《Descension (A LitRPG Series)》


 Prologue

    Journal Entry 001:


    I''m Liam Thompson, 26 years old, a security guard at one of the world''s top companies. I''m your average guy¡ªnothing spectacular about me. I''ve got wavy brown hair that never really behaves the way I want it to, brown eyes that reflect the tiredness of the life I''m leading, and a habit of disappearing into video games or movie marathons whenever I can. It''s my escape, my sanctuary from the mind-numbing monotony of my days. On weekends, it''s a ritual¡ªfriends gathered around, controllers in hand, the world outside fading into nothing as we dive into worlds more vibrant than the one, I find myself stuck in.


    But right now, I''m sitting at my security desk, watching the clock tick as the silence of the night weighs on me. Another night shift. Another hour spent staring at screens, waiting for something to happen¡ªor more accurately, waiting for nothing to happen. The world outside is quiet, peaceful, but that doesn''t mean much when you''re in here, cooped up in a concrete box. I keep telling myself that my job is just a steppingstone¡ªthat this will all change. That eventually, I''ll find something that excites me, something that makes me feel alive.


    But who am I kidding? I''ve been saying the same thing for years, and nothing''s changed. This job is about as uninspiring as it gets. A soggy sandwich of a career¡ªjust bland, with no real flavor. The kind of job where you show up, do what you''re supposed to do, and leave. There''s no spark, no passion. Just long hours and a paycheck. The nights are especially tough. The quiet hum of the fluorescent lights overhead, the constant, unyielding tick of the clock, and the vague sense of loneliness that always seems to creep in. Sometimes it feels like the walls are closing in. The job drains me in a way that nothing else does. It''s not physical exhaustion¡ªit''s something worse. It''s the kind of exhaustion that sits in your bones, in your chest, that makes you feel like you''re going through the motions without ever truly being alive.


    And I hate that feeling. I hate that deep-down, I''m not satisfied, that the days blur together in a haze of uniformity. My creative spark, the part of me that used to imagine worlds of my own, feels like it''s being drained by this routine. My passions have slipped through my fingers like sand, and I''ve tried so hard to grasp onto something¡ªanything¡ªthat could reignite that fire. But here I am. Stuck.


    Still, I keep telling myself it''s just a phase. I keep telling myself that things will get better, that this won''t be forever. Maybe one day, something will change. I''ll stumble upon that perfect opportunity, or some grand revelation will make everything clear. It''s a comforting thought, even if I don''t entirely believe it. Maybe if I tell myself enough times, I''ll start to believe it again. Or maybe I''ll just stop worrying about it, stop chasing some version of my life that seems so elusive.


    I don''t know. Life''s been pretty average, really. A series of "meh" days, with a few moments of brightness here and there. But that''s okay, I guess. Because there''s always something to look forward to. And right now, that something is the new MMORPG that''s dropping in a couple of days. I''ve been following its development for months, keeping track of the updates, eagerly waiting for the day I can lose myself in that world, escape from this one.


    For now, that''s my light at the end of the tunnel. And if I can hold onto that hope, maybe I can make it through another shift. Maybe that''s enough for now. Anyways, I should get going. Off to work. Another night, another shift. Same old, same old. Until next time.


    -------


    While on duty, I was pursuing what I believed to be a delinquent teenager trying to capture videos or photos of someone breaking through the company''s supposedly impenetrable gate. But the reality was far less dramatic: the gate was just an 8-foot-tall structure topped with razor wire, easily breached with a pair of bolt cutters. Still, I wasn''t thrilled that this had happened in my patrol area, especially since I was the farthest from my company-issued vehicle, a moped, during my foot patrol.


    As I chased after the figure, I started noticing some odd things. For one, they were much shorter than I had originally thought. And their shoes? They were flashing¡ªdefinitely a factor in why I couldn''t seem to catch up, as the individual was clearly outpacing me. I was a good seven seconds behind by the time they reached the corner of the building. When I finally arrived, there was no one in sight.


    I shone my light around, hoping to spot any clues the trespasser might have left behind. That''s when I saw it¡ªa shiny gold coin on the ground. I bent down to pick it up, but as soon as I reached for it, the coin started moving away from me. The closer I got, the faster it retreated, until it clinked against the side of the building. Then, things took a turn. The coin began to ascend the concrete wall, rising until it was at eye level with me, and then, without warning, it shot towards my face. I instinctively raised my hand to block it, feeling a burning sensation in my palm before everything went dark.


    ........


    The first sensation I felt upon being woken up was freezing cold. Trying to fight the urge to shiver I opened my eyes, finding myself completely in the dark.


    There was nothing for what seemed like a few minutes. No sound. No lights. Then out of nowhere a robotic sounding voice flooded my hearing.


    "System error detected.


    Non system integrated sapient detected."


    Panic started to swell in my chest "Okay really funny guys." The group on my shift usually played practical jokes on each other every now and again. They must have found me unconscious and took me back to HQ. HQ being a single wide rent a trailer because the top earning company in the world couldn''t waste money on a permanent building for security contractors. Assholes probably locked me in the storage closet and are messing with me through the walkie.


    "System recalibrating. Integration protocol initializing... Error. Sapient anomaly remains external to known systems."


    "What the hell is going on?" I muttered through chittering teeth. Running through the possibilities of what could be happening when I was interrupted by the voice a third time.


    "System compromised. Sapient detected. Opportunity for Descender integration identified. Will you comply with adaptive integration? Refusal of integration will lead to sapient termination"


    With my anxiety peaking I yell "Integrate!" As I did, the door to the storage closet flew open and all I could see was the bright piercing light of the cafeteria LEDS. Heat rising to my face in embarrassment and anger "You son of " The light enveloped me fully and as my stomach rolled everything went dark for the second time this night.


    ---- In the Outer Cosmos


    Nexa, Goddess of Dimensional Weaving, floated serenely amidst the glittering expanse of the cosmos, her form radiant and shimmering like a constellation brought to life. Her position as a system-granted deity came after centuries of relentless pursuit¡ªhundreds of years spent unraveling the mysteries of space, time, and the delicate threads that bound universes together. Through trial, study, and perilous journeys across countless planes, she had ascended to a station few even dared to dream of.


    Now, she wielded powers beyond comprehension. With a mere thought, she could summon a vision of any galaxy within the multiverse. Nebulae swirled and danced before her eyes, stars flaring and fading in a cosmic symphony only she could truly appreciate. Each planet''s intricate data was laid bare to her¡ªclimates, inhabitants, civilizations, and even the secret patterns of their dimensional threads. Her role was to oversee and maintain the delicate balance of teleportation across realms, ensuring the comings and goings of system-granted portals adhered to the laws of dimensional integrity.


    She had once thought of the "System" as a singular, omnipotent force¡ªan all-knowing, all-powerful entity that governed the flow of existence. Back in her youth, she revered it as divine, the pinnacle of order in the chaotic multiverse. But ascension had brought clarity, and with clarity came disillusionment. The System was no singular omniscience; it was one of many.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Nexa had learned the truth: the multiverse was littered with competing systems, each vying for dominance, squabbling over dominion like children bickering in a backyard over the shiniest stones. These systems, while immensely powerful, were neither infallible nor eternal. They were constructs, mechanisms born of something older and far more inscrutable. Nexa often pondered this truth, wondering what primordial force had birthed such entities¡ªand what lay beyond even them.


    Her responsibilities were as endless as the dimensions she oversaw. The fabric of reality was fragile, prone to rips and distortions caused by reckless teleportation or malevolent tampering. When a rogue entity attempted to destabilize a realm with unlicensed portals, it was Nexa who intervened, weaving the threads of space and time back into harmony. She only recently began enveloping planets into the systems grasp that had awoken her to godhood.


    Despite the weight of her duties, Nexa found moments of quiet joy in her role. She would drift across the vast expanse of creation, marveling at the kaleidoscope of universes, each a testament to the infinite potential of existence. She smiled faintly as she watched fledgling civilizations discover dimensional magic for the first time, their awe mirroring her own from so long ago.


    Yet, deep in her divine heart, a seed of doubt lingered. How long could this delicate balance last? How long before the bickering systems escalated their war, dragging the multiverse into chaos? And when that moment came, would her weaving be enough to hold the threads of reality together?


    For now, Nexa chose to focus on the present. A new dimensional disturbance had appeared, faint yet persistent, rippling through the threads she was sworn to guard. With a graceful motion, she extended her hand, drawing the strands of the disturbance closer. As the patterns revealed themselves, her celestial eyes narrowed.


    "It seems another sapient has meddled where it shouldn''t," she murmured, her voice carrying a calm authority. "Very well, let us see who dares disrupt the balance."


    With a thought, she vanished into the dimensional weave, her presence dissipating like a fading star, leaving only a whisper of her cosmic power in her wake.


    ------


    Bram Geargrind was not your average gnome. At only 122 years old, he was barely a quarter through his life, but already a little rough around the edges. He stood at a dashing four feet tall, his fiery red hair sticking straight up, making him look closer to five feet than the average gnome. His fiery locks were often singed at the tips from his latest invention gone awry, but that didn''t bother him. In fact, he liked the look. It gave him an air of unpredictability, and who needed tidy hair when they were a grand inventor¡ªright? That was his boast, anyway. "Tinker? Please. I create wonders," he''d say with a wink and a grin, always ready to share a story of some grand (often exaggerated) achievement.


    Bram''s workshop was a hodgepodge of mechanical marvels and disastrous attempts¡ªgears and springs, wires and arcane devices, all cluttered together in a seemingly chaotic fashion. But to Bram, it was an organized mess, a perfect representation of the way his mind worked. His tools were meticulously sorted in his drawers¡ªevery wrench and bolt in its proper place¡ªwhile his projects sprawled across the workbench in glorious disarray. He was a tinkerer by trade, though he never failed to describe himself as a "grand inventor" to anyone who would listen. His creations ranged from overly complicated timepieces to experimental contraptions designed to help him solve the mysteries of the world around him.


    Despite his enthusiasm, however, there was something tragic in his eyes¡ªa sorrow that never seemed to fully fade. Bram''s sharp tongue and playful exterior hid the painful memories of a gnome who had seen too much loss. He had grown up in a village where innovation thrived, where his family''s name was well-respected, and where his father¡ªan accomplished inventor¡ªtaught him the secrets of gears and arcane devices. His mother, a skilled alchemist, had provided him with a curiosity about potions and reagents, teaching him the subtle art of combining science and magic. Together, they had fostered Bram''s love for creation, and his childhood was filled with laughter and joy.


    That was until the night the sneaklings came.


    The greenskin creatures¡ªmalicious, vile, and cruel¡ªhad raided his village while Bram was just a child. They were ruthless, taking what they wanted and leaving destruction in their wake. Bram''s parents had died defending their home, their final moments etched forever into his memory. He had been hidden away by his mother in a small, hidden compartment in the basement, only to emerge later to find everything he had known reduced to rubble. The sneaking, treacherous creatures had taken his family, leaving him with nothing but a burning desire for revenge.


    From that moment on, the world had lost much of its former joy for Bram. He had been raised by his uncle, who tried to instill in him a sense of stability, but the sorrow of loss never fully left him. It shaped Bram into the gnome he was today¡ªdriven, resourceful, and fiercely independent, but with a heart that rarely allowed itself to rest. He buried his pain in his inventions, sometimes obsessively working through the nights, searching for ways to fix the broken parts of the world that reflected the broken parts of himself.


    Though he spoke little of the past, Bram''s motivations were clear: he wanted to understand the machinery of the world, the way the gears of fate clicked into place, and how he could, somehow, reverse the damage done. His inventions, while ingenious, were always tinged with a dark edge of caution, as if he was trying to control something larger than himself.


    In social settings, Bram was boisterous and quick-witted, always ready with a joke or a tale about his latest (sometimes disastrous) invention. He loved being the center of attention, reveling in the laughter and camaraderie of his friends, even if it was just a temporary distraction. But deep down, he knew that no number of jokes, inventions, or tinkering could fill the hole that was left when his family was stolen away from him.


    And so, his quest continued: to unlock the mysteries of the multiverse


    ......


    Finally, after grueling decades of trial-and-error Bram had finally perfected the teleportation coin that allowed him to skip between worlds, and he''d come perilously close to being caught. Just as he was about to leave his mark¡ªhis signature "Dwarves drool" tag¡ªon the side of a stone building. He noticed a beam of light slicing through the darkness, heading straight in his direction. Intrigued, he decided to remain hidden, making himself small in the shadows. The sight of the human male approaching made him curse under his breath. Humans were never much fun, but the chase. That was always exhilarating.


    Bram grinned, feeling the thrill rise in his chest. His luminous speed soles would easily outpace this oversized insect, and soon enough, he''d be disappearing from this world, on to the next. As he dashed along the building, his speed soles lighting up the ground beneath him, he reached into his pocket for one of his teleportation coins. However, in his haste, one of the coins slipped from his coat pocket and dropped to the ground. It wasn''t the first time this had happened, and he knew to come prepared. So, with a quick curse, he grasped the other backup coin tightly in his hand as he vanished into thin air, leaving behind only the glow of his soles and the mystery of his fleeting presence.


    .......


    "WOOOHOOO!" Bram felt an overwhelming sense of excitement from the successful pursuit he had just triumphed in against the human. He had returned to his people''s concealed valley only a few minutes prior and was now heading towards the local gathering place. He was eager to boast to the local youth about his latest adventure. Naturally, he planned to order a mooncap mead to celebrate his narrow escape. He could almost taste the crisp, refreshing beverage, which made his mouth water, prompting him to quicken his pace to satisfy his growing thirst. As he got closer to the Bronze Barrel Tavern, he noticed that it was quiet for this time at night. Nonetheless he raced towards the entrance, throwing open the door in the process.


    His wide beaming smile slowly started to disappear as he noticed the place was empty. He scanned the bar where Maggie was usually serving the good stuff, but no one was there. "Mags! You Here?" he half shouted as he walked across the room. After a few seconds of no response, he grabbed a mug from the rack behind the bar and headed towards that tapped keg. Turning the valve revealed that the barrel was hollow. "Torn bits and smashed gears. You got a thirsty customer Maggie! The keg here is dry and it''s hardly mid evening." Starting to worry he headed towards the kitchen knowing that Maggie''s bedroom was adjacent to it. The cooktops were all cold to the touch and a layer of dust had settled on them. Fear started to well up inside the grand inventor, not even worrying about checking Maggie''s room he headed for the door.


    Outside revealed much of the same eerie silence. How did he not notice before, too proud of his recent adventure and dashing escape to notice everyone was missing. Trying to shut out his wandering thoughts going to the worst outcomes. Making his heightened anxiety and panic get even worse. He started sprinting kicking on his soles in the process heading straight home to check on his uncle. Barging through the door of his workshop led to another alarming issue. His worktables were empty. No gears, contraptions or bearings in sight. Even his dearest mother''s alchemy set was gone. Tearing through the drawers and cabinets showed much of the same. Nothing, every single one was empty... Heart slamming against his ribs trying to break free, he took a few calming breaths. Knowing deep down that either one of two scenarios had occurred. He either pissed off someone really high on the food chain and they put everyone he loved in the abyss, or it had happened, he inadvertently crossed dimensions.


    The unsettling feeling never retreated while Bram wandered his village for any useful items he could use on his journey ahead. Not knowing how perilous this dimension was or if it had any inhabitants at all. He knew either way that he had a long battle against him. With no one in town he suspected that it was a soulless dimension. Which would mean he would have to craft the teleportation coins on his own. Harvesting every resource and mining the celestium crystals on his own was going to be a challenge. It was what he had to do to return home, so with the small amount of courage he could muster he left his valley behind.

 Chapter 1: A loose thread

    Opening my eyes again revealed much of the same darkness as before. My brain was foggy trying to figure out what had really happened over the course of the night. I raised my shaky hand just now realizing how cold it was, to wipe the dried drool off of my face. Thinking I''ve must have been unconscious for quite some time. Thats when I became aware of small shimmering lights in the far distance. They looked like faintly visible stars. Gazing out towards them to get a better sense of what they were, I noticed another oddity; something was traveling towards me at an alarming rate. Whatever it was shimmered the same way the lights had, but this object seemed much, much closer. My body felt a great weight put on it as if something was crushing down on me. Trying my best to focus in on it, I suddenly lost all vision when her voice erupted through in my mind like a thunderclap reverberating through every nerve and bone.


    "Who dares trifle with matters so far above them and disrupt the balance of the great system?" The voice demanded. Trying my best to come up with a response but also being so clueless and afraid. My head was pounding in pain from the mysterious onslaught that this being had caused. Trembling I let out the smallest of whimpers. "Ah, this all must be new to you as I see you are not a system bound life form. Perhaps a change of scenery will get some answers out of you." Without any further warning a wave if nausea washed over me as a bright warm light enveloped my body.


    Fighting against the brightness of the light I raised my hand instinctually while opening my eyes. What I saw before me was still very much shocking. I felt the warmth of a sun, finally getting some feeling back over my shaky body. Observing my surroundings I was in awe, towers made completely of threads reaching out to one another. Attaching themselves to nearby floating orbs that would ever so slowly shift back and forth between them. The floor I was standing on seemed to be made out of some malleable reflective glass bouncing reflections from everywhere. It was a little overwhelming as the threads seemed to constantly launch themselves around the space.


    At the center of it all stood a figure, radiant and commanding, exuding an aura of authority so profound it seemed to resonate in my chest. She was unlike anything I had ever seen¡ªa towering being whose form constantly shifted; her shimmering robe woven from the same threads that filled the space around her. Her face was indistinct, as if the universe itself refused to pin it down, but her piercing eyes burned with an intensity that left no room for doubt.


    "Welcome," she said, her voice now calm but laced with an unshakable power. "You stand in the Loom of Realms, where the threads of every universe intersect. I am Nexa, Goddess of Dimensional Weaving. And you, Liam Thompson, have crossed into my domain unbidden."


    Her words hit me like a freight train. I stared, mouth agape, unsure whether to run, kneel, or simply collapse. I stood frozen, barely breathing as Nexa''s piercing gaze bore into me. The threads around us pulsed faintly, almost as though they were alive, responding to her presence. Her voice, though steady, carried the weight of eons, each word reverberating through the shimmering expanse of the Loom.


    "You are an anomaly, Liam Thompson," she began, her tone neither angry nor welcoming, but entirely certain. "A being untethered by the System, yet you stand here, in the very heart of its design." She gestured outward, her hand tracing the spiraling threads that stretched endlessly around us. "This is the Loom of Realms, the nexus where all dimensions are woven together, strand by strand. Every reality, every universe, is interconnected here. I oversee these threads¡ªmaintaining balance, ensuring order. Yet your presence disrupts that harmony."


    I swallowed hard, my throat dry as sandpaper. "I... I didn''t mean to disrupt anything. I don''t even know how I got here!" Nexa tilted her head, her expression unreadable, but her eyes burned with an unyielding light. "You used an artifact that does not belong¡ªa crude creation that bypasses the safeguards of the System. A teleportation coin. Tell me, mortal, where did you come across such a thing?" The coin. The memory hit me like a jolt. "I¡ªI picked it up. It was dropped... by someone else."


    Her expression darkened, the threads around us vibrating with sudden intensity. "Ah, the meddling of those outside the System''s boundaries. The gnome who forged that coin has tampered with forces far beyond his understanding. His actions brought you here, inadvertently exposing you to truths you were never meant to encounter." My stomach churned, the weight of her words sinking in. "If I don''t belong here, can''t you just... send me back? Put me back on Earth, like none of this ever happened?"


    Her gaze softened, but only slightly. "If it were that simple, I would have already done so. The coin has altered your very essence, tethering you faintly to this place and severing your clean connection to your original realm. You are, for lack of a better term, an unsanctioned thread hanging loose in the tapestry of existence. To return you without care risks unraveling far more than just your life."


    I stumbled back a step, my legs threatening to give out. "So, what happens to me now?"


    Nexa sighed, and for the first time, I detected a hint of something almost human in her. "That depends on you. The System does not tolerate anomalies, and yet you are here. Your survival so far is testament to a resilience I did not expect. You have two choices, mortal."


    She raised a hand, and two threads unfurled from the void, each glowing with a distinct hue one a fiery red, the other a cool, shimmering blue.


    "You may accept integration into the System, becoming one of its chosen Descenders a guardian who ventures across realms to maintain balance and order. Or..." Her gaze darkened, her voice dropping to a whisper that carried immense gravity. "You may refuse, and the System will erase you. A loose thread cannot remain unaccounted for."


    "Well, that seems like an easy choice for me. I prefer living over being... "unaccounted" for."


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.I couldn''t really see it, but I knew she was smiling. "That is great news. As far as the concerning news with Bram goes. He will be accompanying you as well. Without the option you were given, his thread is already tied to the system, granted at a very miniscule level." With that she touched the two ends of the blue and red thread together and they became one.


    What I failed to notice was the fierce red thread was connected to the closest tower already. I had assumed she would have connected the blue thread to the tower, and I would then be system integrated. "Judging by your look you are confused. You and Bram are now intertwined on a path to set things right. Your first task will be to find the missing teleportation tokens Bram left scattered across the multiverse. If these fall into the wrong hands matters will get much worse. Good luck Liam and make haste Descender." With that darkness consumed me.


    ------


    I awoke sometime later on what could only have been a beach¡ªnot that I could see it, but I could feel it, sand sticking to places I didn''t think possible. Groaning, I pushed myself upright and immediately started shaking off the grit, only to realize one horrifying fact: I was completely naked.


    My face turned beet red as I scanned the area, nearly giving myself whiplash. No one was around to witness my lack of modesty, but the thought still sent me sprinting toward the nearby tree line. Just as I was about to duck behind the foliage, a transparent blue screen popped up in front of me, stopping me dead in my tracks.


    Welcome to the system


    Below you will find your status menu filled with an important overview about yourself. With further prodding you will find additional menus that will help along your journey.


    Name: Liam Thompson


    Race: Human (Earth Variant: Humans are known for their physical and mental capabilities which make them a well-rounded race. +5 stats per level increase.)


    Class: (Class choice will unlock at level 5 taking into account all actions performed up until level 5 in what stat choices the individual had made.)


    Titles: Descender (+5 to all stats)


    Experience: 0 of 250 exp to next level


    Renown: N/A


    Achievements: N/A


    Skills: N/A


    Stats: Health: 20 (Con x2) / Stamina: 20 (Dex x2)/ Mana: 20 (Intel x2)


    Strength 5 (+5) 10


    Dexterity 5 (+5) 10


    Constitution 5 (+5) 10


    Endurance 5 (+5) 10


    Intelligence 5 (+5) 10


    Wisdom 5 (+5) 10


    Charisma 5 (+5) 10


    Eyeing the screen cautiously I thought back to times when I had played games with my friends. More specifically, MMORPGS. This was exactly how a stats screen was in those games. Finding it here made me weary and cautious, but also slightly intrigued. This was my chance to escape from the mundane life I had been living though. Was it all a little overwhelming? Sure. Was I excited for this opportunity and see where it led? Hell yeah. Continuing on and reading the rest of the screen, a huge grin broke over my face.


    Descender Liam,


    Upon receiving this system message, you will have been granted access to the following rewards:


    1x System created armor loot box


    1x System created weapon loot box


    500x System currency


    May these help you with the fight against those that dare rise up against the system.


    Armor and weapons? My mind raced at the possibilities. What would I find in those loot boxes? Something Legendary or epic, I hoped. Or was this system about to hand me a tin helmet and a stick? Looking around I didn''t see any loot boxes, so I focused in on the text again.


    "Would you like to access this armor box? Yes/No"


    Mentally confirming, a wooden box with a metal latch appeared right in front of me. Eager with anticipation I threw the chest lid open. What I saw was definitely made from leather or at least something similar to it. It was a dark brown leaning towards black. I reached in and pulled it up by the shoulders revealing that it was some type of leather jerkin. Reminding me of the Greco-Roman era. Looking closer another blue transparent system box appeared.


    Descenders Leather Jerkin


    Rarity: Common


    Armor rating +10


    (A leather jerkin made from the hide of some intergalactic beast, commonly worn by billions in the multiverse. The only special thing about this piece is it''s a little darker and the word Descender appears in the title.)


    Scoffing at the description "Who the hell is in charge of describing items?" I thought to myself. Not caring all that much about the description anymore I pulled it on. Surprised that the armor actually fit snuggly. It had looked a size too big for me, probably some weird system size adjustment for items. Content with the results I opened up the status menu easily just with a thought. I summoned the weapon chest to see what I had to work with. Thoughts of great swords with fire enchantments and bows with mana infused arrows filled my mind. Reminding me of the great RPG games I play back home.


    The chest that appeared seemed to be sloppily half assed put together. That was just the look on the outside. My hopes of receiving some master class weapons were instantly dashed. The "chest" if you could call it that had half driven nails sticking out of it. Made out of what had to be half rotten wooden pallets. If it could have gotten any worse the word "Decendor" was hastily written on the top of it in what seemed to be chalk. With considerably less optimism, I flipped open the second crate. Inside was a single wooden club. Looking like something straight out of the flintstones. That was it. No blade, no bow, not even a pointy stick. Just a chunk of wood. I am not proud of the rage that filled my veins as I lashed out with my foot to strike the shotty box that stood in front of me. Forgetting in my rage fueled mind that I had no shoes on for any protection as a nail head tore through the middle of one of my toes.


    "Vrrruuucccckkk" I yelled out in overwhelming pain hopping on my one good foot now. The rage not dying down yet as I threw both crates into the tree line and then picked up the club and tossed that too. Flying through the tree line it had hit a single palm tree, unbelievably shaking it enough to drop the coconuts on top of it. Making it seem like some sort of tropical jackpot. I hadn''t even noticed the coconuts at this point.


    "Holy crap." I whispered in that instant all rage died as I half limped hopped towards the tree to recover the club. For what seemed like an hour I scoured through the brush and fallen dried palm leaves. After a few more minutes of searching, my hand finally brushed against something familiar. Quickly clearing away the brush my trust club revealed itself. It was a good twenty feet away from the original tree it stuck. Hesitantly picking it up and inspecting it a message appeared.


    Descenders Primitive Wooden Club


    (Some would refer to this as a light branch good for a fire, but those that are more desperate would keep it as a weapon.)


    Rarity: Common


    Attack: +3-5 bludgeoning damage


    +100% damage when used as a thrown weapon.

 Chapter 2: Thrills and Kills

    Reading over the description made me chuckle slightly, especially because of my previous antics, however it was still a crappy pull for a weapon. I''d have to make it work though, closing the menu I decided to head back to the tree that dropped the coconuts, planning to eat a couple to hold over my growing hunger. A few feet from the tree I saw the coconuts just as I had left them, thrown about in a haste to retrieve my club. Except now that I was staring at them with weariness, a couple of them starting to vibrate. Just a few hours ago, I was working a dull security shift, half-asleep in a rental trailer. Then, after being dragged into a cosmic tug-of-war by some "Goddess of Dimensional Weaving," I''d been unceremoniously dumped on a beach butt naked with stats, a system menu, and a dubious wooden weapon. And now, here I was, staring at coconuts that were moving in ways they definitely shouldn''t.


    "This can''t be real," I muttered, though the hairs on the back of my neck were already standing at full attention. Something about those coconuts screamed wrong.


    The vibrations grew stronger, faint clicking noises emanating from within their shells. My grip on the club tightened, and my heart thudded in my chest.


    "Okay," I said aloud, trying to steady my breathing. "Just coconuts. Weird, creepy, potentially dangerous coconuts." As if in response, one of them gave a sudden, violent lurch, rolling upright like it had a mind of its own.


    I took another step back, the club raised defensively. Staring deep into the moving coconuts trying to will whatever gave me the item descriptions would do the same now, but nothing ever came of it. The coconuts still moving towards me when they suddenly stopped. Catching my breath in thanks of it just being an earthquake when all out of nowhere the bottom halves of the shells broke open. Jutting out of the shell were crustacean legs like some sort of creepy crab hybrid. If that wasn''t enough huge claws tore through the sides of the shell only leaving a jagged half top of shell. My brain had a hard time of comprehending what the hell I was actually looking at. The damn chelipeds were easily a foot long and the claws themselves could decapitate me.


    "All right no big deal, just a couple of oversized crabs." I charged forward towards the closest of the two swinging back my club in a crazy golf or hocky stance ready to launch the thing. That''s when the damn thing leapt at me from six feet away. Quickly pulling up my club I successfully half swatted/blocked the thing, and it ended up behind me on its shell. Mentally noting I needed a shield as soon as possible while watching it rock back in forth for a few seconds I checked it out of the fight, for now and went towards the still lethal one.


    Examining this one further I saw something new I didn''t see before. Creepy long eye stalks bent over the edge of the top of the shell. slowly winking between the set egging me on to make a move. That is when out of nowhere the description appeared.


    Coco mite (Level 3)


    Experience rewarded upon kill dependent on level disparity


    Health 10 / Stamina 10


    The coco mite is a revered assassin of the Devarian coastal region. They catch unsuspecting prey from above blending in with the local fruit. If you live to read this watch out for the claws and their quick jump ability.


    First, I was annoyed with the message as it appeared way too late for any of that information to actually matter than I was grateful because it wasn''t being a condescending jerk this time. Quickly clearing the message away, the remaining upright coco mite was still staring me down hard. Thinking of a way to bypass the quick jump ability a plan started to come into fruition. I ever so slowly inched my way towards a coconut that was a couple feet way. Making sure to keep my eyes locked on to the nasty alien wavering stalks. For what seemed like an eternity I did this until finally the coconut was within reach. Bending over and out reaching with my left hand I grazed the edge of it and that''s when the Coco mite decided to jump at me.


    Swiftly ducking lower and throwing up my hand reflexively I somehow managed to catch the damn thing by one of its claws.


    "Gotcha!" I snarled, Triumph flaring briefly


    Taking advantage of the scenario, I swung it around like a lasso while dropping my club. Then without any warning, I was just holding a claw that had been detached from its body. "Seriously!" I yelled, tossing the severed claw aside. The mite skittered backwards, gaining distance as I scrambled to retrieve my club. Luckily, I was mid-way through swinging his body around when it decided to detach, so we were a couple meters from each other again.


    My pulse raced, but a grim smile appeared on my face.


    "Round two, you little bastard, but first." I muttered readying myself for the next move.


    I retreated back towards the upside-down crab and crushed it quickly. I refused to have any further surprises.


    "Congratulations, you have slain a system integrated creature, you gain the foll..."


    I slammed the message closed without a second thought. No time for distractions, running out of patience I decided to charge the remaining mite. This time looking into its mismatched closing eyelids I could see something I hadn''t before. An unmistakable sense of weariness? He must''ve worn himself thin with our previous encounter. With a heavy heart I hesitantly approached him, club raised to my side. I witnessed both eye lids close at the same time. My heart sank, but I gripped the club tighter. "I''m sorry," I muttered under my breath, more for myself than for the mite.


    With a burst of effort, I swung the club like a batter aiming for a home run. The mite sailed through the air, disappearing into the distant trees with a rustling crash.


    "Congratulations, you have slain the following system integrated creatures:


    1x Coco Might Level 5 (Rare)


    Experience rewarded: 1500 exp


    Killing this creature will result in fear of you from all coco mites in the surrounding area.


    1x Coco mite Level 3 (Common)The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Experience rewarded: 250 exp"


    I exhaled shakily as the message faded from view. For the first time since waking on this strange beach, the world was silent. I wasn''t sure if I felt victorious or just... tired.


    -------


    "It''s a lot easier to do in the games, but a man has got to eat." I said aloud to no one in particular as I picked up the crab claw.


    Loot gained: 3x Coco mite meat


    The claw had disappeared and, in its place, lay three small pieces of what looked like crab meat. Eagerly I shoved them all into my mouth not caring of the dirt covering one of the pieces. My tastebuds were slammed with an overwhelming sweet flavor of crab mixed with coconut. Unexpectedly I kind of enjoyed it. Eager for more I ran over to loot the other creature. Seeing it smashed like this for the first time didn''t feel me with sadness like I thought it would, however it hit me with a heavy dose of unsatiable hunger. Quickly touching the corpse, I got my reward.


    Loot gained: 3x Coco Might meat / 5x Chitin plate


    This time, the meat was different¡ªthree massive, steak-like slabs lay in front of me. How such a tiny creature could yield such gigantic portions was a mystery I didn''t care to solve. All I knew was that I wouldn''t be going hungry for a while.


    I scanned the ground for anything useful and spotted some intact palm leaves nearby. Grabbing a handful, I carefully laid the meat onto the largest leaves, overlapping them to form a makeshift wrap. Working quickly, I tore a few palm strips into thin, rope-like strands and used them to tie the package securely. Dirt and grit might''ve added flavor to the first batch, but I wasn''t taking any chances with these steaks.


    Satisfied with my handiwork, I stood and hefted the bundle. That''s when I noticed something odd, my injured foot wasn''t throbbing anymore. I flexed it tentatively, then took a few cautious steps. The pain was completely gone. Confusion mingled with relief washed over me, opening up my status menu to see if I could find a reason behind it.


    Congratulations, you have leveled up please apply your unassigned stat points to continue


    Unassigned points: 15


    I stared at the screen, mouth agape, as the reality of what had just happened sank in. Three whole levels? I had gone up three entire levels from what was essentially dumb luck.


    My mind replayed the encounter¡ªthe desperate swing of the club, the frantic sidestep, the claw detaching in midair. If I hadn''t ducked at the right moment, if I hadn''t reacted on instinct, I wouldn''t be here now. The thought sent a cold shiver down my spine.


    "Fifteen points..." I muttered under my breath, trying to shake off the unease. This wasn''t just a game anymore. This was survival, and every choice mattered.


    Knowing that abilities and mana were now a thing I thought back to the magic classes I had played in role playing games. Throwing fireballs and ice spikes out of my hands did sound interesting but for now not knowing how spells worked or where I would even get them in the first place, I did what anyone in my situation would have. I went full tilt and slammed five points into Constitution, Endurance and Intelligence, quickly hitting the accept button and instantly regretting it.


    Have you ever wondered what it might feel like to have a climbing pick slam straight into your frontal lobe? Would your body convulse uncontrollably, as though a cattle prod had been shoved somewhere unspeakable and cranked to max voltage? Would every nerve ending ignite in protest, screaming in unison like the aftermath of a botched chemistry experiment gone horribly wrong?


    I don''t know the answer, thankfully, but in this moment, I was living through something that felt damn close to it. Teeth gritted while writhing, fighting unconsciousness focusing on anything but the pain, watching the palm fronds swaying in the breeze, bringing with it respite from the heavy damp moisture in the air. Trying to steady my breathing, while squeezing the dry sand feeling the muscles in my hands cramp, when suddenly it passed.


    "What the hell just happened?" Rapidly blinking in fear that it could restart at any moment.


    After a few minutes I started to relax and decided to do a deep dive into the systems menus to restart my search for an explanation for all of this.


    With my status screen pulled up, I tried mentally willing a "Help" menu or an "Information" one a few times, with no luck. Getting irritated I revisited old memories and that''s when I got an idea. I decided to go through the details of the main stats to get a better explanation of what they did. Except when I pulled up the status menu it was completely blank except for my name and race. Panicking I closed it and reopened with nothing changing, I tried a few more times and then poof. The details started popping up as I read along.


    Class: If you survive long enough to reach level 5 you will get the option to unlock a class. Most children know this, but since you are an outer world descender, you lack that information. Be careful with your selection it''ll determine how far you make it. Well until you get enough creds to do a class wipe, but they are expensive and an excruciating process to endure.


    Titles: You can think of these as classifications or jobs for the commoners.


    Renown: While being a descender you may be requested from certain planetary nobility to save their dying worlds from countless issues or helping small villages with their... incessant nagging requests.


    Okay system is kind of dick, noted.


    Achievements: If you accomplish a great deed or have done something really, really dumb it ends up here. As an instant reminder to not do that dumb thing again or to tempt you to do even more dumb things because usually, some sort of reward is handed out depending on how rare the deed is.


    Strength: This stat represents how much weight you can carry without becoming overburdened, it also effects how hard you hit a thing.


    Dexterity: If you want to be quick on your feet and as quiet as a mouse this is the stat for you. (How do you think you never caught me at your mom''s house?)


    Who the hell wrote these things? I wondered taken aback by the childish remark, while also thinking of some alien creature chained up researching Earth insults. "Funny enough I didn''t even have a mom because I grew up in foster care, dumbass." Did I just call a floating box a dumbass? Yes. Did it make me feel better? Also, yes.


    Endurance: This stat directly correlates with your stamina, which is the thing that keeps you in the fight longer or helps you move faster and do other things. (I personally lack in this which is the real reason you never caught me.)


    Constitution: Your life blood, the thing that keeps your heart beating and healthy. Also, in charge of remedying lighter wounds and your health points.


    So that answers one of my questions. My foot must''ve healed from my constitution. I still felt a little tenderness from it, but nothing like it did. I noticed that even though my constitution patched me up it did not do anything about the dried blood on my foot.


    Intelligence: "I BIG, I STRONG!" yelled the bloodied massive barbarian just before an ice spear exploded through his brain. This stat will help you not be like the barbarian and more like the magic caster that ended his life. Increases your mana pool and mana regeneration.


    Wisdom: Represents perceptiveness, intuition, and practical intelligence. (If you are looking to be a hermit or live to be an old sage with a pipe weed addiction, max this puppy out.)


    Charisma: Do you always feel like people are talking bad behind your back because of the way you look or smell? Charisma will help with them doing it less. It affects how you are perceived by other sapient lifeforms.


    I let out a small chuckle completely understanding the wisdom reference. It was a little unsettling how much of this reminded me of gaming, I''d have to be careful with that. Seriously doubting respawns were a thing in real life and still believing that the system wasn''t behind the fruitful literature that was right in front of my face. Debating whether the all-powerful system could get hacked, a random notification came into existence.


    Congratulations, you have completed your status overview! All system menus are now available to you.


    At the top of the status menu, new tabs appeared. Everything from an inventory interface, properties to a gods damned information menu.

 Chapter 3: Unmasking the "system"

    Flipping through the new menus didn''t reveal whole lot of useful information yet. It was far too early for me to access most of the pages, apparently most of the information was locked behind getting a class. However, I did find the option to stop notifications while in combat so that was nice. I also found it interesting that unlike games I couldn''t quickly equip items in my hands from my inventory. I''d have to wait and see if this system had created anything like a bag of holding. The map revealed absolutely nothing new which was rather unfortunate, "Damn, fog of war." I muttered. At the very least I suppose it would be almost impossible for me to get lost with it, so it''s not all a loss. Not seeing anything worthwhile on the map, I tabbed over to the journal where lo in behold a quest sat.


    Quest: Recover the illegitimate teleportation coins 0/5


    Rewards: Unknown


    "Well, that''s exciting." stating in all too dry tone. Deciding to close the menus for now and figure out where and what to do. Looking at the sky it had to be early afternoon, of course the system gave me a digital clock in the menus, that read 14:26 but I wasn''t sure if it worked on this planet as it did back on earth. Not wasting another moment on menus, I snagged my club off of the ground, picked up the meat frond package and started walking away from the beach.


    ----


    How long can one go without interacting with others? I mean before the insanity creeps in like a warm fuzzy blanket covering your mind in a haze. Giving you a plethora of bad ideas that seem rational given the circumstances, but the voice in the back of your mind sits there judging you like it would do any better if it was in control. This is what I was currently thinking about one hour into the journey seriously contemplating one idea in general. Grabbing a coconut, etching a face into it and naming him after my 8th grade science teacher, Mr. Wilson. All jokes aside the temperate weather was horrendous to walk through. The muggy air clung to the inside of my lungs making it feel like I was drowning, and dying of thirst at the same time, yet I continued, one step after another.


    After another hour or so of walking on rough sand and through the thick palm trees I finally saw something worthwhile. It wasn''t some worn game trail used by villagers to forage or a city wall in the far distance but a mountain. Opening my map to see if it would be visible and luckily it was, I decided to do a quick calculation and found that it would only take roughly another hour and a half to get there. Wanting to get there as quick as possible, I started jogging.


    In the back of my mind, I braced for this to be a lot harder than it turned out to be. Back home, I was what most would call a bit overweight, and I only ever ran when absolutely necessary¡ªor during one of those "this is the year I''ll get in shape" resolutions that always fizzled out by February. But here and now, it came shockingly easy. Ten minutes in, I realized I wasn¡¯t gasping like a fish out of water. In fact, my breathing was steady, my pace consistent. Surprised by my newfound stamina, I pressed on. By my count, I only had about forty-five more minutes to go.


    I finally made it within a mile to the mountain before noticing anything strange. All of a sudden, the dense palm trees were replaced by oak trees and the temperature significantly dropped out of nowhere. The sweat all over my body felt warm against my chilled skin, as every muscle tensed up from the cold air. It was like I passed over some magical barrier that created a new space with its own rules. I stopped immediately after the difference and turned around to see if I could go back into the beach environment again. Luck had worked in my favor this time and just like before, humidity hit me full blast. The temperature must''ve dropped an instant thirty degrees. Making me wonder how significant the changes would be at night. I felt other changes when I crossed over which is why I instantly decided to waste the time and make a hodge podge hula skirt out of palm fronds.


    After completing the uncomfortable kilt which is what I will be referring to it as, from now on. I crossed back over the threshold thankful that it wasn''t some kind of dungeon that you had to fight your way out of. The cold air hit me again almost taking my breath away, but I pushed on. Deciding against jogging any further I took in the landscape, the trees weren''t too grouped up together down here, but I could tell that changed the higher the elevation got. Peering at the mountain from what I could see of it past the trees the left side of it looked as if half of the mountain broke off and blew away. Nothing but a sheer cliff remained on that side, the right side appeared scalable it would be rough without some rope further up though. Just continuing on my current path would seem to be the best bet, so with that I began to jog to the base knowing I''d be there within 7 minutes.


    It was silent until I felt a stinging pain at the top of my ear. After that, all I could hear was the throbbing. Reacting on instinct, I dove toward the nearest tree, my heart pounding in my chest. I knew I was under attack. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I wrestled with myself mentally, debating whether to peek around the tree to see my attacker.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    An old paintball trick came to mind¡ªa move we''d used on makeshift fields at a buddy¡¯s farmhouse. You''d take your helmet off, put it on your gun, and edge it out of cover to fool your opponent into thinking it was your head. Of course, legit courses banned this, but it worked well in a pinch. With no better plan, I raised my club above my head and leaned the top over the edge of the tree.


    Two arrows whizzed past almost immediately, both missing the club. At least two attackers, I noted. Close-range bows, not crossbows¡ªit was too quiet for those. I slid back to the tree, heart pounding, as I heard rustling in a nearby bush. My angst peaked.


    Time to act.


    I shifted my weight, ready to fake them out again, this time holding the club lower. Hopefully, they''d take the bait and reveal themselves. I counted down silently, steadying my breath. Five. Four. Three... I pushed the club out.


    Two more arrows flew by, one just grazing the club. One archer was either less skilled or further back than the other. Weighing my options, I made my move. Club raised, I stepped out from behind the tree, forced to act on instinct alone.


    A small, wiry creature leapt at me; a bow slung across its back. Too close to swing my weapon, I threw up my leg and caught it squarely in the chest. The impact sent it stumbling back, but it quickly recovered, rolling out of the way of my follow-up swing. As I completed the arc of my strike, pain lanced through my upper right shoulder. I winced, biting back a curse, and locked eyes with the dodgy creature.


    "Fight me," I growled, resisting the urge to check the arrow glancing off my shoulder. Without hesitation, it lunged again, this time wielding a small dagger aimed at my chest. I dropped my club, catching its wrist mid-swing with my left hand. The momentum carried its body forward, and both of its feet drove into my groin with unforgiving force.


    A guttural noise escaped me as I crumpled onto the creature, pinning one of its hands beneath my knee. My right hand found its throat, squeezing as it writhed beneath me. Its rancid breath hit my face, and though its sinewy muscles fought against mine, I held firm. Sliding my grip higher under its jaw, I used my left hand to force the dagger it held against its own neck. Slowly, the blade dug into its throat, blood pooling as it struggled futilely.


    Then, a mind-shattering pain erupted in my side. I toppled off the now-limp creature, glancing down to see a dagger''s hilt sticking awkwardly from my armor. Looking up in confused frustration, I met the gaze of the second archer.


    It dove toward its fallen ally, clearly aiming to retrieve the bloodied dagger. I lunged for my club. I was quick, but it was quicker. By the time I rose to my feet, weapon in hand, something was terribly wrong. My right leg refused to respond, leaving me hobbling awkwardly. The pain hit a moment later¡ªa dagger lodged in my lower back, just above my hip.


    ¡°Little shit!¡± I roared, startling the creature. It hesitated, stepping back while unslinging its bow. I didn¡¯t let it. Fueled by rage and desperation, I hopped forward like a madman, eating up the distance between us faster than it could retreat.


    Branches and undergrowth were everywhere, yet the creature seemed impossibly nimble. I forced myself to focus, ignoring the searing pain and the useless weight of my leg. My mind screamed at me to stop, to retreat, but I launched myself at the archer instead.


    What followed could only be described as chaos. Anyone who might have witnessed the scene later would likely recall a crazed man losing all sense of self, pummeling a young goblin hunter with his bare fists. There would have been shouts of rage, maybe even some incoherent sobbing over the destruction of a "kilt." Fortunately for Liam, there was no one around to see it, or so he thought.


    -----------


    Bram had been contemplating the perfect moment to reveal himself to the human boy. Ever since the fight with those ridiculous fruit bugs, he had painstakingly observed Liam''s every move. Watching the human struggle for five grueling minutes against creatures Bram could have dispatched in mere seconds was both amusing and infuriating. But circumstances had changed. Bram no longer occupied a physical body¡ªcourtesy of the coins and the divine judgment of Nexa.


    The goddess had seen fit to punish him, binding him to this "Liam," the hapless human who had unwittingly exposed his scheme. If only the fool hadn¡¯t picked up that coin, everything might have gone unnoticed. Bram''s actions would have stayed hidden if not for Liam''s bungled teleportation attempt¡ªa violation for any non-system being. The system¡¯s swift response had sealed Bram¡¯s fate. First, an interrogation. Then, banishment to Nexa¡¯s realm for judgment. The punishment? A cruel and binding tether to the very source of his undoing.


    Bram seethed at the memory, his formless existence simmering with barely contained rage. The sight of Liam stumbling through the forest, only stoked the fire. During that ridiculous fight, Bram had discovered he couldn¡¯t physically harm Liam¡ªnot directly, anyway. But there were other ways to toy with him. Small, subtle tweaks to the system menus¡ªminor changes to wording that transformed mundane instructions into sharp, biting insults. Just enough to irk him without raising suspicion.


    Their fates were intertwined now, and Bram resolved to wait. He would remain in the shadows, biding his time for a moment of true peril¡ªwhen his intervention might make the greatest impact. Or perhaps... a different kind of mischief.


    An idea struck him then, wicked and tantalizing. One last hoorah to mess with Liam before making his presence known.

 Chapter 4: The Curse

    Both of my hands were shaking, bloodied beyond recognition. My emotions boiled over, spilling into the chaos around me. Between the pain of being shot and stabbed, twice each, and the absurdity of my current predicament, I completely lost control. The realization hit me like a hammer: I could actually die here. Alone. Without ever seeing my friends or foster parents again. Something inside me snapped.


    I lashed out, pounding the creature''s face over and over. Surprisingly, if you hit something in the face enough times, all your problems seem to fade. The rhythmic thuds of bone against my fists gave way to wet, squishy sounds, and then, finally, a sickening crunch. That sound snapped me out of my stupor.


    Breathing hard, I stumbled to my feet, taking a few shaky steps away from the crumpled body. My chest heaved as I surveyed my surroundings, every nerve on edge, waiting for another threat to appear. But the woods remained eerily silent.


    The sun, now brushing the peak of the distant mountain, reminded me of a new, pressing concern: survival. Specifically, the looming need for sleep. My body screamed for rest, but I couldn¡¯t afford to be careless. Shelter. Warmth. Hell, even a pillow these were luxuries I¡¯d have to scrounge for in this unforgiving place.


    Pushing that worry out of my mind for now, I hobbled over to loot the bodies of the fallen. Some feeling had returned to my leg, but it still hurt like hell. I went over to knife throat guy first, kneeled down and touched him. No loot screen appeared.


    "What the hell?" I shook the still corpse. "Loot damn it." snarling and opening the system menus in the process.


    Combat initiated would you like to reinstate system screens? yes / no?


    Kicking myself for not remembering I had that feature on, I mentally selected yes. An unexpected onslaught of information came in.


    Congratulations! You have successfully defeated the following enemies:


    1x Goblin youngling, granting you 200 experience points


    1x Goblin hunter, granting you 750 experience points


    Total experience rewarded: 950 exp


    Loot acquired:


    Goblin meat x2


    Leather x5


    System Credits x300


    Not particularly impressed by the quantity of loot, I moved on to the next notification.


    New achievement unlocked: Sapient Killer


    You have taken down another sapient being on a planet governed by the system. You may have overlooked the moment when the goblin youngling responded to your challenge to fight, but in the heat of battle, such details can easily slip your mind. Regardless, you have now earned your first randomly generated system item:


    Generating...


    Generating...


    Generating...


    Cursed Ring of Holding (Minor)


    This ring allows the wearer to store up to ten random items, which can be accessed via the inventory screen.


    Curse: each day, one random item stored within the ring will vanish. -3 Intelligence while wearing


    Having an internal battle happening, I was ecstatic and let down at the same time. The ring itself managed to materialize in the palm of my hand which frightened me at first, but it went as fast as it came on. Looking at the ring it was a silver or steel band with a deep green, emerald seated into it. Staring intently at it, I almost forgot the curse it came with. Fighting the urge to just toss the damn ring into the forest, but after a few seconds I reluctantly just slid it on my finger deciding it was worthwhile to keep it for now. The loot I was awarded had just dropped right in front of me, strangely enough the small goblin body did not dematerialize like the coco mites. Finding that interesting but deciding to look for the answer another time. I quickly figured out how to store my items in the ring, just had to think about picking the item up and it stored it automatically. The first thing I noticed was materials were stackable, so the five-leather counted as one item. Hopefully the same wouldn''t be true with the curse, but time will only tell. Since the bodies were still around, I looked over them and also tossed in the two knives, bows and quivers. Inspecting all the weapons I did notice that they were all of shoddy makeshift condition which wasn''t really a surprise since they came from goblins. With all the loot gathered I set off towards the mountain.


    My body had mostly healed by the time I got to the base of the mountain. My right leg was still bothering me, but I was able to fully put my weight on to it. Thoughts of my class kept coming to my mind along the walk and I was really hoping I''d get some hybrid class that would allow range and melee combat to be possible. Who knew if the system even put restrictions on weapons though, so I''d just have to wait and see. I had 1,050 experience left to gain so I was getting excited. At any rate I had roughly an hour of sunlight before it dipped below the horizon, I cursed my luck. No caves, no shelter, and the mountain¡¯s rocky base offered little in the way of protection. A cold wind swept down from the peaks, carrying with it the distinct bite of an approaching chill. I scanned my surroundings again, my eyes darting between jagged rocks and sparse clusters of scraggly trees among the oaks. Nothing.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Resigned, I decided to set up a makeshift camp beneath a large overhang. I was having a hell of a time trying to knock down the smaller scraggly trees, but that was before I thought of the clubs extra damage when thrown. After that I had three of the trees down in fifteen minutes. I hurriedly started interlocking the logs and tying them up with some of the bark. After the frame was done, I started to apply a mixture of clay like mud and leaves to the sides. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but it would block at least some of the wind. Gathering a small pile of twigs and dry leaves to burn, I mentally prepared myself to sleep out in the open. Having the goblins fight hang in the back of mind, I hoped I wouldn''t have to deal with more in the middle of the night, but knowing at the same time I had no choice.


    I struck two stones together, each spark taunting me with how long this process would take. With each strike the frustration built in me, but I fought through with determination. Believing at any second the spark will catch on the dry leaves. Ten minutes later my arms were screaming out to me in pain just as I was going to quit the fire finally caught, I leaned back, staring into the flickering flames. My thoughts returned to the ring on my finger, its emerald gem catching the firelight and refracting it into strange, twisting patterns.


    What curse? I wondered, staring at the band. The system message had been vague, cryptic even. There had been no immediate consequences since putting it on, but that didn¡¯t mean I was safe. I even checked my status screen for the missing intelligence, and it still said I was at 15 points. A curse wasn¡¯t always something that hit you straight away. Sometimes, it waited.


    The goblin loot had been underwhelming, yet I couldn¡¯t shake the nagging feeling that this ring wasn¡¯t meant for someone like me. It felt deliberate, as if it were a piece of a larger puzzle I hadn¡¯t yet begun to solve.


    As the fire crackled and the mountain loomed above me, I felt a subtle pressure in the back of my mind. A faint whisper.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    I froze, my hand instinctively gripping the club resting at my side. The voice hadn¡¯t been external¡ªit echoed inside my head, soft and curious but undeniably there. I scanned the area, heart pounding, but saw nothing beyond the dancing shadows cast by the firelight.


    ¡°Who are you to wield this?¡± the voice repeated, calm yet tinged with something darker.


    My breath hitched. "Who''s there?" I muttered, gripping the club tighter.


    The voice chuckled, low and knowing. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know yet, do you? The bargain you¡¯ve struck. How amusing.¡±


    It had to be the ring. I yanked it off in a panic, but the moment it left my finger, I gasped. I still heard a humming sound like someone was really into the newest pop song that they couldn''t get out of their head.


    ¡°Great,¡± I muttered, sliding it back on. ¡°Looks like I can¡¯t get rid of you even if I want to.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± the voice murmured. ¡°But it¡¯s not all bad. After all, I can be... useful.¡±


    ¡°Useful how?¡± I asked warily, glaring at the ring.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll see. In time. For now, focus on surviving. That mountain is no friend to the unprepared, and nightfall is a cruel mistress.¡±


    The voice faded, leaving me with more questions than answers. I stared at the ring, unsure whether I¡¯d gained a reluctant ally or a manipulative foe. Either way, one thing was clear: the ring¡¯s curse was more complicated¡ªand dangerous¡ªthan I¡¯d imagined.


    Pushing the encounter to the back of my mind, I turned my attention to the fire and the darkening woods. Sleep would be a risk, but exhaustion was creeping in. Tomorrow, I¡¯d climb the mountain and hopefully find answers¡ªor at least a clue about what I¡¯d gotten myself into.


    For now, I needed to trust that whatever this curse was, it wouldn¡¯t kill me in my sleep.


    ---------


    Brams brilliant plan had worked. Well, the whole thing with the ring was actually random, but the thing wasn''t really cursed. That had been Brams doing just a little play in the system description and boom. His lackluster plan of whispering into Liams ear while he was sleeping to make him believe he was being haunted had died. Left in its steed was something far more beautiful, making the poor guy think he''s cursed and slowly losing his mind.


    Bram was still unsure of revealing himself yet, this had been the best entertainment he had gotten in a long while. Well besides last Midsommer Festival he put a whole bottle of fire brandy into the fruit punch. The best part was covering it up with alchemical ingredients and miracle berries, so no one even noticed the harsh booze was in it.


    As he contemplated his next move, Bram found himself hesitating. For all the fun he was having, there was something annoyingly endearing about Liam. The kid was persistent, if nothing else, and watching him blunder through life-threatening situations with a mix of sheer luck and stubbornness had an odd charm. Bram would never admit it, of course, but he was starting to like the dumb human. Well, in the way a cat might tolerate a particularly amusing mouse.


    Still, there was work to be done. Bram wasn¡¯t ready to reveal himself just yet not when there was so much potential for more chaos. He leaned back, smirking as he considered his options. Should he "accidentally" let Liam stumble into a pack of wolves? Or maybe convince him the mountain air was cursed, too? The possibilities were endless, and Bram wasn¡¯t one to waste an opportunity for mischief. After all, tormenting Liam was quickly becoming his favorite pastime.


    --------


    I awoke sometime in the night from the biting cold. My whole body was shaking, I had forgot to make a pile of sticks and leaves to keep adding to the fire. Veering over at it I saw that there were still some embers going, but they were becoming faint. That was enough to get me up and moving, I dashed out of the makeshift encampment and searched feverously amongst the trees for any flammable materials that would keep the fire going. Calming down a bit in the search my eyes wandered upwards in took in the moons of this planet. There were three of them, one was a light pink and barely smaller than the moon I knew back from earth. The other two were bigger and actually put off quite a bit of light which definitely aided in my search.


    I finally managed a small bundle of sticks that filled my arms and turned back to the overhang when I saw a shadow of something by the makeshift wall I created. Whatever it was moved on all fours and was sneaking and investigating. My palms instantly got slick with sweat, and I went to take a step back when I heard one word spoken out of fear.


    "Don''t."

 Chapter 5: You Dolt

    Frozen in fear I stood there, watching the beast pummel through my newly acquired home. A few moments had passed and now the thing was inside the overhang stirring about in there seeming to be looking for something. I would be running right now trying to escape, but the damn curse had told me not to move. So, against my better judgement I listened to the damn thing. It would be any minute now and the creature would have my scent trail and instantly spot me. I know for a fact; I smelled like a gym locker room after a football game. That did not help my overwhelming anxiety and to make it even worse I left my club in there.


    In the faintest of whispers, I regrettably tried speaking out to the ring. "Curse. What do I do?"


    The words barely escaped my lips before the monster froze mid-motion. Its snout hovered above the ground, and its ears twitched as though it had caught a sound it didn¡¯t quite understand. My heart hammered in my chest, a deafening rhythm that drowned out the faint hum of the forest around me. It was as though my very pulse might betray me, pounding so loudly I was sure the beast could hear it too.


    Slowly, it lifted its massive head. Glowing eyes, like molten embers, scanned the trees with a predatory precision. I froze, my breath caught in my throat, my body betraying me as it refused to move an inch.


    Then, that sound, low and guttural, a growl that sent shivers down my spine as the beast pressed its nose to the earth again. A horrible snuffling noise filled the air as it began to trace the ground, following my trail.


    It knew.


    An earsplitting whistle cut through the air and the beast lost all interest, immediately running back in the direction it came from. In a single second the thing had disappeared. It would have easily caught me and tore me to shreds.


    ¡°That,¡± a smooth, sardonic voice cut in, ¡°was a goblin chief¡¯s mount. If he hadn¡¯t recalled it, you¡¯d be glistening bones by now. Quite the shame, really¡ªI was looking forward to the visual.¡±


    My mouth opened, but no words came out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there!¡± the voice snapped, suddenly urgent. ¡°They don¡¯t exactly travel alone. Move, you dolt!¡±


    I sprinted back to the overhang while glancing left a few times just to be sure the beast wasn''t coming back with an entourage of goblins. Making it inside without any issues, I picked up my club and got the hell out of there.


    --------


    I ran until my body refused to go any further, collapsing against my will onto the forest floor. My lungs burned, each gasp of air tearing through me like sandpaper, and my chest heaved as though trying to suck in the entire forest''s supply of oxygen.


    The mountain loomed behind me, its jagged peaks mocking my failed attempt to scale it. The ring had insisted, not worth the time or effort, it claimed. I didn¡¯t know if it was the curse¡¯s logic or its twisted sense of humor, but I listened. Against my better judgment, I veered away and ran, devouring as much distance as my legs could manage.


    Now, sprawled on the dirt, I felt every ache and bruise earned from the relentless pace. My throat was parched, so dry that even swallowing was painful. I severely needed water. My thoughts were a jumble, but one need screamed above the rest: Find a town. Find anything.


    Pushing myself up onto trembling arms, I glanced around. The forest was unyielding, its canopy too thick to see the sky. The dawn sunlight filtered through in fractured beams, doing little to guide me. The air was stifling, heavy with the scent of damp earth and rotting leaves.


    ¡°Liam,¡± The cursed voice whispered in the back of my mind, smooth and maddeningly calm. ¡°This isn¡¯t the best look for you. Gasping like a dying fish, flopping in the dirt. Very inspiring.¡±


    ¡°Shut...up...¡± I managed to wheeze, not having the energy to muster any real venom.


    ¡°Oh, my apologies. Would you like me to arrange for the goblins to come back and finish the job? Maybe then you¡¯d get some proper rest.¡±


    I ignored it or at least tried to. But his words lingered, gnawing at my already fragile composure. I needed to keep moving, but my legs felt like lead, my head spinning with exhaustion and dehydration.


    Get up.


    The thought wasn¡¯t mine. It was the rings, laced with an irritating blend of mockery and genuine urgency.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Try harder,¡± it snapped. ¡°Because if you pass out here, the forest creatures will find you before any town does. And trust me, they won¡¯t be offering a warm welcome.¡±


    I hated that it was right. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself onto my knees, then my feet, every movement a battle against my body¡¯s protests.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Atta boy,¡± the curse crooned. ¡°Now, let¡¯s aim for not dying today, shall we?¡±


    Staggering forward, I pressed on. The forest seemed endless, the trees stretching endlessly in every direction. But I refused to give up. Somewhere out there, salvation or at least water had to be waiting.


    ----------


    "Finally!" I muffled out with eyes wide in pure adoration.


    "Am I really seeing this?" I asked the ring, not wanting to believe my eyes.


    What laid out in front of me in all of its glory was a creek, all too excited I dashed to it. It was only about three feet wide and a foot deep at best, but the water it would supply me would be a life saver. When I got to the side of it, I instantly got on my knees and dunked my head in. The water was cool and refreshing, giving me the chills as it ran down my back. I reached out my cupped hands for the glorious liquid to take my first drink. As the first bit of water went inside of my mouth and started down my throat, a figure appeared before me and spoke.


    I sucked in all the water and instantly started coughing it up, hard enough to feel the urge to vomit.


    "Do not fret youngin''. I am here, the great inventor and master tinkerer. My name is... well most people just call me Bram, but you... you can call me... Master Geargrind." The little man spoke to me coming off a little too smug and conceited for my taste. After coughing up the remaining water in my lungs I replayed what he said in my head.


    "Bram? As in the Bram? Where the hell have you been!? You were supposed to be helping me fix your fuck up!" I asked confusion slowly turning into frustration


    Taken a back the man''s face contorted through a few expressions before finally responding. "I had just been released from my punishment with the divine Nexa, as you can see, she has stripped me of my physical form. I am sorry for the pain I have caused you, but I am here now to set things right. You will be back home before you know it." Bram said trying to make this conversation as civil as possible.


    The possibility of going back home had never occurred to me, I thought I would have to spend the rest of my existence in one of these backwater worlds. Calming myself down through a few steadying breaths I decided to respond. "How are you so sure that returning home is a possibility for me? Also, what use will you be if you don''t even have a physical body? I know you could probably scout the surrounding areas for me but besides that. Sorry, but I don''t see how you will be of any value." I stammered it all out and kind of felt bad as soon as the last of it spilled out of my mouth.


    "You are quite the insufferable little twit, arntcha. How about for starters you open up your menus and check the damn tabs really carefully, before you start making assumptions on who is worthless and who isn''t." The ire in his voice building over towards the end.


    I opened up my menu and looked at the tabs again, as the "Grand Inventor" kept yapping. Knowing for sure I didn''t miss anything of importance.


    "The greenskins you got lucky with would have taken me mere seconds to dispatch with the amount of power I control. I would not be able to do much with the warg, but once I start leveling when I figur-..."


    I found it right under the companion''s tab, how did I miss it before, I thought cursing to myself.


    Bram Geargrind


    Level 1


    Stats: Intelligence: 10


    Wisdom: 10


    Charisma: 10


    Mana: 120 (100 base from being a Bound Entity)


    Bound Entity: Spectral Manipulator (Bound Entity cannot exceed 100 yards away from assigned Bearer)


    Abilities: Possession, Whisper of Deceit


    Experience Progression: 0/250 XP (Shared from completed quests with Host. Experience outside of quests is not obtainable.)


    "The only way to harm a bound entity is by magical force, or to derive it from mana for extended periods of time."


    Staring at the screen, I was curious on how he had already gotten abilities. Opening up their descriptions did not disappoint.


    Possession: Spectral Manipulator is able to occupy and control the bodies of creatures with lower intelligence. The control is not absolute strong-willed creatures might resist or break free over time. (Mana Cost: 10 + 5 additional mana per minute while occupying a creature)


    Whisper of deceit: Alters the thoughts or perceptions of nearby creatures, planting ideas or commands they may interpret as their own.


    I quickly ran my hand through my hair. "Fine. You can possess things. Great. But how does that help me get home?"


    Bram¡¯s smirk faded slightly. "Well, getting you home is... complicated. But you¡¯re not alone in this, Liam. I might be bound to you because of some divine punishment, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t want to fix this mess. Besides," he added with a mischievous glint, "you¡¯re the only person I¡¯ve got right now."


    "You¡¯re insufferable."


    "And you¡¯re stuck with me," Bram shot back cheerfully. "So, shall we get moving? I¡¯ve got a feeling we¡¯re about to make some very poor decisions together."


    "Hold on a minute, I still haven''t gotten a full drink yet and I''ve been dying with all the figh... How did you know about the goblins? You mentioned greenskins something about you could''ve done better, how did you know about that?"


    Bram''s transparent body distinguished a little looking to have deflated under my questioning. Cursing mentally, he searched his brain for any explanation, but nothing was coming to mind, and he needed to answer now or else the whole thing would blow up in his face.


    "I... Uh. Nexa has shown me everything you have accomplished this far. She wanted me to know everything you had faced since my arrival. You know... She is a goddess; such matters are simple for her."


    I eyed him suspiciously, but not having any reason to mistrust his word I went along with it for now.


    After taking my tenth handful of water, I felt full. The water tasted kind of off, almost kind of musky in a sense, if that makes any sense at all. I decided to ask Bram about it, maybe Nexa would''ve let him in on some useful information.


    "Bram... Why does this water taste... off? I didn''t notice it before, but there''s definitely a tang to it."


    "I can''t solve everything for you... Hold on a sec." he said as he disappeared from sight.


    I eyed the stream and decided to look deeper into the water, from what I could tell it looked clean. I wonder if there''s a weird tasting bacterium on this planet, or if the water just tasted gross here. I''d always preferred my carbonated beverages anyways. Before I knew it Bram was back and dying of laughter.


    Between rolling laughter, he told me "You are... going to be... pissed."


    With him being that overjoyed I was getting scared..."Knock it off, what the hell is going on? What is it?"


    He calmed a bit wiping away fake tears from his eyes. "Theres a town up that way about 90 yards over that slight incline."


    "Theres also a bigger stream up there with a little dam holding back most of the water."


    My eyes widened in excitement, instantly climbing to my feet. "Are you serious? Eyes gleaming with the thought of quests. "Wait, what does that got to do with the taste of the water?"


    With a cough that suspiciously sounded like another round of a laughing fit starting he stated, "The towns men are emptying their houses waste buckets... Upriver from you."

 Chapter 6: The town of Hillgrove

    After the whole "incident" with the water and then emptying the contents of my stomach. We went up the hill and were able to see the town palisade, the trees around the town were all cleared away and several homes were actually on the outside of the defensive wall. Which I thought was a little strange, but looking closer they seemed to be small farmhouses with barns. Made sense really since you couldn''t realistically put farms inside without stretching out walls insanely wide. Giving the local wildlife though, I would much prefer being on the inside of said walls. Approaching closer, the damp grass turned into somewhat of a dirt road.


    "What the shit is that thing?!" I screeched as a massive bull-like creature somehow appeared out of nowhere with his head hanging over the fence


    "That would be an Abertrox." Bram stated.


    "Uh... and its purpose is?" The tentacles of the creature''s mouth waved in all directions like it had sensed me and wanted to explore my head holes. The body of the thing looked like a normal testosterone fueled bull, but around the snout foot long blue and purple tendrils flailed around. The worst part is I was able to see the things teeth at the center of the tendrils.


    "They taste good, why else would they farm them?"


    Not wanting any part of that thing, we made it to the outside of the towns gate which from the looks of it was in some dire needs of repair. Several canon ball shaped holes were patched over with planks. Definitely looking like the town had a lack of a craftsman, or they had some trouble recently. I was sure it would be the latter as the only stationed guard was sitting on what must''ve been a pretty comfortable chair with his feet up on a table, passed out.


    "I haven''t thought about it until now, but do they speak... English?"


    Bram let out a over expressive sigh and boredly said "Everyone will speak common, of course there are some races that prefer their native tongues, but the system sets forth one standard language when inaugurating a planet... I''d be concerned for the fact that you still don''t have any bottoms on." My face instantly flushed, totally forgetting my kilt got destroyed with the dagger blow. "If it makes you feel any better, I wasn''t going to tell you, but you''re my only option for leveling at this point and I kind of need access to that town to do so. From my perspective you got two options. Break into one of those modest farmhouses and steal some" I glanced over at the closest house, and I swore I saw one of the alien bull heads sticking out a window. "Or the option I know you''re going to choose. Make something out of the bushes back there in the woods and have the whole town judge you. Either way I find it as a win."


    ------


    After returning from my sprint back into the forest, I officially had on... something that resembled pants. Trying to make the best of the situation at least the only person that could have saw me was dead asleep.


    Hurrying my pace, I walked up to the table and politely knocked on the table... "Excuse me sir? Do you need to check us in or are we free to go into town?"


    The old man mumbled himself awake "What and who? Oh... Oh yes, you are free to pass. Just don''t do anything stupid or unlawful. Wouldn''t want to drag you out especially with all of the issues we''ve been having outside the walls." He mumbled through most of it, but I got the gist. He also tapped on his spear which was behind him leaning against the palisade. I could definitely use one of those over the damn club I''d been hauling around. "Shit!" I hissed and instantly through open my inventory screen to see what the curse had taken. Scanning through it I still had the food from the "might", the leather and goblin meat. Thankfully right at the bottom of the list was the club, a smile fell over my lips as I still had my main source of protection with me.


    "Is everything all right?" The old man cut in. "Yes, I just thought I misplaced something. Have a good day"


    Walking through the gate I was thankful he didn''t say anything about the bush kilt I was rocking. The streets weren''t all that busy and the town looked bigger from the outside. All the houses seemed made of wood and thatch, which seemed like a fire hazard. A faint smell of damp hay mixed with a tinge of smoke lingered in the air, but the streets were unnervingly silent, save for the occasional creak of a swinging signboard. The single stone building in town was the town hall, and across the street from it was the tavern. Continuing forward towards the gate on the other end of the wall, I couldn''t help but to feel disappointed. I may have set my standard of a town way to high. This place was definitely a village, I''ve only seen about four people walking through the main road on smaller bisecting streets. I couldn¡¯t shake the growing sense of unease. The place felt abandoned, like everyone had just up and left moments before we arrived. Finally, I turned to Bram. "Where the hell is everything? How am I supposed to get any quests or gear? It all looks like a ghost town."


    "Oh, you thought this backwater village would have adventurers lining up with shiny loot to hand out. Cute. Welcome to reality, kid. The ''ghost town'' vibes? Yeah, there''s a reason for that."


    Before he could get to the explanation, we were interrupted by a nervous woman around my age. "Ah you must be the help, the gods sent. We have been desperate with hope and prayers for the past two weeks; I am glad to see you here at last." She rushed out. "I forgot pleasantries, I am Renna Venstar I oversee Hillgrove here." She said with a small courtesy and when she mentioned the towns name, she wove her arm out in front of her in a wide arc like I was supposed to be impressed with what I''ve seen. I couldn''t put my finger on it, but there was definitely strange about her. I couldn''t really pinpoint it though. She looked pretty plain her body type was rail thin with her pale complexion and auburn hair in a simple braid.


    "Uh... Wow, seems like a nice place." Nodding along "My name is Liam, what exactly are you needing help with?" hoping it would start a small quest chain; I need to level and obtain a class if I''m ever going to have the smallest chance of recovering the teleportation coins.


    "Well, you see... The town has been having nightly raids with an unknown encounter. They stay on the edge of our vision and seem to have a caster that''s been wreaking havoc on our southern gate. We are glad you''ve made it, but I have to ask. Why didn''t you use the passage glyph surely it would have been quicker?"


    Bram definitely had a lot of explaining to do. It now made sense why there was a lack of villagers those that could afford it probably left before the problems got any worse. Heat rising to my face out of both anger and embarrassment "Ah, yes about that I decided it would be best to get the lay of the land and take in the surrounding area. You know for reconnaissance purposes." clearing my throat over the last bit probably not sounding all to confident. She wasn''t convinced in the slightest.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "Uh... huh... Well as you know, as the town overseer, I could see your title and I know it''s a very minor issues among the gods, but we would appreciate your help. Even if you do have other reasons for being here. If you need anything just let me know, oh... and cooper inside the town hall has access to the system store, for certain replacements." She said while eyeing my makeshift kilt with a halfhearted smile like you would for a child that brings you a painting to put on the fridge. Instantly making me feel embarrassed all over again.


    "Thanks." I said softly "Oh and I will help your village with its current issue." Realizing then that Bram wasn''t around instantly giving me anxiety. "Have a good day." giving a curt nod then moving past her to walk straight into the town hall.


    A screen appeared as I got to the door:


    I struggled opening the door, the damned thing was about eight inches thick made of solid wood. For once since coming into town, I was not disappointed. Elegant tapestries hung from the stone railing of a marble staircase. The floors were even marble with some sort of gold inlay. Looking around the main hall I saw beautiful paintings of what had to be this planet''s figureheads and even a coupler of smaller statues sitting on pedestals. "Impressive." Slipped out of my mouth unconsciously.


    "That it is." Came a booming voice from my right. A big bear like man hovered over a nice oak counter that seemed to be recently polished. "Come over here, I have some wares you''d surely want to look at." eyeing me up and down, not even trying to hide the disgust on his face. I could barely see his mouth through the dense wiry blonde beard streaked with orange as he spoke again while tossing me something.


    "Use that to access the system store. Press down in the center of it to activate. Stock is limited since we only have town access of supplies, but it''ll get you enough to get by. If you have any questions, just ask."


    He tossed a silver circular disk at me as big as my hand. It had intricated carvings throughout the whole thing and a light blue crystal sitting in the middle. As I pressed down on the crystal, the disk hummed faintly in my hand, warm to the touch. A sharp hiss of air escaped as a translucent triangle materialized in front of me, hovering a foot above the disk. Its edges pulsed with a faint blue light, and tiny glyphs and symbols danced along the outer frame, giving it an otherworldly feel.


    The menu flickered for a moment before solidifying, displaying several tabs written in crisp Common:


    <ul>


    <li>Gear</li>


    <li>Consumables</li>


    <li>Crafting Materials</li>


    <li>Miscellaneous</li>


    <li>Sell Items</li>


    </ul>


    Each tab was accompanied by a glowing icon: a sword for gear, a potion bottle for consumables, a stack of lumber for crafting materials, and a question mark for miscellaneous. The "Sell Items" tab bore a simple coin symbol, radiating a faint golden glow.


    Curious, I reached out, my finger hovering over the "Gear" tab. The triangle shifted, its glyphs rearranging themselves to form a submenu. A list of items appeared in cascading order:


    Traveler''s boots


    (Good for mild protection from the elements and basic wear and tear.)


    Rarity: Common


    Armor rating +2


    Cost: 75 credits


    Rusty Iron Short sword


    (This sword has seen better days; however, it still has a pointy end for stabbing things.)


    Rarity: Common


    Attack: +4-6


    Cost: 150 Credits


    Leather Skull Cap


    (Provides little protection, possible to stop a glancing blow.)


    Rarity: Common


    Armor rating: +2


    Cost: 100 Credits


    Basic Short Spear


    (This spear is roughly 4 feet long and is equipped with a bronze spear head.)


    Rarity: Common


    Attack: +5-10


    Cost: 250 Credits


    The list went on like this for quite some time. Quickly skimming over the items, I noticed all of them were common items, must be because of the town limitations. I continued on to consumables which didn''t disappoint. Stamina, mana and health potions filled this section, they ranged from minor which would heal simple flesh wounds to major ones that would snap bones back into place within seconds. I made a mental note to definitely get some of the minors and one major one of each, as well as one of the water skins. I would be collecting water from north of the village this time not wanting a repeat of earlier this morning. With that I continued on the list. Crafting materials didn''t have much that I thought was useful, various amounts of pelts, ores, bones and herbs for alchemy. Though perhaps in the future I would consider picking up alchemy, I''d need to make sure I was safe in my primary class first though. Miscellaneous is where it got really interesting, it was filled with subcategories things like transportation, housing development and various odds and ends. I saw a large rucksack that was a bag of holding and I could only imagine what it could store, but with a price tag at 8,000 credits I was still off the mark for that one for a while longer. Finally, I made it to the sell items category and saw the price of everything in my possession. I instantly sold the goblin meats which I had two of for a sum of 10 credits and the leather for another 10. Moving on I decided to keep the coco meat slabs and all my starting gear. Interested I scanned over the ring to see it''s sell price, but when I did the item name changed. It was now just a minor ring of holding with no curse attached. It must be a bug in the system, not saying a word to anyone I closed out of the menu.


    Handing back the disk to Cooper he stopped me "You aren''t going to collect your credits?" He boomed in a confused tone with an eyebrow raised. When I answered back with a bigger look of confusion.


    He laughed "Where''s your system mark? You''ll need it to withdraw your credits. If you don''t have one, I have spares but since you sold goblin meat, I would expect you do."


    Not understanding what he meant at first, but then it dawned on me. I hadn''t really seen any inventory with the number of credits I had. The goblin kills netted 300 credits and the "Might" was 500. Biting my tongue with seething rage, I just nodded at Cooper with my hand outstretched, receiving the system mark and feeling a slight tug at something within me. Looking down at it a message appeared.


    System Mark (Tier 2, 50,000 Limit)


    Description: A sleek, coin-like piece of metal about the size of a half-dollar, etched with glowing runes that faintly pulse in sync with the user''s heartbeat. The mark is crafted from a mysterious alloy that resonates with the system''s energy, allowing it to securely store and transfer system credits.


    Features:


    Deposit & Withdrawal: Users can transfer system credits from their personal balance to the Mark by touching it to any System Store interface, such as the silver disks. Similarly, credits can be withdrawn for safekeeping in the same way.


    Security Measures:


    The Mark is keyed to the user''s unique mana signature, preventing theft. If stolen or lost, it can be remotely disabled through the system menu (for a small fee, of course).


    Capacity: It has a tiered storage limit, ranging from 1,000 credits for a basic Mark to millions for advanced, rarer versions.


    Durability: Virtually indestructible under normal circumstances, though high-level disintegration magic or specific rituals could destroy it.


    Collecting the credits was a simple enough process reminding me of my homes tap to pay method. After thanking Cooper even after he told me about his cut in the deal, which left me with a whopping 15 credits, I left the Hall in search of Bram.


    Stepping outside, I clenched the Mark in my hand. As much as I hated to admit it, Cooper¡¯s system seemed efficient. But I needed to know more, how it all worked, and most importantly, why Bram hadn¡¯t told me about it sooner. That smug bastard was going to spill everything.

 Chapter 7: Liam, My loyal Companion.

    Bram was getting tired of the whole save our town nonsense and decided to head over to the tavern. There he would at least hear rumors of the townsfolk and any additional issues with the quest.


    Walking into the tavern Bram was hit with a scent of sweat, food and stale alcohol as he entered the tavern. He didn''t even realize he had his senses until this moment, or if he was just imagining what a tavern smelt like based on memory. Everything inside seemed to be haphazardly thrown together. Only a couple of chairs were out per table, the tables had been patched again and again with mismatched assorted lumber. It was not one of the finest establishments Bram had been inside but also not the worst. An old man was scrubbing at the soft wood bar with some sort of cleaning brush. The poor soul had seen better days just like the building itself. Only a few men were inside, one of which was drinking an ale, which gave Bram the best idea he had ever got.


    ------------------


    Bram slipped into Gregory¡¯s body with ease, the man¡¯s mind sluggish and unguarded thanks to the ale he¡¯d already consumed. For a moment, Bram was stunned by the strange sensations, the weight of a solid body, the scratch of stubble on his chin, and oh, the glorious taste of ale lingering on his tongue.


    ¡°Another round!¡± he bellowed, slamming the tankard down hard enough to rattle the bar. The barkeep, wide-eyed, complied, filling Gregory¡¯s tankard again.


    Tankard after tankard, Bram drained the ale like a man who hadn¡¯t tasted anything in days, which, to be fair, was true. The warm burn of alcohol coursing through Gregory¡¯s veins was intoxicating in more ways than one. Bram laughed loudly, telling nonsensical stories about heroic feats and daring exploits, much to the bemusement of the other patrons.


    ---------------


    As soon as I stepped into the tavern, I spotted a giant of a man staggering near the bar. His face was flushed red, his eyes half-lidded, and he was leaning precariously on the counter like it was the only thing keeping him upright. A tankard dangled from one hand, dangerously close to spilling its contents onto the already-sticky floor. The barkeep wiped his hand down his face and muttered "What has gotten into you Gregory? You never drink this much ale."


    The sight alone would¡¯ve been odd enough, but then Gregory opened his mouth.


    ¡°Liam! My loyal companion!¡± Gregory, or Bram, I realized with growing horror, bellowed, throwing his arms wide. ¡°Join me in celebrating this most magnificent establishment!¡±


    I froze. ¡°Are you... drunk? How the hell are you drunk? You¡¯re a spirit!¡±


    Bram, or rather, Gregory¡¯s body, stumbled toward me, weaving like a leaf in a storm. He clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder, nearly taking us both down. ¡°Oh, Liam,¡± he slurred, his breath reeking of ale. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe it! Possession isn¡¯t just for scaring people, you know. Turns out it¡¯s a marvelous way to indulge in... shall we say... earthly pleasures.¡±


    ¡°You possessed Gregory just to drink ale?¡± I hissed, barely keeping my voice down as the other patrons stared at the scene unfolding.


    ¡°Not just to drink ale,¡± Bram corrected, wagging a finger. ¡°Also to sing! Watch this!¡±


    Before I could stop him, Bram clambered onto the bar, Gregory¡¯s body wobbling dangerously, and launched into some kind of bawdy tune. His voice cracked on every other note, and I was pretty sure he made up half the lyrics as he went.


    The barkeep wasn¡¯t having it. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± the old man snapped, slamming a hand down on the bar. ¡°Get out before I have you thrown out!¡±


    With a groan, I stepped forward and grabbed Bram-Gregory by the arm, hauling him down. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re leaving,¡± I muttered, dragging him toward the door. He didn¡¯t even resist, though he kept giggling like this was all some big joke.


    Outside, I practically dumped him on the ground. ¡°What the hell were you thinking?¡± I growled.


    Bram left Gregory¡¯s body in a swirling mist, the man groaning and curling up in the dirt like he¡¯d been hit by a freight train. Bram floated beside me, his smug grin as infuriating as ever.


    ¡°Oh, lighten up, Liam,¡± he said. ¡°It was just a bit of fun! Besides, Gregory had already started the drinking. I merely... expedited things.¡±


    ¡°Expedited things?¡± I snapped. ¡°You turned the guy into a walking keg!¡±


    Bram shrugged. ¡°Small price to pay for a little indulgence. You should try it sometime. You¡¯re wound tighter than a crossbow string.¡±


    I pinched the bridge of my nose, taking a deep breath. ¡°One of these days, Bram, you¡¯re going to push me too far.¡±


    ¡°And on that day,¡± Bram said, drifting lazily ahead of me, ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to bring popped corn.¡±


    I glanced back at Gregory, who was still groaning in the dirt. ¡°You¡¯re helping me fix this.¡±


    Bram chuckled. ¡°I¡¯d love to, but you know, spirit. No hands.¡±


    I muttered a long string of curses under my breath as I bent down to help Gregory to his feet. "Have a good day sir, I''d probably go home if I were you." Gregory dizzily looked me in the eyes for a few seconds until he turned beat red in embarrassment from the memories. He quickly dusted himself off and headed away in the opposite direction.


    "Bram! We need to have a long thought-out discussion about everything, and I do mean everything that you know about the system and how all of this shit works. I am more than tired of being left hung out to dry and figure all of this out on my own. Please for the love of the gods just do that much for me." I started calmly but ended it in an irate mood.


    "Fine by me... But we need to find somewhere private, and we need sleeping arrangements. That is assuming you accepted the quest."


    I just ignored him and went on the lookout for Renna, hoping she would put us up for one night.


    ------------------------


    After finding Renna talking to Cooper, she agreed to let me stay in a spare bedroom on the second floor of the town hall. By some means the room was more of the size of a suite and didn''t really make sense given the building layout, but I wasn''t an engineer or a construction foreman back on earth so who knows. Bram and I have a long-drawn-out conversation that had lasted hours about anything I would find out about the system, and I felt immensely better about my situation now. I was pissed when I found out that he was the "Curse" behind the ring and that he''d been here as long as I had, but over the information he shared that rage had died down. The only real concern I did have was my class choice coming up, but with enough funds I could change it eventually. Bram reminded me of my system credits I got along with the chests I first received and when I selected them, they automatically deposited into my mark. With my newly acquired funds I went back to Cooper and got a full set of undergarments, including a long sleeve cloth shirt for under my armor. I didn''t really care for the idea of wearing something called stockings, so I got the linen trousers instead. Plus, I was fairly sure the stockings were meant for under armor since they were so thin and uncomfortably tight looking. After the clothing was out of the way and only spending 120 of the credits I bought the travelers boots, short spear, a waterskin and one major health potion. I was out of money all over again, but I also felt a million times better about the situation.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    I pushed the door open, balancing the weight of my newly acquired gear, and found Bram lounging in his usual lazy fashion, sprawled across the bed like he had any right to it. It was an odd sight, considering he didn¡¯t have a physical body, yet somehow, he managed to project an aura of sheer entitlement.


    ¡°You know,¡± I said, dropping my things onto the small table near the window, ¡°you could at least pretend to be helpful while I¡¯m out spending every last credit trying to keep us alive.¡±


    Bram didn¡¯t even open his eyes. ¡°Helpful? I¡¯ve been immeasurably helpful. People would kill for the amount of information I gave you today."


    "Yeah, and thanks for that. Now we have to go to the capi-" A loud banging sound interrupted our discussion. We quickly looked at each other and sprinted outside. It was night already, the moons giving us just enough light to see. I turned towards the south gate and noticed one side was completely off its hinges and the other was hanging from the top; I withdrew my spear through the ring and looked around. There was no one in sight, Bram appeared to my right with a slew of curses.


    "Go take a closer look." I told him as my eyes never seemed to stop scanning the area.


    Sneering up at me but fighting the urge to rebuke he descended the steps from the town hall and went towards the gate. Not wanting him to get into any real danger I quickly followed behind him. Keeping my eyes on Bram but also looking at the nearby houses nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The doors were all still shut and there was no further damage outside of the gate. When we got to the gate, I looked for the old gate guard. His table and chair were smashed to pieces, my heart skipped a few beats as I noticed a slumped form ten feet away from the table.


    "Shit! Bram will a major health pot work on him?" I stumbled while running towards the body. Getting closer revealed it was not the grizzled old man but a goblin with sword and shield. "Scratch that. We need to find him but first we need to warn the others inside."


    "They went further south Liam. One of them has a mount so likely the chieftain is with them" peering at where he was pointing there were large, furrowed claw marks in the road leading south. "They were in a hurry to leave, but why?" asking Bram but then a loud, ear-splitting cry was heard within the town, and we turned to find its source. A plume of smoke rose near the center of the village, lit by a flickering orange glow.


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    "Fire," I muttered, dread pooling in my stomach. "Damn it, they sent a group inside while we were distracted at the gate."


    Bram floated to my side, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the scene. "Typical goblin tactics. Divide attention, sow chaos, and attack from the least-expected angle. Sloppy, but effective when the defenders are unprepared."


    I spun toward the town, gripping my spear. "We have to stop them before it spreads. If they torch the whole village, there¡¯s no way we¡¯ll recover."


    "You focus on the fire," Bram said. "I''ll keep an eye on the outskirts, if they¡¯ve left any surprises, someone has to make sure you don¡¯t walk into them blind."


    "Be careful," I muttered before taking off toward the smoke.


    As I ran through the narrow streets, the crackling of flames grew louder, mingling with panicked screams and the sounds of clashing metal. Rounding a corner, I saw a cluster of villagers desperately trying to douse the fire with buckets of water from the nearby well.


    At the center of the chaos, a group of goblins was attacking anyone who got too close. They were smaller than the one I¡¯d seen near the gate but no less dangerous. One of them shrieked as it lunged at a man carrying a bucket, knocking him to the ground before turning its beady eyes on me.


    Without hesitation, I leveled my spear. "Come on, then," I growled, taking a defensive stance.


    The goblin screeched and charged, swinging its crude weapon in wide, clumsy arcs. I sidestepped its first swing, jabbing forward with the spear and catching it in the shoulder. It yelped and stumbled back, but before it could recover, I thrust again, this time striking true. The goblin crumpled to the ground, lifeless. This new spear was amazing, exactly what I needed to counter the little bastards.


    Eyes darting towards the remaining group, doing a quick head count there were six of them. Charging forward before any more of them attacked the defenseless villagers, two noticed right away, while the others were too occupied with watching the fire burst free towards the nights sky.


    I met the two head-on, the first one darting ahead of the other with surprising speed. Both were armed with the same crude daggers as the rest. Charging with my spear outstretched, I aimed for the faster goblin''s torso, but it ducked low, effortlessly evading the strike. Reacting quickly, I swung the spear to the right, hoping to at least graze the second one. It wasn¡¯t quick enough. It raised its arm in a futile attempt to block, but my spearhead sliced past it, and as it leaned forward slightly, the blade found its mark, burying deep into its neck. The first goblin was on me swinging his dagger, I dropped my spear taking a chance with hand to hand, knowing from my previous encounters I was stronger than them. Swiftly I took a step back as the dagger would have hit where my hip was if I hadn''t moved. The goblin put all of his weight into the strike throwing him slightly off balance, which was a life ending mistake. I shot forward with a twelve to six elbow to the top of his skull, the goblin staggered heavily as I muffled a cry from hitting my funny bone. Mentally swearing to never do that move again, no matter how cool it looks. Then the goblin dropped to the floor, and the pain subsided, "maybe just once more" I mentally thought to myself.


    Too occupied with my own fight I didn''t realize that the gate guard had taken up arms with the other four goblins. Happy to see him I fought the urge to call out to him while he was in the heat of battle. Fighting with myself if I should help him or go see how Bram was doing, it only took a couple seconds to decide. I ran forward grabbing my spear off of the dirt floor in the process. The loud cries and shouting from the villagers helping mask the sound of my footfalls. Taking the first goblin by surprise as my spear head pierced through his back and out of the front of his chest. I yanked the spear out having to put my foot on his back to fully dislodge it. As that happened two of the other goblins turned to see me. The uglier one of the two lunged towards me, the damned thing had a septum piercing hanging from his nose. Trying to catch his wrist as he swung his blade wildly towards my thigh was a mistake. He tossed the dagger from one hand to the other just before I was able to grab his now empty hand. An earth-shattering pain came from my right hip as I suddenly got heavier. The goblin had stabbed me and then took advantage of my position. He was now on my back with his feet interlocked across my midsection. I pulled on the one arm I had now in both hands, but he was determined, striking me in the side of the head over and over again. Getting desperate I heaved his left arm putting every bit of strength I had into it. I felt a popping sound and the arm went limp as he cried out scrambling off of my back. During his descent he kicked the dagger that was embedded into my side free, causing another wave of agony wash over me.


    I glanced at the guard to make sure he was still in the fight with me, he was but barely... He had a dagger sticking out from his thigh as he was wrestling one of the goblins, the other one was sneaking in blows where he could, trying not to get caught. I rose to my feet shakily, snapped my eyes towards the ugly goblin where he was crawling towards his dagger. Not giving him the time to wield himself, I stepped towards him, summoning my club as I did. The pain shooting up my right-side was bearable, but it still hurt, radiating with each step. The goblin must''ve felt my footfalls through the ground because just as I reached him, he turned towards me. Panic took over his facial expression, his eyes restlessly darting side to side, swinging my club back and that''s when he spoke.


    "I... Help..." It screeched in a guttural nasally voice. I hesitated for a second, but that was all. Bram had told me what happened to his family and that was unforgivable. However, I did make his death instant in painless as my club smashed through his head and its contents burst out like some sort of sick firework.


    Turning towards the guard I found him back on his feet and ambling towards me.


    I locked eyes with him and spoke... "What the hell happened?"

 Chapter 8: Class Selection

    The gruff old man took a minute to respond as he stared at me while pulling the dagger out of himself. "I... I''m not exactly sure, the attacks started as normal, but then a goblin charged at me on a warg, I barely got my spear up in time to get the bastard. The beast could have easily killed me, but once his rider fell it took off. Then the gates slammed open from some sort of magical spell. I came inside to see if we had any infiltrators, that''s when I noticed these sneaklings starting a fire over at that house." He motioned towards the still smoking house, the villagers have done well to put out the wildly burning flames. While we were caught up looking at the smoke, Bram had returned.


    Out of habit I spoke out to him as the guard turned thinking I was talking to him I corrected myself "Did you... Never mind." Bram started laughing as the guard responded.


    "Okay then, I think I will be returning to the gate, or... you know what I mean." he said slowly turning and limping out towards the town opening. I went and grabbed my spear and then turned towards Bram.


    "Did you see anything?" I quickly asked Bram again. "Nothing beyond your favorite Abertrox''s ." he said grinning.


    A thought occurring to me, so I asked it "Was the bigger goblin outside the chieftain? The guard mentioned how he was riding on a warg."


    "Nah, that would be a warrior-class greenskin. A chieftain would be far larger and far more cunning than that little bugger. Besides, I¡¯ve been thinking... This attack doesn¡¯t add up. Why send only sneaklings? Something¡¯s off. You should go find the head lass and have a word with her. I suspect she hasn¡¯t been entirely honest about what¡¯s going on here."


    Bram¡¯s words settled heavily in my mind as I turned toward the town hall steps, suspicion growing with every step. He had explained earlier that goblin reproduced at an insane rate, with some clans numbering in the thousands. This paltry attack barely scratched the surface of what a real goblin raid could look like. Something bigger had to be at play.


    The wound throbbed as I pushed against the heavy door, each attempt weaker than the last. Bram stood at my side, shaking his head, but offering no help. Gritting my teeth, I gave one final push and managed to swing the door open.


    The sight inside stopped me cold.


    Renna lay sprawled on the marble floor, a dark pool of blood spreading beneath her. Panic overtook me as I darted toward her, kneeling at her side. Her lifeless blue eyes stared into nothing; their piercing intensity dulled by the inevitable glaze of death. I gently laid her head back down, a hollow ache forming in my chest.


    ¡°Damn it...¡± I whispered, my voice trembling as I scanned the room.


    Bram vanished without a word, presumably searching for clues¡ªor so I hoped. My own attempts were futile. There were no tracks leading from Renna¡¯s body, no obvious signs of a struggle nearby. Whoever had done this had been clean, methodical.


    This wasn¡¯t an opportunistic attack... it was an execution.


    My eyes wandered towards the counter Cooper usually manned, but no one was there. Where the hell is he? I thought to myself, I turned towards the second story steps and started going up them as Bram had returned from further back on the first floor. "He''s in the cellar messing with the glyphstone console. It controls the town overview. I believe he is taking control of the town. Hurry it up, we have to stop him." I never heard Bram speak so fast, as I turned back down the steps and followed quickly behind him.


    The cellar door was already slightly ajar, a faint blue glow spilling out into the hallway. I shoved it open and descended the narrow stone stairs two at a time, Bram hovering just ahead of me, his movements almost jittery with urgency. The air grew colder the further down we went, carrying a faint hum that set my teeth on edge. At the bottom, the room opened up into a surprisingly spacious cellar, its walls lined with shelves holding dusty scrolls and jars. In the center of the room stood Cooper, his back to us, illuminated by the pulsating light of the Glyphstone Console.


    The console itself was mesmerizing: a waist-high slab of stone, covered in glowing glyphs that rearranged themselves in hypnotic patterns. Above it, a shimmering 3D projection of the town hovered, showing every building, every street, even tiny glowing dots that I realized represented the townsfolk. Cooper had his hands planted firmly on the stone, his fingers digging into the runes as though he were pulling power directly from it.


    "Cooper!" I shouted, my voice echoing off the cellar walls.


    He flinched but didn¡¯t turn around. ¡°Liam,¡± he said, his voice calm but strained. ¡°This town¡¯s been dying for years. Renna wasted our resources on luxuries while the people suffered. Now, I¡¯ll fix it. I¡¯ll make things right.¡±


    Bram scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. ¡°By seizing control? How noble. Tell me, Cooper, is your plan to ¡®fix things'' or crown yourself king of this miserable dump?¡±


    Cooper finally turned to face us, his expression a mix of defiance and desperation. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand, outsider. This town needs strength, real leadership, not someone like Renna. She was bleeding us dry, and now she¡¯s gone. It¡¯s my turn.¡±


    The glyphs on the console flickered, and the projection above shifted. Buildings highlighted themselves one by one as if Cooper were selecting them. ¡°You think you can just walk in here and take over?¡± I asked, gripping my spear tightly.


    ¡°You¡¯re too late, Liam,¡± Cooper said with a grim smile. ¡°The console recognizes authority. I¡¯ve already begun the transfer. Once it¡¯s complete, the town is mine.¡±


    Bram muttered in my ear, ¡°You can stop him, but you¡¯ll need to disrupt the process. Get him away from the console... forcefully, if necessary.¡±


    I stepped forward, my heart pounding. ¡°Cooper, step away from the console. We don¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    His eyes narrowed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we do.¡±


    And just like that, his hand shot to his side, drawing a short blade that glinted in the glyphstone¡¯s light. I sprang into action spear shooting forward with an unbelievable speed, his sword smacked away the tip with a metal clang that reverberated down my hands, instinctively dropping the spear in the process. The huge man dove at me easily taking me to the ground, I tried fighting and refusing his wishes, but he ended up in a full mount position above me. "You aren''t going to stop me. Quit while you still live." His voice enraged dripping venom, as he reached, his bear paw like hands around my neck fully interlocking his fingers at the back of it and squeezed.


    Blackness danced at the edges of my vision, as I struggled to breath, my heart throbbing throughout my entire body. Soon the darkness took over most of my vision as I tried swinging my arms weakly at his body, trying to roll or do anything to gain leverage and stop from passing out, but it seemed useless against the giant. Before I knew it my eyelids refused to stay open, I fought them but... His grip loosened slightly just enough for me to breathe again, I took a huge lungful of air and started coughing. Blood now flowing quicker to my head, a realization dawned on me, as I mentally cursed my stupidity. Looking into Coopers eyes I saw he was having a mental battel with Bram. Not knowing how long I had, I summoned both of the stone daggers I had gotten from the first goblins I had ever faced, I just started stabbing anywhere I could reach. Instantly gaping wounds appeared all over Coopers body, his legs, chest and lastly his throat. Blood poured freely from the man as he fell backwards off of me and onto the floor. Taking a few seconds to catch my breath I looked at him and said, "It didn''t have to end this way." there was no reply as he held the wound at his throat, struggling through his last death throes.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    I stood up and shakily got to my feet and headed straight for the glyphstone console. I reached out to touch it, but a system message came through as I did.


    "Congratulations, would you like to take control of the town? yes, or no?"


    Bram appeared next to me with mixed emotions about taking the town under control. Well, I could be projecting a bit, I personally thought it was a waste of time, we had a huge quest hanging over our heads at the moment and have gotten nowhere with it. After a few more minutes of arguing back and forth with Bram, I decided against taking control of the town, but then against my own doing I mentally confirmed the prompt.


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    The moment I confirmed the prompt, against my own better judgment, mind you, the glyphstone console flared with light, sending out waves of warmth that wrapped around me like a suffocating blanket. A new system message appeared before me, translucent and glowing:


    "Town Control Accepted. New Lord Appointed."


    My jaw dropped. ¡°What the hell, Bram?! I didn¡¯t even-¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± Bram interrupted, his smirk as infuriating as ever. ¡°You were the one who thought about it hard enough for the system message to linger. And, might I add, your internal monologues are louder than a goblin marching band.¡±


    I groaned, rubbing my temples. ¡°This isn¡¯t how this was supposed to go! We have bigger things to deal with than managing a town. What am I even supposed to do now?¡±


    Bram shrugged nonchalantly, leaning against the air as if it were solid. ¡°Well, congratulations, Lord Liam. You¡¯ve inherited a quaint, broken-down village that just got attacked by goblins and has an empty treasury. Sounds like a dream come true.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget the dead leader,¡± I muttered under my breath, glancing over at Renna¡¯s still form. The sight of her brought a heavy weight to my chest.


    The glyphstone console pulsed again, and a new set of options appeared in front of me:


    Town Overview


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    <li>Building Repairs</li>


    <li>Citizen Assignments</li>


    <li>Treasury Overview</li>


    <li>Security and Defense Upgrades</li>


    <li>Town Improvements</li>


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    I stared at the options, a headache already forming. ¡°Great. Now I¡¯m responsible for all of this.¡±


    ¡°Look on the bright side,¡± Bram said, his tone way too cheerful for the moment. ¡°At least you can assign someone else to fix the walls while you figure out what¡¯s next.¡±


    I scrolled through the menus, overwhelmed by the sheer number of problems that needed fixing. The treasury was nearly empty, with barely enough credits to repair the damaged gate, let alone bolster defenses or rebuild the town. There was a list of citizens, most of whom were marked as ¡°unskilled¡± or ¡°unemployed.¡±


    ¡°Fantastic,¡± I muttered. ¡°This is a disaster.¡±


    Bram laughed, clapping me on the shoulder. ¡°Welcome to leadership, kid. Now, are you going to pout about it, or are you going to show this village why they accidentally elected the most underqualified lord in history?¡±


    I glared at him, but deep down, I knew he had a point. I¡¯d stumbled into this, but now I was stuck with it. Taking a deep breath, I turned back to the glyphstone. ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s see what we can do to keep this place from falling apart.¡±


    The first step? Fix the damn gate. Luckily there was a builder amongst the citizens, so I queued the gate construction immediately leaving only 150 system credits left in the treasury. I knew what I was about to do next was a bad idea, but there was no use in holding it off any longer now. I threw open my system menu and got another slew of system messages.


    Congratulations, Descender Liam you have leveled up, from defeating the following:


    1x Human Merchant level 12 (3,000 exp)


    5x goblin sneakling (3,750 exp)


    6,750 experience earned


    Loot acquired:


    5x goblin meat


    16x leather


    1x unbound system mark


    1,400x system credits


    "Wow." I muttered shocked by just how much experience the sneaklings were worth, that and the amount of system credits I had earned. I hurriedly accepted the loot and pulled out my system mark to verify the funds would be deposited. Luckily it shone bright acknowledging the transfer than I tried something else. I pressed my mark against the unbound one and then felt a warm sensation coming from mine and another system message popped up:


    You have successfully absorbed an unbound System Mark. Your existing System Mark''s tier has increased.


    Current Tier: 3


    Credit Capacity: 46,000 of 250,000


    The mark in my hand pulsed faintly before settling back into its usual, muted glow. I stared at it, feeling a strange connection to the item as if it were now more attuned to me. Bram peeked over my shoulder, his spectral form flickering as he examined the mark.


    ¡°Congrats, you¡¯re officially carrying a fancier coin,¡± Bram quipped, smirking. ¡°What¡¯s next? Gunna add some sparkles to it?¡±


    Ignoring him, unintentionally this time due to the fact that I was now rich. Sure, I''d probably put most of it towards the town, but I felt I could buy my way out of anything. Minutes later, I turned my attention back to the system menu. My newfound experience had launched me up two whole levels, and I was eager to see what options awaited.


    Level-Up Notification:


    You have reached Level 6! Please allocate your stat points and select a class.


    The system interface expanded, displaying my current stats:


    Stats: Health: 30 (Con x2) / Stamina: 30 (End x2)/ Mana: 30 (Intel x2)


    Strength 5 (+5) 10


    Dexterity 5 (+5) 10


    Endurance 14 (+5) 19


    Constitution 14 (+5) 19


    Intelligence 12 (+5) 17


    Wisdom 5 (+5) 10


    Charisma 5 (+5) 10


    I had 10 points to distribute. After considering my recent struggles, I dumped four into Constitution, four into Endurance, and two into Intelligence. The changes were subtle but immediate¡ªI felt a bit sturdier, quicker, and sharper.


    Then came the big decision: my class. The interface displayed four options based on my actions and choices so far.


    Class Choice Available:


    Woodsman


    Primary Stats: Endurance, Constitution


    Abilities:


    True Shot: A simple ranged attack with a bow that will land with additional damage (10-minute cooldown)


    Forage: Collects basic supplies and ingredients from the environment within a radius of 30 feet. (1 hour cooldown)


    Set Trap: Places a simple trap to damage or slow enemies. (1 hour cooldown)


    Rune Initiate


    Primary Stats: Intelligence, Constitution


    Abilities:


    Rune of Light: Creates a glowing rune that illuminates the area.


    Rune Spark: A weak elemental attack.


    Defensive Sigil: Temporarily boosts the user¡¯s constitution.


    Spearman


    Primary Stats: Constitution, Endurance


    Abilities:


    Piercing Thrust: A focused attack that deals bonus damage to armored foes. (5-minute cooldown)


    Sweep Strike: A wide attack to hit multiple enemies. (1 minute cooldown)


    Brace: increases damage against charging enemies and doubles damage for mounted enemies. (5-minute cooldown)


    Rogue


    Primary Stats: Endurance, Intelligence


    Abilities:


    Quick Step: A short burst of speed to evade attacks or reposition.


    Survey: Reveals hidden enemies or traps in the area.


    Poisoned Blade: Coats weapons in a weak poison for added damage over time.


    Having trouble with it, I remembered something Bram had told me. "Beginning classes I only made to help you survive long enough until you get to a specialization or have enough credits to change it. The most powerful hardly ever rose to the top without changing their first class. Just choose the one that will fit with you the best in that moment." Biting my tongue and balling up my fists, I selected Spearman.


    Information flooded my mind, conflicting and chaotic at first as I processed the new skills and techniques. The world seemed to slow down, and for a moment, I thought I was drowning in knowledge. I could feel my grip tighten on the spear, my stance shifting as my muscles automatically adjusted, guiding me into a more balanced position. A flood of memories replaced the confusion, showing me the fundamentals. The way to properly grip the shaft, how to angle the spear for maximum reach and leverage, the rhythm of the thrust, the subtle movements for a controlled, deadly strike. It was like I had always known, but now it was real, a part of me. I staggered for a moment, shaking my head to clear it, the echoes of the new information still rattling around in my skull. Since there was enough room, I decided to activate an ability to see it in action. I tried piercing thrust on the wooden pillar off to my side. The spear felt like it wanted to jump from my hands as it shot forward, striking true and burrowing deep into it, almost going all the way through. The only downside of the skill was the cooldowns, but there might be a way to circumvent that in the future. Bram was in the corner of the room seething at the fact that the quest with Renna didn''t go through even though we completed it. I guess when a quest giver dies the rewards go with them. I just left him to his sulking.


    Proceeding to the console I opened up the treasury menu first and saw that I could transfer my credits as well as withdraw any. Next, I opened up the town upgrades category and sifted through it, a lot of the upgrades were expensive, but totally worth it for the townsfolk. Bram chimed in on a suggestion "You should start with the indoor plumbing, mana generators, and the basic mana barrier from the security category. That''ll make the peasants swoon over you." Begrudgingly I listened to him and transferred the credits to buy that much for them plus fixing the house that got burnt down. The cost hurt my very soul, but I wanted these people to feel safe again. 35,000 credits later most of the cost came from the mana barrier and the instant build cost, hopefully the people of Hillgrove wouldn''t freak out.


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 Chapter 9: Subclasses?

    After leaving the town hall, I went to check how the state of the things outside were. Everything was how I had left it; goblin bodies were still littered out front and dawn was approaching soon. I did see that a man was working on the front gate, while the guard was sticking his hand through the mana-barrier like he''d never seen one in his life. Mentally communicating to Bram I found out that it was very rare for towns this small to have anything close to it. Checks out, I guess, with work to get done I decided to do the dirty work of dragging the goblins bodies outside the wall. Not before shouting after the guard to help me with the process.


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    For the first time since coming into this new world, I had got some much-needed rest. I ate the last of the coco might meat and chased it with lots of water, thankful for the new indoor plumbing. I had spent the morning with Bram scouring the town interface trying to figure out a way we could keep upgrading the town with exported goods. The only thing the town seemed to export were eggs, abertrox meat, and a variety of crops. We desperately needed some artisans or smiths to increase our potential here. Weighing our options we decided that we would need a couple of carpenters to make and design goods to sell, since wood in the area was abundant. We also decided to improve on the farming sides of things and ended up purchasing another system upgrade to help in the farms.


    Farming Constructs


    Farming constructs are Golem-like creatures that run off of ambient mana. They plant, harvest and irrigate crops, upgrades are available to use them with livestock.


    Cost: 5,000 system credits per construct.


    We bought two of them to free up the farmers so they could focus more on the eventual increase in livestock we were going to get. With all of that done, Bram and I went to the tavern to hold the meeting with the townsfolk to let them know of the unfortunate news of Renna and Coopers passing.


    Walking into the tavern this time was a definite improvement from the last time. Everyone was smiling and talking freely happy with the turn of events that they woke up to, I overheard a woman tell her husband "I can''t believe she actually did it. I thought she was stuck up just like her parents, but she actually cares about us." she told him elated about the system upgrades to their house no doubt. This was going to be harder than I thought, I contemplated letting Bram take the wheel and handle the public speaking for me, but I eventually mustered up the courage. With a nod towards the barkeep, I spoke


    "Excuse me..." mild chattered continued to fill the tavern but the nearest to me looked over their shoulders. "EXCUSE ME, People of Hillgrove!" That did the trick, I moved a little so that everyone could see me. "I am saddened to inform you that last night during the raid that Overseer Renna Venstar was murdered." Murmurs and shifty eyes filled the tavern, but I continued. "I found Cooper with a bloodied sword standing over as I went to go inform her of the raid. In his anger he told me that he was tired of dealing with her and had personally visited the goblins and paid them to cause a distraction so he could end her life. I walked into the mess, and he thought it would be best to end me too. Fortunately, enough he underestimated me and he himself died at my hand." There was an uproar I couldn''t tell if they were pissed at me or at Cooper but seeing that I hadn''t moved and had more to say they settled back down.


    "I wanted to be as transparent as possible; I did accept the role of Lord or overseer of this town and wanted to let you all know that I will be improving the way of life for everyone here. I started last night by spending 30,000 credits to give everyone access to mana generators and plumbing inside their homes. I also just bought two farming constructs to help our farmers so they could better focus on livestock. I did this in hopes that one day we could grow this ''backwater town'' as some would call it into a thriving city!" The crowd of people started roaring in agreement. My charisma stat must have put in overtime because even Bram was cheering despite no one hearing him but me, which made me laugh.


    A young woman approached introducing herself to me as Maribel. She was hesitant at first but came around and finally let me know what she was after. "I know with the loss of Cooper the town will be at a loss without a merchant. If needed I could fill this role for you."


    I raised an eyebrow, studying the young woman before me. Her posture was a little stiff, as if unsure whether she should even be speaking to me, yet her words were clear and confident.


    "With Cooper gone, the town will need a merchant to manage our resources through the system," she continued, her gaze flicking nervously between me and the others around the tavern. "I¡¯ve traveled to a few towns before, and while I don¡¯t have much to offer right now, I know how to navigate the system¡¯s trade interface. I could manage the town¡¯s supply chain and help keep our stocks flowing."


    I took a moment to process her words, unsure whether she was genuine or simply seeing an opportunity for herself in the wake of the chaos. She was young, but her proposal was practical, and Hillgrove could certainly use someone skilled in managing resources through the system.


    "You said you¡¯ve traveled before?" I asked, curiosity piqued. "Where are you from?"


    "Just north of here, a small settlement called Larksbury. It¡¯s quieter, but I¡¯ve worked with the system¡¯s trading features before¡ªbuying, selling, and managing inventory through the interface. I understand how to optimize the system¡¯s resources to get the best deals for the town, and I could help us keep our town stocked without relying on outside trade."


    Her offer was compelling. In a town that was just starting to rebuild and improve, having someone who could manage the system''s inventory and trade functions would be a huge asset, especially with the limited resources available.


    But there was still something in her tone that made me wary. Was she just ambitious, or did she have an agenda?


    "Why Hillgrove?" I asked, cutting to the chase. "After everything that¡¯s happened, why come here?"


    She hesitated, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her coat. "I¡­ I want to make a difference. I¡¯m tired of moving from place to place, always feeling like I¡¯m just passing through. I think Hillgrove has potential, and with the right management of the system¡¯s resources, it could thrive. I¡¯ve seen how the system can improve lives, and I want to help make that happen here."


    Her sincerity seemed genuine, but I had to wonder if there was more beneath the surface.


    I thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, Maribel. I¡¯ll give you a chance. If you¡¯re serious about helping, we¡¯ll need you to manage the town¡¯s inventory, optimize our resource flow, and ensure we¡¯re getting the best value from the system¡¯s trade options. But understand this, you¡¯ll be working for the town, not just for yourself."


    She visibly relaxed at my words, a smile breaking across her face. "Thank you, Lord Liam. I won¡¯t disappoint you."


    That conversation spurred something in me, and I decided right then I would need a town council to help manage what was to come. Passing that information along to Bram he looked at me amongst the chaos and nodded. He would be taking notes on who among the townsfolk were most influential and trustworthy, we would meet back up tonight at the town hall for a debrief.


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    I excused myself back to the town hall to dive deep into the system interface again. Something came available to me since unlocking my class and I was interested to see what options I could have.


    Class menu:


    Class: Spearman


    Primary Stats: Constitution, Endurance


    Abilities:


    Piercing Thrust: A focused attack that deals bonus damage to armored foes.


    Sweep Strike: A wide attack to hit multiple enemies.


    Brace: Reduces knockback and increases damage against charging enemies.


    Subclasses: none (12 available) + (One available per 25 levels gained)


    I clicked on the plus sign to see what was available I was not disappointed.


    Alchemist


    Masters of potions, elixirs, and transmutation, capable of creating substances that heal, harm, or enhance.


    Runesmith


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.Specialists in the ancient art of inscribing magical runes onto objects, imbuing them with unique properties or spells.


    Tinkerer


    Engineers of magic and machinery, blending arcane energy with mechanical inventions to create wondrous devices.


    Blacksmith


    Forgers of exceptional weapons and armor, with the ability to work rare materials into legendary artifacts.


    Enchanter


    Channelers of magic who bind enchantments to items, granting them enhanced abilities or supernatural traits.


    Jewelcrafter


    Crafters of ornate jewelry and gemstones, often embedding their creations with protective or offensive magic.


    Leatherworker


    Experts in transforming hides into lightweight armor and gear, often infused with natural or spiritual energy.


    Weaver


    Artisans who weave textiles imbued with magic, creating cloaks that conceal, garments that protect, or tapestries that tell the future.


    That was a great deal of information to take in, but I kind of felt something tugging towards me since discovering it in the system shop. I decided to listen to my gut and selected alchemist, it would hopefully save me credits in the future, hell depending on what I could find around here maybe I could even earn some. The class also came with a skill I instantly wanted to max out.


    Herbalism


    Assists the user with the correct way of harvest herbs and other materials for alchemy as well as highlights any useful ingredients in the area (Area is dependent on skill level.)


    Skill experience: 0 of 100


    I was really debating to find out what would happen to Bram if I got further than 100 yards from him, but I stamped the temptation out knowing that tomorrow we were probably going to see where the passage glyph could take us. That would be after selecting the town council to handle things while we were gone. The longer I thought about the council the more of an urge I had to ask Maribel to be on it. She would be the head of trade, so it wasn''t the worst idea. Not wanting to think anymore I dove into the systems menu further until Bram returned later.


    ---------


    By the time Bram had returned I was doing a deep dive into the system store I only had 1,000 system credits available to me, but a new spear was calling my name.


    Blackened Iron Long Spear


    (A six-foot-long spear with a blackened iron tip for increased piercing damage)


    Rarity: Uncommon


    Attack: +12-20


    Special: Strength stat increased by 2 while wielding


    Cost: 750 credits


    Leather Skull Cap


    (Provides little protection, possible to stop a glancing blow.)


    Rarity: Common


    Armor rating: +2


    Cost: 100 Credits


    I bought it and the leather skull cap leaving me with 150 credits to spare. Then I went into the sell menu and sold off the leather and goblin meat I was holding on to, just netting me a little more than 50 credits. All in all, not a bad trade, I noted while wielding my new spear in hand.


    "Okay, Bram, what did you find out? Thanks for doing it, by the way. I figured it would be the fastest way to find some trustworthy people."


    Bram grunted, his tone dripping with reluctant amusement. "From what I learned, you want Tabitha, Clint, and Jackson. Tabitha is Gregory''s wife¡ªstunning lass, no idea what she¡¯s doing with that lump. But she¡¯s got every farmer''s ear, probably because she has the highest level among them. Her father was some bigwig for one of the smaller cities¡¯ livestock trade. Makes her practically royalty around here."


    He moved on with a casual wave of his hand. "Then there¡¯s Clint, the handsome grump, or the barkeep, as you¡¯d know him. Solid pick. He knows everyone¡¯s business: their problems, their quirks, and he clocks any new face in town faster than you can say ¡®trouble.¡¯ And finally, Jackson, the amazing builder. A man after my own heart. But, between us," he added with a smirk and a wink, "I actually create wonders, unlike him. Still, the people love the guy. He¡¯s got their admiration, which could be useful."


    "Great job, Bram. I''m impressed."


    I paused, thoughtfully tapping at the imaginary system store screen. "I¡¯d like to add Maribel to the mix. She¡¯s going to handle the town¡¯s trade while we¡¯re gone. Any thoughts?"


    In my head, Bram responded, but I instinctively smiled at Maribel in the real world as though she¡¯d spoken. Bram chuckled, probably picking up on the disconnect. "Yeah, solid choice. Trade is important. We might also want to set up an administrator to access the Glyphstone console, though limited access would be best. They¡¯d still be able to handle repairs and slap on minor upgrades if needed."


    "Yeah, we are going to need that as well. All right let''s go inform them that we plan on meeting in the morning."


    --------------


    Everyone showed up way earlier than expected. I was still sleeping when someone came pounding on the door. "Shut it off, Bram" I muttered through the pillow I was still drooling on.


    "Get up ya fool, todays the day we can finally leave this place and scour this planet."


    Annoyed as ever with him, I shot to my feet and answered the door still battling my tiredness I stubbed my toe on the leg of the bed. "Son of a fluffy monkey sucker." I fell to the ground knowing in this sick twisted world the damned thing broke off and blood was rushing out of it. That''s of course when that someone barged through the door.


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    "Is everything alright? I heard you through the door and..." Maribel''s concerned voice trailed off as her eyes darted between me, sprawled out on the floor clutching my foot, and the faint smear of blood pooling on the wood.


    I groaned, half from the pain, half from the sheer embarrassment of it all. "Yeah, peachy. Just a slight disagreement with the bed. It''s winning."


    Maribel''s lips twitched, clearly fighting back a laugh. "Do you, uh, need help?"


    "Only if you can replace a toe," I muttered, dragging myself upright and glaring at Bram, who was absolutely no help, floating in the corner and grinning like he''d just won the lottery.


    "Should I get the healer?" Maribel asked, still standing awkwardly at the door.


    I waved her off, hobbling over to grab the nearest piece of cloth to wrap my foot. "It''s fine. Just... give me a minute. Why are you even here so early? I thought we agreed on meeting later."


    "We were supposed to," she said, hands on her hips now, "but everyone showed up early, and I figured you''d want to know before the whole town riots in anticipation. They''re all waiting for you at the square."


    "Right... The square..." I sighed, shooting a glare at Bram. "Great timing as always."


    Bram smirked. "Not my fault you decided to spar with furniture. Go on, hero, your adoring public awaits."


    Maribel looked between us, clearly not understanding half the conversation but smart enough not to ask. "Do you want me to stall them?"


    "No, I''ll be fine," I said, pulling on my boots, though the act sent a fresh wave of pain up my leg. "Just give me five minutes."


    "Alright," she said, glancing at my poorly wrapped foot one last time before heading back out.


    As the door shut behind her, I turned to Bram. "You could¡¯ve at least warned me."


    "Where¡¯s the fun in that?" he replied, looking far too smug for my liking. "Besides, you¡¯re the lord of this place now. If you can¡¯t handle a stubbed toe, what hope do you have out there?"


    "Remind me why I haven¡¯t figured out a way to exorcise you yet," I muttered, limping out the door.


    "Because deep down, you¡¯d miss me," Bram called after me, his laughter echoing in my head as I made my way to the square to face whatever chaos was waiting.


    Half surprised the whole meeting at the town hall was a bash. Tabitha, Clint and Jackson probably told everyone that they were summoned by the lord to be taken into some town council, of course things were never simple. Hobbling down the steps to the first floor and out the door, I found everyone in town was waiting outside the steps. Not really prepared for that, I mentally cursed while clearing my throat and coming up with something on the fly said.


    "Good morning, all! I wanted to inform you that Maribel will be stepping up to become an administrator for the town!"


    The crowd¡¯s cheers grew loud at the announcement, their faces lighting up with relief and hope. I stood there for a moment, letting their enthusiasm settle before raising my hand to quiet them again. Bram muttered something sarcastic in my head about how I was starting to enjoy the spotlight, but I ignored him.


    "Thank you all for gathering here today," I began, trying to project confidence. "This town has been through a lot, but we¡¯re on the path to something greater. To make sure we stay on that path, I¡¯m establishing a town council to help guide Hillgrove in my absence."


    I paused, letting the announcement sink in before continuing. "This council will consist of four members, each bringing their own strengths and expertise to ensure our success. First, Maribel will oversee trade and manage the system shop, ensuring the town continues to grow and thrive economically."


    Maribel stepped forward briefly, offering a small wave as murmurs of approval rippled through the crowd.


    "Next, Jackson," I said, gesturing toward him. "As our sole builder, his skills have earned him immense respect among you all. He¡¯ll make sure our town¡¯s infrastructure remains strong and ready for growth."


    Jackson gave a humble nod, his face calm but clearly pleased by the recognition.


    "Then there¡¯s Clint," I continued, spotting the barkeep near the edge of the crowd. "He may not be the most respected, but he knows everyone and every rumor in town. That insight will be invaluable for keeping us informed and connected."


    A few people chuckled, but Clint took it in stride, tipping his head with a smirk.


    "And finally, Tabitha," I said, meeting her gaze. "She¡¯s not only Gregory¡¯s wife but also the one all the farmers turn to for guidance. Her knowledge and influence will ensure that our agricultural efforts remain strong and sustainable."


    Tabitha gave a small, graceful nod, her presence as poised as ever.


    "As for me," I said, stepping forward, "I¡¯ll be leaving Hillgrove temporarily to handle matters outside the town, challenges that could benefit us all in the future. While I¡¯m gone, trust in this council to lead wisely, and support them as you¡¯ve supported me."


    The crowd erupted into applause, their confidence tangible. Maribel stepped forward to address them briefly, her voice calm but determined.


    "I¡¯ll make sure Hillgrove continues to grow stronger," she said, her tone steady. "With the council working together, we¡¯ll build a better future for everyone."


    The cheers swelled again, and I felt a flicker of pride, though Bram couldn¡¯t resist muttering, "Touching. Let¡¯s just hope they don¡¯t burn the place down while you¡¯re gone."


    Ignoring him, I took one last look at the gathered townsfolk, then turned my thoughts to the preparations for the journey ahead. Hillgrove was in their hands now.


    Walking back into the town hall, I mentally spoke to Bram "So... I was thinking, I know you need quests to level, but I really have a hankering to kill some greenskins."


    Bram turned to me and shouted "YEEEEEAAAAHHHH!!" I''ve never seen him so Enthusiastic.

 Chapter 10: Silent Pursuit

    My thought process behind killing the goblins was simple. The coins weren''t going anywhere, and I needed to level as fast as possible. Well, I didn''t know the coins weren''t technically going anywhere, but the only issue I remember Nexa bringing up about them is something about non system integrated beings using them and since we were obviously on a system integrated world, we were good. Or so I hoped. With the gear all sorted and packed into the ring besides my armor and new spear we set off to hunt down some goblins. I''m sure my gamer logic is taking over, but at this point I needed any edge to find the coins, and this made the most sense to me, plus 750 experience a mob wasn''t anything to scoff at. We followed the barely visible trail that left south out of the town left by the warg.


    We followed the trail in silence at first, the dense forest swallowing the sound of our footsteps. Despite Bram¡¯s occasional quips, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that this was the right move. It wasn¡¯t just the experience¡ªthough the prospect of 750 experience per goblin was enticing, it was the practical need to gain any advantage I could. I needed stronger skills, better reflexes, and gear upgrades, and the goblins would provide all of that.


    As we pressed on, I noticed subtle signs of their passing, broken branches, faint footprints, and discarded scraps. It was a breadcrumb trail leading me straight to my targets. My gamer instincts were in overdrive, but they had rarely steered me wrong before. I started moving at a quicker pace at the clear signs of the footprints, hoping we would be able to catch up to them before they got to close to their main camp.


    <hr>


    An hour into jogging through the dense forest, I finally slowed to a stop. The signs of movement¡ªtrampled grass, disturbed undergrowth, and the occasional claw mark on tree bark¡ªwere growing fresher. They weren¡¯t that far now. Judging by the tracks, it was a small party of goblins, likely scouts or a raiding group.


    My grip on the spear tightened as my eyes darted between the shadows of the trees and the gaps in the canopy. The midday light filtered through in patches, casting dappled patterns that played tricks on my vision. Every rustle of leaves or snap of a branch set my nerves on edge, but I couldn¡¯t afford to let my guard drop.


    Bram floated beside me, uncharacteristically quiet, though the smirk on his face suggested he was more amused than concerned.


    ¡°You think they¡¯ve noticed us yet?¡± I whispered, still scanning.


    ¡°Not unless they¡¯ve developed eyes in the back of their heads,¡± Bram replied nonchalantly, though his gaze flickered to the shadows ahead. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, Liam. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll make a very dramatic entrance when the time comes.¡±


    Ignoring his jab, I crouched slightly, lowering my profile as I moved to a thicker patch of brush. The goblins couldn¡¯t be more than a few hundred feet away now. Every fiber of my being screamed caution, but I forced myself to stay focused. This wasn¡¯t just a hunt, it was practice, survival, and progression all wrapped into one.


    The wind shifted, carrying the faintest trace of something foul: the stench of unwashed bodies and decaying meat. Goblins. They were close. My heart began to pound as I readied myself for whatever was about to come.


    Stalking them for a little while longer while gaining ground, I noticed that they never checked behind them. That would be a mistake I would capitalize on, the smell got increasingly worse the closer I approached them, but I fought through it. When I was within 40 feet from there back line Bram scouted ahead to get a count for me.


    "Fifteen of them, you should of went with the woodsman class, this would have been easy, Thwap, run, repeat." He chided while shooting an imaginary bow.


    Pulling out my other spear out, he gave me an idea worth trying even though he was trying to be a prick. Stalking forward quicker than the little things walked, I was surprised when a screen appeared.


    "Congratulations, you have learned the passive skill:


    Stealth level 1, experience: 25 of 100"


    Description: Every level increase in the passive skill stealth will improve your chance of remaining undetected by 2%


    I scanned over it quickly and closed it. A smile growing across my face. Bram had mentioned that skills were a thing, but I didn''t know you could gain them with practice. I thought they were purchased. This made things a little more interesting, I continued stalking and checking my experience every 5 minutes. Only spending 15 minutes doing it not wanting to waste too much time and on the fifteen-minute mark it leveled to 2.


    Deciding to attack, I moved within the ten feet of them, with both spears in hand, I clambered a few more feet before tossing the shorter spear in the middle of the pack. Hitting a goblin center mass and watching him drop as I sprinted to the back line and activated Sweep Strike. The ability was impressive, the spearhead skipped across the three goblins lower stomachs making them instinctively clutch their new wounds as their organs spilled from their bellies. Four down and eleven of them to go, luckily, I didn''t see any ranged combatants, they were armed with a variety of weapons though. All of a sudden, I was getting bum rushed from the rest of them, running off the dirt path and into the bushes alongside it, I swung my spear out wildly. Trying to at least catch some of the closer goblins. It didn''t work out how I planned, but it did create a few more feet of breathing room for now. If they were smart, they would''ve tried spreading out and surrounding me, but for whatever reason they huddled in one mass trying to overwhelm me head on.


    Keeping the lunging goblins at a distance with my spear, I saw something interesting going on within the back of the group. The tops of the goblins heads were vanishing from my view. Shit, are they retreating? I thought to myself, hoping if they were they wouldn''t come back with reinforcements.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    I was currently facing four in the front, swinging my spear at any that started to come to close. There were three in the second row eagerly snarling waiting for the front row to overwhelm, but I saw something peculiar in the mass in front of me. It took a moment to process what I was seeing. The goblin in the back wasn¡¯t just trying to get ahead, it was actively taking down its own kind. The snarling, eager mass in front of me didn¡¯t even seem to notice their own falling to the ground, clutching their ruined legs and howling in pain. Finally, Bram decides to join in on the fun. I said thinking to myself.


    The treachery created enough chaos in their ranks to give me an edge. I used the confusion to thrust my spear forward, catching one of the front-row goblins in the shoulder. It screeched and stumbled back, creating a brief gap. I stepped forward, using the reach of my spear to keep the others from closing in. Four were left standing by the time they found out what was happening, two of them turned around to face the Bram possessed goblin and that''s when I thrusted out again, catching one straight in the chest, quickly withdrawing letting the blood rush out of its ruined it let out a broken cry and fell forward. The other one used that moment to pounce at me swing its blade through the muscle of my calf and out the other side. I didn''t let him cherish the satisfaction of actually wounding me as I grabbed him the waist and suplexed him on the top of his head, snapping his neck in the process.


    Wincing through the pain from the dagger handle lodged in my calf, I bent down, ripped it out, and stifled a cry in the process. I saw Brams''s goblin not looking too good as the others finally got him on the ground and were swinging wildly at him. Out of nowhere the goblin on the left grabbed his dagger and stabbed the one on the right through its throat. The goblin looked down at his hand in shock not believing he could have done such a thing. Then he looked back to Brams''s possession and stabbed it in the chest over, and over again as that would somehow forgive what he had just done. I was hobbling over while he started stabbing and punched my spear through his back, a loud squelching sound breaking through as I ripped it back out. "Huh, that''s a new sound." I said aloud embracing this new bloodthirsty side of me. I continued the onslaught walking alongst the goblins crawling through the dirt, leaving blood trails from their ruined legs. Stabbing through each one of them as I did.


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    When I was going through the after-skirmish report, I saw that these goblins had actually shown the levels they were, not like the others I had faced within the town. I quickly asked Bram mentally about it while he surprisingly enough was somehow spitting on the goblin corpses. I let out an audible "Huh." at the sight not thinking it was even possible.


    "After reaching class selection your menus system is able to present more information to you. It''s a simple matter really, the more you level up the more... Was it... Uhm... Well, you get the point. Really your eyes are able to perceive more of the system or whatever."


    Seeing that he was absolutely clueless on the matter I just returned to the action report:


    "Descender Liam you have slain the following:


    6x Level 5 Goblin Skirmishers for 22500 exp


    3x Level 7 Goblin Sneaklings for 15750 exp


    1x Level 6 Goblin Spearman for 4500 exp


    3x Level 3 Goblin Trainees for 4000 exp


    For a total of 46,750 experience, Level ups available."


    "Damn, that''s a big jump in experience, but the way the leveling seems to be working, I''m going to need it desperately. Doubling the cost of experience to level is outrageous." talking to myself, hoping that the experience to level would change. Looking over my stat screen I continued with the same survival strategy I was going for:


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    Name: Liam Thompson


    Level: 8


    Race: Human (Earth Variant: Humans are known for their physical and mental capabilities which make them a well-rounded race. +5 stats per level increase.)


    Class: Spearman


    Primary Stats: Constitution, Endurance


    Abilities:


    Piercing Thrust: A focused attack that deals bonus damage to armored foes.


    Sweep Strike: A wide attack to hit multiple enemies.


    Brace: Reduces knockback and increases damage against charging enemies.


    Subclass: Alchemy


    Titles: Descender (+5), Lord of Hillgrove


    Experience: 1700 of 8000 exp to next level


    Renown: 500


    Achievements: Iron Stomach (Con Threshold)


    Skills: Stealth level 2, Herbalism level 0


    Stats: Health: 50 (Con x2) / Stamina: 42 (End x2)/ Mana: 44 (Intel x2)


    Strength: 10


    Dexterity: 10


    Endurance: 21


    Constitution: 25


    Intelligence: 22


    Wisdom: 10


    Charisma: 10


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    I had decided to increase my Constitution by 6, intelligence by 3 and Endurance by 2. As soon as I closed the menu and took a long breath, a sensation started to burn inside my chest. I looked down at it in fear I had been hit by an arrow or some other weapon, but there was nothing there. The pain rapidly grew to an enormous height, and I keeled over, screaming out in pain. Then seconds later it was gone. Sweat covered my bright red face, as I slowly slid my hands forward collapsing on to the dirt path. Bram stood by my side throwing questions at me in a rush, which made me feel kind of good that he cared somewhat for me.


    "What the hell did you do now?" Bram demanded an unknown number of times.


    "I just got done assigning my stat points when....


    A system message appeared in my vision.


    "You have met your first stat threshold for Constitution. Choose your rewards from the following:


    1. Iron Stomach: Immunity to basic poisons and the ability to consume otherwise inedible substances for sustenance.


    2. Unyielding: Chance to resist knockback or stagger effects in combat.


    3. Increased Health Regeneration: Natural recovery speed improves."


    I eyed over the choices and having a difficult time deciding, I felt like I healed pretty quickly over the few fights I''ve been in. I haven''t really come across anything poisonous as of yet but being out of food right now and being able to eat whatever I wanted out here in the wilderness to count towards sustenance was a pretty decent choice. Unyielding was nice, but if you had a party or a team to work with to have all sides covered. If I got that now I would still be swarmed by enemies, and they''d just cut me down. After the internal battle happening in my head, I made my decision, chose Iron Stomach and closed the window.


    Next up was the loot:


    "You have received the following:


    14,000 system credits


    20x Goblin Meat


    50x Leather"


    Knowing I couldn''t afford to leave anything behind anymore, having others to take care of now. I started gathering everything that I could pick up. It took a while but altogether there were twelve daggers, two bronze short swords and one spear that couldn''t be worth much given the state of the shaft. It had a staggeringly long crack in down the center, I decided to leave it behind not only because of the condition, but my ring was packed full.


    "So... You want to keep going and see what we could find out here or head back and teleport somewhere to look for quests?" I asked Bram not really caring one way or the other.


    "Well seeing as the ring is full and I can''t help carry the trash you insist on bringing with us, I say we return and visit Maribel" He shot back and wriggled his eyebrows while mentioning Maribel.


    "It''s not even like that, sure she''s cute, but I have priorities." I instantly regretted what had come out of my mouth as Bram looked at me wide eyed and mouth open.


    "Shit." I just started walking back towards town.