better than his. ¡°What about this?¡± Joe asked, holding up Haybreaker. ¡°Keep it if you wish. I have hunted people for contracts before, and the three who survived this attempt should have no grudge against us. They were left alive, though bound, and mostly without loss. These, of course, are the penalty for failure,¡± she added, juggling three coin purses with cut drawstrings. ¡°But any good bounty hunter would know they got off lightly here.¡± Joe tried to smile at her levity, but it felt more like a grimace due to his cold feeling that just wouldn¡¯t go away. Of course, she noticed. ¡°Let us go. My arm is aching, and I would have it well for tomorrow¡¯s hunt.¡±
The trip to Telemont Square took close to an hour and a half. This was with Hah¡¯roo¡¯s flawless sense of direction, thanks to her whispering winds guiding her. Peregrine Bay was huge compared to Heron¡¯s Reef. Somewhere along the way, Joe also used [Ideal Alias] to normalize his info for identification.
Joe: Human: Medic 9
It wasn¡¯t much, but he wasn¡¯t in the mood to get creative at the moment. It should be enough to blend in with. The level wasn''t an exaggeration, either. The fight with Sir Groven had leveled him, even though he had not been able to appreciate the joy that such an event usually brought. Joe noted he had gained a free attribute point and then closed the notification, returning to following Hah''roo through the silent streets. While his thoughts were along the lines of his character attributes, Joe checked to see if he still could access Groven¡¯s list. He felt a little ghoulish making the attempt, but he knew he might need the trait for the quest ahead. Nothing. It was possible that it was just that he was too far away again, but Joe felt it was more likely that the knight¡¯s death had ended that opportunity. During the trek, Mazsy¡¯s buff expired, removing the metallic tones from his strained conversation with Hah¡¯roo. It was not the huntress who had been making the exchanges awkward. According to Onhur, every word she had spoken was utterly honest, even bluntly so at times. It was Joe who was distracted. Time and again, his thoughts returned to Groven. Each time. his words seemed to vanish when his memories reached the moment his fingers clenched the goblin knife. His mind locked, tucking everything afterward behind a mental door. There were flashes of blood and the glint of metal, but to keep his sanity, nothing else. Joe had expected the plaza of temples to be empty, but to his surprise, there was a significant number of people here, far more than they had seen anywhere else on their journey across the city. Matching the robes and vestments to the most active churches provided much of the answers. Symbols of the moon denoted the followers of Nyt. Joe didn''t know which god the cleric with the star-filled robes belonged to, but their presence also made perfect sense. The followers of Ayl were merrily soused and clearly not yet ready for bed. It was to none of these, though, that Hah¡¯roo aimed for. Instead, it was the large sandstone church Joe had passed when he first entered Telemont Square. The walls were covered in an earth-tone mural of mostly oranges, reds, yellows, and browns. It depicted hundreds of people all supporting one another, lifting each other up, and giving comfort. Tan-robed templars stood outside performing healings and, for the Aylians, detoxification. As soon as Hah¡¯roo reached the edge of the Murrceeian healers, a purple-skinned man with a curled horn sprouting from the left side of his head jogged up to her. ¡°Oh, that looks sore,¡± he explained in a light voice. ¡°Let''s finish fixing that up. Looks like someone started a mend for you, at least.¡± ¡°This one here,¡± the galeling indicated with a nod toward Joe. ¡°I¡¯m not able to fix broken bones for some reason,¡± Joe admitted. His voice sounded heavy in his ears, weighted down by the cold, dark feeling that refused to go away. ¡°Bones are tough, if you¡¯ll pardon the pun,¡± the horned priest countered good-naturedly. ¡°Many healers have trouble with them. Wanna know a trick?¡± At the offer of advice, Joe finally gave the man his full attention. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
J¡¯kadoo Geniami: Nu: Cleric/Hospitaller 22
When Joe nodded, J¡¯kadoo continued. ¡°Learn a {Bone} skill. That¡¯s what did it for me. Worked like a charm to show me how bones work. Once you understand ¡®em, patching ¡®em back together is as easy as ¡­ bing,¡± the cleric held his hands gently around Hah¡¯roo¡¯s forearm. ¡°bang,¡± a warm golden glow emanated around the fracture point. In Joe¡¯s woundsight, the red of pain and injury was still clear, and then it was gone. Not faded away. It just vanished in a blink of an eye. Divine healing was clearly different from Joe¡¯s accelerated mending. ¡°boom,¡± J¡¯kadoo finished. ¡°Now, how about you, Joe? You look like you could use someone to talk to.¡± the clergyman offered. He patted Hah¡¯roo on the shoulder but was giving Joe his attention. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to lend an ear if you want to talk. I have only one good one today, but it¡¯s all yours.¡± Joe looked at the spiral of horn and realized it must be completely covering the man¡¯s left ear. The cleric noticed his gaze and returned a pleasant shrug. ¡°Such is the life of a nu. Who knows what new weirdness the day will bring? Today, it¡¯s a ramshorn. Yesterday was worse. I had these wirey hairs on the inside of my elbow,¡± he stated, holding out his arm and rubbing his purple skin where the spines had been. ¡°Couldn¡¯t bend my arms without being tickled until they faded away. But enough about me ¡­¡± reaching out and squeezing Joe¡¯s shoulder in a gesture of warmth. ¡°Would you care to speak of you?¡± Suddenly, Joe realized that the whole spiel had actually been for him. The templar was trying to make Joe comfortable by giving him something other than his own turmoil to focus on. And it actually was working. ¡°I think I¡¯d like that,¡± he replied, sending a glance toward Hah¡¯roo. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Joe; I¡¯ll be fine. I will report tonight''s encounter to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. They can inform the city watch. I will find you tomorrow. It¡¯s doubtful the Duke has a second team here in the Bay, but still, stay wary. Yes.¡± ¡°I will,¡± Joe confirmed. She nodded to him and J¡¯kadoo, tossing the cleric one of the purloined pouches, and then pirouetting halfway around, she glided away. ¡°How did she know how much the healing cost?¡± Joe wondered as the white-skinned dancer slid across the plaza. ¡°It costs as much as the healed cares to give,¡± J¡¯kadoo replied. Suddenly, Joe¡¯s idea of paying what you want back in Crowfield seemed less original than he had first thought it was. ¡°So what is weighing on you, friend? I could feel your heavy heart long before I sensed Hah¡¯roo¡¯s injured arm.¡± The nu stepped over to a bench, drawing Joe in his wake. Sitting down, Joe shivered, even though the night air was not cold. The chill was inside him. It had been there since the warehouse. ¡°I killed a man tonight,¡± he muttered. ¡°Ah. And this is the first time you have done so, I take it?¡± the murrceeian prompted. ¡°Yeah. I mean, it¡¯s not the first time I have killed something since I got here, but those were monsters. This was somebody I knew. I had spoken with him. He was an asshole, but he was also the defender of a town. He was a real person.¡± Joe sputtered to a stop. ¡°This probably doesn¡¯t make any sense. But where I was raised, murder is the worst ¡­ or one of the worst things you can do. It¡¯s at the foundation of everything my parents ever taught me about right and wrong.¡± ¡°You are not alone in this, Joe. Murder is not condoned by most any civilized society. Yet I sense you did not commit murder.¡± Joe turned to face the man seated beside him. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Murrcee gifts us with the ability to listen beyond the spoken words. She helps us to help others in this way.¡± ¡°Ok. It¡¯s kind of a gray area here. I killed him in cold blood while he was helpless. I can''t avoid that part. But I only did so after he vowed never to stop hunting after me and that he planned for a long, painful death when he caught me.¡± ¡°Then that is not murder in the eyes of our laws, Joe. Vows have consequences. Could you have found another solution? I would think so. Regardless, even I, a follower of gentle Murrcee, would not stand idly by if so threatened, attacked, or cornered.¡± ¡°So the god or goddess of mercy doesn¡¯t forbid you guys from fighting?¡± ¡°Goddess. And no. We are even empowered by her to defend others should the need arise.¡± J¡¯kadoo waited a moment until it was clear Joe was lost in his dark, spiraling thoughts again. ¡°That is not to say there are no cultures that foreswear violence and killing,¡± he proffered to restart the conversation. ¡°The disciples of Peis, for example, take vows to harm no one. There is an aquatic race known as the Scyphozo, to whom any form of bloodshed is an anathema.¡± ¡°But killing, in general, doesn¡¯t seem like it is as big a deal here,¡± Joe uttered. ¡°The woman I came with, Hah¡¯roo, grew up in a warrior caste. She killed a man, yanked him off a roof, and it didn''t seem to faze her one bit.¡± The nu paused for a moment. ¡°And yet, what did she do with others? Did she mercilessly kill them?¡± Joe wondered just what kind of information the goddess was giving the priest. It didn''t seem like he knew the answer, but he knew to ask the question. ¡°No. She said she tied them up.¡± ¡°So if you are worried this land is a pitiless world, there is my counter. Most value life, similar to your beliefs. I don¡¯t think we generally regard violent deaths quite so terribly as your people do, Joe, but by no means are we all savages through and through.¡± The nu stopped and rubbed under his horn for a second, reconsidering his words. ¡°Well, of course, that depends on where you are. Location matters. There are civilized lands such as Duskrug. There are lands that are constantly locked in strife and battle as well,¡± he explained. ¡°I think you¡¯d be happier avoiding those, friend.¡± They talked for a while further. After the majority of an hour, Joe gently nudged at his feelings to see if that cold horror was still lurking within. The icy chill in his chest was not gone, but it was greatly diminished. J¡¯kadoo suggested a way to banish it further: by getting busy. He led Joe over to the wobbling line of patrons staggering out of the temple of Ayl. Happy for the distraction, he got to work. At first, Joe was only good at settling stomachs and perking up those drooping under their inebriation. Over the next hour, with pointers from the purple murrceeian, he learned how to use [Purge] to push the alcohol through the bloodstream. He had experimented a little with this already at Absinthe Abby¡¯s, but the nu cleric showed him tricks to handle serious inebriation. It was not the true [Remove Toxin] J¡¯kadoo had, but it helped. With more practice, Joe realized he might be able to [Purge] poisons. Hours later, Joe finally started drooping. He had been dreading trying to sleep, even though J¡¯kadoo had offered him a place to rest several times. Yet, as the last of the most dedicated drinkers from Ayl¡¯s beer garden temple wandered off home, Joe realized he was ok. The act of helping others and improving his skills had gone a long way toward dispelling the dark, cold grip that killing Groven had wrapped around his heart. Finally ready, Joe took the murrceeians up on their offer of a warm bed. He was led to a small, comfortable room. As he stripped, Joe noted soft music filling the air, inviting one to be calm. Before lying down, he washed in a basin of magically warmed water scented with something very similar to lavender. Even though he was sure night terrors were going to be lurking, waiting for him to fall into their grasp, Joe slept the night through, protected by the blessings of the Goddess of Mercy.
70 - Before Moonrise 70 - Before Moonrise Joe woke up gently. He lay in the small but comfortable bunk for a few minutes, listening to the soothing music and replaying his fading dreams. They had been good ones: Jan, Keith, and him skating on the beaver pond, a lazy weekend morning sleeping in with the pups, shaggy Mia curled against his stomach, Ripple nestled behind his knees, little Zoe on his hip, a Christmas morning, a summer night filled with fireflies. All of these good memories were a balm over last night¡¯s deed. He wasn¡¯t sure how deities worked in this world, but he was certain his dreams would have been far darker if he had not been spending the night under Murrcee¡¯s roof. His restorative sleep might be a divine blessing, or maybe it was just the magic worked into this temple dedicated to caring. Either way, Joe felt like he had come much further through dealing with killing Sir Groven, justified or not, than he would have on his own. The event felt like it occurred weeks ago, not just last night. Joe knew if he kept picking at it, he would just reopen his unease. A better plan was to get busy doing something. Tonight, if all went according to plan, they were going to face the Night Skinner. Joe was better prepared, but there was still more he could do. At the very least, he needed to grab replacement mana potions, repair his gambeson, and spend his new attribute point. He would have to track down Mazsy for funds as he only had a few coins left ¡­ Joe stopped as something occurred to him. Jink¡¯s purse. He had not needed it for the Wellwatcher, and the elf had never asked for it back. Rolling over onto his stomach, Joe dug through the pile of gear heaped on the floor by the bed. Emptying the small leather pouch onto the blanket, Joe found it was full of pearls and odd blue coins. He lifted one of the aqua-colored discs and watched the light ripple across it. The effect was a weird mix of blue Damascus steel and actual undulating waves. ¡®Cool. I wonder what these are worth,¡¯ he pondered. ¡®Jink must have planned to go to the oracle all along. Pearls and watery metal coins. These seem like a gift tailored to please the naga.¡¯ Joe had no idea what the value of the small bag was, but his gut was telling him it was far more money than he had ever seen so far. Jink was way too savvy to have forgotten to ask for the purse back. He meant for Joe to keep it. This meant he could upgrade his gear, too. Weapon-wise, Joe was fine. He was beginning to realize that staff was not going to be his weapon of choice for much longer. Defensively, it was great at blocking attacks, but offensively, it was not working for him, whether it was the nature of a quarterstaff or just Joe. He had been more comfortable fighting with [Haybreaker], and the crowbar, than he ever had been with a staff. Armor, though, he could improve. Joe¡¯s job was to stay alive so he could keep the team going. That meant better defenses. He still wanted to keep his armor light, but Joe pictured adding some pieces to assist his currently tattered gambeson. Hopping out of bed, Joe found a basin of warm water and washcloths on the table in his little room. He had scrubbed himself several times the night before, but it felt good to give himself a good once-over before getting dressed again. The problem came when Joe went to put on his outfit. The shirt and pants were covered in blood-crusted tears. Joe held up the tattered tunic and hissed out a breath. It was shocking to see how much punishment he had managed to survive. Not wanting to go begging for a spare change of clothes, Joe eased on the bedraggled garments. As he did so, he added new clothes and some mending and cleansing scrolls to his shopping list. It was easy enough to find his way out of the temple. The tan-robed clerics all greeted him warmly as he passed them. Joe asked one of them about J¡¯kadoo, wanting to express his gratitude for the night before. He was asked to wait, and a minute later, a bald gnome with a horseshoe muchace trotted over to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but J¡¯kadoo still sleeps. He was up deep into the night with a man matching your description, Joe. You are welcome to rest some more and try again after a few more hours.¡± ¡°Thanks, but I spent way more time in bed than anybody ever should. I¡¯m feeling like I want to get something done. Besides, keeping busy is better than stewing in my thoughts.¡± ¡°Oh? My name¡¯s Norbip. If you would like to talk, I¡¯d be happy to listen. Getting that stew off the stove and onto the table may help.¡± ¡°You J¡¯kadoo did that for me already, Norbip. Lent me his ear all last night. I¡¯m good. I think getting some errands done will do more for me right now.¡± ¡°Understandable. Well, is there anything I can do to help with those errands?¡± ¡°Actually, yeah. Can you tell me what these are worth?¡± Joe inquired, taking the pouch out of his satchel and withdrawing an azure coin. ¡°Ooh. That metal is undium; some people call it rivertite. One of the elemental metals. The coin is an undium drib. These are a good currency to use in port cities. Easy way to carry around a hundred gold.¡± ¡°A hundred gold!¡± Joe jabbered. ¡°This one coin is worth one hundred?¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Yes, it is. How many do you have?¡± ¡°Twenty-four. And some pearls.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be happy to appraise ¡­¡± Before the gnome finished, Joe had the eight near identical pearls in his hand, which was easily done thanks to having a third hand to sort with. ¡°Good quality. I¡¯d value each of them at three-quarters of one of the dribs. All total, it looks like you have three thousand worth on the nose.¡± It was such a suspiciously round number that he didn¡¯t doubt the small man¡¯s valuation. ¡°Holy,¡± Joe breathed. He was way better off than he imagined. ¡°Yes, she is,¡± the robed priest replied worshipfully. ¡°So, what are your plans with this newfound wealth, friend?¡± Having found a local source of information whose very religion was based on helping others, Joe launched into his plans. Norbip wasn¡¯t much up on leather armor as Murrceeains tended to wear magical robes instead of mundane protective gear. Still, he suggested a street a few blocks away where a number of light armor shops were. His next recommendation was a nearby charm shop instead of a scroll shop since mending and cleaning were more commonly bought that way. Lastly, the priest¡¯s brother was a skills merchant. The gnome gave Joe permission to name-drop for a discount. Looking at Joe¡¯s cumbersome backpack and running his finger over his facial hair, Norbip added a suggestion. ¡°If you are going to be hunting something tonight,¡± Joe had not specified his quarry, ¡°Then might I suggest you lighten your load? What you have mentioned so far should not cost you more than a couple dribs. With the rest, you could buy a spacial bag. Nothing too fancy. Yet more than enough there to contain that ungainly pack.¡± He didn¡¯t have too much in his rucksack, and years of school had gotten him used to the feel of a bag on his back, so he really didn¡¯t notice it much. Even so, the thought of not having everything he owned sitting on his shoulders had a real appeal. It would also allow him to move and, if necessary, fight easier. Joe compared the warehouse fights against his training without the backpack on, and realized this windfall might be the only chance he would have to make this kind of purchase for a long time. The gnome suggested a pouch shop across the street from the charm shop. After gratefully shaking hands with the small, helpful templar, Joe set off to get ready for his quest.
Four hours later, Joe had polished off his wish list. He had his gambeson magically repaired and had purchased a bracelet and twelve charms: six of [Clean] and six of [Mend]. It was cheaper to buy a new set of clothes than to salvage the mess his current outfit was in. He picked up another spare set as well this time. He bought five rare mana potions. These were not cheap, but the potion dealer had given him a discount on the fifth one. Even with [Swap Stamina], Joe knew running out of mana could be fatal for him. These should save him in a mana emergency. He replaced the goblin knife, which he had left right where it had been lodged the night before, with a proper dagger. His hunting knife was a good utility item, but the poniard he had purchased would be better in a fight. The longest period of time had gone into supplementing his padded armor with some additional leather and studded-leather pieces. Joe now had a pair of protective gloves with reinforced knuckles. A leather skullcap and a gorget would shield his head, neck, and shoulders. He also added a set of shinguards to cover his legs below his tassets. The best part was that the added pieces did not make his trusty gambeson any less comfortable. At the armorer¡¯s suggestion, he picked up a handful of troll bone discs. The armorer used them at times in place of metal scales. They didn¡¯t offer quite as much protection as steel, but they were both lighter and self-repairing. Joe and the crafter slid the pale bone slices into the pockets of Joe¡¯s blue coat wherever he needed extra protection. The purchase of his storage bag was both amazing and a little disappointing. The bag was a marvel: it was a small crossbody sack that Joe would still hang on his back, but it held everything he owned, even his six-foot quarterstaff, and weighed almost nothing. The coolest part was that Joe just had to reach into the sack, and the item he wanted magically found its way into his hand, no more searching for that thing at the bottom of his pack. The biggest limiter on the bag was he had to put items in through the opening, so nothing bigger than about a foot in diameter. The shop was filled with many far pricier and more exciting variations: rings, lockets, billfolds, purses, and more. Some could hold rooms full of items. Some had actual rooms built into them. For Joe¡¯s budget, the choice was the most common item in the store, a rack with little deviation besides color to distinguish between them. His purchase elicited as much enthusiasm from the clerk as selling a gallon of milk at a convenience store would have back on Earth. Joe turned over what he considered to be a small fortune, twenty-five hundred gold, and received nothing more than his plain-looking dimensional bag, a shrug, and a good day. The last task was filling in his open skill point. Joe was still a few ranks shy of being able to upgrade something to rare, but he still had common skills he could upgrade uncommon. [Strong Arm] was at the top of his list. It had batted away a number of what could have been lethal strikes from Groven. Maybe it would damage his hand less as it moved to a higher grade or have less of a lag between uses. Joe had considered [Whisperstep] in case they might have to sneak to catch the Night Skinner, but he rejected that choice after some consideration. If stealth was a requirement, then Azbekt would give them away far more than Joe would. He couldn¡¯t imagine they would be able to tell the dwarf to stay put while they snuck on ahead without him. [Helping Hand] was probably going to advance on its own thanks to the [Signature Spell] trait. The rest of Joe¡¯s common skills lacked enough ranks to warrant upgrading them right now. Joe¡¯s focus today was getting tougher, being able to survive tonight. So, either it would be [Strong Arm] or something that would give him an even better defense. Since J¡¯kadoo had suggested {Bone} to help with his healing of breaks, he looked there first. When Norbip¡¯s brother, Ninbem, described [Bonemail], Joe knew he had the winner.
[Bonemail]- Common - Vigor: For 20 minutes, infuse your armor with the essence of bone, increasing its resistance rating by 6% plus 1% for each skill rank you have with this skill. Cost: Mediuman Stamina. | Range: Touch. {Bone}
Ninbem suggested that Joe practice with the spell because, after a few ranks, he would be able to target more than just one piece of armor at a time. Joe¡¯s piecemeal armor would layer the protection better than a single suit would. The bump to Vigor also added over a hundred health and stamina to his resources. Something he might very well need in the hunt to come. Joe spent the afternoon wandering Peregrine Bay, following Ninbem¡¯s advice. By the time the hour had come to meet the others in Tellemont Square, he had gotten [Bonemail] to target everything on his upper body and head, all the pieces except his legs, hands, and feet.
71 - Go Time 71 - Go Time Joe strode into the Telemont Square, resolved not to address the issue of Sir Groven unless it was absolutely necessary. He was still a little unsure about how he felt about what he had been forced to do last night. The night with the Murrceeians had helped him considerably, but his stomach still felt queasy when he dwelled on the killing. Additionally, the last thing he needed was more tension with the Phealtian on his team. Crossing the plaza, Joe spotted two of his companions waiting for him by the central fountain. Somehow, it did not surprise him that the breezy galeling was on her own schedule. On the walk here, Joe had been feeling confident. He had used the dwindling coins from Jink to buy a map of the city and now knew where they had to go. He was better armored and skilled than he had been the last time he met these men. Yet the closer he got to them, the more his conviction began to falter. Count Randeau was dressed in an impeccable arsenal. He had several belts wound about his lean waist; each was littered with blades and vials, even a classic wooden vampire stake. A bandoleer across his chest was filled with darts. He had a long, slim blade on one hip and a short sword and a whip on the other. Even his tall boots had a pair of sheathed blades worked into them. Added to everything Joe could see were several of the highest-quality storage items he had seen when he bought his dimensional bag. Given the volume capabilities of just one of those items, Joe couldn¡¯t even guess how much more gear the monster hunter had stashed in his extra-dimensional spaces. The count was in the process of removing an item from one of his storage talismans and placing it on his belt. It looked like a leather-bound jar filled with honey. Standing near, but by no means with the nobleman, was Azbekt, arrayed nearly as impressively as the human. His gold and silver armor gleamed, seemingly impervious to anything the darkness could throw at the myrmidon. He carried an even more devastating-looking axe than the one he bore on the Tide Dancer. This one, too, smoldered with an inner volcanic heat, but it was larger, bearing a vicious back hook instead of a second blade. Just as he was about to call out, his voice vanished. ¡®This is a huge mistake!¡¯ It was all too obvious just how big a liability he was to the team. He had less than a quarter of Azbekt¡¯s level. These two each had multiple combat classes. Just as his thoughts turned to handing the reins of tonight over to the far more capable Count, a friendly hand squeezed his shoulder. Hah¡¯roo glided around to face him. ¡°I will not lie to you and say the One Above does not set the roost higher than we can soar,¡± she breathed. ¡°The Speaker of Fates often presents us with challenges that are beyond us. Knowing when you are out of your depth is a vital key to living a long, adventurous life. Still, you must not be guided by fear and insecurity. That will only make your tasks more difficult, for you must fight them and yourself at once. Know your strengths and weaknesses, zephyr, and know we have your back. Everything else is just distractions.¡± Joe felt more than just the words and tone radiate from the huntress. He felt her camaraderie envelop him like a warm summer breeze, driving away the cold doubts that had been trying to bury him. He blew out a deep breath and lifted his gaze to meet her eyes. ¡°And, I know why you may not want these, but we will likely be facing a powerful enemy. You should take all the advantages you can get.¡± With those words, the galeling warrior thrust three items into Joe¡¯s hands. He recognized one of them as the ring worn on the hand that had broken his jaw. He opened his mouth to object, but Hah¡¯roo¡¯s stern glare brooked no compromise. With a sigh, Joe swapped out his new shinguards, put on the ring, and placed a tooled leather circlet onto his head.
[Cavalier''s Seal] (Finger - Uncommon - Set: Grimwald''s Legacy) Your ability to resist {Knockdown} effects applies when mounted, and if you are in Immediate range of your animal companion, they receive the benefit of any helpful buff you apply to yourself. {Leadership / Pact}
[Marshal''s Treads] (Shins - Uncommon - Set: Grimwald''s Legacy) Median resistance to {Slow} effects and provides a modest damage enhancement to allies within Short range. {Leadership / Pact}
[Vanguard''s Diadem] (Head - Uncommon - Set: Grimwald''s Legacy) Median reduction to the impact of the {Pain} condition and increase your {Leadership / Pact} affinity. {Leadership / Pact}
[Grimwald''s Legacy - Full Set Bonus]
  • Self-buffs are shared with your animal companion within Short range
  • Provide a median damage enhancement to your allies
  • Elevate your {Leadership / Pact} affinity
  • Allies within Short range of you gain a 5% bonus to Health and Stamina
Joe was a little creeped out wearing the accoutrements of someone he had killed, but he had to admit Hah¡¯roo was right. Considering how far below the rest of the team he was, anything he could get his hands on, he should use. ¡°Hey, guys,¡± he began automatically before a thunderous glower from the dwarf silenced him again. Joe mentally kicked himself. Casual familiarity wouldn''t work here as it had for him on Earth. Clearing his throat, he started again. ¡°I know the monster¡¯s name and where it will be tonight.¡±
Half an hour later, the team moved at a steady clip down a wide boulevard, heading north across the city. So far no one had mentioned the attack from last night. Hah¡¯roo had stated she would inform the authorities, but that knowledge must not have reached Azbekt¡¯s church yet. Given that they had to work together tonight, Joe was hoping the news stayed buried for the time being. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. As he was keeping his head down so as not to look guilty, Joe recognized that the city was also looking more subdued tonight than it had the night before. Looking about, he was stunned at the change that had swept across the streets around him. The bustling, busy avenues of last night were almost empty tonight. The mass of traffic that had filled the streets yesterday was gone. The shops that had been open and doing business by lantern light were now closed up tight. The tavern lights were lit, but there were no revelers on the porches and no merry music floating in the air. The city was so quiet you could hear the wind blowing off the ocean. The few people on the road were hustling along with worried expressions on their faces. Joe looked to the sky. Even though it was too early to see the rising full moon, its effect on the people of Peregrine Bay was clear. The Night Skinner¡¯s seemingly unstoppable butchery had terrorized the citizens. Soon, they entered a more run-down section of the city. It was clear that the sea was where the harbor city¡¯s livelihood stemmed from. The further from the coast they traveled, the poorer the neighborhoods became. ¡°This is a long way from anywhere,¡± the surly dwarf uttered. ¡°No chance a city patrol will be close enough if we need it.¡± ¡°The diviner was very specific,¡± Joe countered. ¡°If we include others, we won¡¯t find the Skinner. It has to be just us.¡± ¡°Bah,¡± Azbekt huffed. ¡°Surely the gods expect us to marshal our order against this fiend. This massacre has gone on far too long. I have holy warriors ready and waiting on my call. This diviner of yours, if she even exists, played you for a fool.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you that she was one very sketchy lady, but on this point, she was adamant. It can only be the four of us.¡± Azbekt maintained his dubious stare. ¡°If the oracle Joe met with was who Ekwiti¡¯s champion stated she was, then her portents are above reproach, Azbekt,¡± Hah¡¯roo stated. ¡°I have heard of quests of this nature, Sir Vanderaxe,¡± Valloc added. ¡°The One Above is known to present challenges that are for a select few. If Joe is certain that it must be just us, then I say we heed his warning and not foul our chance to slay the beast.¡± ¡°Fools,¡± the dwarf spat. ¡°You gamble with the lives of the innocent.¡± ¡°I care not what jests the penny dreadfuls make with my adventures, sir, but I am not lightly called a fool to my face. Tonight, we are allies, but demean me further, and tomorrow I will collect my due.¡± The count''s voice was so cold a literal shiver ran down Joe¡¯s spine. He doubted the myrmidon was as shaken, but the dwarf seemed to know better than to push. Azbekt huffed and trudged on, thankfully in silence. The party reached the end of the main northbound lane just as the last edge of the sun glinted behind the buildings on their left. The fading light turned from hints of orange to shades of blue as a huge round moon rose in the eastern sky. On the way here, Joe was afraid that he should have bought some sort of darksight potion, but he needn¡¯t have worried. The fat rising moon washed the streets with bright, cold light. He could make out each of the cobblestones under his feet and even read some of the large shop signs as he passed them. The night was so clear that Joe could see the first of the stars in the sky even before the last glow finished slipping behind the horizon. Four city blocks later, the tower of the old vineyard god came into view. The structure stood forty feet tall, flat-topped, and wreathed in twisting vines. The area around the tower was clear of buildings. Circular paths ran between five ornamental grape arbors and a large stone table, all of which looked very old. The timbers holding up the grapes sagged mightily, but they must have been maintained by the locals since they were still standing. Moss and lichen coated the stone table. Weeds pushed up through the gravel in the paths. Hah¡¯roo, who often glided ahead of the party, stopped and crouched down over a patch of grass that had split the pathway. ¡°Tracks,¡± she voiced. The Count stepped up to her and nodded his agreement. He then hunched forward and tilted his head from side to side, all the while staring at the tower. ¡°Clever monster,¡± Valloc stated. ¡°The Skinner knows how to pick his sites. The vines have choked closed the windows. It would take an exceptionally bright light from within the tower to be seen from out here. If you look carefully enough, though, you can catch small glimpses of candlelight from within. I believe our beast is in the lair. Now is the time to invoke any moderate-duration enhancements you might have.¡± As Joe activated [Bonemail] and downed the [Potion of Cat''s Creep], Hah¡¯roo grabbed his wrist and tied on a thick-knotted charm she had made for him. She then reached up and tied back her azure mane of hair with an equally complex knotwork strand. Azbekt knelt and uttered a low prayer. As he did so, the air around him seemed to grow heavier, charged with potency. It made sense that prayers in Illuminaria would be more powerful than those back on Earth, but Joe was still surprised by the tangible aura that arose from Azbekt¡¯s devotions. The Count ran skilled hands across his gear, double-checking that everything was where it should be. When his inspection was done, he took out a wooden dowel about a foot and a half long from one of his storage items and hooked it next to the jar of viscous golden goop. He caught Joe¡¯s questioning looks and explained. ¡°Regent¡¯s Glue. Great stuff,¡± the man remarked, tapping his fingers on the jar. ¡°It is amazingly strong and dries in an instant. Breaks down after an hour. It is a great trick for making sure a monster does not escape behind you. After we enter, I will seal the tower door behind us, as well as any other doors or shutters we find. The Skinner still may flee from a route we are not aware of, but it will limit the beast¡¯s options.¡± "Why not just use it to glue the killer to the floor?¡± ¡°Alas, the glue does not work affixed to flesh. I have often wished it did. However, I have been in situations where I am equally glad it did not. It spilled on me once during a fight. I ended up having to cut my pants off. Bareassed was better than bound stiff and easy for the kill.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure the penny dreadfuls loved that one,¡± Joe couldn''t help but quip. ¡°Best seller,¡± Valloc winked back before gesturing for Joe to follow him up to the tower. They circled the building once, finding a smaller doorway on the backside of the structure. The Count tested it and found it locked. He slathered a liberal amount of glue on the frame, sealing it tight before they finished their circuit. Once back at the main door, both the Count and Hah¡¯roo checked it for traps. They were certain a spell was bound into the door, though they were less sure if it was a lock, a trap, or an alarm. Azbekt lifted his shield, which was emblazoned with the sun and moon symbol of Phealti. His voice dropped into such a deep register it sounded to Joe more like the bass from some far-off speaker than actual words. Golden symbols appeared on the door and flowed to the edges. There, they encountered something that suddenly gave off a crimson glow. The gold sigils sliced into the ruby aura, banishing it from the portal. The myrmidon nodded and Hah¡¯roo eased open the door. When nothing happened, not even a creak from the hinges, the four slipped inside.
72 - Meet the Beast 72 - Meet the Beast The bottom of the tower was filled with old, moldering wine racks and broken barrels. A mostly intact table stood in the center of the room. On the wall, a single torch lit the downstairs. Old tapestries had fallen from their poles and lay in heaps on the ground. Built into the wall, a curved stone stairway spiraled up to the second floor. Sounds could be heard from above. Light glowed from the second floor as well, peeking through cracks in the floor and down the stairs. The floor creaked and groaned as something moved about over their heads. Either whatever it was was very large, or the floor was rotting through. Or both. The ceiling boards clearly sag under the weight of what lurked above them. Echoing down the stairs, the questers caught fragments of a horrid-sounding incantation being uttered in a deep, garbled voice. Valloc pointed to himself, then Azbekt, then Hah¡¯roo, and finally Joe. They all nodded, and the famed monster hunter stepped silently up onto the stairs. Azbekt followed, stepping lightly so his metal sabatons did not scrape on the stone steps. The Count vanished off the stairway when Azbekt was about halfway up. Hah¡¯roo followed, seeming to slide up the wall itself, skipping the stairs entirely. Before Joe could even take a step forward, a strange heaviness dragged his arm downward. Looking at the inside of his forearm, his eyes landed on the sign of the Thirteen Omen, the Mark of Death. There was something there that wasn''t there before. It was as if the mystical tattoo had a noticeable weight to it. He rubbed the glittering rose and felt something stirring with the mark. Before he could discover more, a titanic bellow erupted from the room above, and Count Randeau crashed into the wall at the top of the steps. As the infamous monster hunter started to shake off the blow, Azbetk charged over him and onto the second floor. Hah¡¯roo soared upwards as well. Joe dashed up the steps behind them, taking the stairs two at a time. As howls and shouts came from the room above, Joe lunged forward and slapped a hand onto Count Valloc.
You have restored 122 points of Valloc Randeau¡¯s health. His current health is at 88%.
Joe felt a tremble run down his spine. Count Randeau was a level forty-something superstar, and Sougath had just torn off a sixth of his health. This fight was seriously out of his league. He healed again while he peeked his head over the edge of the floor. Candles and torchlight allowed him to finally get his first look at the creature they were hunting. The Night Skinner was a shaggy, long-limbed humanoid. It stood hunched over, but even then, it was at least six feet high. If it reared up, it would be well over eight feet tall. The monster was covered in dark, thick fur. Its elongated fingers were tipped in vicious-looking talons that were dripping blood. When it spun to face Azbekt, Joe saw its face was that of a demonic twisted wolf. Werewolf immediately came to mind but the creature was that and much more. Intelligence and vicious malice burned from its blood-red eyes. ¡°Lycanthrope variant!¡± The monster hunter cried out, pulling himself to his feet. ¡°Silver vulnerability. High magic resistance. Infectious. Have care!¡± Joe¡¯s attempt to identify it was a wasted second.
- -: -: -: -
Azbetk charged, and the creature nimbly slid away from the attack, raking its claws down the myrmidon¡¯s back. The plate mail covering the dwarf screeched beneath the talons but prevented the strike from reaching the skin below. Sougath lashed out with a clawed foot and sent the dwarf flying into the far wall. Joe guessed that was the same maneuver the creature had used on the Count. Hah¡¯roo flipped in front of the beast, distracting it. As she spun over the center of the room, Joe became aware of a gruesome sight. In the middle of the floor was a ritual circle, which contained the partially flayed body of a young man. Candlesticks with crimson tapers and metal bowls filled with blood surrounded the body. Joe quickly activated his wound-sight. As he feared, the body had no sense of life remaining in it. Yet it was not a dull, empty husk. A churning red corruption boiled within the corpse. Disgust caused Joe¡¯s stomach to knot up. The murders were one thing. Seeing the torn, defiled victim writhing with that venomous taint was something else entirely. Joe glared at the fiend and called on his mana. He focused on one of Sougath¡¯s legs and cast.
Sougath the Night Skinner has resisted your [Deadened Flesh].
¡°Damn it!¡± Joe tried again and failed again. As Hawking notified him of the blocked spell, Joe remembered his new spell of Mazsy.
Your skill [Crystal Mind] has increased to rank 7. Sougath the Night Skinner has resisted your [Deadened Flesh].
¡°Come on,¡± he growled. Before he could try again, Valloc and Azbekt charged back into the fray. Count Randeau bore a spike-like silver dagger in his hand, similar in shape to Joe¡¯s new poniard. The creature must have sensed the metal it hated because before the monster hunter could close the distance, the beast whirled and lashed out, sending the hero hurtling across the room again. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. It spun to meet Azbekt¡¯s attack. The monstrous creature hooked its claws and swung at the myrmidon¡¯s face. If the blow had landed, it would have blinded the warrior, yet it was fouled. A rope flashed out of the corner of the room, snagging the giant werewolf''s wrist and halting the strike. The momentary hitch allowed the dwarf to get a gauntlet up high enough to block the blow. In that instant, as the creature¡¯s arm was locked still, Joe¡¯s eyes were drawn to the creature''s palm. There, he saw a pitch-black circle filled with motes of silvery light. The Mark of the Moon flickered in the middle of that monstrous, taloned hand. The Night Skinner followed the rope to where Hah¡¯roo had looped her line around one of the room¡¯s support beams. It yanked hard on the line, clearly expecting to break the weapon or the woman¡¯s grip. Instead, the rope dancer flipped around the timber and let out more slack. Caught off balance, the creature flailed its arm. Hah¡¯roo used the opening to flick the coil up over the wolf-like ears, settling it around his neck. Sougath went berserk, thrashing and yanking at the rope. Hah¡¯roo turned almost every furious movement into another entanglement. Soon, she had one of the beast¡¯s arms virtually tied to its chest. The rope must have been enchanted. The claws that were sharp enough to leave furrows in Azbekts armor were unable to slice through her braided cord. Count Valloc regained his feet and was hurling darts. Each of his missiles was coated in some nasty-looking substance. The first couple were slathered with a bright, toxic green paste. The next four had dark, tarry goop on them. The darts hung in the creature¡¯s fur but Joe could not see any wounds where they had struck. It was as if the points had hit solid steel, not shag-covered skin. With the monster partially bound and pelted with various toxic projectiles, Azbekt was free to go to town on the brute. His axe smashed into one kneecap after the other. The legs would twist and crack horribly, but before the dwarf could swing again, the limb would snap back into place. Even though they had not yet landed a killing blow, Joe was amazed at how well the team was overwhelming the monster. Sougath screamed. The howl was filled with furious hatred and something primal. Terror slammed into his gut, freezing Joe under the overwhelming panic elicited by the furious roar. As the hellish howl filled the room, the mark on the creature¡¯s palm grew brighter, releasing a flickering, pale moonlight glow. Joe¡¯s heart felt like it was going to explode in his chest. Terror flooded through every inch of him. He lost control of his mind and body as he became absolutely certain the beast was going to rip them to shreds and devour their souls. Joe tried to breathe, but his lungs felt locked in ice. He watched Hah¡¯roo tumble from the air, falling in a heap on the wooden floor. She curled into a trembling fetal ball. Her hands released her rope, allowing the lupine monster to start working itself free. Azbekt, too had dropped his weapon and had fallen to his knees. His deep red skin looked practically ashen. The dwarf slammed his hand against his helmet once, twice, and a third time, trying to drive off the horror of his indisputable doom. Even the Count faltered under the waves of prophetic dread. As Joe turned to flee, the weight of his own mark redoubled. It felt like someone had laid a cinderblock across his arm. Joe looked down, acknowledging the symbol. The golden motes within it were swirling about like a blizzard within his arm, begging for him to act. Joe was not exactly sure what it wanted, except that it wanted him to choose. ¡°Do it,¡± was all he could croak as his chest felt like it was about to burst from the fear crushing it. Joe felt a gong sound reverberate through his body. Not heard it. Just felt it. There was a word inside the vibration that was not actually a word, but Joe knew its meaning. ¡°Begin,¡± the tremor announced.
The Mark of Death has temporarily transformed one of your abilities. Your [Iron Mind] trait has become [Iron Tenacity] for the duration of this encounter. [Iron Tenacity]: You have Major Resistance against Confusion and Fear effects.
Immediately, the terror fell away, and Joe understood something about his mark. This power alteration was not something he should expect, even against powerful enemies like the Night Skinner. It was a direct response to Sougath¡¯s Mark of the Moon. Joe had a trait his mark could change to counter an opposing mark, so it did, swapping domination resistance for fear resistance. Joe looked around and saw the Count was least affected by the Sougath¡¯s aura of dread and, therefore, the most likely to be purgable.
You have removed the {Shaken} affliction from Valloc Randeau.
The dashing hero regained his equilibrium, throwing Joe a salute before reorienting on the monstrosity. Valloc shot across the room, trying to intercept the untangled creature as it reached down for the prone rope-dancer. He wasn¡¯t going to make it in time. But Joe might be able to. If [Deaden Flesh] would just land. He flared [Crystal Mind] and felt his mark¡¯s vibration again. It reached into the spell and made another change.
The Mark of Death has temporarily transformed one of your abilities. Your [Crystal Mind] skill has become [Diamond Spell] for the duration of this encounter. [Diamond Spell] - Uncommon - Spirit: For 1 minute, your spell penetration increases by 15% plus 3% for each skill rank you have with this skill. Cost: Moderate Mana. {Crystal}
Joe was focused enough on his own in that second that he didn¡¯t need the improved concentration buff. The huge boost to spell penetration was exactly what he needed.
Sougath the Night Skinner has partially resisted your [Deaden Flesh].
He felt his spell just prick the beast. It wasn¡¯t much more than a momentary numbness and a bit of a wobble, but it was enough to draw the brute''s attention. The creature stopped advancing on Hah¡¯roo and locked its eyes on Joe for the first time. He could feel it pour on the fear, trying to crush his will, maybe even killing him with an instant heart-attack. Yet the tsunami of terror broke against the iron of his revised dwarven trait. Joe just shook his head, flipped the fiend two birds, and hurled another curse.
Sougath the Night Skinner has partially resisted your [Deaden Flesh]. Your skill [Deaden Flesh] has increased to rank 9.
The bestial horror faltered again, snarling, but was forced to look away from Joe, confronting the more imminent threat of Count Randeau, Monster Hunter. The sauve swordsman unleashed a barrage of slashes, drawing the fiendish monstrosity away from Hah¡¯roo, but Joe was certain Sougath had not forgotten about him.
73 - Fight the Fear 73 - Fight the Fear The Count slid under the werewolf¡¯s slashing claws, striking out with his magical saber in one hand and the silver poniard in the other. Sougath ignored the Count¡¯s sword attack, attempting to thwart the shorter weapon. The monster hunter read the block and hooked the needle-like blade to another angle, driving it along the shaggy fiend¡¯s leg. The argent spike tore open the flesh, and for the first time that night, Sougath bled. A gout of deep red blood sprayed from the wound. And the sight of it was vile to Joe. Obvious in Joe¡¯s wound-sight, there was something wriggling inside that blood, like oozy worms. Not wanting to get anywhere near that blood, Joe kept casting from his place by the stairs. He was worried that his affliction removal spell would not be enough to free his petrified allies from the terror locking them down. His mark must have agreed, ringing another bell-toll through his body. The Thirteenth Omen made another change just as Joe targeted the trembling ranger.
The Mark of Death has temporarily transformed one of your abilities. Your [Purge] skill has advanced to rare. [Purge] - Rare - Spirit: Remove minor afflictions from a target in close range. Minor afflictions include conditions such as {Blinded}, {Cowed}, {Dazed}, {Deafened}, {Frightened}, {Shaken}, or {Sickened}. Afflictions greater than these are decreased by 1 level plus 1 level for every 10 exponential ranks you have with this skill. Cost: Moderate Mana. | Range: Close.
You have reduced the {Terrified} affliction on Hah¡¯roo to {Frightened}.
As the reverberation faded, Joe felt a bit clumsier than he had a minute ago and realized that the prophetic mark was not giving him any freebies. It needed more Spirit, so it took it from somewhere else, in this case, Dex. Joe noted that to pay for the upgrade from the common [Crystal Mind] to the uncommon [Diamond Spell], he was down a point of Perception, too. Both [Identify] and [Swift Strike] were grayed out. Dismissing his info, he cast again.
You have reduced the {Frightened} affliction on Hah¡¯roo to {Scared}. Your skill [Purge] has increased to rank 10.
Hah¡¯roo shuddered. She opened her eyes to see the deadly clawed toes just a foot from her face. Slapping her hand against the ground, she released a burst of wind that blew out the candles on the floor and caused the torches on the wall to flicker wildly. Riding the wave of air, the dancer rolled through the gust backward, launching herself out of Sougath¡¯s reach.
You have reduced the {Terrified} affliction on Azbekt Vanderaxe to {Scared}.
¡®Got two that time!¡¯ Joe crowed in his head. The dwarf¡¯s head snapped up, yelling a roar of fury at the beast who had brought him low. He grabbed his axe and charged. Count Valloc and Hah¡¯roo snapped off a series of quick hand signs and began to circle the wolven giant. Ironically, the pair began to harry Sougath the way a pack of wolves would assault a larger predator. Each would dart in while the other distracted the prey. They would feign a blow or foul one of the monster¡¯s attacks, occasionally making solid strikes. Azbekt, on the other hand, had zero subtlety. Trusting his armor to shield him, the myrmidon hammered away with his axe. Steam or smoke started to rise from the dwarf as if his molten-looking skin and flame-colored hair were glowing with an inner fire. The beast managed to tag Valloc, rending open the Count¡¯s side. It then used the opening to boot Azbekt again, sending the dwarf flying head over heels into the far wall. Hah¡¯roo was left with no choice but to dodge. The beast''s reach was too long for her to avoid completely. A claw hooked her thigh, spraying an arc of blood across the floor. She managed to evade the following swipe, barely keeping her distance from the savage creature. Joe took a deep breath and fixed his vision on a spot on the floor right behind Count Radneau, where a couple of old barrels would offer him some cover. The area zoomed into focus, and he was there. He crouched down and activated [Whisperstep], hoping the [Potion of Cat''s Creep] would boost it enough to hide him.
A hostile entity has detected you. You are not hidden.
¡®Shit!¡¯ he reflected. Joe had hoped that the creature would be too busy diving around the room after the elusive galeling or dealing with the berserk dwarf to notice, but Sougath clearly sensed his movement. When the beast spoke, Joe nearly jumped out of his skin. ¡°Give up, little worms. You cannot stop what I am becoming. The Empire of the Wolf has been foretold, and I shall be its God King. Run now, and I may forgive this intrusion. Stand, and I will carve off your flesh and bind your souls in sacrifice.¡± The werewolf¡¯s voice was a deep, grinding growl, filled with tones of hunger and hate. Joe felt the weight of dread trying and failing to push down on him again. ¡°Nay!¡± Azbekt barked from across the room. ¡°You are a vile abomination. I swear to the Lord of Order, I will end you and purge your villainy from the records of this land. Your unholy existence ends here and now, fiend.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. A dark laugh broke free from the creature¡¯s fanged mouth. Joe reached forward to heal the Count, figuring he would not be noticed while the two megalomaniacs jousted verbally. He was wrong. Before his fingers touched Valloc¡¯s coat, the great snaggy brute rounded on him, red eyes pinning him. It growled at him with its voice of nightmares. ¡°You reek of fear, runt. I will end your pathetic existence.¡± Joe could feel the aura of terror fill the room again. This time, though, the Count was ready for it. A sense of confidence and camaraderie bloomed out of the heroic nobleman.
Valloc Randeau¡¯s [Hero¡¯s Faith] is attempting to enhance your Fear resistance, but [Iron Tenacity] already surpasses the spell.
Even though it didn''t work on Joe, it clearly helped the swordsman and their other two allies. Each steadied and fought to push through the supernatural terror. As soon as Joe had topped off the monster hunter¡¯s health, the man was heading back into the fight. He watched as Hah¡¯roo and the Count began to circle the demon wolf once more. Azbekt again stepped forward. Joe focused on his wound-sight to see what shape everyone was in. He always had it passively running, and it gave him hints, but this time, he wanted details. Azbekt looked fairly healthy. Most paladin-like classes had healing abilities from the systems Joe knew of, so it was likely the fanatical myrmidon had been using some sort of ¡®Lay on Hands¡¯ skill already. Joe had just patched up the Count. Hah¡¯roo was in the worst shape. She had several cuts, and Joe could see stressed and strained muscles where the acrobatic fighter had had to match her strength against Sougath¡¯s. Joe then turned his vision to the creature they faced. His heart dropped into his stomach. The Night Skinner¡¯s resistance was making a mess of Joe¡¯s [Assess Wound] skill, but Joe could see well enough. Even though it was like looking at an old-fashioned static-filled television set, he could spot only one wound on the creature. Nothing the trio had done had broken through Sougath¡¯s skin, even with the damage boost his new boots were giving off. Except for that single dagger strike, the Night Skinner was unharmed. ¡°It¡¯s not working!¡± he hollered. ¡°Only the silver dagger is hurting him!¡± ¡°Not at all?¡± the Count prodded. ¡°Very well. Silver weapons all around then.¡± The fabled hunter of monsters reached for his storage talismans, yet the Night Skinner was not about to let him rearm the party with argent weapons. The beast stood up tall for the first time, raising its great arms so high they brushed against the ceiling and then drove them down onto the rickety floor. The old beams shattered, and the floorboards disintegrated, dropping all of them in a rain of wooden shards and broken planks into the room below. The four of them barely had a second to react. Joe tried to teleport back to the stairs, but he didn¡¯t have enough time to lock on. He dropped like a rock. A beam, which hung for a second, followed him down, crushing and pinning his legs into the old wine racks. Azbekt and the beast tumbled down in a heap of fists and claws. They were completely buried by timbers and falling items from the second floor. Count Randeau turned his fall into a semi-acrobatic tumble, landing on his side but not impaled or trapped by any of the broken planks. Hah¡¯roo stood in the air with her rope wrapped around one of her feet. The other end of the line was looped around one of the ceiling beams. She sent Joe a questioning look, clearly asking how badly he was hurt. Before he could reply, the pile of debris shifted, and an unscathed Sougath burst out of the rubble, its eyes fixed on the dangling blue-maned ranger. Hah¡¯roo flipped her foot free, but the were-beast swung a powerful blow at her before she could slide out of its reach. The fist caught her straight in the chest, sending her hurling into the tower¡¯s stone wall. Her head struck first with a sickening crack. For the first time since he had seen her, the dancer fell without grace, landing in a boneless jumble amidst the heaps of broken wood. Sougath tore himself the rest of the way free and dove for the great doors. Joe let Hah¡¯roo¡¯s fallen body fill his vision, and he jumped through space on his likely broken legs to arrive by her side. As the werewolf rebounded off the sealed doors, baying with rage, Joe gathered Hah¡¯roo¡¯s head in his hands and unleashed his [Healer¡¯s Touch].
You have restored 122 points of Hah¡¯roo¡¯s health. Her current health is at 34%. She has severe underlying structural damage. Your skill [Healer¡¯s Touch] has increased to rank 24.
You have restored 127 points of Hah¡¯roo¡¯s health. Her current health is at 64%. She has severe underlying structural damage.
You have restored 34 points of Hah¡¯roo¡¯s health. Her current health is at 72%. She has severe underlying structural damage. The underlying cause of damage is preventing any additional healing of this type.
Joe checked the party screen Hah¡¯roo and saw the condition {Head Trauma (Major)}. She was not in immediate danger anymore, but he knew he would not be able to wake her without first addressing the fractures in her skull. As he watched, a point of Health dropped away. She wasn¡¯t stable either. He wanted to get her out of there, but there was no exit. The doors were sealed. There were no windows on this floor to teleport out. Not to mention, the stairs were now occupied. The Count and Sougath were dueling their way upward. Joe could tell the monster hunter was trying to keep the werewolf back, but the Night Skinner¡¯s strength and reach was causing the noble hunter to steadily lose ground. Already, they had reached the missing second floor. Valloc was injuring the beast with the dagger and a new silver blade he had managed to draw from his storage. He was forcing the brute to take wounds for every few steps it gained. The silver wrought slashes didn¡¯t heal instantaneously, like the blows Azbekt¡¯s axe had delivered to its legs. Joe looked and could see damage building up on the beast, but, at the rate the fight was going, Joe was pretty sure they would reach the roof long before Sougath ran low on health. Joe tried [Deaden Flesh] a couple more times, only managing to land a few mostly resisted hits. The only impact his spells accomplished was a minor distraction. Valloc managed to get in a deep wound one of the times Joe got off a well-timed minor numbing. As the pair climbed up the second-floor stair toward the roof, Count Randeau must have made a mistake. So far, he had successfully stayed clear of the brutal talons. Yet during this exchange of blows, Sougath swayed backward halfway up the curving flight, drawing the swordsman to over-reach. A long-furred arm swatted him into the wall, fouling his footwork. The other clawed hand lashed out and grabbed the arm holding the silver dagger. Sougath¡¯s jaws seemed to grow massive as they opened wide around the trapped limb. With a shearing bite, the demon wolf snapped the arm off and dropped the man and the limb at his feet. Sougath howled his victory up at the fat moon above. Then, with a predator''s dreadful, deliberate purpose, the Night Skinner turned about to face Joe. 74 - Savage Wounds 74 - Savage Wounds Sougath briefly glanced up toward the fat moon in the sky before it reoriented on Joe and the unconscious Hah¡¯roo. ¡°We still have time,¡± the beast snarled. ¡°You four have fouled up my first attempt tonight,¡± it stated, waving his arm at the wreckage where a leg of the flayed body peeked out from the broken boards. Joe looked and saw the writhing within the corpse was now still. But,¡± the beast let that last word out in a long drawl, ¡°I have enough time to start over with you, little healer. We may not need to waste this night after all. Let¡¯s hear how your soul dies.¡± Sougath stepped over the fallen noble and began to descend the stairs. Terror poured down the stairway, trying to crush Joe under its weight of dread. Yet it failed again. Joe knew he was probably doomed, but his [Iron Tenacity] allowed him to keep his mind intact from both his own fears and Sougath¡¯s. With a clear head, Joe looked at his legs and healed. As he did, he let his new understanding of {Bone} teach him.
You have restored 69 points of your health. Your current health is at 68%. You have underlying structural damage. The underlying cause of damage is diminishing your healing by 50%.
In his wound-sight, he could see blood clots and some slurry-like calcium filling the breaks in his bones. They were far from healed, but this was the most effective bone break repair Joe had performed so far. If he was careful, they might hold him up. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Joe tried to bluster. His voice sounded hollow even in his own ears. Knowing he couldn¡¯t leave Hah¡¯roo, the best thing he could think to do was to take her with him. He looked up and found the biggest section of the broken second floor he could see and prayed it was still somewhat solid. The moment his focus locked in, he and the dancer vanished from in front of the werebeast. Joe rolled her off him and immediately tried to hide with [Whisperstep].
A hostile entity has failed to detect you. You are hidden.
Thanks to the angle and the teleport, Joe had pulled off his hide, but he doubted it would last long. Joe heard the beast snuffling the air, like his dog, Ripple, tracking a scent. He only had seconds. The gong rebounded through him once more.
The Mark of Death has temporarily transformed one of your abilities. Your [Sneaky] trait has become [Phantom Prey] for the duration of this encounter. [Phantom Prey]: You have a major enhancement to stealth-based skills against baleful beings.
Joe was not sure what a baleful being was, but he was pretty sure Sougath must be one, otherwise, why else would the mark make such a shift? The Night Skinner¡¯s chuffing grew increasingly more frustrated. Joe knew that sound well. Whenever Rip lost a scent, he made almost the exact same noises. Even better, Joe could feel a breeze blowing off the comatose galeling, spreading her scent away from her body. The monster would have a very hard time finding them with his nose. Granted, all Sougath had to do was walk back up a few steps, and its eyes would find them. ¡°I know you are still here. Do you really think you can hide from a perfect hunter?¡± the monstrosity growled. ¡®No. But I¡¯m not giving up yet,¡¯ Joe thought. He could feel the fractures remaining in his half-healed legs, even though the pain from them was being diminished by the [Vanguard''s Diadem]. He still had most of his medallion¡¯s jump pool. It wouldn¡¯t last long if he kept moving Hahroo around with him, so Joe used a trio of hands to quietly pull an old tapestry over her prone body. Then, he used the medallion to shoot away from her to another stable-looking spot. Now, he needed his legs back. Joe placed his hand over the breaks and pictured his [Deaden Flesh] spell. He missed [Crystal Mind] for this task; it would have kept his focus tighter. Up until now, every time he had used the curse, he had released it like a punch. This time he tried to let it flow out of his hands slowly. He gently trickled the magic into the area around the cracked bones. He could see his femurs were no longer fully broken, but there were several angry red lines crisscrossing both bones. As soon as the pain faded enough to be bearable, Joe let the rest of the spell dissipate. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Joe levered himself to his feet using a beam for support and cover. He spotted Thunderstruck in the wreckage below. Reached out with [Helping Hand], he yanked his quarterstaff from a pile of broken planks, slapping it into his hands to steady himself. As the weapon flew upward, Sougath snarled loudly. The towering beast stepped back and found Joe. ¡°Looking for me,¡± he goaded the werewolf, beginning to target his next jump spot, even as he spoke. ¡°You think to mock ME!¡± Sougath seethed, reaching up and grabbing the floor over his head, preparing to haul himself up to Joe or pull the floor out from under him. Before it could do either, a groan of shifting wood sounded from under its feet, followed by a divinely empowered bellow. ¡°MIGHT OF THE RIGHTEOUS!¡± Azbekt roared from somewhere under the heaped pile of timbers and furnishings. For the first time since meeting the spiteful bully, Joe was overjoyed to hear the dwarf¡¯s tempestuous voice. The myrmidon surged out of the wreckage as a mighty giant. He stood almost as tall as the werewolf but he was so broad he took up half the room. He was holding Hah¡¯roo¡¯s cable, and he swung it at the Night Skinner. The move lacked all of the dancer''s grace, but the strength behind it caused the weighted rope to whip around the wolf-beast¡¯s neck several times. The enlarged champion yanked Sougath across the room to where he stood. As Azbekt hammered blows into the prone beast, Joe focused and jumped to Valloc¡¯s side. The site was awash in blood. In Joe¡¯s wound-sight he could see the Count¡¯s life pouring away. He placed his hand on the man¡¯s chest, right over his heart, and started pushing healing as quickly as he could, trying to replace the lifeblood the nobleman was losing. Next, he tossed out his [Helpful Hand] and dragged the severed arm to where he and the Count lay. It was such a mangled mess, that he did not know if he could attach it. Having a third hand turned out to be incredibly helpful. He drew the tattered shirt out of the wound and started pinching bits of muscle together. As he worked, his medically-enhanced vision told him what scraps of flesh belonged together. As he worked, Joe found he was using [Healer¡¯s Touch] in a new way. Instead of pouring as much health as he could into the mass of savaged flesh, he was targeting specific sections of severed tissue and bone and welding them back together bit by bit. It was slower, but reattaching an arm required finesse, not brute force. Whether it was this refined method or just the sheer amount of healing needed to reattach Valloc¡¯s arm, Joe¡¯s [Healer¡¯s Touch] level up again, breaking the rank twenty-five threshold. An alert appeared up at the edge of Joe¡¯s sight, but he didn¡¯t have the headspace for it yet. Blocking out the dwarven war cries and the inhuman howls, Joe kept operating as quickly as he could. Soon he discovered a different problem. As he bound the arm back to the Count¡¯s shoulder, he began to see clinging red corruption wriggling in the jagged wound. Joe doubted it could be anything other than the werewolf¡¯s curse of lycanthropy. Joe fired off [Purge] but it had no effect. ¡®Duh!¡¯ [Purge] was for status conditions. This was something physically wrong. Targeting one of the scarlet tendrils, he hit it with [Dispel Rot]. The red taint recoiled from the spell so violently it spurted from the wound like a popped pustule, splatting carmine goop onto Joe¡¯s chest. The thick droplets looked less like blood and more like wormy crimson cottage cheese. Joe was pretty immune to gross bodily fluids, but the wriggling wet splat revolted even him. It took him several more uses of the spell to drive out all the saliva-infected blood he could see. By then, he had the arm attached as well. It was far from fully functional, but at least it now had a chance to be with more magic and time. The Count also had a number of conditions besides his arm, the most debilitating was [Shock]. Joe was not sure how many of the rare-level [Purges] he needed but he ran out of time to find out. ¡°Ware, outlander!¡± Azbekt shouted from below. ¡°Do not let the fiend escape! Stop him!¡± Joe looked up to see Sougath bounding up the stairs at him. He grabbed his staff and stood up on his semi-asleep legs. As he settled into the pose the Count and Hah¡¯roo had taught him, he realized what ridiculous impediment he made. ¡°With what!¡± Joe shouted back at the dwarf, waggling his staff. ¡°This?¡± The Night Skinner tore right through him. Talons ripped into Joe¡¯s stomach, slicing through the padded armor, flesh, and intestines. He was lifted into the air as the beast¡¯s fangs descended. The teeth sheared into his flesh. Joe felt bones break and the burning sear of the creature¡¯s drool filling the jagged wound. Worse of all, the mark on his arm erupted in an almost caustic agony. It was as if Sougath¡¯s Mark of the Moon was attacking the Mark of Death. The werewolf tossed his savaged body away. As he fell, Joe''s sight blackened in an ominously familiar way. ¡®Not again!¡¯ his dying mind cried.
You have been reduced to 0 Health. [Punching Bag] has activated. You have 4.5 seconds before you lose consciousness. Cooldown: 1 Day.
Plummeting towards the jagged ruins of the floor two tall stories below, Joe did not want to find out if he could survive any additional damage.
You have restored 145 points of your health. Your current health is at 28%. You have severe underlying structural damage.
Joe slammed into the pile of debris, luckily hitting a ramp of fallen floorboards instead of a tangle of sharp wooden shards. It knocked the wind from him and removed half of the health he just recovered, but before [Punching Bag] expired, Joe had enough health remaining not to.