《Gacha Royale》 Prologue + Chapter 1: Becoming a Player A young boy stared aimlessly as blood trailed down a crack in the road, thundering booms echoed across the decrepit old stone buildings as screams and cries for help were stifled in the breeze. Not too far away, the boy could see a large stone man pummeling a flattened chunk of meat that had recently been a person into the ground, his bloodshot eyes dilated as he murmured incoherently in his drug induced frenzy. The boy simply sat and watched, his eyes empty and half closed, as the stone man continued to pound the ground for some ten odd minutes before finally seeming to lose interest in the matter. At some point he realized that his and the stone mans gaze were meeting one another. The stone man slowly started to stumble his way towards the boy as tears began to fill up in his eyes. ¡°M-M-M-Martha!!¡± He screamed, spittle and tears raining off of his face. ¡°Oh...oh my dear sw-sweet Martha...you were- you were alive...ALIVE~!!¡± The stone man was throwing his upper body back and forth with such force that the ground beneath him was cracking, his hands covering his face as he cried and screamed incoherently. His voice was so loud and guttural that his vocal cords were likely permanently damaged. Suddenly he turned still, silence hung in the air as a faint sobriety seemed to settle in his eyes. ¡°O-oh Martha, I¡¯m so s-sorry baby...you know I never meant to hurt you...y-you just wouldn¡¯t stop crying about wanting to leave the b-basement and I got so ¡°...¡¯m...oy....¡± ¡°Huh? W-what was that sweetie? I couldn¡¯t h-hear you.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m a...boy...¡± ¡°...¡± Silence hung in the air for a few moments as the stone man stared blankly into space, his pupils spread so far apart it was as if they were trying to split his face. Gradually, his breathing started to become more hurried and erratic as veins started to almost burst on his forehead. ¡°W-w- The stone man took a step closer to the boy as he began to punch his own face in anger. ¡°Why...must you always be so Suddenly the stone man snatched up the boy by the scruff of his tattered shirt and screamed into his face, his maw opening so wide that he could probably bite the boys head clean off, should he so choose. The boy simply watched apathetically, as though he were simply a bystander to his own situation. ¡°I did everything for you!!! I raised you, I fed you, I even threw fucking As the man screamed, he shook the boy so violently that several bones broke in his thin, emancipated body. Then, perhaps because he heard the boys bones cracking, the man suddenly went quiet again, sobbing into the boys chest as he wrapped his arms around him, rocking back and forth gently. After some time, the man slowly let go and stood up as he wiped his face, replacing the snot and tears, or at least some of it, with a soft smile. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m gonna kill you now, and then I¡¯m gonna kill myself. Then we¡¯ll be together forever, sweetie. I love you.¡± After he finished speaking, the man slowly raised his massive fist into the air, preparing to bring it down with the force of a meteor. However, right at the moment when the man was going to bring his fist down into the earth, something changed. The air became heavy and the sky became dark. The stone man, as well as several others who had been watching the scene in hiding, all let out silent shrieks of horror, as for the first time in over ten years the sky opened its eyes. Up above, countless black and gold eyes enveloped the horizon as they pierced the earth with their gaze. The stone man instantly regained his sanity as he trembled in fear and dread, dropping to the ground and covering his head in his hands as he whimpered like a beaten dog, the onlookers fairing no better. For when the sky looked down, no man dared look up. None except the boy. While every man and woman on the planet buried their heads in fear, the boy alone looked back and met its gaze. And for the first time in his life, he felt alive. Had there been any man mad enough to glance at the boys face in that moment, they might would have felt almost as much dread towards him as the sky above, as they saw the pure innocent wonder and ecstasy that brought the boys heart back to life. And so, this was how the boy first laid eyes on the Scars of Rafael. Chapter 1: Becoming a Player [Congratulations! You have been randomly selected to participate in the Gacha Royales!] [Do you accept?] [Yes / No] Shiv stared blankly at the shimmering screen of static that had suddenly appeared before him, the words seemed to arrogantly impose themselves onto the dark and dank sewage canal that he had tentatively made his home. But of course, he had long decided on what he would do. [Do you accept?] [{Yes} / No] [Participation confirmed! Download commencing.] Shiv felt a strange groaning in his head and body that felt like gears grinding together. It wasn¡¯t so much painful as it was just incredible uncomfortable, at least for the first fifteen seconds or so. After about two minutes that felt like an eternity, the grinding finally stopped and a new message popped up. [Congratulations! You have been officially entered in as a player!] [Name: Shiv [Equips: None | Skills: None | Summons: None] ¡°Wait...I already have a title?¡± According to the old man, most people weren¡¯t known to receive a title even after winning the royale itself. The reason being that titles weren¡¯t given based on achievement or merit but simply by catching the eye of the Artificial God, whatever the reason might be. Most people weren¡¯t bothered by it too much though, as title¡¯s weren¡¯t always beneficial. Shiv looked up toward the gated opening of his filthy abode and through it to the sky above. At the moment it seemed like just a normal cloudy day, but based on the title that had been given to him, he felt he understood why he had received it. ¡° [Title: Fool who Stares into The Abyss] [Title explanation: Burn little moth, burn] [Title effects: Your eyes see into the Depths - What you look upon will be aware of your sight] ¡°Huh...that seems...ominous. I¡¯ll have to look into it later.¡± Putting the matter of his title aside, Shiv moved onto the next message he had recieved. [You have free spins available! Would you like to go to the shop?] [{Yes} / No] [Welcome to the shop!] [ACC#2211814914701315208 : 10 : 0 [Free equip roll available!] [Free skill roll available!] [Free Summon roll available!]< [Use free Summon?] [Yes / No] Shiv looked at the shimmering screen before his eyes for a moment, it didn¡¯t matter which one he chose first, but from what the old man had told him, the summon was typically the biggest decider between life and death within the Gacha Royale, so he naturally wanted to get it over with. Based on what he had learned over the last month since becoming convinced that he would soon be selected, the disparity between different summons could be staggering depending on their rarity. The rarities went in order like so: C for Common. R for Rare. SR for Super Rare . SSR for Supreme Super Rare. UR for Ultimate Rare. EX for EXCEED which was more a legend than an actual rarity. Most people that were selected in the beginning were extremely lucky if they managed to get a rarity of R in any category, not just the summons, but those who did would have an almost guaranteed advantage over the opposition. Supposedly, in the last five hundred years no one had managed to get a rarity higher than SR within the Lower Grotto. [Use free Summon?] [{Yes} - No] [Dun~ Du-Dun~! Here~ we go! What will be pulled? What will you pull!?] Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. [DING! DING! DING!~ H~ere you go!] [You have pulled Grigold The Hoarder!] [Summon: Grigold The Hoarder | Type: Support | Rarity: SSR | Title: Greedy Bastard] Shiv stared blankly at the text in front of him for a moment before it clicked. ¡°YES!¡± Shiv shouted as he hopped up off his makeshift chair, the moment he had seen the rarity nothing else mattered in his mind. ¡°SSR!? Seriously!?¡± Regardless of what type the summon was, with that rarity it should have above average stats. Or so he had assumed. ¡±Geh...This is...¡± Feeling like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over him, Shiv continued reading. [Summon: Grigold The Hoarder | Type: Support | Alignment: Neutral Evil | Rarity: SSR | Stats: STR ~ E / CON ~ E / DEX ~ E / INT ~ D+ / WIS ~ E- / CHR ~ C / LUK ~ A-] A drop of sweat rolled down Shiv¡¯s cheek as he looked at the screen, aside from charisma and luck almost every stat was utter garbage. Not to mention an evil alignment which was notorious for being difficult to deal with. Shiv slumped back down in his makeshift chair feeling deflated as he propped his head up on his palm. ¡°...As a support type his strengths must lie outside of combat. Regardless of his stats, he¡¯s still of a SSR rarity so there must be more to him. Lets just see what he can do.¡± [Equips: Thorny Whip / Exquisite Pipe / Expensive jewelry / Large Money Bag] [Thorny Whip: An enchanted whip laden with sharp thorns | Stats: ATK ~ D+ DEF ~ E- | Att: Bleed ~ B+ (Causes gradual loss of health) / Fear ~ C+ (Causes the mental acuity of target to drop)] [Exquisite Pipe: An exquisite pipe for smoking tobacco. Calms the nerves. (+100 to mental acuity)] [Expensive Jewelry: Luxurious expensive jewelry worth a fortune, they are simply stones and as such have no abilities] [Large Money Bag: A bag containing 100,000 gold] Although he had heard the basics from the old man and scrounged up some more info by wheedling it out of some others, Shiv still didn¡¯t have a proper picture of how much gold was considered a lot within the Royale, he was just going off of how the jewelry was described and how big the numbers looked. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll come back to that later. At least I¡¯ve got something to be optimistic about now.¡± [Skills: Intimidate / Haggle / Hired Goons / Greed / Tantrum] [Intimidate: Inflicts fear on targets. Chance dependent on CHR stat (Current: Moderate ] [Haggle (Passive): Reduces shop costs while increasing the chance of rolling a higher rarity. Amount dependent on CHR and LUK stats (Current: 15% ~ 35%] [Hired Goons: Spend 2 gold to temporarily summon a random goon of a C rarity. Max simultaneous summons dependent on CHR stat (Current max: 0/5)] [Greed (Passive): Gain more gold. Chance dependent on LUK stat (Current: High) [Tantrum: Throws a temper tantrum when upset. No effect] That all being said, I can¡¯t help but be a bit apprehensive here. ¡±...Well, lets just find out. Summon Grigold?¡± After saying the words, a magnificent intricate gate with two doors made of gold appeared in front of him with two scrawny goblin like men dressed like butlers standing in front of it. The two goblins bowed, then each grabbed a handle and pulled the doors open as a massive and obese goblin man walked out The goblin, Grigold, had splotchy yellowish brown skin wrapped in what was clearly an expensive and intricately embroidered suit with a dandy top hat and monocle and had stubby fat arms and legs. Each step caused even the stone of the sewage system to shake and tremble under the emmense weight of his frame. Grigold grimaced the moment he walked through the gate, waving his stubby hand in front of his face for the smell. ¡°Quite the err... ¡° ¡°Hm?¡± Grigold had to strain past the thick girth of his belly and neck, if you could even call that tube of rubber a neck, in order to even see the top of shivs head. ¡°Why, you¡¯re just a ¡±...I¡¯m already fourteen ¡° ¡° ¡°Think what you want, if you don¡¯t have respect for me I¡¯ll just earn it.¡± ¡°Oh really? ¡°I never said I wasn¡¯t a child, just that I won¡¯t be for long.¡± Shiv replied, knowing full well what Grigold was hinting at. ¡°That you did, I Shiv looked Grigold in the eye for a moment before stating his intentions. ¡°Looking at it here, each pull for a summon costs 30 gold or 270 if you do 10 at once. With the amount of money you have, and the bonus¡¯s given by your skills and luck stat, its almost guaranteed that some good pulls would be made before long.¡± ¡°So basically, what you want of The words reverberated across the dank sewer walls as Grigold took a deep, long puff of his pipe while looking Shiv directly in the eye. Ordinarily, a summon can¡¯t go against the wishes of the master, and whatever items and skills the summon has are free to use as though they were the masters own. However... ¡°Of course I¡¯m not going to do that, you greedy little [Summon: Grigold The Hoarder | Title: Greedy Bastard] [Title explanation: Good luck getting anything worthwhile out of this one.] [Title effect: Whats yours is mine and whats mine is mine.] Although titles could often come with setbacks, they were also one of the only things able to take priority over the usual systems, which meant if you had the right title with the right effects, you could theoretically break the rules of the game in some absurd ways. Problem is, that went for summons too. ¡°I am no hoarder! I don¡¯t care Shiv groaned inwardly as he watched Grigolds flabs of fat roll like ocean waves in the midst of his minor outburst. ¡°Greedy bastard.¡± ¡°Now Chapter 2: Pilgrim After a few more futile attempts at persuading Grigold to provide assistance, Shiv eventually gave up and sent him back to wherever it is that summons came from, instead moving onto seeing what starter equip and skill he would wind up with. He was really hoping that he would get something he could make practical use of. After all, while Grigold might have had a high rarity, he was incredibly unreliable in combat and couldn¡¯t even be counted on for the usual things summons helped with thanks to his title and personality. At least he has great passives, I just need to survive long enough to make proper use of them. Shiv then went on to acquiring his skill and equip, hoping that the increased odds from the passives would give him something with a bit more practical use. They did, rolling him a rare equip, but again it wasn¡¯t what he was hoping for. [Equip: Talisman of C¡¯tahn | Type: Talisman | Rarity: R] [Equip Effect: Pray to C¡¯tahn with talisman in hand to possibly receive assistance] [Skill: Radar (Passive) | Type: Support | Rarity: C] [Skill Effect: Sense living creatures within a 30 meter radius.] What the hell kind of equip effect is that? Possibly receive assistance? It¡¯s super sketchy to begin with and it¡¯s not even guaranteed! Shiv couldn¡¯t tell if he was lucky or not. On most occasions, simply getting a rare in any category was likely to put a player at a massive advantage compared to most of the competition. But while he had happened upon both an SSR and another rare, he found them to both seem so unreliable that he honestly considered himself in a bind. And as far as the radar skill was concerned, it had some uses, but didn¡¯t seem capable of differentiating between what was and wasn¡¯t a player. And to make matters worse, when it says you can sense living creatures, it¡¯s not just talking about notable ones. Even right this second, Shiv could sense what seemed to be countless insects and rats hiding about all around him and it was almost about to make him sick. At least he would have a much easier time finding food from now on. And so, Shiv decided it was time for a change of scenery. ¡°Alright, let''s get out of here and go see the old man. Maybe he can help give me some advice.¡± Packing away what few possessions he had into his patchwork bag and hoisting it over his shoulder, Shiv climbed up the rusty ladder that lead to the grating above. *** The run down ruins of the Lower Grotto were a dangerous place. Not only were there thugs and thieves hiding behind every corner, but the black clouds in the sky threatened to release cursed rain at any moment. If you were lucky, it would simply cause you to suffer a slow and agonizing death. Or, if not, you turned into an abomination, damned to suffer endless agony until someone managed to finally put you out of your misery. People referred to such pitiable horrors as Cursed Pilgrims, as they were always in search of a place to die. As he looked past the shimmering red-grey hue that blanketed the grotto, Shiv found too much reason to be wary of the sky. Although the black clouds broke here and there, revealing the red sky above, there were still far too many of them. And because they were a perpetual abyss, there was no way of knowing how close they were to bathing everything in death at any moment. Usually, when such rain came, hiding within one of the myriad buildings scattered about was enough. But sometimes, the sky fell with such ferocity that such measures fell short. On such occasions, there was only one place to go; the shadow of Ascension¡¯s Embrace. Ascensions Embrace was what the massive island that hovered above the central grotto was called, the place that every grotto denizen would happily kill their neighbor for the mere chance of getting into. The island, which was so massive that it was more apt to refer to it as a continent, held on its dome an immense tower that reached beyond what the eyes could see, and was the goal of those who participated in the royale. Or it was for Shiv, anyway. In reality, most people who risked their life in the royale didn¡¯t care about climbing the tower. What they wanted was just to live on the surface of the island, which was above the clouds, free of the cursed rain. Or so they hoped, at least. All people really knew was that those who won the royale supposedly found themselves plucked up to Ascensions Embrace and were never heard from again. It wasn¡¯t much, obviously. And some wondered if the winners weren¡¯t simply dead, or had perhaps found themselves in a new, fresh type of hell. But it was a string of hope for people who desperately sought to escape the hopeless lower grotto. The absurd system at least acting as some form of proof of it all. Unfortunately, Shiv was heading in the opposite direction of Ascension island, so if the sky released its wrath, he would have to find another way. He doubted it would come to that, however. Tempted as Shiv was to look over the other menus as he walked in order to get a better grasp of his options, he knew that was a bad idea. It was never smart to be distracted as you traversed the grotto, not unless you were keen on dying, at least. Whether it be from a petty thief who thought you might have a piece of moldy bread on you, or a horrific pilgrim deciding to gorge on your flesh for a moment¡¯s respite from the agony of its own existence. Not to mention that Shiv was a player now, and if he made that too obvious, it could invite all kinds of trouble. It took Shiv a good few hours to make his way to the old man¡¯s hideaway. He had thought there would be more trouble, but surprisingly, it had been perfectly peaceful. Too peaceful, actually. He could have sworn that he sensed people come close to him on multiple occasions through his radar, only for them to suddenly turn and walk away. Hell, he even made eye contact with someone on one occasion, and they turned and ran like they saw a pilgrim or something. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Granted, Shiv was a cautious sort, but knew full well how much of a daredevil he really was. Perhaps the boredom of the treck just had him wanting some excitement, the cowardly man simply displaying a greater sense of self preservation. But still...objectively speaking, I¡¯m just a kid. Why be that afraid? Putting his doubts aside, Shiv came upon an old abandoned aquarium that the old man had made his base. Pushing past some broken, rusted gates, he made his way inside, walking through some large doors to find himself in a massive room with a ceiling that looked to be several dozen meters high. Shiv made his way into the depths of the enormous structure, the halls twisting around themselves in waves, with branching paths acting as a natural maze to confuse any would be invader. Broken glass littered the floor, crunching under Shiv¡¯s boots with every step. As shiv made his way further into the massive complex, he eventually came upon an innocuous square shaped hatch that went below the first floor. It opened with a squeal, revealing a ladder that sunk into darkness. After about two minutes of descending in total darkness, Shiv finally reached the bottom, a long passage leading both left and right opening up with a small red light illuminating the branching path. Turning to the right, Shiv walked in the darkness for about a minute before almost walking into a door at the end of the hall. Opening with a creak, he saw the back of a familiar figure hunched over a desk as he walked into the room, a pen in the mans hand as he scribbled on a tattered sheet of paper, one of the many strewn about all over the room. Shiv didn¡¯t know how the old man had gotten it all to work, but a lightbulb on the ceiling illuminated the desk, while in a corner of the room was an actual functioning fish tank with some strange looking fish in it. This was likely one of the few places with functioning electronics in the whole grotto, if not the only one. ¡°Hey, old man, I¡¯ve got some good news!¡± Hardly paying Shiv any mind, the old man simply gave a noncommittal grunt as he continued to write on his tattered piece of paper. Seeing how at ease the old man always was whenever shiv came by, he figured he must have some way of knowing who it was that was coming. Maybe he also has one of those cameras I read about hidden somewhere? Not that it matters to me. ¡°What are you writing about this time?¡± Shiv said, as he peeked his head over the man¡¯s shoulder to figure out what was being written on the parchment. As usual, his handwriting is so messy that I can¡¯t make out a thing... ¡°Well, whatever, never mind that. More importantly, it happened! I¡¯m a player now! I knew I could trust my gut!¡± At those words, the old mans hand finally stopped moving as he slowly leaned back in his chair. Putting down the pen that he had held in his hand for some thirty hours straight, the man took off his glasses and massaged his temples with a look of resignation settling in his eyes. ¡°I see...well, good for you, I guess.¡± I had hoped it was just the boy¡¯s imagination, but...to become a player so young is too cruel... Although he rarely spoke of it, the old man had been a player as well once in the past. While people in the grotto were dangerous even at the best of times, he knew from firsthand experience how the sliver of hope that the royale provided could turn even the most docile of men into immoral monsters. And, if after joining the royale you decided you wanted to drop out, you either had to amass an almost impossible amount of money, or else receive a stigma that would horribly cripple you for the rest of your life, just as the old man had. It was better to die, really. ¡°Yep!¡± Shiv said cheerfully, oblivious to the old man¡¯s thoughts. ¡°But anyway, I¡¯ve had some crazy rolls, but I honestly question their worth, so I was hoping you would help me make some sense of it...¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy...is what I would like to say, but I¡¯m well aware that you¡¯re just going to nag me until I help you, so fine. Tell me what you¡¯ve got and I¡¯ll do my best to- Woah!? W-w-what the fuck!?¡± After turning around and looking Shiv in the face, the old man suddenly sprung out of his seat, landing on the table as he desperately kicked his legs to slide as far away as he could while bringing his arms up to cover his face as he shouted at the top of his lungs. His eyes and mouth were like round saucers as a whirlwind of papers flew about the room amidst his desperate outburst. ¡°Woah!? W-what the hell old man!? What are you freaking out for!?¡± ¡°Wha-I-you-¡± The old man stumbled his words through chattering teeth, desperately trying to bring order to his own thoughts. ¡°P-pilgrim...you¡¯re a pilgrim!?¡± ¡°Huh!? W-what are you talking about!?¡± ¡°Y-you don¡¯t know? N-no but, you wouldn¡¯t be so sane if you were a pilgrim...not that you¡¯ve ever really been sane, but, still...¡± Finally calming down, while still keeping his distance, the old man started to get his thoughts in order, as well as his pounding heart. ¡°You...have you looked in a mirror lately?¡± ¡°No...but...¡± At those words, Shiv suddenly recalled the man that had run away from him earlier in the day. Looking around for something, anything, that could cast a reflection, he made his way over to the aquarium tucked away in the corner. The old man still desperately staying clear of him, flopping off the opposite side of the table that Shiv had walked by with a thud as he poked his eyes over the desk to observe him wearily. Looking into the reflection, Shiv¡¯s blood went cold as he looked into his own eyes, which had turned pitch black, with two shimmering golden pupils staring back at him. Just like the Scars of Rafael that had blanketed the skies eight years ago. Chapter 3: Still a Child The physical change in Shiv¡¯s appearance wasn¡¯t just an issue of cosmetics. He could tell as he looked at himself that there was a subtle, yet definite, shift in the very nature of his eyes. ...Is it an effect of my title? That was the only thing Shiv could think of to explain the sudden change. Then, something strange started to happen. As Shiv looked more closely at his reflection, he gradually felt like his consciousness was leaving his body. In a trance, his mind entered deep into his own reflection, where he saw everything that made him...him. Or a blurry reflection of it all, anyway. ¡°Shiv? You alright, boy?¡± The old man¡¯s words broke Shiv out of his stupor, his consciousness sucking itself back into his head with such disorienting force that he stumbled back and nearly fell on his rear. [You have gained a greater understanding of the abyss] [Your PER stat has increased] ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong?¡± This is... Paying the old man¡¯s words no mind, Shiv turned towards him, trying to look into him like he did his own reflection. Sure enough, as he concentrated on the man¡¯s figure, he felt that same instinctive pull. ¡°W-w-what are you doing!? Stop that!¡± The old man yelled as he tried to hide away from Shiv¡¯s gaze, brushing his hands over his skin as though trying to swipe away some invisible bugs. ¡°S-sorry, sorry!¡± Shiv said as he turned away, realizing just how erratic the old man was becoming from his thoughtless action. After giving the old man a few minutes to calm down, and assuring him he wouldn¡¯t do it again, they each took a seat at the table, the old man being closest to the door and clearly still on edge, sweat running down his brow. Honestly, Shiv was a little hurt by the man¡¯s behaviour, considering he was the closest thing to family he had. I guess I should just be thankful he isn¡¯t straight up running away. Shiv told himself as consolation. ¡°I think it¡¯s the effect of my title.¡± ¡°Title? You have a title already?¡± ¡°Yea, it¡¯s...¡± Shiv told the old man about his title, as well as what he had received from the gacha. The conversation was a little strained at first, at least on the old man¡¯s part, but gradually went back to normal as they talked. ¡°First off, never use that talisman you got unless it¡¯s a life or death emergency, maybe not even then.¡± ¡°Is it really that bad?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about being bad or good, it¡¯s just outright dangerous. Interacting with an unknown entity like that can invite God know¡¯s what. As for the summon...sorry, but I don¡¯t really know how I can help you with that one. A rarity of SSR is so unheard of nowadays that even if it is hiding some secrets, I wouldn¡¯t know any way to figure them out. The best I can say is try to make the best use of his passives and hope for the best. Find a reliable way to get gold from the system and capitalize on it to make use of that summon goblin skill or whatever you said it was.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Shiv did his best to hide his disappointment. He had honestly expected more from the old man, but he wasn¡¯t saying anything Shiv couldn¡¯t already figure out himself. ¡°Have you checked what missions you can do?¡± ¡°Huh? Missions?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? I explained all of this to you before...¡± The old man clicked his tongue in annoyance as he crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. ¡°Look for it in the system. And tell me your stats while you¡¯re at it.¡± ¡°Huh? I have stats?¡± Shiv said, before remembering how the system had announced that his perception stat had increased. Has this kid even been properly listening to what I tell him? After all the nagging he gave me to share what I know... Is what the old man¡¯s face displayed at the moment. Ignoring the old man¡¯s gaze, Shiv went to bring up the menu and find out, but then... Squee~ Clang! A loud noise reverberated from the dark hallway. The old man, who had finally gotten back to normal, suddenly flew out of his chair and hid in a corner of the room, sweat dripping down his face. ¡°W-what was that!? Were you followed? You lead a player here, didn¡¯t you? I knew being around you after you became a player was a bad idea, damn me and my sentimentality...¡± The old man mumbled one curse after another under his breath as he looked back and forth between Shiv and the closed door as he tried his best to become nothing more than a shadow on the wall. Shiv observed the closed door thoughtfully for a moment before walking over and opening it, the empty hallway stretching out before him. With quiet steps, he made his way to the ladder he had climbed down from and cautiously looked up. It was quiet as death, and too dark to see further than a few feet past his reach. Did they open the hatch and then decide it was too risky to come down? Shiv reasoned. Staying wary of the hallway, Shiv made his way back to the old man. ¡°They¡¯re still up top, I¡¯m sure. I¡¯ll do my best to take care of them, after that-¡± ¡°A-after that, nothing! I¡¯m not getting involved anymore, period!¡± I was just about to say I wouldn¡¯t involve you anymore... Shiv thought to himself with a frown. ¡±...Thanks for the help, old man, I¡¯ll figure things out from here on my own.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s right, I...¡± The old man began before trailing off, a subtle look of guilt settling on his face. Shiv turned around and headed for the door as a light sigh escaped his lips. ¡°W-wait!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The old man hesitated for a moment, deliberating on his words before simply saying: ¡±G-good luck...and be careful.¡± ¡±...I will, thanks.¡± Shiv said with a light smile, before turning around and heading for the ladder once more. Without knowing where the other person was, it was too dangerous to just go climbing up the ladder. Fortunately, however, Shiv had the radar skill, and could sense if anyone was there. He could just sense that someone was above him, but he didn¡¯t sense them being on the ladder. They¡¯re probably waiting near the hatch to catch me when I¡¯m in an awkward position. However, Shiv knew this place like the back of his hand, and there were plenty more ways to go up than this one. The only problem was, if they could follow him here, they almost certainly had some sort of tracking skill, likely one more specified for players. What if, after I move away, they decide to come down and then do something to the old man? Shiv didn¡¯t care that the old man was a coward, he was still the closest thing to family he had. As unlikely as the odds were, he didn¡¯t want to risk letting him get hurt. ¡°Alright...time to try this out. Summon goon.¡± [2 gold has been spent] [Gibzi (C) has been summoned!] [Summon: Gibzi | Class: Rogue | Title: None | Stats: STR ~ E | DEX ~ D | PER ~ D | INT ~ E | WIS ~ E | CHR ~ E | LUK ~ D] Out of thin air, a vague silhouette took shape within a flurry of light particles, revealing a goblin about three quarter shiv¡¯s height. Great, it worked! Shiv had been concerned that he would have to have Grigold summoned in order to use the skill, but it didn¡¯t seem like that was an issue. So long as he had Grigold on his main roster, he could use his skills like his own. Just not his money. Shiv grumbled inwardly. ¡°Ey, boss! Gibzi at yer¡¯ service! Jus¡¯ tell me whatta¡¯ do an¡¯ ah¡¯ll earn meh pay proper, yep, yep!¡± ¡°Great, I¡¯m Shiv, I have high expectations of you.¡± Shiv said with a nod. ¡°Yep, yep!¡± Gibzi replied happily. Should I summon one more? Thinking so, he decided to just to be safe, however... [Failed to Summon. CHR too low. Gold not consumed] Ahh...so that¡¯s how it works. I can use the skills of my summon, but their effectiveness is based on my own stats...what are my stats anyway? ¡°Show stats.¡± [Name: Shiv | Class: None | Title: Fool Who Stares into The Abyss | Stats: STR ~ E / CON ~ E / DEX ~ E / PER ~ E+ / INT ~ E / WIS ~ E / CHR ~ E / LUK ~ E] Everything is E with perception having a slight edge. It must be from when I looked at my reflection. Do all players start with E around the board, then gradually build them up from there, or am I just behind? He wanted to go back and ask the old man to be sure, but decided it was best to leave him be from now on. ¡°Well, whatever. First order of business, I want you to climb up this ladder and open the hatch on top. I¡¯ll follow behind you.¡± ¡°Eh? Tha¡¯s it?¡± Gibzi replied incredulously. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°Yep, yep! That¡¯s it.¡± Shiv said with a bright smile. Gibzi looked at Shiv, then at the ladder, then back at Shiv again. ¡°Well, tha¡¯s easy!¡± Gibzi said enthusiastically. ¡°Ah¡¯ll get ri~ght on it!¡± Gibzi hopped on the ladder, climbing it at a brisk pace and not a care in the world. Isn¡¯t he...a bit too stupid? Shiv thought to himself, pulling a knife out of his bag as he cast a piteous look at the ascending goblin before grabbing the ladder and following behind him. As the two climbed the ladder, Gibzi hummed a little tune to himself. ¡°Peaches and cherries~ along with some berries~ Tha¡¯s how a pro~per goblass should carry~! Fix me some supper~ ¡®long with a lover~ Then off¡¯ to adventure I go~¡± Oh no...he¡¯s so innocent that I¡¯m actually feeling guilty...Still, isn¡¯t he too loud for a rogue class? Just as Shiv was considering stopping Gibzi and trying to find another way that didn¡¯t use him as bait, Gibzi reached the hatch and opened it up without a second thought. Ah. The moment Gibzi opened the hatch and popped his head out, a sword immediately went for the overly trusting goblin¡¯s neck. He¡¯s dead. Shiv thought to himself. But to his surprise, Gibzi instinctively twisted his body just enough to avoid getting his throat cut, the sword just slicing off the end of his right ear instead. ¡°Eep!?¡± Gibzi squealed as he rolled away. ¡°What the? What are yo-¡± Before the man could finish his sentence, Shiv took hold of the dagger that he had been holding in his mouth and threw his body upward with as much momentum as he could muster, sliding the blade into the man¡¯s throat and pulling it back in one swift motion. ¡°Agh...!?¡± The man stared wide-eyed at the sudden appearance of shiv as he pressed his hand against the hole in his neck, blood squirting out of it like a leaky pipe as he stumbled back and fell on his rear, his sword clattering on the ground as he tried to kick himself away, confused desperation filling the hole that his soul was soon to leave behind. ¡°S-Siler! You...!¡± Shouted a man further back. Shiv had already noticed him halfway up the ladder thanks to his radar. Shiv eyed the man cautiously, but knew from a simple cursory glance that he wouldn¡¯t have the guts to come up and risk attacking himself. That means this guy is... Shiv looked back at the man bleeding out, his face white like a sheet of paper as he breathed his last few ragged, gurgling breaths before going limp and disappearing into a whirl of sparks. [You have slain the summon Siler! (C)] [You have earned 6 gold!] It felt strange to kill a summon so simply, even if it was only at a C rarity. Even a C ranked summon would be at least twice as strong as a normal person, after all. Granted, it was only because he caught him by surprise. Shiv wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance in a proper fight. Still, only 6 gold for killing a summon? talk about stingy. And that¡¯s with Grigold¡¯s money boost! Shiv figured that the low increase in gold was because Grigold¡¯s passives were likely operating off of his own stats rather than his summon, deciding that he would have to try having Grigold summoned when he fought if he wanted to get the most out of them. Shiv looked at the man who was staring at where his summon had been just a few moments ago, a look of horrified disbelief splayed across his face, and decided to bring his own summon into the fray. ¡°Summon Grigold.¡± A familiar door appeared out of thin air with two goblin butlers opening it to make way for the insufferable mass that was Grigold the Hoarder. Shiv noted that from what he had seen so far, Grigold was the only one that was summoned in such a way. The other summons all seemed to come and go in a flurry of sparks. Does it have to do with him being an SSR summon? Or is there more to it than that? The walls of the run down aquarium shook as Grigold stepped through his gaudy golden gate, the player turning pale at the sight of his massive body towering above him, a trickle of urine running down his pant leg as his knees buckled in fear. If only you knew what his stats actually were... Shiv thought to himself wryly, acknowledging how deceptively intimidating Grigold appeared under the current circumstances. Although, this guy¡¯s clearly so weak that maybe his reaction is warranted, even with Grigold¡¯s stats. Grigold took a cursory glance at the man as he slumped to the ground, grimacing at the sight of his shameful display before taking in his surroundings. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be, how splendid!¡± Grigold began. ¡°Did you find yourself a new home? Quite smoother to maneuver, and the lack of pungent fecal matter certainly makes for a more accommodating entrance. A pity, though, I felt your previous suite quite suited your...particular charms.¡± ¡°How flattering.¡± Shiv said monotonously, returning the sarcasm as he walked up to the cowering player, making sure to not be too close or far. Cornered animals, no matter how small or weak, were most liable to bare their fangs when desperate. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The man said dumbly. ¡°Your name, I said.¡± ¡°O-oh...it-it¡¯s Joel...¡± He replied, his voice shaky and quiet. ¡°Why...why do you ask...?¡± ¡°No real reason. Just figured I would try to remember it after I kill you, if I can.¡± He doubted he actually would, though. ¡°A name is proof you existed after all...¡± ¡°Ah...n-no, please! P-please just let me go! I p-promise I¡¯ll never bother you again, really! I¡¯ll do whatev-!¡± As the man was talking, Shiv stared deeply into his eyes. ¡°Ah...no...¡± Shiv felt his consciousness invade Joel, effortlessly pushing past any boundaries the man tried to put up. ¡°W-what are you doing!? St-stop it! Stop it, please!¡± As the man writhed on the ground, Shiv fully took in all of his existence. Past, present, and future. There wasn¡¯t much of the future left for him, however. [You have gained a greater understanding of the abyss!] [Your PER has increased!] [You have gained knowledge of the seeker (R) skill!] [Seeker and radar have combined to create the hunter (SR) skill!] Shiv listened absent-mindedly as the system rang off with one message after another, but he didn¡¯t care about that right now. Looking into other people the way he just did was a lot more than just seeing what skills they had. He saw into the very core of who they were. He saw, or felt, both the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, as well as vague images of the life they had lived and the things they had felt. Seeing how his perception increased when he used it, perhaps he would get a better picture when it was higher. He felt like he had known Joel his whole life now. The man was a coward, and a pitiful one at that. He knew that all the more now, after invading his soul, or so was the best he knew to put it. But Shiv didn¡¯t hate cowards. They reminded him of the old man, who, despite all his faults, had treated Shiv with more kindness than anyone else he knew. He just couldn¡¯t relate to them, that¡¯s all. For a moment, Shiv thought about letting the man go, but he knew that such sentimentality would get him killed, if not now, then later. He could let the man retire, cursing him to bear an unknown stigma that would likely cripple him for life, a preferable fate to some, he supposed. But that would mean missing out on valuable rewards. And he needed everything he could get his hands on if he wanted to survive. No matter how he thought of it, letting him go was just too much of a risk. That¡¯s just the way the royale is, after all. He considered letting either Gibzi or Grigold finish the job, but that would just be avoiding responsibility. And so, he took a step forward, Joel jumping slightly at the sudden movement, and buried his knife hilt deep into the side of the man¡¯s head before he could react, killing him instantly. [Congratulations! You have slain the Player Joel!] [You have gained 25 gold!] [Your DEX has increased!] [Your LUK has increased!] [You have gained 1 Ember!] [The Player Joel has dropped the equipment thief¡¯s cloak (C)!] Shiv should have been happy, the rewards he received far outweighed his expectations, the effect of Grigold¡¯s greed skill clearly amplified by magnitudes in his presence. But looking down at Joel¡¯s limp body, his face forever tainted by fear, Shiv felt it all to be worthless. I think I¡¯ll remember your name after all, Joel. He thought to himself. Hesitation is Defeat [Remaining participants: 82/100] Shiv looked at the simple message that had popped up after Joel¡¯s death. Just then, Gibzi came stomping up from behind Grigold, his cheeks all puffed up. ¡°Boss, you¡¯s lied teh me!¡± What a trusting little fellow ¡°A simple fellow, aren¡¯t you dear Gibzi?¡± Grigold said, almost mirroring Shiv¡¯s thoughts, to his horror, with a snide grin on his face. ¡°Aww, thank¡¯s lil¡¯ bro! Tha¡¯s real swell o¡¯ ya teh say!¡± ¡°lil-...¡± Stumped for what to say, Grigold¡¯s grin grew slack, as for once he found himself lost for a retort in the face of Gibzi¡¯s pure, good-hearted innocence. Or ignorance. It was hard to be sure. Feeling out of his depth for once, he decided to turn his attention in a more comfortable direction as he cleared his throat. ¡°Ahem. Boy- Oh, pardon me, I meant ¡°Grigold.¡± Shiv said, interrupting the summon mid-sentence. ¡°Hrg?¡± Grigold grunted. He did ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡± ¡°What?¡± Radar had upgraded into the hunter skill, going from a C to an SR rarity. While he hadn¡¯t yet checked the specific functions of his new skill, the difference was already staggering, having increased from a 30 meter radius to 100. That was why he had been able to pick up on the figures slowly making their way towards them. Shiv felt he understood why so many people were already dead. Shiv scoffed inwardly. On paper, it seemed like a good plan. But even Shiv, child that he was, knew that such alliances never ended well. He knew he shouldn¡¯t feel so sad whenever he looked at him. Joel wouldn¡¯t have thought twice about killing him, before or after the fact. But that¡¯s just how emotions go. ¡°Now then...¡± Regardless of how reliable alliances were in the long run, they certainly weren¡¯t good for him in the now. He had maybe five minutes before they made their way to him, which meant he had to put his plan of action together quickly. Moving the group to a more hidden location, Shiv quickly tried to maximize his odds. ¡°First things first, shop menu.¡± [ACC#2211814914701315208 : 39 : 1 [Equip roll 13G] [Skill roll 13G] [Summon roll 25G] Shiv would have preferred to save up his gold and do a ten role for another 10% discount. But regardless of the immediate circumstances, that was just too unrealistic. Although maybe not impossible, thanks to the greed skill. While the skill and equip roll¡¯s were an option, he felt the best answer was obvious. ¡°Summon roll for twenty-five gold.¡± [25G has been consumed] [Dun~ Du-Dun~! Here~ we go! What will be pulled? What will you pull!?] [DING! DING! DING!~ H~ere you go!] [You have pulled Miya (R)!] [Summon: Miya | Class: Onmy¨­ji It wasn¡¯t that Shiv had gotten complacent now that he had an SSR summon and an SR skill, however, he would be lying if he said he hadn¡¯t hoped for more [Title: Miya of The Vow] [Title explanation: A vow of sincerity to bind lost souls together] [Title effect: Fate itself intercedes to see a vow to fruition - Vow breakers become cursed] It wasn¡¯t guaranteed for a R summon to have a title, so this fact alone made them somewhat special. In addition, based on the effect of the title, he felt he might could actually make proper use of it, unlike another summon in his possession. Although the vague consequences felt rather disturbing. ¡°No time to waste, summon Miya.¡± [Summoning failed. CHR too low. Increase CHR to increase max summons] ¡±...Huh?¡± A flurry of thoughts rushed through Shiv¡¯s head as he ruffled his messy, shoulder length hair in frustration. Then, suddenly, he clapped his hands together and took a deep breath. ¡°Hoo~hoh~...ok, let¡¯s calm down. Getting frustrated will get me killed.¡± Shiv thought about putting his remaining 14G into either a skill or equipment, but considering how outnumbered he was, he felt instead that it was a better use of his gold to make the most of the goon skill. And to do that, he had to keep Grigold summoned, or he would only be able to summon one of them at a time. As always, Shiv was left feeling like he was the unluckiest, luckiest person in the world. ¡°Summon goon, uh, max?¡± [Summon goon has been used to max capacity] [8G has been spent] [Goons (C) x4 have been summoned!] [Summon: Gobzo | Class: Brawler | Title: None | Stats: STR ~ C | CON ~ D | DEX ~ E | PER ~ E | INT ~ F- | WIS ~ E- | CHR ~ E | LUK ~ E] [Summon: Kiichi | Class: Archer | Title: None | Stats: STR ~ E | CON ~ E | DEX ~ D+ | PER ~ D | INT ~ E | WIS ~ E | CHR ~ E | LUK ~ E] [Summon: Gabby | Class: Bard | Title: None | Stats: STR ~ E | CON ~ E | DEX ~ D | PER ~ D | INT ~ E | WIS ~ E | CHR ~ E | LUK ~ D] [Summon: Gilly | Class: Coward | Title: None | Stats: STR ~ E | CON ~ E | DEX ~ E | PER ~ E | INT ~ E | WIS ~ E | CHR ~ F | LUK ~ F] I¡¯ve never seen an F stat before and now I have three pop up at the same time. How is this Gilly guy¡¯s class literally coward? At least Gobzo has... Three of the four goblins looked almost identical to Gibzi in terms of build and height, but the fourth one was a complete anomaly. Standing at almost two meters tall, and ripped with muscles, Gobzo looked closer to an ogre than a goblin as he towered over shiv. He was nowhere near as big as Grigold, sure, but he was certainly more than what shiv would expect out of a C rank goon. They didn¡¯t have time for introductions, however, as the invaders could be heard just around the corner. ... ... However, the intruders kept their distance, staying out of sight. He could sense them just past a couple of walls, but they made no effort to come closer. Shiv had already figured that the intruders had a way to hunt down other players. But if he was right, one of them likely had a skill similar to his earlier radar. How would they feel when the seven to three advantage they held suddenly dissappeared? Obviously, having four more unknown enemies pop up out of nowhere would cause them to put their guard up. Hell, they may even be on the verge of retreating. After all, why take the risk? Of course, that was only until you took the summons into account. Best case scenario, half of the invaders were summons. There were seven in total, which would mean that only one more enemy would pop up in that case. Worst case scenario, none of them were summons, and Shiv was looking at two to one odds. Much less than that, really, considering his side was a crew of haphazard goblins whose reliability was dubious at best. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Closing his eyes, Shiv wracked his brain to find the best course of action. Joel likely only had ten gold on him when he died, yet gave him a whopping twenty five thanks to greed. Just how much do the others have? It was, of course, and Shiv knew that. Still, there were only so many options. Shiv sighed, glancing at pitiful Joel in the corner. ¡°Artificial God willing, you won¡¯t be the last blood I spill today, Joel. Not by a long shot if I can help it.¡± *** ¡°What should we do, Kass? This ain¡¯t what we signed up for!¡± Whispered a thin man with a long shaggy beard, his buggy eyes seeming to be perpetually on the verge of flying out of their sockets. Kass glanced towards Jay and Bright Eye, who had combined their skills earlier to get a read on the enemy. Jay had a skill that enabled her to share her sight with other people, or spy through others¡¯ eyes without them knowing. While Bright Eye had a skill that let him see someone¡¯s stats as well as whether they were a player or not, although he couldn¡¯t see their skills. Jay had spied on Joel¡¯s sight and transferred it over to Bright Eye, who wrote down the stats and appearance of everyone he saw. That was why they were so willing to throw away one of their members, regardless of how weak he was. The only reason their group ventured into enemy territory like this was because they knew that there was only one player here, thanks to one of the skills of someone who stayed outside. But now there were seven enemies and they were in an unfamiliar territory, while the opponent probably knew the layout much better than they did. They could almost certainly win by bringing out their summons, but could they do so without suffering needless losses they weren¡¯t ready for? The game had only just begun, after all. ¡°Fuck it, it¡¯s not worth it. Let¡¯s retreat.¡± Kass decided. ¡°What!? After we¡¯ve come all this way? But I¡¯m ¡° ¡°Urgh...one of these days, I¡¯ll...¡± Blacktooth muttered something that sounded far too much like a threat to Kass¡¯s taste. ¡°You¡¯ll what, Blacktooth?¡± Kass said, snatching Blacktooth by the collar and staring him in the eyes. ¡°Please, enlighten me.¡± ¡°I-I was just ventin¡¯ Kass, nothin¡¯ personal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± Kass said as she roughly pushed him away. Kass had learned a lot of things in life, one such lesson that had been beaten into her was that you didn¡¯t lead a group of vicious bandits like these by being soft. ¡°Alright people! Pack it up, let ¡°K-Kass! They¡¯re moving!¡± He shouted as his head shot around in every direction. ¡°T-they¡¯re in the walls, Kass! They¡¯re movin¡¯ in the walls!¡± Make yourself an even bigger target why don¡¯t you, you loony old coon. Thump ¡°I-igyaa~ad!!!¡± Rollo hollered, his bloodshot eyes fixed on where the arrow was lodged in-between his ribs.¡°Aw, shit!¡± Kass cursed, summoning a four armed wooden doll the size of a man. ¡°Fuck it! Here I was, about to leave well enough alone, and you just had to go and make the first move! Well fine, you wanna fight? You asked for it, you little brat! Jay, can you see him!?¡± ¡°No, Kass, He¡¯s out of my range!¡± ¡°Hahahaha! Now ¡°Blacktooth, shut up! Everyone, get those summons out!¡± Just as particles of light began appearing next to her crew, Kass felt like something bit her from behind. She swung her knife into her blind spot on instinct, but the small figure dodged and darted away before she could even get a good look at it. She pressed her hand to her side, sticky red blood coming back with it. At the same time, another arrow came down, this time landing directly in Stevens¡¯ gut. ¡°Rollo! You still alive!?¡± ¡°A-aye...¡± Rollo was gasping for air and bleeding out, but he wasn¡¯t dead. ¡°Where are they right now? Not the ones moving about, but those staying still.¡± ¡°Uhh..¡± Rollo wheezed painfully. ¡±O-over thataway¡¯s, I think. B-but more importantly-¡± ¡°Blacktooth, Jay, Bright Eye! Come with me!¡± Kass shouted, cutting off Rollo mid sentence. ¡°W-wait! What about us!?¡± Steven yelled, Rollo nodding his head profusely beside him. ¡°I-I need help here!¡± ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t have got shot! Have your summons guard you and try not to die!¡± While the two looked at her as though they had just been abandoned on the doorsteps of an orphanage, another arrow flew past Kass¡¯s head, but went too far right to hit her. She wanted so badly to kill the little bastard, but he just moved from one place to the next too quickly to get a bead on him. Kass found herself regretting her earlier caution. Had she just had everyone bring out their summons from the get go and stormed them, then this never would have happened. She should have known better than to assume that the enemy would hesitate to strike first, just because they were so disadvantaged. Just then, she heard the sound of a discordant song echoing about the old cracked walls, the strumming of an out of tune instrument acting as an accompaniment. ¡°Caught up in the fight~ What a bloody sight~ Don¡¯t you see that this is a reckoning~! Struggle as you might~ Shackled by the fright~ Soon your head will be a-rolling~!¡± Something about the tune made it hard for her to think straight, and not just because of how bad it was. It was like she was losing a grip on her own self control. On its own, this was nothing. A slight annoyance that made it hard to form thoughts properly. When combined with the guerrilla tactics they were dealing with, however, it became a much bigger issue. Kass, growing paler by the minute, was pressing in the direction that Rollo had pointed out for her the best she knew. But the turning paths and sheer verticality of the architecture was proving harder to deal with than she had expected. It didn¡¯t help that the group was still being randomly sniped at and having to watch their backs to make sure they didn¡¯t get their tendons cut by the sneaky little cockroach. And at some point another one had joined in, throwing rocks and dropping random debris on them, not as lethal as the other two, but by god was it aggravating. And that singing, that Still, aside from the initial surprise attack, they hadn¡¯t received too much damage. With a whole crew of eight walking together, it was easy to smack down any arrows and keep the little backstabber at bay, and a few rocks certainly weren¡¯t going to take them down. She only wished they had more than a bunch of common summons, maybe then they could actually catch these little shits before she bled out on the floor. In the back of her head, she knew the smartest thing to do would be to just get out of here and regroup. But at this point, she was just too plain mad to back out anymore. This wasn¡¯t an issue of gains and losses to her, this was a matter of pride. Really, what However, in her frustration, she started to make a critical mistake. After passing by so many doors and hallways, waiting for Jay to finally pick up on where the boy was, she became ever so slack on checking every door she passed, which left her open for a brief moment. Not that it mattered though, as Gobzo was too stupid to take advantage of such small opportunities, instead simply punching straight through the wall she was walking by and caving in the side of her chest with his massive, yellowish brown arm. [You have slain the Player Kass!] [Congratulations! You have earned 48G!] [Your CHR stat has increased!] [You have gained 1 ember!] ¡°Took long enough.¡± Shiv muttered to himself, looking down at the brigands far below through a large window atop the aquarium roof.