《Jaded: Servant (Book 1)》 Forward Please note, I¡¯m mainly launching this series now so I can properly schedule out the upcoming chapters! Chapters will begin regularly posting every Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday at 5 pm Pacific Time starting on Feb. 18th! Forward: To those who have read my other series, Wayward, while I will maintain my writing style and drive to create complex and realistic characters with heartwarming moments of companionship, please note that this series, setting, and cast of characters are a bit darker, tragic, and more survival-oriented than Wayward. They don''t cheat as much as Phoenix does in that regard. While the reality/universe and system are the same, the planet and its gods are not and it comes with a much harsher environment and dystopian society. Please be sure to check content tags, which I''ll include at the beginning of each book like I do for Wayward, and please feel free to comment if you think I missed a warning to include. There will be many tie-ins between the two series, but neither is required reading for the other to understand what occurs. The rules of the world/system will be explained as Jin learns them for herself. Also, as per the title, Jin is a very different personality from Phoenix. She is much less naive or shy and unafraid to speak her (often sarcastic) mind and be proactive. While I would personally consider Phoenix to be ¡°book smart,¡± Jin is more ¡°street smart¡± with her pragmatism. Jin is also not on the asexual spectrum like Phoenix is, so the romance subplot will be more obvious, though still not the primary focus. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. I hope you enjoy the journey! Summary: Jin was a promising student-athlete plagued with cancer until getting yeeted to a strange magical world where might makes right and fighting for your life is merely entertainment for the gods. Jin now has to gain as much power as she can to climb the tower that was meant to be her death sentence. She can¡¯t trust anyone except her Sect¡¯s band of misfits who were never expected to survive the first floor, let alone reach its pinnacle. Will she be able to prove the gods wrong and escape the tower of trials? Regarding Romance: While romance is not the main overarching plot, some romantic subplots will be shown and explored. There will not be explicit ¡°spicy¡± scenes. The main protagonist is a woman who is attracted to femininity, so don¡¯t be shocked if she ends up in a relationship with another woman somewhere along the journey. Content Warning: Violence and death (of people and monsters, including major supporting characters), profanity, verbal sexual harassment and off-page, non-detailed assault of a minor side character, and dealing with grief and other past trauma. I will also note that many major characters have various physical and/or mental disadvantages, such as deafness, missing limbs, scarring, dyslexia, ADHD, and developmental delays. I try to always be respectful when representing these aspects of their lives, but the story will address some struggles they constantly deal with as society fails to accommodate them. A fictional form of sign language is heavily used, but please consider any dialogue to be ¡°translated¡± into English for ease of reading.
1 - The Strange Witch-Wannabe Content Warning for Book 1: Violence and death (of people and monsters, including major supporting characters), profanity, verbal sexual harassment and off-page, non-detailed assault of a minor side character, and dealing with grief and other past trauma. Absurd. That was the only word that came to Chae-Yeong Jin¡¯s mind as she saw the grinning girl at the foot of her bed with a vibrant green turtle plushie sitting atop a pile of chaotic red curls. How the teenager could behave like that¡ªday after day, treatment after painfully failing treatment¡ªwas a testament to the absolute absurdity of the younger girl¡¯s very existence. ¡°Jin! You¡¯re back!¡± the girl said happily before awkwardly climbing up onto the bed beside her. The younger teen tried her best not to knock anything over with the crutches she used to move around with on one of her good days. Lately, her best friend could barely get out of bed without help as her disease ate away at her muscles. Jin groaned as she tried to readjust her position in the hospital bed to glare at the teen. ¡°Phoenix,¡± she greeted with a flat look. ¡°You seem way too happy to see me, considering where we are.¡± The redhead at least had the decency to blush and look away in mild embarrassment. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m always happy to see you.¡± Jin promptly pushed aside the pang in her heart and softened her glare, muttering, ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you too, but not like this.¡± ¡°Well, you did promise to visit me again.¡± She snorted a laugh. ¡°Yeah, me visit your hospital bed, not the other way around.¡± The smaller girl tugged at a curl and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry they shaved your hair again.¡± Jin shrugged a single shoulder, rubbing a hand over the smooth scalp that used to have silky black hair. ¡°I asked them to. Less creepy when the chemo makes it fall out.¡± ¡°You¡¯re starting that up again? I thought you said¡ª¡± ¡°My dad insisted,¡± she cut off the other teen, crossing her once-muscular arms over her fairly flat chest. ¡°Doesn¡¯t want other people to think he just sat by and let his daughter die without doing everything possible, despite whatever I want.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad he did.¡± The whisper was almost too quiet for her to pick up, but she did and leveled another glare in response. ¡°Five times, Phoenix. I¡¯m seventeen now, and this will be five freaking times that they¡¯ve made me go through this hell. It just keeps coming back faster each time, too.¡± ¡°But it does go away, and you still get to live,¡± the redhead argued a bit louder. ¡°Come on, we talked about this last time,¡± Jin said with a roll of her green eyes that almost matched the other girl¡¯s except for the shape. Hers were almond-shaped and very much showed off her Korean heritage, which she knew little about but inherited nonetheless. ¡°And I still think living is better than just¡­ giving up!¡± Phoenix retorted, crossing her own arms against the chest that would never grow no matter how much the redhead might wish. ¡°There¡¯s no point in living like this!¡± she practically shouted, then winced as she noticed the tears welling in the younger girl¡¯s eyes. The girl who basically lived in this children¡¯s hospital her whole life and had barely seen anything outside its walls. Phoenix wasn¡¯t like her. The redhead still had hope for seeing the world someday¡ªof a cure being found¡ªdespite the doctors not even knowing what all was wrong and causing the pain and weakness that Phoenix struggled with but also kept the girl alive somehow. They knew exactly what was wrong with Jin¡ªeven had a list of treatments to try¡ªbut none of it seemed to be an actual cure for her. The cancer just kept returning and stealing more of her life. Refusing to let her live normally. It was all simply absurd. But she didn¡¯t like making Phoenix cry. Didn¡¯t like being the one to try to smother that little flame of hope behind the girl¡¯s eyes. So, she spread her arms in a welcoming gesture. ¡°Come here, sunshine. I don¡¯t want to argue with you, and I need a hug.¡± The redhead rubbed her eyes but nodded and wiggled her way up onto her lap to wrap frail arms around her as Jin squeezed her in a hug that probably meant much more to her than it did for the other girl. Despite being a couple of years older, Jin had fallen hard years ago¡ªaround the time of her third round of chemotherapy¡ªfor the insanely optimistic ball of cheerful light that always made her feel better. Made her feel special and seen. There wasn¡¯t any point in admitting those feelings, though, if she was gonna die soon anyway. It would be complete selfishness on her part to burden Phoenix like that. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Sorry,¡± the smaller girl muttered into Jin¡¯s hospital gown. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m not mad. I just don¡¯t want to waste my time with you to argue about things like that,¡± she tried explaining. ¡°Do you have new videos of your meets?¡± Jin smiled at the change of topic and then glanced over to the small nightstand to reach for her phone. ¡°Yeah. I had a pretty good day before it resurged and wrecked my stamina again. It¡¯s so hard to put muscle back on, but I did okay.¡± She navigated the touchscreen with a single hand, keeping the other one hugging the girl beside her until she found the recordings and tilted the screen to show her companion. ¡°Here¡¯s from two months ago. Not my personal best, but it was enough to get second place.¡± They both watched as the recording showed Jin doing a few stretches before lifting a metal javelin over her shoulder, then jogging up to the white curved line, arm extended behind her, and throwing the javelin in an impressive arc through the air before sticking into the marked field. ¡°How far was that?¡± ¡°51.6 meters,¡± she replied but frowned slightly. ¡°Isn¡¯t that good? You said it was second place. What was your best?¡± ¡°My best was 65.2, which could have gotten me to the Olympics, but you need to be healthy and consistent for that,¡± Jin explained. ¡°My numbers have been all over the place with how sick I¡¯ve been at different times.¡± ¡°Maybe you can try again after you get out of here for good,¡± the redhead said, reaching over to rewind the recording to watch again. Jin managed to hold back her retort of her being too dead to try again when she left here for good. It wouldn¡¯t make either of them feel better about the truth of it. Instead, she just tried to relax for a bit and take comfort in her favorite person watching her being awesome on the small phone screen. She must have fallen asleep at some point because she jerked awake suddenly to find Phoenix disentangling them. ¡°Sorry,¡± the redhead said sheepishly. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to wake you, but I gotta get back before my mom¡¯s shift ends.¡± Jin glanced out the window to see the evening twilight and grimaced. ¡°Right. Sorry to fall asleep on you.¡± Phoenix snorted. ¡°Pretty sure I was the one sleeping on you.¡± Then the girl readjusted the plushie in her arms before giving another grin and saying, ¡°I''ll see you tomorrow. Same time, same place?¡± She chuckled, shaking her head as she said the usual response, ¡°I¡¯m not planning on going anywhere.¡± As she watched Phoenix leave, Jin felt the apathy already beginning to settle back over her. Not much to care about when she was alone with her pain and lack of a future. She turned to look back out the window and idly watched the stars come out. ¡°Oh. There¡¯s the Soul Dysphoria I was sensing. Interesting, but not what I¡¯m looking for,¡± a stranger¡¯s voice said from the doorway and Jin turned back to see a woman staring in the direction Phoenix should have gone in. The stranger was wearing a comically large witch¡¯s hat and flowy dress that both had some kind of light-up effect that made it appear like twinkling stars. Probably someone visiting to entertain the younger kids, but the woman must have been in her late twenties and seemed way too interested in watching the fifteen-year-old who would have been carefully stumbling down the hall. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t volunteer here if you¡¯re just gonna perv after the innocent girls,¡± she half-scolded the stranger. ¡°You say that like you¡¯re not an innocent girl yourself,¡± the woman replied, surprising Jin by entering her room. She gave a scoff. ¡°Maybe to a perv like you, but I¡¯ve seen enough of the world to know what a crappy place it is. She still has hope for it, though, so she¡¯s definitely more innocent than I am.¡± ¡°So young to be so jaded,¡± the woman said, and Jin noticed at that point that the strange witch-wannabe was carrying a staff as well. She couldn''t help the bitter laugh that escaped, however. ¡°Jaded? That feels like an understatement. I¡¯m more like a bitter old lady trapped in a teenager¡¯s body. The world sucks, and nothing really matters. It¡¯s all pointless.¡± ¡°An odd outlook for one of the Wayward to have,¡± the stranger mused, dragging the end of her staff along the linoleum as she paced in a strange pattern around the room. ¡°Wayward? Listen, lady, I think you have the wrong room. The toddlers are on another floor.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m quite certain this is where I sensed the soul I was looking for. I can practically see the determination for life dripping off you.¡± ¡°Okay, you definitely have the wrong room, crazy lady,¡± Jin replied, moving to press the nurse call button on her bed. ¡°Now, now,¡± the stranger lightly scolded, ¡°none of that. This isn¡¯t my first time doing this, and I¡¯ve learned my lesson about making a scene. Way too many questions to try and cover up in order to not cause a panic.¡± ¡°You know, I don¡¯t really care about the nurse¡¯s ¡®no profanity¡¯ rule like Phoenix does, so who the fuck are you, and what in the hell are you doing in my room?¡± The woman laughed, still dragging her weird staff around the room. She gave Jin the creepiest smile she had ever seen and revealed pitch-black eyes that were completely filled, no whites at all, and she replied, ¡°I¡¯m called the Night Witch.¡± Oh great. An actual crazy person pretending to be a demon. Well, she hadn¡¯t expected ritual sacrifice to be the way she died, but at least it would get her out of the chemo. Then she remembered all the gruesome depictions some shows and games had of said ritual sacrifices, and the fact that if it wasn¡¯t the nurses, then it would likely be Phoenix who discovered her mangled corpse. Her best friend didn¡¯t deserve nightmares like that. ¡°Listen, now¡¯s not the best time,¡± she tried to stall for an excuse as she continued to spam the call button to get someone in here. ¡°I need to rest up before treatment in the morning. Maybe next week we can schedule a raincheck or something?¡± Another laugh came from under the wide-brim hat that Jin now realized looked far more realistic in imitating a starry night than she had originally thought. ¡°You won¡¯t be here next week. Or really, in a few moments. Now, try not to scream, and also never forget that nothing is inevitable. Gain power, grow stronger, and actually change things.¡± Jin scoffed again. ¡°Yeah, not drinking that Kool-Aid. Pretty sure nothing actually changes, and the one true inevitable is what you¡¯re about to try doing to me. Now, get the fu¡ª¡± Blinding light shot up from the floor underneath her, startling her mouth shut as she tried to cover her eyes from the painful flash. Then, the real pain started. Ripping through her body as though her muscles were merely paper mache and bones were toothpicks. Her flesh felt like it was being burned off of her. She definitely screamed, completely failing to keep her mouth shut as the sound of agony tore out of her throat, and it felt as if her very soul went with it. Eventually, she passed out completely and felt absolutely nothing. Then she was falling. Not for very far, though, as she felt her body crash into something very moist and sticky, followed quickly by something hard that bent and broke under her before finally stopping against the cold hard floor and hearing strange shouts all around her. Maybe she just had the weirdest dream ever and fell out of bed, which freaked out the nurses. It definitely hurt too much for her to be dead. Then she opened her eyes to look up and found a handful of actual swords pointed directly at her face with a harsh-looking man commanding her, ¡°Don¡¯t move until ordered to, Wayfarer.¡± 2 - Party Crasher After a few moments of incoherent talking that she couldn¡¯t fully make out with how many people seemed to be scrambling around her, the man ordered, ¡°Slowly stand so we can secure you.¡± ¡°Why would I do that?¡± she retorted in annoyance. Did they really think she¡¯d just let them arrest her? She hadn¡¯t even done anything wrong! There was no way they could blame her for getting yeeted¡­ well, wherever here was. The older soldier-looking guy gave a slight upward twitch of his mouth before moving the sword to bring attention to it as he said, ¡°Most do it to not get stabbed.¡± She refocused on the blade and conceded, ¡°Okay. Fair point. I¡¯d rather not get stabbed.¡± Steam was rising from her olive skin as she slowly sat up and tried to figure out what was happening to her. She was outside and surrounded by people wearing strange clothing that vaguely reminded her of ancient Egyptian garb. The swords seemed to be bronze or something similar based on the color. Weirder than that, however, was that she didn¡¯t see a single phone trying to take a picture of the stranger who had just fallen from the sky. It turned out that the sticky moistness she had felt when falling had been from a cake, which she was mildly grateful for at the moment as the monstrous confectionery hid her apparent nudity. It made her feel gross, though, and she wished she had something a bit more protective from both the swords and the blazing hot sun shining down on them. ¡°Captain Gerrik! Hurry and seize this barbaric Chaosbringer and take it straight to the gallows!¡± a whiny tenor voice shouted as the young man it belonged to broke through the crowd. ¡°Prince Theodred, you know the laws regarding Wayfarers¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! It has absolutely ruined my birthday celebration, and for that, only death is a fitting punishment!¡± the annoying prince proclaimed. Jin hoped either one of them would die soon just so she wouldn¡¯t have to keep listening to that whine. It was absolutely cringe to hear, and it made her brain hurt to think someone like this guy was actually in charge. ¡°My prince, I can¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, by the teats of the Cow goddess, give me your sword then, and I¡¯ll get it done with then,¡± the prince retorted, moving towards the soldier who took a step back in response. With the sword out of her face, Jin took the chance to run for it. No way was she sticking around with the crazy, spoiled sociopathic prince calling for her head. She¡¯d seen enough shows to know how that would go, and she was gonna nope right outta that. ¡°Woah there, little Wayfarer,¡± a feminine alto said in her ear as her momentum was stopped short. Unnaturally strong hands held her, and she glared up at the woman who grabbed her. She seemed only a few years older than Jin as she shook her head and added, ¡°Trust me when I say there¡¯s nowhere to run where you won¡¯t be found or survive long enough to find safety.¡± ¡°Why should I trust the words of a complete stranger working for that psycho?¡± Jin retorted, gesturing from the matching soldier uniform the woman wore towards the spoiled prince throwing a tantrum. ¡°Because you just landed in a whole new world with a lot of rules that I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t figured out yet,¡± the dark woman said with a look of pity, forcibly shifting Jin so that she was at least between her and the royal calling for her execution. ¡°I don¡¯t really care about the rules if they¡¯re gonna end with me as a tortured pincushion. So, if you¡¯ll just let me go¡­¡± She tried yanking her arm away, but the other woman¡¯s grip was like a vice, and she asked incredulously, ¡°Seriously, what kind of steroids are you on? You know those are bad for you, right?¡± ¡°Calm!¡± a voice boomed over the murmuring crowd and wailing prince and a heavy pressure seemed to descend upon Jin. Glancing around it seemed like the others were being equally affected and many dropped to their knees. Luckily, this made it easier for Jin to see the source of the order and oppressive feeling. It was a beautiful woman that seemed to be in her late thirties and was obviously royalty as well with the way she was dressed and carried herself, not to mention the slew of servants trailing after her. ¡°My son,¡± the woman firmly spoke with heavy authority, ¡°the laws of the divine are there for a reason. She will be received properly and interviewed for placement just as any other traveler who reaches our borders. This is the will.¡± The queen didn¡¯t even look at Jin as she turned to the guard holding her in place. ¡°Take her to the dungeons until the Sect Representatives can question her.¡± Then the noble looked back to the other guard. ¡°Captain, I will leave her interview proceedings to you.¡± ¡°Yes, my queen,¡± the soldier instantly replied with a bow and began moving towards Jin and her captor. ¡°Now, someone retrieve a Servant to clean this up. Then let my son¡¯s party continue as planned.¡± ¡°But mother, that cretin has ruined my cake¡ª¡± ¡°My dear son, we will have another here before it is time to eat it, or you can punish the cook for not being quick enough. Alright, love?¡± The prince seemed slightly mollified as he pondered the offer and admitted, ¡°I have been wanting to try out that new assistant cook; she has huge¡ª¡± ¡°Now, now, son, that¡¯s what the Lovers or Servants are for, not the Workers. We¡¯ve talked about this before,¡± she lightly scolded. The prince gave an annoyed groan. ¡°I know, ¡®Sect before self¡¯¡­ but she should just get transferred to the Pleasure Sect then because those¡ª¡± Jin was yanked away and had a hood shoved roughly over her bald head before she could hear the rest of what the lecherous prince spouted. His words made her wonder just how screwed she was with this new world she¡¯d been tossed in or if this was some terrible nightmare. Unfortunately, it was hard to convince herself that this was all a dream, given how real and vivid it felt. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Why couldn¡¯t it have been some cozy fantasy life of peaceful elves or something I got sent to? She ruefully pondered while she tried not to trip as she was half-carried somewhere. If she had truly been transported to a new world for a chance at a new life, why did she get the place with spoiled royalty that was giving her some serious Game of Thrones vibes? Because life is just always gonna suck for you, Jin, her mind unhelpfully replied. It was at least a half hour of eerie silence, which she wondered was either a really high-tech hood or magic when the hood was finally removed from her. She was instantly displeased to find herself already in a dungeon cell that seemed carved from sandstone, with a thin layer of sand covering the brick floor. There was nothing else, not even a place to relieve her bladder, and she tried her best not to think about that. ¡°Alright, Wayfarer,¡± the first guard who had originally greeted her, Gerrik, said. He gestured towards the door and began explaining, ¡°It seems you were at least blessed with a translation Talent, so that¡¯s a good start, but we¡¯re going to be running some tests to see if there are any other promising ones that might favor you to a particular Sect. Then, each rep is going to question you further before deciding where to put you. Did you follow that so far, or did your Talent not catch something?¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing Sect is like a faction? Does everyone get split into one?¡± she asked, trying to better gauge exactly what kind of dystopia she was dealing with. ¡°Yes, normally they stick with their parents until they¡¯re eight when they go through a similar process.¡± ¡°Do you often deal with Wayfarers? That¡¯s what you call me ¡®cause I''m from another world, right?¡± Gerrik gave a slight smirk as he said, ¡°Well, at least you seem to be a smart one. Hopefully, that will keep you alive longer than most. While they don¡¯t arrive often, we know enough about them to understand that quick assimilation keeps them alive longer. Otherwise, they get crazy ideas like braving the dunes or overthrowing the Speakers.¡± She glared at the older man and crossed her arms over her chest as she asked, ¡°Do you enjoy talking about things that I obviously have no idea about?¡± The Captain¡¯s smirk grew. ¡°Maybe a little. Now wait here until one of the Servants arrives who can wash you. I¡¯m not going to explain how our society functions while you look like a Lover serving one of the hungrier Speakers.¡± Jin rolled her eyes, not really bothered by her nudity, considering how many doctors and nurses had poked and prodded it over the years or the locker rooms when she was healthy enough to do sports. Right now, she was just glad that she didn¡¯t feel as weak as she had what felt like less than an hour ago. ¡°At least gimme a list to work with, Speakers, Lovers, Workers, and Servants¡­¡± she gestured towards the soldier. ¡°What are you?¡± He raised a brow and amended, ¡°Maybe not so smart if you couldn¡¯t guess I¡¯m a Fighter.¡± ¡°Oh, of course, how silly of me to think it wouldn¡¯t be that obvious,¡± she said, rubbing a hand over her face in mild exasperation. ¡°Exactly how many options are there?¡± ¡°Six,¡± he replied. ¡°You¡¯re just missing the Whispers, but they¡¯re a quiet bunch that easily gets forgotten. You¡¯ll rarely hear them complain about it, though.¡± Jin rolled her eyes. ¡°Apparently, not even this reality is immune to terrible dad jokes.¡± The Captain simply chuckled as he turned to leave, and she called out, ¡°Wait, won¡¯t you explain what those Sects actually mean?¡± The metal bars of the door scraped shut behind him as he called over his shoulder, ¡°That¡¯s what the reps are for.¡± She gave an annoyed huff before she remembered his earlier words about her having some kind of translation Talent and she hurried towards the bars to call out her question. ¡°Wait! What¡¯s¡ª¡± Another door slammed further down the hall as she moved to look through the bars. ¡°A Talent?¡± she finished lamely to the air of the deserted dungeon she found herself completely alone in. ¡°Well, shit,¡± she muttered, then looked around to see if there was any possible way out, maybe an unguarded key helpfully hanging from a wall¡­ Then she realized there wasn¡¯t even a hole for a key to go into on the prison door, just some squiggly rune-looking markings engraved into a tiny circle where a key should go. She tried touching it, wondering if she did get sent to a magic world after all, but the runes didn¡¯t react to her touch at all. What did confirm that this was definitely a magic world, though, was the semi-transparent hologram that appeared in front of the lock that displayed information to her.
Item: Prison Runelock An enchanted lock keyed to the aura signature of specific people. Caste: Sapphire. Availability: Uncommon. Type: Tool, lock. Requirements: Aura must be synced by the owner: Queen Theris. Effect: Can lock a door.
¡°Well¡­ that gives me a lot more questions to ask when they get back.¡± She slightly grimaced as she added, ¡°If they don¡¯t kill me for being a party crasher, that is.¡±
Captain Gerrik quickly retreated from the dungeon, knowing that to linger too long might reveal too much and raise more suspicion than he could afford. It made him even more annoyed when one of the guards he had specifically ordered not to be seen with him too often fell in line beside him and excitedly whispered, ¡°Captain, do you think the Wayfarer is a sign that we¡ª¡± ¡°If they are a sign from the beyond, Menna, it is one that you would do well not to draw further unwanted attention to,¡± he snapped at the woman. She shrank slightly at the reprimand, and he added, ¡°Good work keeping her from fleeing, though. Even if she had managed to get off the roof and through this maze of a city, she would have died in the desert within a day.¡± Menna nodded. ¡°I know she needs information more than freedom at the moment, but can¡¯t we do something to help¡ª¡± ¡°You will do nothing,¡± he cut her off. Gerrik stopped momentarily, glancing down the halls and expanding his aura to try and sense if anyone might be hidden nearby. When he was satisfied they were alone for the moment at least, he turned to her and whispered, ¡°I know you want to help bring about change and that the appearance of a Wayfarer is seen as a promise for exactly that, but we cannot move rashly and jeopardize her being slaughtered before she even knows that we need her.¡± He gave a heavy sigh. ¡°The fact that it¡¯s close to the beginning of a new Season has me already concerned about what fate lies before her. It will be a miracle if we can keep her out of the Tower.¡± ¡°But couldn¡¯t that be a good thing for us? For a Wayfarer to win the climb?¡± Gerrik shook his head. ¡°Maybe if she arrived a couple of years ago and we had time to get her trained as a Fighter before going in, but fresh from the sky?¡± He paused thoughtfully and gave a sigh before saying, ¡°Well, let¡¯s hope that she either stays clear of the Tower or had some fantastic training as a warrior in her last world.¡± 3 - Pleasure or Pain Jin must have fallen asleep at some point after trying for hours to figure out a way to escape. Nothing in the empty cell had triggered that same holographic display that the magic lock did, and nobody had come to check on her. Until now. Cold water nearly drowned her in her sleep as she sputtered awake to see an old woman point a crystalline wand at her. At least, she assumed it was a magic wand based on how she was holding it out and the water spewing forth from it. ¡°Put this on once you¡¯re dry,¡± the elder ordered, dropping a bundle of cloth on the floor through the metal bars. ¡°The Representative for the Lovers will be here soon.¡± Jin tried to call out to the woman, who was clothed in a simple gray dress, but the elder had quickly retreated from the prison. She was left to drip dry alone but only waited a few minutes before slipping on the odd white tunic. It wasn¡¯t much longer after that when a new person arrived, this time a man who appeared in his late twenties and dressed in sheer red silks that made Jin think of a belly dancer. He was probably the most beautiful man she had ever seen before, and she almost lamented she couldn¡¯t fully appreciate the sight. ¡°Hello, Wayfarer,¡± the stranger greeted her with a bright smile. ¡°Apologies for the delay, but you¡¯ve unexpectedly arrived on a very busy day for us.¡± ¡°Does the prince¡¯s birthday party usually tax the Lovers? I¡¯m surprised you can still stand with the way he was talking about the cook,¡± she muttered, giving him a pointed look. He gave a sad chuckle as he shook his head and replied, ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m not to his tastes. Otherwise, I may have done better to safeguard the lady he chose for tonight.¡± Jin was surprised by the sentiment and asked, ¡°Why allow him to do that then? Surely everyone can see how much of a prick that guy¡ª¡± ¡°It is not our place to question the Speakers,¡± he replied, still smiling, though it seemed strained as he spoke. ¡°Least of all, the prince who could easily order our deaths for stepping out of line. Do you not have a hierarchy or caste system where you come from?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Not like this, where nobody is willing to dethrone an insane prince¡­ at least not the country I lived in.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± he replied simply. ¡°Well, here, we have our Sects, Caste, and Ranks that place people within a social hierarchy.¡± ¡°I figured out the Sects part,¡± she replied. ¡°Lovers, Speakers, Fighters, Servants, Workers, and Whispers. That guard guy wouldn¡¯t explain any of them, though.¡± ¡°Captain Gerrik is a Fighter, which is what we call those who belong to the Pain Sect,¡± the beautiful man explained as he pulled a short stool over from near the entrance to sit in front of her cell door. ¡°I¡¯m a Lover with the Pleasure Sect, though. We¡¯re very much opposites, and I¡¯m here to answer your questions.¡± Then, he lifted a small stone slab she hadn¡¯t noticed him holding before, and he added, ¡°And to learn about your Natural Talents. Wayfarers are said to have very unique ones granted to them when they are remade in this world.¡± She frowned at the idea that she had been ¡°remade,¡± but considering how healthy she felt, it made sense. ¡°But where are my manners? First off, my name is Petal. What¡¯s yours?¡± Jin couldn¡¯t help the snort of laughter at the feminine-sounding name the man had and asked, ¡°Please tell me your parents weren¡¯t that cruel.¡± That fake-looking, too-cheerful smile was plastered on his face as he replied gently, ¡°No, it was the name I chose the day I was transferred into the Pleasure Sect. You get to pick a new name whenever you¡¯re transferred, and I wanted something that matched my softer nature and would hopefully remind others to be soft with me in turn.¡± She sobered at the answer. The idea of picking a name to match one¡¯s nature reminded her of her best friend¡¯s struggles with being trans, and she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to insult you. I just didn¡¯t think a parent should be so¡­ presumptuous.¡± Petal¡¯s smile softened, and she decided to ask, ¡°So, is everyone in the, um, Pleasure Sect expected to sleep with everyone else?¡± He shook his head and chuckled. ¡°No, though I can understand how an outsider might look at it that way. The Pleasure Sect consists of artists, entertainers, socialites, healers, and, yes, many concubines and night companions, but we all share a love for life and the beauty of it. It¡¯s not all terrible torment at the hands of a prince.¡± ¡°Oh, that does seem to make a bit more sense for an entire sixth of the population to fall into,¡± she admitted, rubbing a hand over her bald head. ¡°Indeed. Though, the population isn¡¯t evenly divided like that,¡± he replied, then gestured for her to come closer. ¡°Now, come here¡­ you never did say your name.¡± Her eyes narrowed, unsure if she should share something like that in a world of magic that she hadn¡¯t figured out the rules for yet. She wasn¡¯t sure what information was safe to share, and she had no idea if they had some weird name magic that could let others control her or some nonsense. ¡°You can pick a new one if you wish,¡± he said in response to her silence. ¡°Most of us do at eight years old, when we¡¯re first transferred. You¡¯ll be transferring soon, one way or another, so it¡¯s up to you. Or you can touch this Sight Slab, and we can get a better idea of where you might get placed if that¡¯ll help you think of an appropriate name.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. She looked at the stone tablet he held up again and hesitantly asked, ¡°What¡¯s a Natural Talent?¡± It was his turn to look surprised by her ignorance as he asked, ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°That Captain said I must have a translation Talent, but I don¡¯t know exactly what that means here in this world.¡± ¡°Well, everyone is born with five Natural Talents. Sometimes they match what your parents had but not always, and not all of them are useful without an Aspect or Class to unlock them.¡± ¡°What are those?¡± she asked, hating the fact that she was revealing how little she knew of this world, but it should be expected, right? Petal sighed. ¡°I was hoping you knew more about the Caste system already since many Wayfarers are reported to, but basically, it¡¯s the tier levels of magic people can gain. It¡¯s also why trying to dethrone the prince like you suggested earlier is a terrible idea if your goal is to stay alive.¡± She frowned and wanted to ask more, but he redirected back to the slab in his hands. ¡°Before we get into all that and how to become a Caster, let¡¯s see what you¡¯re starting with first, shall we?¡± Jin hesitated a moment but finally moved forward to find out what he was talking about and learn more about what else she might be capable of. Petal frowned a moment later after she placed her palm on the stone. ¡°Well, that¡¯s odd,¡± he murmured. ¡°It can¡¯t read you.¡± He looked back up at her. ¡°You must have some kind of Talent that blocks analyzing you, which is not good news for you.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Because that means we have to test you in a much more¡­ invasive way.¡± Jin did not like the sound of that.
¡°Pathetic,¡± the Fighter Representative, named Buster, said as Jin tried to catch her breath. ¡°I guess that means ¡®no¡¯ to whether she has a combat Talent or not,¡± Petal said from outside of the cell where he was taking notes on a scroll of parchment. Jin was currently on her hands and knees, wishing she could breathe better after the crazy fighter woman had walked in and started attacking her without warning. She had been blindsided by it but was pissed at herself for not expecting it. These people were all insane and seemed to want her dead but were trying to follow some weird procedures for handling her. Buster was probably the largest woman Jin had ever met in person before and apparently didn¡¯t like talking the way Petal did. There were no questions, just punches. Jin had no idea what the Fighter might have been testing her for until the woman turned to leave and said, ¡°Nothing to boost Attributes, at least. It seems there¡¯s no previous training, either. Her stance was non-existent. If there¡¯s a Disposition, I don¡¯t have a way to test that, and I ain¡¯t risking an Aspect on an unknown outsider to try and find out.¡± ¡°I figured as much,¡± Petal said with a frown. ¡°I didn¡¯t sense any kind of Attunement at first either with my own aura senses, but now I just wonder if it¡¯s hidden. Perhaps the Whispers will want her?¡± Buster shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not like her presence is hidden at all, and she doesn¡¯t scream genius to me like some of their scholars.¡± ¡°What are the Whispers?¡± she groaned after regaining her breath and trying to sit up to watch them. ¡°Mostly researchers, but they also have some sneaks and assassins. Those who gain information and silently dispose of those who¡­ well, let¡¯s just say the ones who displease the current order of things,¡± Petal explained. ¡°Traitorous scum is what you mean,¡± Buster spat. ¡°Think they know better than the system that''s worked for hundreds of years. Arrogant pricks that don''t deserve a public spectacle to their deaths.¡± Petal said nothing in response to that and instead asked, ¡°Am I marking the Fighters down as a decline?¡± Buster looked Jin up and down one last time before saying with a sneer, ¡°I doubt she could handle the pain. The Fighters decline to take the Wayfarer.¡± With that, the large woman left to be on her way, and Petal gave a heavy sigh as he softly said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s unfortunate.¡± ¡°Hey, if I don¡¯t have to be one of the royal¡¯s lackeys, I consider that a win,¡± she replied, rubbing her stomach. ¡°They¡¯re not all physically-based soldiers like Buster,¡± Petal replied. ¡°That Sect also includes our offensive mages, and a few become athletes that go on to challenge the Tower as Champions after years of training.¡± ¡°Tower?¡± Petal shook his head. ¡°Best not to worry about that right now if the Pain Sect is off the table. It would have been your best chance at survival there.¡± He made a few more notes on the scroll before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s hope the other Sects will be a safer fit for you.¡± Jin wasn¡¯t sure what to make of all that. So many questions flitted through her mind. ¡°Can you explain more about Attunements, Dispositions, auras, and Attributes?¡± she quietly asked. Petal gave her a look of pity that made her feel even worse about her ignorance, but he answered, ¡°Attunements are Talents that imbue one of the magic types to a person. Dispositions are one of those that mostly rely on becoming a Caster as they influence the types of Abilities one might unlock.¡± She wasn¡¯t entirely sure what unlocking abilities entailed, but she simply nodded as he continued explaining, ¡°An aura is an external expression of one¡¯s soul that everyone has, but only Casters can learn to sense and control it without a Talent, and by unlocking a suitable Aura ability. Lastly, Attributes refer to your physicality and are what Aspects bond to. Are you familiar with any of those concepts?¡± Jin nodded. ¡°I used to play Dungeons and Dragons with my best friend and our moms. That game had attributes, but I¡¯m not sure they¡¯re exactly the same. What¡¯re they called here?¡± ¡°Strength, Agility, Fortitude, Mind, and Magic,¡± he answered. ¡°Are those similar?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she replied. ¡°Not the same, but I get the gist.¡± Jin thought over the information, assuming that becoming a Caster and unlocking abilities meant gaining actual magic powers. Petal had seemed to think she wouldn¡¯t get that chance without joining the Pain Sect, though. She had never thought hard about choosing between pleasure or pain before since she rarely got a choice about either. She thought that pleasure would have been the obvious answer there, but she was beginning to wonder if, no matter what reality she ended up in or whatever Sect chose her, pain would be inevitable. Every option seemed to have a downside so far. Being a Lover risked her getting assaulted every night. The Whispers sounded like a pain to her because she had always been terrible at studying. Sports were the only thing she enjoyed about school. Being a Fighter sounded like a torturous slog of training, but at least that was pain she had chosen in the past to be a competitive athlete. Hopefully, the other three Sects wouldn¡¯t be as bad, but she knew better than to actually believe in that hope. If life had taught her anything so far, it was that there was little good in it, and this world didn¡¯t seem any different in that regard. 4 - Whispers in the Dark ¡°So, you¡¯ve never trained in any skill other than throwing a metal stick and general knowledge of reading, mathematics, and the history of your own world,¡± the Worker Representative, called Hank, summarized after Jin had painfully tried to explain what a public school, recreational sports, and having recurring bouts of cancer entailed. Petal was already scribbling something down on the parchment with a sigh, and Jin told Hank, ¡°Well, we learned science too, but I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s accurate any more in a world with magic.¡± Hank gave her a flat look, then glanced towards Petal, who preemptively answered, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll put her down as a decline for the Labor Sect, but let me know if you think of any crafting or gathering jobs that can utilize the throwing thing.¡± The Worker nodded but glanced back at her before saying, ¡°You know¡­ if she can¡¯t grow hair, we might be able to craft a wig that could make her a better candidate for the Lovers.¡± Petal shook his head. ¡°I think the hair will grow in after she explained about her past sickness.¡± Hank raised a brow at him and asked, ¡°Then what¡¯s stopping you from making her one of your night flowers?¡± The Lover Representative stopped writing as he glanced back towards her, and Jin noticed the flick of his eyes towards her practically non-existent chest before shaking his head. ¡°While her face is pleasing enough and people¡¯s tastes come in all different flavors, I¡¯m not sure she has the proportions usually asked for.¡± Jin wasn¡¯t sure if she should be insulted or relieved by that statement. She hadn¡¯t thought much of her body in that kind of light before, but she never thought it was¡­ undesirable. However, even she admitted that her own preferences lingered on larger chests than she had. ¡°Aside from that, her tongue is too sharp. She¡¯d most likely anger anyone I tried to put her with,¡± Petal added, and that was harder for her to argue with. Hank shrugged. ¡°I hear some people like that kind of thing.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a fine line between degradation play or the reluctant brat persona and a hostile person hurling insults because they don¡¯t want to partake.¡± The Worker shrugged again. ¡°I hear some people like that, too.¡± Petal got a dark look that made even Jin hesitant to speak as he said coldly, ¡°That¡¯s what the Servants are called for. Not my flowers, and if I hear otherwise, I will personally ban whoever that is from ever calling upon the Pleasure Sect¡¯s services again.¡± Hank raised a hand in surrender. ¡°Fine, fine. But based on what you and this Wayfarer explained so far about her skills and talents, I don¡¯t see many other options for her other than the Service Sect or becoming fuel for the Tower.¡± ¡°Let us hope that last resort is not reached,¡± Petal replied sadly. ¡°We still have Alaina and Salman to meet with.¡± ¡°I doubt Alaina will take her with that kind of background. This one¡¯s obviously not a scholar¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m hoping she¡¯ll see the promise in the Talents we¡¯ve speculated so far and consider her for a slip.¡± Hank shook his head. ¡°Well, good luck with that, but you know she hates taking risks, and that¡¯s exactly what this Wayfarer is.¡± Petal gave a heavy sigh. ¡°I know, but I can still hope for her sake.¡± Jin shook her own head at that as Hank turned to leave. She could already guess where she was heading, but she ended up asking Petal, ¡°What about the Speakers? What Sect are they?¡± ¡°The opposite of the Whispers¡¯ Silence Sect. They are the Herald Sect and are composed of the nobility, with a few limited roles centered around administrating that others might get transferred into, but those are extremely rare cases. ¡°They have never taken in an outsider before and don¡¯t even participate in these general interviews for first-time transfers. If they want to bring in an outsider, they would already be a very well-known and heavily researched entity.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯m pretty much stuck with being a Servant, is what it sounds like,¡± she grumbled. Petal sighed again as he admitted, ¡°Unless you can figure out how to turn off whatever is hiding your Talents, then probably. There¡¯s no guarantee Salman will accept you, but he rarely declines any capable body or even less than capable ones. There¡¯s usually some use to be made.¡± Jin grimaced at that phrasing and asked in disgust, ¡°Like hostilely yelling insults because they don¡¯t want to partake?¡± Petal shared her grimace. ¡°Unfortunately. Mostly, Servants just handle cleaning, fetching things, and generally assisting others with their tasks. They serve the other Sects, usually with an assortment of odd jobs¡­ but there have definitely been cases of people requesting other more distasteful services.¡± ¡°It¡¯s odd to hear someone like you call it distasteful. Isn¡¯t that basically your entire job if you¡¯re ¡®entertaining¡¯ someone like the prince?¡± He shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s the difference though. The Lovers live to bring pleasure. We can argue when someone goes against that ethos. The Servants live to serve. What argument can they give when they are the ones going against that purpose by wanting to refuse an order?¡± Jin frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you have, like, laws against that kind of thing, though? Or can a Fighter just go around assaulting and murdering people ¡®cause that¡¯s part of their purpose or whatever?¡± ¡°We have laws that help to keep order, but there¡¯s really only three laws that matter to most. The one you¡¯ll hear most often is ¡®Sect before Self,¡¯ which doesn¡¯t help the Servant in the example I gave. The second is ¡®By the will,¡¯ which refers to the will of the gods. I¡¯m sure even in your world, the words of your deities were followed with zealous fervor.¡± ¡°Well, in some cases, sure, but not everyone believes in imaginary beings that nobody has ever seen dictating the law for the whole world.¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Petal gave her an odd look before saying very slowly, ¡°The gods are not imaginary. You will even get to see them in a week when the new Season begins and the Champions are selected. They are always there for the opening ceremonies.¡± Jin stared at Petal, hoping the man was joking, but when he was obviously serious, she gave a nervous chuckle and asked, ¡°So what¡¯s that last law everyone follows?¡± Petal shook his head at her, probably baffled by her world¡¯s lack of gods as much as she was about their existence here, and finally said, ¡°The Rule of Caste. Those with the more powerful Caste make the rules.¡± ¡°Oh. Wonderful,¡± Jin replied with a sarcastic roll of her eyes. ¡°Of course, it comes down to the timeless rule of might makes right.¡± ¡°Good to see that at least that concept isn¡¯t completely foreign to you,¡± he replied with a chuckle. ¡°You mentioned earlier that the Caste system was levels of magic that could be gained,¡± she said. ¡°Exactly how many levels are we talkin¡¯ here?¡± ¡°Technically six, but many don¡¯t count Mundanes at the bottom tier,¡± Petal explained as he continued writing on the parchment scroll. ¡°From Mundane, it goes Crystal, Sapphire, Emerald, Ruby, then Obsidian at the top, but this world hasn¡¯t seen anything above Emerald since the Originals died.¡± ¡°Originals?¡± ¡°The first humans that came here to Erythr¨®s from Makera. It was thousands of years ago since then, but it¡¯s where most of our knowledge of magic and Wayfarers came from.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Makera? Is that another reality?¡± ¡°No, just another planet in our solar system. I believe the species there were all wiped out from the plague the Originals were trying to flee, though. As far as I¡¯m aware, no others have come here from there since.¡± ¡°How did they get here? Do you all have, like, magic spaceships?¡± Petal gave a small smile. ¡°Well, I¡¯m certain magic was involved, but the methods have been lost to time. I¡¯ve never heard of a ship sailing through space, though. There are stories of airships flying through the skies of Makera, but most of the magic levels here aren¡¯t strong enough to support them. That¡¯s why the Ruby and Obsidian Casters all died eventually.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He sighed, setting the pen down as he tried to explain, ¡°When a person becomes a Caster, starting at Crystal, their body changes. It becomes more magical. That magic still needs replenishment; in other words, they need Crystal Caste food. The highest area of ambient magic is here by the Tower, where it reaches Mid Emerald Caste. So it¡¯s impossible to sustain a Ruby or Obsidian here.¡± ¡°So, really, these Emerald Casters are the rulers here?¡± ¡°Yes, Queen Theris is the strongest Emerald Caster in the city.¡± ¡°So, I just have to climb three tiers up the Caste ladder to be at the top?¡± Jin clarified, then shrugged. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem so bad¡­ Are there like a thousand levels for each tier or something ridiculous like that?¡± ¡°Only ten that we measure by,¡± Petal chuckled. ¡°But most people won¡¯t ever reach Emerald,¡± he added with a sigh. At his wistful tone, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why?¡± He gave a sad smile and shrugged. ¡°They usually die first.¡±
¡°Listen, Petal,¡± Jin said as they waited for the next rep to show up, ¡°you seem like a nice enough guy. How about you just let me out of here and say I, like, used some hidden Talent to trick you or something?¡± Petal snorted a laugh. ¡°Aside from the fact that I¡¯m Sapphire Caste and any Mundane level Talent like that wouldn¡¯t affect me, where do you plan to go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she replied with a shrug. ¡°A different city that doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m a Wayfarer or ruined the prince¡¯s birthday cake and doesn¡¯t want to make me some kind of slave.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Anyone with aura senses can feel that you¡¯re not human, which means Wayfarer is the only other option. Also, you¡¯d likely die before reaching the next city as a Mundane with no supplies or protection.¡± ¡°I mean, I¡¯m probably not great at camping, but I could probably scavenge or¡ª¡± ¡°Please listen carefully,¡± Petal interrupted as he fixed her with a serious gaze. ¡°Trust me when I say you will not survive the hundreds of miles of desert dunes teeming with Corrupted undead monsters on your own. Even if you have some hidden Talent to not need food or water as a Mundane, those monsters will devour you as soon as the sun stops shining, and maybe even before then, depending on the type of monster.¡± Jin swallowed past the lump in her throat at that information as she muttered, ¡°Good to know monsters are a thing here, too. I guess I should have just assumed that came with the magic. Apparently, getting sent to a magical world without even a set of starter clothes and with a terrible faction system wasn¡¯t enough of a ¡®fuck you¡¯ from that crazy witch.¡± ¡°It could be worse,¡± a new voice said, and Jin turned to look through the bars at the woman dressed in all black leather casually leaning in the dungeon doorway. ¡°You could already be dead.¡± ¡°Always with the dramatic entrance, Alaina?¡± Petal asked with an amused smile. ¡°Always,¡± she replied with a grin then moved to squat in front of Jin¡¯s cell. The beautiful woman stared at her with eyes that seemed to glow a bright blue and she felt that same weird pressure that the queen seemed to have caused earlier when ordering everyone to calm down. ¡°Well, that¡¯s fascinating,¡± Alaina said after a moment before looking back toward Petal. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was possible for a Mundane to hide from my eyes, but I guess what they say about Wayfarers breaking the rules is proving true.¡± Petal sighed and handed over the scroll. ¡°Unfortunately so.¡± Then, the strangest thing Jin had experienced so far was when she was able to understand the subtle hand movements Petal made toward the Whisper. ¡°Can¡¯t you take and protect her?¡± Alaina didn¡¯t seem to look away from the paper as she gestured back in the odd sign language, ¡°Not without good cover.¡± Then the Whisper said out loud, ¡°There¡¯s not much going for her. It looks like her otherworldly knowledge is limited as well. She didn¡¯t specialize in anything that we could try to study and replicate based on this.¡± ¡°No allies among higher ranked Servants. She won¡¯t be safe,¡± Petal signed as he spoke aloud. ¡°I thought her Talent to hide her information would show potential as a slip.¡± Alaina glanced back at Jin as she signed, ¡°I¡¯ll send a watcher.¡± Then she asked Jin, ¡°Have you ever killed anyone before, girl?¡± She was surprised by the question, and distracted by the second conversation taking place, but shook her head. ¡°No. I¡¯ve never had a reason to.¡± Jin contemplated signing back to show she could understand them, but the next signs sent by the Whisper made her hesitate. ¡°Can¡¯t use her if she¡¯s dead.¡± Out loud, Alaina asked her, ¡°Does that mean if you had a reason to kill, you would do so?¡± Jin glared up at the assassin representative as she coldly stated, ¡°I would if someone tried to force me to do something I didn¡¯t want to do¡­ or use me like some kind of tool.¡± Both reps looked at her in surprise before Alaina¡¯s face split in a grin as she signed to her instead, ¡°Speak of this to anyone and the Whispers in the dark will be the last thing you hear.¡± ¡°I think some time with the Servants might do her some good,¡± Alaina said to Petal. ¡°Teach her a bit about what life here is really like for the least fortunate among us.¡± Then she signed one last thing before departing. ¡°Maybe that will motivate her to change it.¡± 5 - Live to Serve Salman turned out to be an older man who took one look at Jin and sighed, ¡°Well, at least she has all her limbs. Any unseen disadvantages? Mute? Deaf? Slow to respond?¡± He paused and took in her glare before adding, ¡°Annoying stubbornness?¡± Petal snorted a traitorous laugh and said, ¡°I can¡¯t honestly say no to that last one, but no other disadvantages that I¡¯ve observed so far.¡± ¡°Prick,¡± she muttered under her breath, and both men rolled their eyes at her. ¡°It¡¯s like Hadia all over again,¡± Salman bemoaned. ¡°I swear, I¡¯m going to start requesting to be allowed a larger roster for Champions if they keep sending me disobedient servants¡­¡± Petal scowled at the other man. ¡°Champions shouldn¡¯t be chosen by your apparent criteria, Salman. They¡¯re meant to be our strongest¡ª¡± ¡°I need my strongest outside of the Tower to help serve during the Season. Surely you understand how taxed our Sects, in particular, become as the Speakers and high rankers watch the climb.¡± ¡°Perhaps if your strongest were inside the Tower serving the other Champions, then the Season wouldn¡¯t last so long, and we wouldn¡¯t be taxed so much.¡± Salman scoffed. ¡°Please, you and I both know how the Fighters and Whispers see my Servants,¡± the older man glanced back at Jin and said with a sneer, ¡°Easy points.¡± He turned back to Petal and added, ¡°What I do, who I choose, is for the betterment and strengthening of my Sect. If you don¡¯t approve and think this Wayfarer will be a candidate for my criteria, then take her into the Pleasure Sect and let us be done here.¡± Petal looked at her for a long moment, obviously contemplating the idea further, but finally sighed. ¡°She has been declined by all but the Servants. Take her and teach her your ways.¡±
Jin contemplated making a run for it, but if what Petal had said about the desert was true, that meant she needed an actual plan instead. She was slightly distracted from plan-making however as Salman began to lead her from the dungeons, through some sparse corridors, then through the city. It was like she had been dropped in a mixture of ancient Egypt and the mythical city of Atlantis. Buildings were carved from cream-colored sandstone and blue aquamarine, water features were everywhere, and the structures were massive on a scale she was having difficulty comprehending. There was abundant plant-life scattered throughout that were a mixture of palm fronds and cacti that made her feel like they were in some sort of massive oasis. She could barely see the sky from the brick street they were walking down. If she still had any lingering doubts about being in another world, they were completely blown away by this insane architecture. The streets were also packed at the moment with people obviously still celebrating. She could only assume it was also for the prince¡¯s birthday, but maybe it was also some other holiday, either way it was crowded and loud. Few people paid her any attention, though she did catch some curious glances from some of the more important-looking people. She guessed these ones were the Casters with aura senses Petal had mentioned would be able to tell she was a Wayfarer. Looked like any hope for anonymity was already dead in the water¡­ or sand in this case. Even though the sun was setting and the air was heavy with the humidity of the oasis water, it was sweltering. She had no doubt they were in a desert climate, at least. ¡°What are we to call you by?¡± Salman finally asked her once they broke free from the crowds into a quieter part of the oasis city. She thought about that yet again. Having gone back and forth with the idea since Petal mentioned picking one. She had always preferred going by her family name, Jin, instead of her given name, Chae-Yeong. Growing up in America and being part of the public school system of a mostly English-first district had given her years of mispronounced name-induced trauma. Jin was simpler for others, and she liked both the sound and meaning behind it. She had always loved dragons, and the fact that her name actually translated to that reinforced her love of both. Jin had thought about maybe going with something more fantastical, or maybe even her gamer tag, JadeDragonEmpress, but figured that wouldn¡¯t really lend to her blending in. ¡°Can I use my family name?¡± she asked. Salman shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you choose, so long as we can pronounce it. We don¡¯t have family names here, though. ¡®Sect before Self¡¯ includes any familial ties one might have had.¡± ¡°In that case, my name¡¯s Jin.¡± ¡°Then I welcome you to the Service Sect, Jin. Here, it is our purpose to assist the other Sects as well as this city as a whole. We are the custodians and caretakers of Qutbi and its Tower of Polarity.¡± ¡°Quo¡ªQutbi is the name of the city?¡± she tried clarifying. Salman nodded, and she asked, ¡°I keep hearing about this Tower. What exactly is it?¡± ¡°An ancient gift of the life-giving wellspring. Without it, we would all quickly perish to the merciless desert.¡± ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s a magic fountain?¡± she asked in confusion. ¡°It provides all the fresh water for the city,¡± he clarified, giving her a disdainful look. ¡°It¡¯s much more than just some magic fountain, however. That¡¯s not something you need to concern yourself with at the moment, though. You¡¯ll be starting much smaller.¡± He finally came to a stop in front of a non-descript door and he pressed a palm to the stone plate engraved with runes beside it. There was a soft click and he pushed it open and gestured for her to enter as he explained, ¡°This will be your new home for now. It may change if we find a more suitable position for you in the future that might require relocation but that will likely be a while as we learn more about what you are capable of.¡± Jin cautiously glanced through the door first before stepping inside, uncertain if some weird trap might be awaiting. It was barely a step up from the prison cell she had been in all day. A mat of some kind of woven reed served as a bed in a corner and there was a stone chest in another. The best news was there seemed to be a bathroom attached which she made a beeline for. It was the closest interpretation of a ¡°water closet¡± she had ever actually seen in person. There was only a hole in the ground and one of those rune plates on the inside beside the door. Touching a single finger to the stone slab brought up another of those weird holograms that she wasn¡¯t entirely sure if other people could see too or if it was just her.
Item: Water Flow Runeplate An enchanted plate to trigger the flow of water in the attached structure. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Caste: Crystal. Availability: Common. Type: Tool, switch. Effect: Can toggle water flow on and off.
It seemed that magic helped fill in the gaps of a lot of technological and mechanical features here in this world, and she didn¡¯t mind so long as it was convenient to use. After relieving herself in the ground hole, she quickly learned that there was also a hole in the ceiling where both the ¡°flushing¡± and ¡°showering¡± water came from as it mercilessly drenched her. Jin glared at the ceiling like it had personally offended her¡­ which it had. She just sat there and glared for a long while as she contemplated just sleeping in here so she wouldn¡¯t have to see Salman¡¯s reaction to her trial-and-error style of learning. A soft knock at the water closet door made it obvious that she wouldn¡¯t get to hide but also wouldn¡¯t need to feel humiliated as Salman mercifully said from the other side, ¡°I have a towel out here when you¡¯re finished showering and have laid out some food on the chest. Inside the chest are some basic self-care items. I will be taking my leave, and Karam will come by in the morning to help explain how everything works and show you around. Then, I will find you at dinner to inform you of where you will be stationed first. Did you catch all that?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she replied, then waited for the soft click of the front door before stepping out of the shower to dry herself. She devoured the simple meal of some variant of flatbread, dried dates, a fresh pomegranate, and some cheese, but none of them looked or tasted exactly like she remembered on Earth. Even the pouch filled with water tasted slightly different, still clean and refreshing, but had a subtly different undertone. Jin often remembered thinking water had a metallic tang to it, but this was almost like a sweet citrus. She wondered if it was an effect of something added to it or just the result of the magic. The bed was terrible, though. Wrapped in a towel with her tunic left to dry over the chest, she tried to sleep on it but it was little better than the dungeon floor. Morbidly she wondered if dying in a comfy hospital bed would have been a better fate than being trapped in a magic world to live as some kind of slave. Her last thought before drifting to sleep was of her best friend whispering that at least she would live.
¡°Hey, Jin?¡± Phoenix prompted her as they lay beside each other in the hospital bed. ¡°When we both get out of here and can, like, get our own place¡ª¡± ¡°Need to live long enough to see graduation for that first,¡± she snarkily interjected. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m trying to do what my mom suggested and make a single plan for the future!¡± the younger teen retorted, then squeezed the turtle plushie closer to her and snuggled into Jin¡¯s side in a way that tickled her nose with those red curls and caused her cheeks to flush with forbidden desire. ¡°Sorry, what kind of plan were you thinking of? Getting some kind of apartment and job?¡± Jin asked. Phoenix glanced up at her with those innocent green eyes and smiled. ¡°I just thought it would be nice to live together. Spending every day with my best friend is really the only thing I could think of wanting in order to have a good life.¡± ¡°You want to live together? Like roommates, until we get rich enough for our own places?¡± she clarified, not wanting to get the wrong idea that her racing heart was suggesting. Phoenix chuckled and blushed slightly, trying to tuck one of those curls behind an ear and asking, ¡°Can¡¯t we live together even after that? I don¡¯t really want to stay alone forever. I want to be with you.¡± Jin¡¯s body moved on its own as she bent in the bed to kiss her best friend directly on those soft lips that were speaking such tempting words. Her panic awoke Jin from the dream as her new reality came crashing back down on her. Phoenix was in a different world, probably believing she was dead. Jin was here in some unsettling desert dystopia that kept making her feel like a complete newb at every turn. Exercise. That¡¯s what she needed to work off the remnants of her dream that would have likely ended in disaster if it had been real. She slipped the white tunic back on and began working through the routine she would do when trying to put muscle back on after getting released from the hospital and cleared for activity again. A few squats, lunges, and push-ups helped her get the feeling for her current capabilities. She¡¯d start slow and cautious, making sure that no sickness was actually lingering, but she was pretty certain she was completely healed. About three-quarters through her starting routine, a knock on the door interrupted her, and she cracked open the door to see who it was, only to find a wall of gray and brown. It was a massive guy that must have been at least six feet tall. He had dark brown twisted locs that barely went past his ears and the barest dusting of a beard that made him look slightly older than her. His clothing was to blame for all the gray, as it consisted of a gray tunic, gray pants, and a gray cloak covering the right half of his body. His demeanor was cautionary as he looked at the ground and said, ¡°Good rise, Miss Jin. I¡¯m Karam, and I¡¯m supposed to show you around today. Do you need assistance with anything first?¡± ¡°Assistance?¡± she questioned. ¡°I live to serve,¡± he stated quietly, giving an awkward bow with that large body and reminding her of a beaten dog. ¡°You can drop the Miss,¡± she said. ¡°And please no more bowing at me¡­ or serving. I¡¯m apparently going to be a Servant like you for now, so it seems a little redundant to try serving each other.¡± Jin gestured to the bundle in his hand and asked, ¡°Did you bring me something?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, a set of Servant garb. I¡¯ll be showing you where the laundry gets done later and you can get more sets there, in a better size if this one isn¡¯t quite right but Salman said this size should work for today,¡± he replied, shyly holding out the bundle. His behavior made her wonder if he was actually younger than she had thought originally. As she grabbed the bundle and gestured for him to come inside, she asked, ¡°How old are you, Karam? I¡¯m a few months past seventeen.¡± ¡°What?! Seventeen? You look no more than half that,¡± he replied incredulously. She paused to look back at him as he shut the door behind him. ¡°Exactly how does time get measured here?¡± At his confused look she clarified, ¡°Please tell me I don¡¯t have to learn some weird time keeping system to understand what a minute, hour or day here means. I know you at least have days since it was night earlier.¡± ¡°Oh, um, yes,¡± Karam replied, suddenly nervous. ¡°Uh, sixty seconds make a minute, sixty minutes makes an hour, twenty four hours in a day, seven days in a week, thirteen weeks in a quarterhalf, and eight quarterhalves in a year.¡± ¡°Wait, what about months?¡± she asked, noting the year length was about double Earth¡¯s. ¡°What¡¯s a month?¡± Jin wasn¡¯t sure what to make of that at first, and after thinking about her answer, cautiously asked, ¡°Do you not have any moons here?¡± ¡°Oh, um, no. I¡¯ve heard some really old stories about them, though.¡± She gave a sigh and shook her head at yet another basic thing she¡¯d have to adjust to. ¡°I guess that actually means I¡¯m about eight and a half? That sounds so weird to me.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re about a half year older than me,¡± he replied, and she mentally equated that to him being around sixteen, which really was younger than she had thought. Jin pulled out the pair of loose gray pants that had been in the bundle and slipped them on under her tunic. She turned her back on Karam as she lifted the tunic over her head, and she heard him sputter, ¡°What are you doing?!¡± ¡°Changing,¡± she muttered with a roll of her eyes at the far wall, and it was only another few seconds of being topless before the new gray tunic replaced the white one. ¡°Done,¡± she announced when she turned back and saw that he had also turned away. When he turned back to look, she tossed the empty sack back to him, and he seemed to panic momentarily before catching it one-handed. The awkward movement dislodged his cloak enough that she suddenly realized that he was missing his right arm completely. ¡°Oh,¡± she said. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t realize¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he murmured, then gave her an adorable smile as he readjusted the cloak. ¡°I was just surprised. I can catch fine if I know to expect it.¡± She smiled in return. ¡°That¡¯s actually pretty badass.¡± ¡°What?¡± he asked in confusion. ¡°That you can smile and still do things that others take for granted,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ve never known someone with a missing limb like that, but I¡¯m sure it was a struggle to adapt to a world that probably doesn¡¯t care about those struggles. Just let me know if there¡¯s something particular you need help with; otherwise, I¡¯ll just assume you¡¯re good, okay?¡± His smile brightened as she spoke, and he replied, ¡°Okay. Thanks, Miss Jin.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± she replied with a shrug, then gave a light smack on his left shoulder as she said, ¡°Now, show me where the grub is. I am starving.¡± 6 - Serve to Live ¡°And this is where you¡¯ll bring laundry,¡± Karam explained as he brought her to an area at the very edge of the city that was delineated by a large moat. Beyond the water was the sight of vast dunes with a rusty red color to them, almost like it was stained with dried blood. It seemed as endless as the ocean horizon, and she knew Petal had been telling the truth about her odds of survival. She vaguely wondered if she would ever see that mysterious man again now that she was in a different faction. The silent conversation had given her plenty of questions, and so far, only Petal and Karam seemed to be willing to give her answers. The moat was wide and apparently circled the entire city, acting as both a barrier from the desert and a recycling point of the water that flowed from the tower. ¡°The magic directs the waters downwards, then back to the tower, getting filtered by both the earth and the tower itself,¡± Karam explained. ¡°Am I ever going to get to see this divine Tower?¡± she asked. A scoff nearby drew her attention as a smooth alto said, ¡°You¡¯ll want to stay as far away from the Tower as possible, Sky Girl.¡± Jin turned to see a young woman currently washing some laundry in the shallow area attached to the larger and deeper moat where other Servants were working as well. The woman¡¯s chestnut skin matched Karam¡¯s, but her darker, wavy hair was pulled back in a ponytail. The two main features that stood out on her compared to the mixed crowd she¡¯d seen so far were her bright aquamarine eyes and the scars on her face. A deep gash went from the bridge of her nose across her right cheek to her jaw, and the left side around her eye and cheek looked like it had been burned long ago. Jin wasn¡¯t sure if it was despite the scars or because of them that she found the woman striking. The stranger¡¯s face seemed to be set in a permanent frown, but the strength of those eyes made her feel small. When she remembered to speak again, Jin asked, ¡°Why¡¯s that? Life here seems to revolve around this tower thing.¡± ¡°Well, duh. That¡¯s because it controls our lives,¡± the woman retorted and gestured towards Jin¡¯s guide. ¡°Karam will be lucky not to get picked for it this Season.¡± ¡°Yeah, so no one¡¯s actually explained about this Season thing starting in a week or what getting picked for it actually means,¡± Jin said, crossing her arms and glaring at the stranger. ¡°Are you also gonna be an unhelpful prick that dangles half-answers in front of me to feel superior?¡± The woman stared at her for a long moment before the corner of her frown twisted upward slightly, and she said, ¡°On second thought, maybe you¡¯ll end up in his place.¡± Then she surprised Jin by holding out an arm towards her as if to give a handshake and said, ¡°I¡¯m Hadia.¡± Jin took a few cautious steps forward and grabbed her hand to shake. Hadia snorted a laugh and said, ¡°That¡¯s an odd grip. Here, like this, Sky Girl.¡± Hadia readjusted their hands so that they could grasp each other¡¯s forearms instead. ¡°Checking for a knife?¡± Jin asked with a raised brow. ¡°Or a wand and a pulse,¡± Hadia replied, releasing her arm. ¡°Some undead can go a while without losing all reason.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s just wonderful to hear,¡± Jin said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. ¡°First monsters, now undead. This world just keeps giving me all sorts of fantastic news.¡± Hadia shook her head and chuckled. ¡°Well, then you¡¯ll love learning about the Tower and the Season of Sacrifice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Season of Salvation,¡± Karam interjected, quietly looking towards them. At Hadia¡¯s eye roll, he added in a murmur, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t teach her new things wrong. Miss Jin could get in trouble for repeating it to the wrong person.¡± Hadia frowned. ¡°Yeah, I guess I didn¡¯t think about that. Salman would probably lash her for that one.¡± ¡°So, gonna explain what a Season of Salvation is?¡± she tried to redirect. ¡°Right, so every seven years, a new Season starts where so-called Champions are selected from each Sect to climb the Tower,¡± Hadia began explaining as she returned to her task of washing clothing. ¡°The Champions compete with each other to earn points, which can be gained in a lot of different ways. Meanwhile, everyone else in the city watches.¡± ¡°Are there, like, recordings inside of it, or is it more stadium-style?¡± ¡°Both? Kinda? Each Champion has a special bracelet that tracks and records them, along with plenty of other Sense Stones scattered throughout to record, but there¡¯s also a stadium surrounding the Tower where people watch illusion projections of what¡¯s inside that might be most interesting at the time.¡± ¡°So they just climb up it and earn points along the way?¡± Jin clarified. ¡°Is it like a race where the first to the top wins or more like whoever gets the most points wins? You said they compete, so I¡¯m assuming there¡¯s a goal with a winner.¡± ¡°Yeah, there are multiple goals and types of winners in that sense. There¡¯s technically a time limit to reach the top, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ever been hit before. Usually, people want to complete the Tower as fast as possible so they can get out of the Tower and have more time before the next Season starts. ¡°Anyone who reaches the top gets prizes, along with, you know, living,¡± Hadia said with a pointed look before continuing. ¡°But then there¡¯s a prize for both the Sect with the most points and Champion with the most. The Sect gets a blessing from the gods for the entirety of the following Season while the Champion gets a wish granted by them.¡± ¡°Well, if everyone can win, at least it doesn¡¯t sound like some kind of death game with hungry players trying to just murder everyone,¡± Jin said, wondering where the downside was. Hadia gave a dark laugh. ¡°That¡¯s what you think. I called it the Season of Sacrifice for a reason. The Tower is teeming with monsters inside. Killing them gains you points, but you know what gives you even more points than killing a monster?¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Jin grimaced as she guessed, ¡°Killing people?¡± ¡°Yep. Killing the other fucking Champions means more points and, therefore, more rewards at the end,¡± Hadia practically spat. Then added bitterly, ¡°Our lives are just entertainment for the gods. They don¡¯t give a shit about any of us. Their so-called blessings and gifts are just ¡®cause they¡¯re bored.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the trade,¡± Karam said in that soft voice. ¡°The gods need a trade to give blessings, and the Season provides that. The lives lost will power the waters that keep the rest of us alive. It is an honor to be chosen as a Champion¡ª¡± ¡°It is a death sentence for us, Kar!¡± Hadia yelled at him, causing some of the other Servants nearby to glance their way. She turned to Jin and said in a quieter voice, ¡°Salman chooses the weakest or most cumbersome of us who meet the age requirement to go in and get slaughtered on the first floor by the other Sects. That¡¯s why they call the first day the ¡®Day of Death¡¯, because a bunch of kids go in to die to monsters and greed.¡± ¡°Kids?¡± Jin asked in surprise. ¡°Exactly how low is this age requirement?¡± ¡°Eight,¡± Hadia replied and gave another pointed look towards Karam. ¡°Which you just turned last quarterhalf, remember? You¡¯re eligible now, Kar.¡± Jin frowned as she turned to look at the gentle giant, who bowed his head and meekly said, ¡°I live to serve.¡± ¡°We serve to live!¡± Hadia retorted angrily. ¡°You bow your head and grovel at their feet because you don¡¯t want to die! That¡¯s not right, and you know it!¡± ¡°So, why don¡¯t you fight back? Why does everyone go along with it?¡± Jin asked. ¡°Because fighting back is just suicide,¡± Hadia retorted, crossing her arms. ¡°And the only way to become a Caster and even have a chance at fighting is by getting Aspects from the Tower. The other Sects send in Champions that have been training for years in order to become Casters and want to keep the system in place.¡± Then those aquamarine eyes were leveled directly at Jin¡¯s green ones as Hadia reiterated, ¡°That¡¯s how the Tower controls our lives. Those who win protect it to keep winning while the rest of us suffer or die.¡±
Jin was back in her barren room after eating dinner with Karam in the dining hall that could be visited at any time. Servants and Workers saw to it that food was always available there and she was grateful that it was free. Most basic things seemed to be provided to everyone, but as Hadia had said, life here seemed to revolve around the Tower. Fighters to protect the populace from monsters beyond the moat or from each other¡¯s ire. Workers craft the necessities, along with growing and cooking the food. Lovers to keep people entertained and prevent boredom. Whispers to handle the more magical processes within the city and study ways to increase its efficiency¡­ and keep dissenters from getting too loud, apparently. Servants to make sure everything ran smoothly and stayed clean. Then, the Speakers to rule over it all, their words becoming law. With only a week until the start of a new Season, people were almost frantic about getting preparations done. Crowds thick of people running errands and decorating the city for the arrival of the gods. Apparently, the gods could appear anywhere at any time, according to Karam, but the opening ceremonies of a new Season were the only scheduled time when all of them would appear to greet the chosen Champions and watch them enter the Tower. Jin found herself slightly worried now after talking with Hadia earlier about not only her survival but also her newest buddy, Karam. Hadia seemed to think Karam would get selected, and if they were expected to fight actual monsters inside, Jin knew Karam would die without some kind of protection. It wouldn¡¯t be because of the disadvantage of having fewer limbs, though. From what she had seen all day, the man was quite adept at getting things done regardless. Maybe a bit awkwardly, but he got it done. No, she knew it would be his soft and submissive nature that would have him dead on that first day if it was as brutal as Hadia made it sound. Jin might not have ever fought a monster or another person outside of a childish scuffle, but she knew what it meant to compete. The drive and determination required to push yourself and win. The resolve to train and hone your body, perfect your form, and push yourself beyond what you were capable of before. Karam was the opposite of a competitive nature, and he would be exactly what Salman had described: Easy points. An unexpected knock at her door made Jin start in surprise before going to open it and peek outside. Salman was there, holding a slip of paper and a bundle of cloth. She opened the door wider and asked, ¡°You¡¯ve got my first assignment or whatever?¡± Salman frowned at her. Then he shoved past her as he said, ¡°Yes, and I want to make sure this fits before I leave.¡± Jin shut the door and took the proffered bundle from his outstretched hand as she asked, ¡°Are these the other sets of clothes I got measured for earlier? They said it might take a couple days since they¡¯re overbooked with the Season preparations.¡± ¡°No, this will be what you¡¯ll need to wear for your first assignment. One of the Speakers that was at the party yesterday has requested you as his home attendant,¡± he explained. ¡°You¡¯ll just need to keep the house cleaned to his liking. Make sure everything is put back where it belongs and fetch anything he might ask for. You won¡¯t need to worry about cooking or anything, just the cleaning.¡± ¡°Oh, fuck, no,¡± Jin said, not in response to his words but to the very tight-looking red dress she was now holding in her hands. ¡°I¡¯m not wearing this.¡± Salman raised a brow at her and firmly stated, ¡°You will wear this. Clean his home. Obey his requests. And keep your mouth shut unless asked to speak. You are a Servant, and we live¡ª¡± ¡°To serve,¡± she finished for him, rolling her eyes. ¡°Yeah, I got that part but why can¡¯t I just wear the normal outfit that has¡­ you know, pants. I don¡¯t like dresses.¡± ¡°Lord Nabil has all of his home attendants wear this, and a Speaker¡¯s words¡ª¡± ¡°Are law,¡± she finished again, scrunching her nose in distaste. ¡°Yeah, I caught that earlier, too. What happens if I just¡­ don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t wear it?¡± ¡°But you will.¡± ¡°But I really won¡¯t.¡± Salman gave a heavy sigh and looked up at the ceiling as though praying for patience. ¡°You will wear it or be punished.¡± Her eyes narrowed at the older man, then at the dress, then back to Salman as she asked, ¡°Exactly what kind of punishment are we talking about? ¡®Cause I think I might prefer that to wearing this.¡± ¡°The punishment varies based on the severity of the crime. For this, I¡¯ll simply beat you unconscious and put it on you myself. Then, if you don¡¯t learn from that and try to refuse more, I¡¯ll feed you to the Tower.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did you just say the Tower would eat me?¡± Salman gave a creepy smile as he explained, ¡°Anything thrown in the Tower outside of a Season gets instantly killed as a sacrifice to the gods to fuel their divine magic. I have little reason to suffer your insolence when that is an option, and you give me no reason to want to keep you. You will be useful, one way or another.¡± Jin glared at him, then put on the damn dress as she tried to plot her revenge. 7 - A Leaf to Get Pruned It turned out that aside from the terribly tight red dress that made bending over a nightmare, the job itself was rather simple. Jin was quickly shown where things were located by another of the home attendants, named Marcus, who also wore that same style of dress despite being a guy about a head taller than her. Marcus was more subdued than Karam had been and didn¡¯t talk as much despite guiding her similarly. He seemed almost lifeless as he pointed out everything and listed off the lord¡¯s preferences that she would need to remember. It was just as Salman had said; she was just there to clean and be eye candy for the lord, who spent the majority of his time away. When Nabil finally was there was the time she started getting nervous. He eyed the servants lasciviously as they followed his requests, cleaned nearby, or simply stood at the edges of whatever room he was in, waiting to be called to serve. ¡°New girl, come here real quick and let me look at you,¡± Lord Nabil ordered, gesturing for her to stand in front of the chair he was currently reading in after he had finished his dinner. Jin was already tired from the long day of cleaning things that already seemed clean or standing around and being bored, but she quietly moved forward, hoping to get this over with and go back to not being paid attention to. ¡°Has Marcus been teaching you well?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Yes, milord.¡¯ I see you still have a few things to learn, but I am a merciful Speaker,¡± he said, leaning back in the chair like it was a throne. His eyes slowly trailed up and down her as he said with an amused smile, ¡°I must say, you do clean up nicely, at least.¡± Then he surprised Jin by leaning forward and saying in an almost conspiratorial whisper, ¡°I also wanted to thank you for ruining my cousin¡¯s cake. That was the best piece of entertainment I had that entire day.¡± He leaned back again and reached a hand out to the side that held a now-empty glass. Marcus quickly refilled it with some kind of amber drink before stepping back into the lord¡¯s shadow. Nabil took a long swig from it and said, ¡°Delicious, Marcus. You always know exactly how to sate my thirst.¡± He turned back to Jin, and said, ¡°I admit I was surprised to hear that you ended up in the Service Sect. I thought, with the absolute delight you were at the party, that the Pleasure Sect would have been better suited for someone like you.¡± ¡°Like me?¡± Jin ended up asking with a wrinkle of her nose. Most of the city had been an odd mixture of various human ethnicities that she thought rivaled major cities in America with how diverse it seemed. She even saw some people who looked more like her and thought she wouldn¡¯t stand out that much for her appearance alone. The Lord frowned slightly but clarified for her, ¡°A Wayfarer that fell from the sky is a unique being no matter what color, gender, or accent they have, which yours is very different from anything I¡¯ve heard before.¡± ¡°Is that why you requested me?¡± He smiled. ¡°Of course. Aside from wanting to thank you, I now have plenty to talk about among the other Speakers. None of them have a Wayfarer servicing them, after all.¡± Jin made a mental note to visit the kitchens and procure a knife to protect herself with as his eyes trailed down her body again, and he drank from the glass. While she might be okay playing maid just to stay alive, she wasn¡¯t gonna service him in other ways that he seemed to be implying. Nabil gave a satisfied sigh before waving her off and ordering, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go prepare my bath now, then go home for the night? I don¡¯t have the space for more live-ins, which I hope Salman explained to you.¡± Jin nodded. She had been told before that this was a day-job style assignment where she¡¯d normally be expected to be here from dawn to dusk. It had been difficult to wake up on time, but Karam had been an absolute hero by coming to wake her and lead her here. Before she had finished leaving the room, however, she heard the lord say, ¡°Now, Marcus, you can sate my other thirst. Show me what a good Servant you are and put that mouth¡ª¡± She let the door close and hurried to the bathroom to start drawing the bath, as Marcus had explained earlier. Perhaps the lord¡¯s tastes were actually a blessing in disguise for her, and he really did just want her there for bragging rights. Jin felt sorry for Marcus, but there wasn¡¯t really anything she could do about it. Marcus had mentioned that he had been serving Lord Nabil for over five years now¡ªa decade in her mind. She was sure that the quiet man was used to it by now¡­ which she realized was a whole other level of depressing. ¡°Good set, Miss Jin,¡± Karam greeted her when she left the lord¡¯s mansion through the service entrance he had brought her to earlier. She smiled at him and jokingly asked, ¡°Is your assignment really just to follow me around and make sure I don¡¯t get lost?¡± That brought a small chuckle out of him as he answered, ¡°A little. I¡¯ve helped show transfers around before. Salman doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m good for much else, and nobody has requested me to be an attendant.¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re missing out,¡± she replied as she fell into step with him to walk back to her room. ¡°How often do you all get transfers? Is it just kids hitting sixteen¡ªI mean, eight, and getting sent to a different Sect?¡± ¡°Mostly that, but we¡¯ll get older transfers sometimes. It¡¯s not necessarily discouraged to transfer between Sects so long as you dedicate yourself to their cause. Sometimes, people discover later in life that they¡¯re better suited for something else. Sometimes, their Sect gets angry with them and denounces them, forcing them to transfer. Others just want something new and different.¡± ¡°Were you a transfer?¡± Karam nodded, his smile fading. ¡°Yes, technically. I was born missing a limb that the healers¡¯ magic couldn¡¯t fix. We don¡¯t have Life magic that is powerful enough to grow an entire arm like that. Normally, people don¡¯t get transferred before turning eight, but my Fighter parents argued that I wouldn¡¯t be able to live any kind of normal life among them. The Speakers agreed and allowed them to transfer me to the Servants, where there were things I could learn to do within my limits. They thought I could clean at least, even if I might be slower at it.¡± ¡°Well, that sucks, but I guess it makes sense to a certain degree. Have you thought about transferring to somewhere else?¡± He seemed surprised by the question at first, then flushed as he looked to the ground. ¡°Um, well, yes. I¡¯ve thought about joining the Workers before.¡± ¡°Oh, is there something you¡¯re good at making?¡± He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a bit embarrassing¡­¡± ¡°All the more reason to tell me,¡± she replied with a grin, then shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m joking, though. You don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want to, but I¡¯m more curious now that you think it¡¯s embarrassing.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. They walked in silence for a moment as Karam seemed to think about it. When they reached her door, he finally said, ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll show you some other day. Good night, Miss Jin.¡± ¡°Good night, Kar. I¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡±
The next day was much the same, and Jin thought she could see herself getting used to the boring routine. It wasn¡¯t exactly what she had imagined doing with her life, but considering she had expected to be dead soon before landing here, it was something. Given her prospects here, staying quiet and out of the spotlight actually seemed the best way for her to keep not dying if that was something she actually wanted. She honestly wasn¡¯t sure if living was still worth it. Some of the people here seemed okay, while others were obviously psychotic, but it didn¡¯t seem like she would catch any more attention from the crazy royals. Even the semi-creepy lord didn¡¯t pay much attention to her after that first day. It was her third day working there when she made a mistake. ¡°Hey, go take this back up to Lord Nabil¡¯s chambers,¡± one of the other attendants told her, handing over a small stack of neatly folded clothes. ¡°You know where they go in his wardrobe, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she responded, having done a similar task just yesterday. She made her way through the mostly empty mansion. The lord was usually gone, and the house was quiet at this time because he took care of managing the royal gardens and overseeing the workers there. He had been especially busy providing flower arrangements for the upcoming opening ceremony and was gone even more often during this busy time. Jin was about to push open the door when she froze at the sound of a loud moan on the other side. Apparently, the lord was home and had bed company. Unsure about what she should do, she floundered in the hall for a moment, looking back the way she came and wondering if there was some sort of protocol. Did she knock? Did she just wait? Did she try later? She didn¡¯t think just leaving the clothes outside the door was an acceptable option. The moaning got louder, and when she heard a muffled cry from the other side, she decided to knock and play the dumb new girl. ¡°What?¡± Lord Nabil¡¯s voice called out. ¡°Um, I have clothing to put away, milord,¡± she said. ¡°Oh, for Rabbit¡¯s sake¡­ Can¡¯t you hear I¡¯m busy?¡± ¡°Should I just leave it out here?¡± ¡°No, no,¡± he replied, then she heard a slap and a yelp. ¡°Just wait there a few minutes.¡± So she waited and tried her best to not listen to the sounds of the lord and whatever poor soul was in there with him. It must have been only ten minutes later when the sounds stopped, and Lord Nabil opened the door. He was thankfully clothed with some loose pants as he gestured for her to enter. Jin was mildly surprised to see Marcus curled up in the bed, wrapped up in a blanket, and leaning against the headboard as he stared out the window of the far wall. She didn¡¯t call out to him but hoped he was alright and quickly made her way over to the wardrobe to put the laundry away. ¡°Tell me, Wayfarer, have you ever serviced someone like Marcus just did before?¡± Nabil asked as she heard him move into the room. She shook her head and replied through her clenched teeth, ¡°No, milord.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s always a first time to learn everything,¡± Nabil said, and she was startled to hear him directly behind her. As she turned and tried to back away from the half-naked lord, he grabbed her shoulder, and she responded by punching him right in the face. ¡°Spawn of a¡ª¡± he began to curse, grabbing at his bloodied nose, and she kneed him right in that completely unprotected groin. He dropped to the ground and vomited before groaning, ¡°You fucking bitch¡ª¡± She kicked him in the face, not caring at all about the pain in her hand and now her foot, and reached up her dress to grab the dinner knife she had swiped and tied to her thigh after that first night. This world would be better off with one less dick, she thought and lifted the knife to plunge it into that lecherous eye. ¡°Woah, there, Killer,¡± an unfamiliar voice whispered in her ear as a gloved hand caught her arm to stop her. She ripped herself away from the stranger and held the knife towards them, only to be completely baffled by the sight of a man dressed in all black with only golden eyes showing through the wrapped fabric. He looked like some kind of Arabian ninja as he held up those gloved hands and said, ¡°Hey, now, I¡¯m all for a good murder, but you can¡¯t do it like that.¡± Jin blinked at him and asked, in all her eloquence, ¡°What?¡± He pulled out a much larger and sharper blade to show her as he explained, ¡°You don¡¯t just go all wild stabby on the guy. You do it like this,¡± then he bent over, grabbed the still recovering lord by the hair to yank his head back, and in a swift clean motion, slit his throat. She watched in morbid awe as the noble quickly struggled for air, clutching at the gushing wound, and bled out all over the rug-covered floor. The crazy ninja dude held him down by the shoulders to keep the lord from crawling away. ¡°Ah, wait here now. No need to make a bigger mess than necessary, Lord Nabil.¡± Less than a minute later, the lord stopped moving, and the murderer looked over at her. ¡°See? Much cleaner this way than what you were going to do. You would have sprayed blood all over the walls, and he would have probably run all over the place if he managed to overpower you.¡± He took a step toward her, and she lifted the knife up again in warning. He tilted his head, and his eyes crinkled in amusement as he said through the black fabric, ¡°Are you going to try stabbing me next, Killer?¡± ¡°Well, you did just show me a good way to do it,¡± she said, trying to keep the tremor of fear out of her voice. He laughed, shaking his head as he turned to walk over to Marcus instead, who had curled up into a ball to hide in the furthest corner from them. ¡°Leave him alone!¡± Jin yelled, taking a step toward them with the knife still held out. ¡°He didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± ¡°I know,¡± the assassin called back to her. He bent down to look Marcus in the eyes and ordered the Servant, ¡°Tell me what you saw happen here.¡± ¡°I saw nothing, Whisper,¡± Marcus said, and Jin definitely heard the tremble in his voice. ¡°Only darkness and the whisper of a swift death.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good boy,¡± the stranger said, gently patting Marcus on the head before turning back to look at Jin. ¡°Marcus here didn¡¯t see Jin walk into the room until after a Whisper assassinated Lord Nabil, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Whisper,¡± Marcus replied obediently. ¡°And Jin didn¡¯t see anything that happened in here. She just walked in to find a scared Servant and a professionally assassinated Speaker. Right, Killer?¡± he asked her with a pointed look, and she nodded numbly. When he moved back towards her again, Jin didn¡¯t raise the knife, realizing that the Whisper had moved to save her and give her a cover. He had killed the noble for her so she wouldn¡¯t get killed in turn. However, when he held out a hand and gestured for the knife, she hesitated to let the actual murderer disarm her. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll deal with anyone who you might need to use that on, okay?¡± he softly said, never looking away from her face. ¡°It¡¯ll be easier to prove your innocence if they don¡¯t find a weapon on you.¡± ¡°Are you watching me?¡± Jin asked with sudden horror at the idea of being spied on. Those golden eyes crinkled again with mirth as he cheekily replied, ¡°Of course. Good thing, too, since you¡¯ve been here less than a week, and I¡¯ve already had to kill someone for you. You know I lost a bet because of this, right?¡± ¡°A bet?¡± she asked incredulously. ¡°Of what?!¡± ¡°Of how long you could go before I had to take someone out to keep you alive. I was hoping you would at least last till the Season started,¡± he answered with a regretful sigh. ¡°Now, I owe that loverboy a whole Crystal Bit. Try your best to stay out of any more trouble, okay? Like I said, I love a good murder, but we¡¯re trying to keep attention away from you so Salman doesn¡¯t see you as a leaf to get pruned. Alright, Killer?¡± Jin slowly nodded and handed over the knife. It disappeared into the folds of black fabric, and the Whisper leaned forward to whisper in her ear, ¡°Can you take Marcus to the Pleasure Sect¡¯s emergency clinic for me? I can¡¯t really be seen by others, and the healers there can take care of him. He¡¯s a good boy that didn¡¯t deserve what happened here.¡± She glanced over to the naked, trembling man and grimaced but gave a firm nod. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll make sure he gets there.¡± 8 - Nobody is Safe Jin had managed to get Marcus covered with a cloak and over to the Pleasure Sect¡¯s area of the city easily enough, all things considered. Nobody really paid attention to the Servants normally, but her current red dress made her look more like she belonged in the Pleasure Sect, and she was able to blend into the crowd there even more. It was on her way back from dropping off Marcus that all of that mysterious Whisper¡¯s efforts to keep her out of trouble were wasted. Apparently, the same dress that helped her blend in invited wandering hands, and she ended up punching and kicking three more people on her way back to her room. The Whisper didn¡¯t step in for those ones, but that was probably because she hadn¡¯t tried to stab them to death in the crowded streets. She was in the shower of her tiny room, trying to relax her sore and bruised muscles, when a furious knock came from the front door and she called out for them to wait. Jin wasn¡¯t exactly surprised to find a fuming Salman staring down at her as he shoved his way inside and started yelling, ¡°You attacked three innocent people in the middle of the streets after the lord you were supposed to be serving was murdered?!¡± ¡°They were hardly innocent,¡± she muttered. ¡°You don¡¯t just grab people like that and¡ª¡± ¡°You are a Servant!¡± he shouted directly in her face. ¡°You are meant to serve and be grateful for doing so!¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ That¡¯s nice, but I¡¯m not gonna bend on this one. Find me a job that won¡¯t let entitled pricks order me to fuck them, and I won¡¯t fuck them up instead.¡± At his slack-jawed stare, she added, ¡°Really, this is all your fault for not understanding how I¡¯d react to something like that. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be better at managing us or something?¡± Salman¡¯s jaw snapped shut, and she swore a vein on his forehead was going to explode with how furious he seemed as he said, ¡°Thirty lashes and a day in confinement for the people you attacked. Then you¡¯ll get your next assignment.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not fair,¡± she muttered. ¡°We just went over how this was all your fault¡ª¡± Jin didn¡¯t even see the hand that hit her before she slid down the wall that had stopped her flight through the air and was now gasping for breath. ¡°Unlike you and Lord Nabil, I am not a Mundane. My job is to keep all of you working and obedient, and I demand the respect due to a Crystal Caster. I¡¯ve put up with enough of your mouth, just like with Hadia. I¡¯ll see to your punishment personally, and I hope it will be enough to teach you to hold your tongue before you lose it.¡±
Jin had never been punished physically before. Her parents would take away things before they would ever resort to a spanking or anything like that, which some of her friends dealt with. She had gotten into a few fights in grade school when she was much younger, but nothing that caused a major injury. She had also gone through the pain of sickness that cancer had brought her, but nothing equated to the type of sharp, stinging instant pain that the lashes brought down on her exposed back. Salman didn¡¯t go easy on her, and she suspected it was an effort to make her never want to experience this again. She had to admit it was pretty fucking effective as she found herself thinking of how she could have avoided this all if she had just ignored the grabby pricks earlier. She wasn¡¯t exactly sure when or how she had passed out, but she woke up back in the dungeon cell she had been first brought to, or at least a very similar one. When she slowly sat up and looked around, she was surprised to find she wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°Oh. My. Gods! You really are that new Wayfarer everyone¡¯s talking about, aren¡¯t you?¡± the young blonde woman practically squealed in excitement. ¡°Now I¡¯m totally glad I ended up here tonight. Is it true that you fell from the sky onto the prince and shoved cake into his face?¡± The stranger had the palest complexion Jin had seen so far. That slightly suntanned skin and way of talking had her imagining the girl was a beach bunny from California. ¡°Um, not quite, but close. I did fall from the sky, apparently,¡± Jin finally answered the outrageous rumor. ¡°That¡¯s so cool,¡± the cheerful girl said as she scooted closer to the bars of the cell directly across from Jin¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m Basima, by the way. A Servant like you.¡± She gestured to the gray dress she wore and added with a blush, ¡°But I guess that¡¯s, like, totally obvious.¡± She snorted a laugh. ¡°Just a bit¡­ I¡¯m Jin.¡± Basima gave a brilliant smile. ¡°Hi, Jin!¡± ¡°Okay, you are way too cheerful for someone locked in a prison.¡± The blonde laughed. ¡°I¡¯m just so happy I got to meet you. Plus, that means I don¡¯t have to be alone here again tonight.¡± Jin raised a brow. ¡°Again? What did you do to wind up in here?¡± Basima blushed in embarrassment again as she muttered, ¡°I broke another vase. This one had one of Lord Nabil¡¯s flower arrangements in it, and Salman got super pissed off because, apparently, those are suddenly hard to get now? It¡¯s not like anyone told me to be extra careful with it, and it¡¯s not like I tripped on purpose.¡± ¡°You said another vase?¡± ¡°Hey, those are heavier than they look!¡± ¡°Exactly how many vases have you broken?¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Like, nine?¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m definitely going to say this latest one is Salman¡¯s fault. Nobody should be letting you anywhere near a vase with that many deaths,¡± Jin said with a dramatic shake of her head. Basima laughed. ¡°I know, right? But they¡¯re always just like, ¡®Basima take this, Basima move that,¡¯ and then they get mad when I fall!¡± ¡°They should be getting angry at their own lack of foresight,¡± she replied with a heavy sigh. ¡°You don¡¯t get angry at the cloud for raining, just like you shouldn''t get mad at the klutz for falling. That''s just what they do.¡± Basima snorted a laugh. ¡°Not sure I like being called out like that, but thanks for understanding. So, what exactly did you do to end up here? Anger another prince?¡± ¡°Oh god, please don''t tell me there¡¯s more than just the one royal asshole.¡± ¡°There¡¯s three princes and two princesses currently,¡± the blonde informed. She then added with a grin, ¡°But don''t worry, their birthdays are a few weeks out still.¡± Jin chuckled and then answered the original question. ¡°I walked in on Lord Nabil being murdered by a Whisper after he assaulted one of the other Servants, then ended up punching my way home after dropping off that Servant to the healers. Salman apparently thinks that defending myself from three perverts was worth thirty lashes and a night in here.¡± ¡°Wow, that is messed up.¡± ¡°I know, right?¡± ¡°I mean, you actually saw a Whisper assassinate someone?¡± Basima asked with wide eyes, and Jin felt a pang in her heart when she noticed they were the same green color as Phoenix¡¯s. ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± she replied, tearing her gaze away from those eyes. ¡°The prick deserved it though.¡± ¡°I mean, duh, he deserved it if a freaking slip showed up for him!¡± Basima said. ¡°It¡¯s not like the slips come for just anyone. I wonder if he was secretly some kind of traitor. Or maybe he had some kind of gambling problem and owed another Speaker money? Oh! Or maybe he fell in love with the wrong girl, and in a valiant attempt to whisk her away from a life of loneliness, the girl¡¯s Sect leader found out and took care of him!¡± Jin blinked at the young girl in stunned silence at the wild imagination. After an awkward moment, she said, ¡°Yeah¡­ no¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure he was just a piece of shit that abused his servants.¡± Basima laughed and rolled her eyes. ¡°Come on, Jin. If that were true, I doubt any of the Speakers or Fighters and most of the Whispers would be alive still.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m starting to hate this world,¡± Jin muttered after realizing that the other girl wasn¡¯t exaggerating as a joke. ¡°Just starting to?¡± a new voice said, and both Basima and Jin jumped in surprise when a tiny glowing silver fox appeared in the aisle between their two cells. ¡°What the¡ª¡± ¡°Lord Fox!¡± Basima said in surprise, interrupting Jin¡¯s outburst as she fell forward on her knees to bow her head to the ground. ¡°How might this one serve the gods?¡± Jin stared at the tiny fox who was staring back at her and smiled. ¡°I just wanted to meet the Wayfarer here and say that I¡¯m quite impressed by your Talent,¡± the little fox said, sounding like a young boy. ¡°You know what it is?¡± Jin asked. ¡°Nope! Which is why I¡¯m so impressed! Owl has been so frustrated by it since he can usually know all of them.¡± ¡°Are all the gods animals here?¡± ¡°Yes, but we each have a core concept we embody. Owl is wisdom, and he doesn¡¯t like being stumped by you,¡± Fox explained with a yipping laugh. ¡°What is yours?¡± ¡°Play! I love playing so much, and I¡¯m really looking forward to the upcoming games in a couple of days! Are you going to play in the Tower with the others?¡± ¡°I hope not,¡± Jin muttered. ¡°I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s not exactly good for my health.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Jin will be safe from the Tower,¡± Basima said, finally sitting up to give Jin a thoughtful look. ¡°It just wouldn''t make sense to choose someone who¡¯s only been here a week as a Sect Champion.¡± Fox turned to look at Basima as he said, ¡°Nobody is safe from the Tower.¡± Then his glowing gaze returned to Jin. ¡°But I do so look forward to seeing you play! The Servants are always so boring lately, I really want to see them do better this Season!¡± ¡°And how would my joining them help them last longer?¡± Jin asked incredulously. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about what to expect in there or have any kind of magic. Don¡¯t they send in those powerful Casters to¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, Casters can¡¯t be chosen as Champions,¡± Basima said, readjusting to face her better. ¡°Only Mundanes over the age of eight and under thirty can be selected as one of the ten Champions. The Champions are expected to become Casters during the climb.¡± ¡°If they survive,¡± Fox interjected. He then bemoaned, ¡°We haven''t seen a Servant become a Caster in the climb in over six hundred years.¡± ¡°Wait, how did Salman become a Caster then?¡± ¡°The Speakers gifted him his four Aspects when he became the Sect leader,¡± Basima explained. ¡°All the Sect leaders are Casters, even if they never entered the Tower. Usually, the winning Sect gets a bunch of rewards, which includes loot like Aspects, Spirit Gems, Shards, Mana Bits, and other magic items. It helps strengthen both the winning Sect and the city as a whole when the winners exit the Tower.¡± ¡°If they exit,¡± Fox corrected as he gave Jin another vulpine grin. ¡°It¡¯s always fun to watch them play for a long time, only to fall before reaching the top. We don¡¯t give rewards for just trying.¡± Basima frowned and sadly confirmed, ¡°My mom and dad told me stories about the last season. I was only a year old when it started, but they said the group only made it to the fifth floor before all dying.¡± ¡°Wait, what happens then?¡± Jin asked. ¡°What happens with no winner?¡± ¡°Us gods are declared the winners,¡± Fox answered. ¡°This year will also have more rewards to be earned since we got to build up more power from it.¡± ¡°The Sects have all been training harder to make sure a total wipe like that doesn¡¯t happen again this year. They were all upset about not getting the Sect blessing this Season,¡± Basima added. ¡°What exactly does that do?¡± ¡°Oh, it just boosts every member¡¯s Attributes until the beginning of the following Season. Normally, the gods would grant last Season¡¯s blessing at the opening ceremonies, but I guess they won¡¯t be doing that this time.¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Fox confirmed. ¡°But we will still be offering Patronage.¡± ¡°Patronage?¡± ¡°Yep. Basically, we offer a blessing in exchange for a bond, as some of our worshipers have. We¡¯ll only offer it to Champions who show potential and match our concepts, though.¡± Jin raised a brow and asked, ¡°If you want me to play, does that mean you also want me to become a Champion for you to offer Patronage to?¡± Fox laughed and said with a sly smile, ¡°I said they have to share their concept, and as far as I know, there is no god of stubbornness.¡± Then the Fox was gone, and Jin found herself retorting to the air, ¡°But apparently, there¡¯s a god of assholes that looks like a fox!¡± 9 - Nothing Mundane About It Jin was relieved to learn that her new assignment wouldn¡¯t require some pervy dress or to be with one of the Speakers. It was still technically a home attendant role, but with one of the Whispers who did alchemical research and wanted someone to dictate her notes. ¡°You¡¯ll be working alongside Alim,¡± Karam explained as they made their way to the new home in the pre-dawn twilight. ¡°He¡¯s nice but can¡¯t hear anything, so talking is a bit pointless. He was born like that, like me, but he¡¯s really smart. Raised as a Whisper before transferring to the Service Sect. Just turned nine recently, so he¡¯s been here for about a year now.¡± ¡°Can he lip-read?¡± she asked. ¡°I knew some kids that could do that in my world.¡± Karam got an awkward look as he carefully said, ¡°He can a little bit, but you need to have really good enunciation, and well¡­ I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯ll understand your accent.¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯ll find out soon enough,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°Anything about this Whisper I need to know about?¡± He grimaced and spoke in barely more than a whisper as he admitted, ¡°Not that I know for sure, but I¡¯ve seen Alim come to dinner with bruises before. When I ask, he just writes that it was an accident in the lab, but I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s all.¡± Jin frowned. ¡°You think she¡¯s hurting him?¡± Karam shrugged. ¡°Not enough that I¡¯m worried for his life or anything like that. I¡¯m only mentioning it in case she does get, um, physical and hopefully doesn¡¯t catch you off guard.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Well, pretty much everyone has heard about Lord Nabil and about you attacking some random people¡ª¡± ¡°Hey! They attacked me first! I was just better than them at defending myself,¡± she retorted, then glanced around the street, which was already starting to get crowded despite the early hour. ¡°And how did you even hear about that? That was literally yesterday!¡± He chuckled. ¡°You made the mistake of telling Basima. She really loves to talk.¡± ¡°Wonderful. She didn¡¯t happen to keep the whole Fox bit a secret, did she?¡± ¡°You mean how you insulted a god?¡± Jin groaned. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna get extra lashes for that, am I?¡± ¡°No, just don¡¯t insult other people, and you should be fine¡­ I think.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t sound very sure.¡± ¡°Maybe try to avoid punching and kicking too¡­¡± ¡°You make me sound like some maniac that goes around insulting and attacking people.¡± He didn¡¯t look at her or respond at that time, and as the silence stretched on, she added, ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Karam chuckled at her assertion and merely said, ¡°Yes, Miss Jin.¡± She wanted to say more but he had stopped at their destination where a young man stood waiting outside the door. He had the same paler complexion as Basima but had short wavy brown hair. Since he wore the same gray tunic and pants as her, she verified with Karam, ¡°This must be Alim, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied, and waved as Alim glanced over at them. Jin waved as well in greeting, and the new boy smiled in response. When they got closer, Karam spoke clearly to Alim. ¡°This is Miss Jin. She¡¯s going to help clean and dictate for Lady Shahara.¡± Alim lifted what appeared to be a chalkboard that hung from around his neck and wrote with a finger on it, which instantly clued in Jin that it was some kind of magic item as he turned it to show them the words he wrote, ¡°I know. I got a message last night. Welcome, Jin.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± she replied with a dip of her head. Alim pressed a small rune on the side of the board, clearing the lettering, before quickly writing out, ¡°Just follow me and I¡¯ll show where everything is.¡± Then he cleared that and wrote for Karam, ¡°We¡¯re both done at dinnertime if you want to eat together.¡± Karam nodded and gave him a little bow and a hand gesture of thanks. Then he turned to remind her, ¡°I¡¯ll be back for you and Alim at dinnertime then. Try not to attack Lady Shahara.¡± ¡°Ha. Ha. You are hilarious,¡± she retorted, but he smiled at her and waved as he left. She turned back to Alim, who tilted his head towards the door and gestured for her to follow him inside. This home was very different from the lord¡¯s mansion. Aside from being much smaller, it was also extremely cluttered. It wasn¡¯t dirty, she noticed, but there were items stored everywhere¡ªmostly of the alchemical variety. ¡°Wow, this must be a nightmare to clean,¡± she said before remembering that Alim couldn¡¯t hear her. She shrugged, though; it wasn¡¯t important enough to bother him with her musings. For his part, Alim showed her the handful of rooms that were all pretty self-explanatory in their purpose and she discovered the main room they would be in was the little lab the researcher worked in. She was currently in that lab but was hunched over a table, drooling while she slept. Alim gave a heavy sigh and wrote on his little board to tell Jin, ¡°She always works too much. Falls asleep in the middle of it. Try not to wake her while we clean around her; she always makes a mess when I¡¯m gone.¡± Jin nodded, wishing she had her own little board to communicate better herself. They worked silently. Alim showed her where anything went that wasn¡¯t immediately obvious to her as they took empty but dirty potion beakers and vials to the small sink in the corner and swept up spilled ingredients. ¡°Who are you?¡± a voice echoed through the room, and Jin jumped in surprise, almost dropping the pile of dried leaves that she had been collecting from the floor. She turned to Shahara and said, ¡°I¡¯m Jin. The new Servant that can dictate for you?¡± ¡°Finally,¡± the Whisper said. ¡°I¡¯ve been asking for someone for weeks now. Grab that book over there and a stool, and come sit.¡± Jin did as instructed, shaking her head at Alim¡¯s curious look. However, he seemed to realize what was happening a few moments later and returned to cleaning. Lady Shahara turned out to be a very driven researcher and actually did fairly well teaching her a few things. Jin started to wonder if it really was just accidents that caused Alim to get injured before, since the Whisper barely paid any attention to him while telling Jin what to write down in the notebook. ¡°I think for this next try, I¡¯m going to attempt infusing a bit of Earth magic into it with¡ª¡± The researcher looked around the large table, searching for something as she said to herself in frustration, ¡°Wait, where is it? I know I had some crimstone powder in a jar here¡­ Alim!¡± She yelled over at the man who was currently scrubbing the dirty vials in the corner sink. Jin was about to go over to get his attention when the Whisper picked up a chunk of stone that had been sitting on the table and threw it at him, causing him to yelp and jump in surprise. Alim glanced back at them both and blushed a bright red when his eyes met Jin¡¯s. He bowed his head as he picked up the rock and rushed over to Shahara while trying to dry his hands on a towel. The researcher extremely loudly and slowly said, ¡°WHERE¡­ IS¡­ THE¡­ CRIMSTONE?!¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. He nodded and quickly moved over to the far wall to retrieve a jar off a shelf and bring it to her. Shahara didn¡¯t thank him as she swiped the jar and held it up so that Jin could see the sparkling red powder. ¡°This should do the trick. Make sure to note how much I use for this, okay?¡± Jin numbly nodded, understanding now how Alim had gotten bruised before since both of them had seemed like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. It turned out that the rock wasn¡¯t the only thing Shahara would throw to get Alim¡¯s attention, usually just grabbing whatever large item was on hand and chucking it across the room. ¡°I can go retrieve the things you need if you want to; just let Alim focus on cleaning,¡± Jin offered, but the woman waved a dismissive hand. ¡°Maybe eventually, but it will take you a while to learn what everything is and where that foolish boy keeps hiding it. I swear he moves things just so I can¡¯t get rid of him. ¡®Job security,¡¯ I think it¡¯s called. He knows that without me putting up with him, he¡¯d be thrown in the Tower by now or turned into some pervert¡¯s plaything. Disgusting what some people will stoop to.¡± ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Jin mumbled, actually agreeing with that last part. However, she didn¡¯t agree with the idea that Alim was foolish or doing anything malicious; it just seemed like the researcher was a scatterbrain that couldn¡¯t keep track of her shit. It was at lunch time when she and Alim got to be alone as Shahara left the house to go get food from a place she frequented for her meals instead of having either of them attempt to cook. Alim showed her to the place he would go to instead. As they sat at a small table in an open pavilion area surrounded by different food vendors, Jin finally asked him, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Alim tilted his head at her and wrote on his tablet, ¡°What do you mean?¡± She tried to speak slowly to enunciate the foreign-sounding words that her Talent apparently let her know instinctively as she quietly clarified, ¡°She threw a lot of heavy things at you. Are you hurt?¡± His face reddened again as he looked down and wrote, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about it. Just do as she asks. Don¡¯t make her mad, and you¡¯ll be fine.¡± Jin frowned but nodded. Then he started asking her questions on the little board that she answered as best as she could. ¡°Where are you from? What do you like doing? Do you have any cool Talents?¡± In return, he answered those same questions for her. ¡°I used to be a Whisper, but even those they don¡¯t want to talk need to hear the whispers of others. I really do like alchemy, which has been the bright side of working for Shahara. I have one cool Talent; it gives me more mana than normal, and I won¡¯t get sick from too much mana as fast.¡± ¡°Oh, cool, mana¡¯s a thing here. Can you cast spells or something?¡± ¡°I know some Mundane cantrips I can show you if we get back before Shahara does. There¡¯s a wand there she¡¯ll let me use sometimes for certain tasks.¡± ¡°Uh, yes, please,¡± Jin replied, finally feeling excited about something this world had to offer. ¡°Even wand magic would be awesome to learn. Does all magic require wands here?¡± ¡°Just cantrips require a medium like a wand or staff. Rituals and enchantments require a lot of other various ingredients. Then some Caster abilities might require either a medium or ingredients, but most don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Interesting. We should get going then if you¡¯re gonna show me,¡± she said, really hoping they had enough time as she scarfed down the rest of her food. Alim¡¯s laugh was soft and whispery, but Jin couldn¡¯t help thinking it sounded adorable, and she found herself hoping to make him laugh more since it was the only sound she had heard him make aside from the yelps of pain. Jin was excited to find the house empty when they returned, and Alim showed her back to the lab, where he retrieved a small rectangular box that held a crystalline wand inside. He smiled at her as he held it near the sink, and he focused on it for a moment. She saw his mouth move as if speaking, but no sound came out. Then, a small gout of flames erupted from the tip of the wand before quickly dissipating. ¡°Woah, that¡¯s awesome,¡± she said in awe at the overt display of magic. ¡°It¡¯s just a Mundane cantrip to help light a campfire,¡± he wrote on his board while blushing in embarrassment. ¡°There¡¯s nothing mundane about it, in my opinion,¡± she replied. ¡°My world didn¡¯t have any magic at all, so even this is just blowing my mind right now.¡± ¡°Do you want to try it?¡± Jin stared at him with wide eyes. ¡°Can I? Like, is it even possible for me?¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes, you just need to know the incantation and picture your intent. The wand will pull the mana from you to fuel it.¡± Then he wrote down the incantation for her, but before she could try it, Jin heard the front door open. Alim quickly put the wand back in the box but set that above the sink instead for later. For now, they needed to get back to work. It was almost the end of the day, and Jin was starting to feel good about the idea of working here when she realized with sudden dismay that there was no way she could. ¡°Tiger¡¯s damn stripes, to the Abyss with this!¡± Shahara yelled in frustration as she grabbed the potion vial that had just turned a sickly orange color. She angrily stomped over to Alim, who was quietly reordering some of the notebooks that had been spread around earlier and putting them back where they belonged. He didn¡¯t notice her until she grabbed him by the tunic and spun him around and held the vial up into his face. ¡°I told you to bring fresh hildenleaves! Does this look fresh to you!¡± Jin knew there was no way Alim could read her lips as she half shook him and that the woman hadn¡¯t said anything about the freshness of any of the ingredients she had listed earlier, but that didn¡¯t seem to stop the Whisper from ranting at him. ¡°You useless Servant!¡± she yelled, then made Jin start as she threw the vial on the floor at his feet to shatter. Then Shahara hit him. Over and over again, she whaled on him as she spewed curses and blamed him for all her failures. Alim merely lifted his arms to shield his face and tried to make himself appear small despite being a few inches taller than both Jin and Shahara were. Jin moved to stop her. Somebody had to stop her from hurting him. Shahara shoved her off, and Alim surprised Jin by making a hand motion that Jin recognized as the same sign language that the Whisper Alaina had used with Petal. Alim practically yelled with his hands, ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t fight! She gets worse!¡± The researcher shouted at Jin, ¡°Stay off, girl. He deserves this punishment for ruining my experiment and wasting my time!¡± When Shahara turned back to slam a fist into Alim¡¯s eye, Jin knew she was going to get in trouble again. She moved to the box with the wand stashed by the sink and grabbed it as she pointed it at the abusive woman. She noticed another odd holographic display appear above her hand, but she didn¡¯t have time to read it as she recited the incantation she had been repeating in her mind ever since reading it. ¡°By the fiery mane of the Horse, burn with the passion of the sun!¡± Flames spewed forth as Jin felt the odd tingling sensation of mana getting pulled from her. Not only Shahara¡¯s hair caught fire but also the extensive amount of paper contained in the bookshelf behind her. As the researcher screamed, Jin grabbed Alim¡¯s hand and ran. She was so going to get more lashes for this.
¡°Did she seriously just use Horse¡¯s spell to burn down that Whisper¡¯s home?¡± Lion asked as he languidly laid upon his throne atop the Tower of Polarity with the other gods lounging nearby. ¡°Aren¡¯t you just proud of her?¡± Cat asked. ¡°I, for one, am loving her dominant streak. She is a terrible choice for a Servant.¡± Then Cat said in a patronizing voice to the yellow labrador that was practically cuddling with it, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, dumb Dog?¡± ¡°Yes, Mistress Cat,¡± the canine deity replied, giving the feline a cleaning lick behind the ear. ¡°Good Dog.¡± ¡°She has more courage than most Servants as well,¡± Eagle said from their perch within one of the trees, which provided shade to their sacred meeting place. ¡°She may yet survive the Tower.¡± ¡°She may survive the Day of Death, but she will not leave it,¡± Swan sadly said from her little pond. ¡°There will be many tears tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sure, but think of all the fun everyone will have, too!¡± Fox said as the tiny deity jumped up on the dais throne to bat at Lion¡¯s tail. ¡°The crowds will all be betting and cheering on their favorites! Just imagine how much excitement there will be with not just a Wayfarer but a Servant making it past the first floor!¡± Horse shook their fiery mane and stomped at the ground with a hoof. ¡°She has no drive. No passion to reach the top. She may not be easily ordered, but she seems to want for nothing. Has nothing to spur her forward! She will not pass the first floor.¡± ¡°Want to make a bet?¡± Rabbit asked, hopping over and up onto Horse¡¯s back. ¡°I think she¡¯ll at least pass the first floor, but I bet she can reach the top. We still don¡¯t know what her mysterious Talents might be.¡± ¡°You¡¯re also assuming she¡¯s going to get picked by Salman,¡± Owl spoke up from nearby Eagle. ¡°The humans don¡¯t always make the wise choice. He may choose another.¡± ¡°He will choose her,¡± Cat said with determination. ¡°He always chooses the ones who cause him the biggest headache. After she just burned down that Whisper¡¯s home, we¡¯ll be lucky if he doesn¡¯t just toss her into the Tower before the gates open.¡± ¡°What do you think Butterfly,¡± Owl asked the quiet god who was slowly hovering nearby. ¡°Is this Wayfarer going to change how the Season will go?¡± The deity didn¡¯t answer right away but eventually said in a tiny, tinkling voice, ¡°Wayfarers always bring change. Jin will be no different in that regard. Hopefully, it is a change we will prefer.¡± 10 - Champion Gates Jin definitely got in trouble. She had gone to try and find Petal as a potential source of protection since he had at least seemed sympathetic to those who might suffer abuse and wanted to keep her safe for some reason she had yet to learn. However, they couldn¡¯t find him before the Fighter guards found them. Luckily, it seemed that there were some protections for the Servants in the case of self-defense. Alim hadn¡¯t disobeyed any given command and had the black eye to prove he had been injured. It meant that the Whisper, Shahara, was the one at fault for administering punishment that she had no authority to do. That didn¡¯t absolve Jin from burning down a house, unfortunately. Ten more lashes for that and another night in confinement was the price. Knowing that Shahara would never lay a hand on Alim again, though, made it feel well worth it in her mind. Jin¡¯s back felt worse than before since it had still been healing from the last punishment, and she tried to figure out a way to lay on the stone floor of the prison cell to sleep without hurting it more. She was surprised when the dungeon door opened, and a guard brought in another girl that Jin recognized. Once the guard was gone, she sat up and moved closer to the bars as she asked Basima, ¡°Break another vase?¡± ¡°No,¡± the blonde sniffled. ¡°I spilled paint on a tapestry that was going to be hung up in one of the private viewing lounges the Speakers watch the Tower from.¡± Jin shook her head but smiled as she said, ¡°They should really stop giving you things that are either breakable or spillable. Like, can¡¯t they just have you stuck to a broom?¡± Basima gave a short laugh that quickly devolved into a sob, and Jin found herself reminded even more of Phoenix on the bad days when the smaller redhead couldn¡¯t get out of bed, and Jin had come to visit her instead. She wanted to wrap the crying blonde in her arms and rock the tears away, but the bars kept them separated. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay. You get to keep me company again, right? So, it¡¯s not that bad, is it?¡± she lamely tried to console the girl. ¡°It¡¯s so bad,¡± Basima whimpered through the sniffles. ¡°I¡¯m totally going to get picked tomorrow. Salman was so angry at me because the Speakers yelled at him for it. He even said he was going to toss me in the Tower himself.¡± Jin wasn¡¯t sure what to say that might comfort her. She didn¡¯t know enough it felt like and she could absolutely picture the man doing exactly as he threatened. Basima looked up at her with a tear-stained face and a crinkled nose as she brokenly said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to die tomorrow.¡± Jin grimaced at that. ¡°You won¡¯t. Even if you get picked, I¡¯m sure the others will help you survive.¡± ¡°The Servants never make it past the first floor,¡± Basima whined, hiding her face in her arms as she hugged her knees. ¡°They¡¯re going to kill me at the boss gate leading to the second floor if the monsters don¡¯t eat me first. The Fighters always cull the Servants there.¡± ¡°Hey, look at me,¡± Jin said, staring at the girl. ¡°Repeat after me. ¡®I am not going to die.¡¯¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just do it.¡± Basima gave her a dubious look but said, ¡°I am not going to die.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to give up and will fight back.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°No buts!¡± Jin ordered. ¡°Just repeat it.¡± The blonde snorted a laugh and repeated, ¡°I¡¯m not going to give up and will fight back.¡± ¡°Good. Now, no matter what happens tomorrow, keep repeating that to yourself.¡± Basima gave a soft chuckle. ¡°You know what? I think you might be a little bit crazy.¡± Jin returned her smile and said, ¡°I feel like this whole world is what¡¯s crazy, and I¡¯m the only sane one here. But maybe that¡¯s just what crazy feels like.¡± ¡°Thanks, Jin.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°Being the good kind of crazy.¡±
Jin was retrieved by Karam again in the morning, who was smiling but didn¡¯t say anything about her disobeying the last thing he had warned her not to do. He did surprise her with a gift, though. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± she asked as he handed her a piece of black embroidered cloth. It had a beautiful image of a feminine figure stitched in gray thread wreathed in green flames. ¡°It¡¯s you,¡± he shyly answered. ¡°I thought if any of us can reach Emerald Caste, it would be you, so¡­ Well, I made this for you as a sort of good luck charm. Just in case.¡± ¡°You made this yourself?¡± she incredulously asked as she ran a finger over the detailed work. ¡°It¡¯s what I thought about doing with the Workers. I said I might show you later, and I¡­¡± He trailed off as his expression became sorrowful, and he quietly admitted, ¡°I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d have another chance to after today.¡± ¡°Hey, if you can make something like this,¡± she said, lifting the cloth art. ¡°Then you are definitely too valuable to choose for the Tower. They¡¯d be insane to send you in there.¡± He nodded but didn¡¯t look convinced, so she asked, ¡°Now, who am I getting sent to ruin the life of next?¡± Karam snorted a laugh and told her, ¡°No new assignment yet. Most people get the morning off to attend the opening ceremonies of the new Season. We¡¯ll be heading to the Tower after grabbing some breakfast.¡± They ate in silence. The tension in the air was palpable as those eligible for selection among the Servants all worried that they might die in a few hours. People who did speak were doing so quietly and saying emotional goodbyes or final wishes. As they headed towards the Tower at the center of the city, she noticed the somber mood wasn¡¯t shared by the other Sects. Many other people were already moving towards the Tower and talking excitedly, their certainty in their safety assured. They were looking forward to the exciting first day and already speculating about who might win the climb. When Jin saw the Tower itself, she felt both awe and underwhelmed. It was tall but not as tall as she had been expecting with what people had hyped up about it, being only about twenty stories high and was maybe a football field wide. It was perfectly circular, though, and a massive waterfall spilled from the top of it down into a huge pool that surrounded the base before branching off into the various streams that flowed throughout the rest of the city. It was almost impossible to hear anything coherently between the crashing sound of the water, and the excited talking of the massive crowd that had gathered in bleacher-style stands all around the Tower¡¯s basin. The tall buildings that surrounded the space were filled with balconies of more people, and it was obvious to Jin that the higher up one was, the more important they were¡ªas if looking down on those of lower station. Karam took her to an area near the base where other Servants had gathered, sitting and mostly praying. Her guide had to practically shout over the cacophony of the waterfall for Jin to hear him as he tried to explain, ¡°We have some time before it starts, but everyone in the city is expected to be here. The gods will descend, and the Sect leaders will call forth their Champions. Those Champions will go up to kneel before the gods who might give them Patronage. The order is usually based on the rankings of the last Season.¡± ¡°I thought nobody won last Season,¡± Jin yelled back. ¡°It¡¯ll be based on the number of points the Sect accrued before the wipe,¡± he explained. ¡°The Fighters will be going first this year, so you¡¯ll get to see how it works. The Champions are all Mundanes and get stripped before entering the Champion Gates.¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Stripped?!¡± ¡°There¡¯s starting gear in the prep room beyond the gate that they¡¯ll change into. It¡¯s to make sure everyone has the same starting point item-wise for ¡®fairness,¡¯¡± he said, using his hand to make finger quotes on that last word to emphasize his disbelief of it. ¡°That sounds fair; why don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Because sometimes Mundanes are born with a personal dimensional storage space as a Talent, and anything they keep in that won¡¯t get stripped from them. I¡¯ve heard rumors the Workers are hoping to leverage such a person this year.¡± ¡°So Talents is where the scales get tipped,¡± she surmised with a grimace. ¡°And training,¡± Karam corrected. ¡°The Fighters¡¯ Champions all train for this. They go in prepared physically and mentally. It¡¯s why they usually win, though not always.¡± He gestured towards the other Servants and added, ¡°None of us are trained to survive the Tower. We¡¯re trained to serve the ones who survive.¡± The sudden silence of the waterfall ceasing rippled through the area as the crowd followed its example. All eyes were now on the large dais that rose up from the basin where the waterfall had been crashing down only moments before. A veritable menagerie of glowing animals materialized upon it, and there must have been about two dozen of them all crowded upon the stage as another dais rose in front of it, which had six bridges connecting it to the land beyond the water. The Sect Leaders then all began moving across each of these bridges to meet on the matching dais, and Jin actually recognized every one of them. Petal walked down the Pleasure Sect¡¯s bridge dressed in one of the most elaborate costumes she had ever seen and almost made him look like a flower. Alaina almost looked exactly the same as Jin remembered when she first met the Whisper, dressed in all black leather, but this time, she had a headpiece of twisted black cloth hiding her hair, and her eyes were heavily make-uped with charcoal. Hank, for the Labor Sect, was dressed cleaner than she remembered, though it still screamed practicality with a Workers apron. Buster was also similarly dressed in the practicality of a Fighter with exquisite-looking leather armor that was covered in spikes and reminded Jin exactly why they were called the Pain Sect. Salman was the humblest, wearing the simple gray of a Servant, but his outfit was styled more like a priestly robe than the tunic and pants most of them wore. Before all of them, however, was Queen Theris in an elaborate dress that rivaled Petals for its beauty. It sparkled with gemstones in the sunlight and was the most wealth Jin had seen since arriving in this world, and likely before then. ¡°The city of Qutbi welcomes the divine pantheon for this Season of Salvation, that you may bless us once more with the life-giving waters of Polarity. We reflect your designs in the hopes of delighting you with our unity in opposition,¡± the queen said, her voice amplified by some kind of magic as it rang out through the crowded basin. The god that appeared as a massive lion rose from his position in the center of the group and stepped forward to say, ¡°Call forth your Champions that we may measure their worth.¡± The queen bowed to the god and stepped back as Buster took her place. ¡°The Fighters are honored to present our best for your consideration. First, our most promising in a century, Antoni of the sword.¡± Cheers rang out from the Pain Sect¡¯s area, and a young man who seemed to be in his mid-twenties broke away from the crowd and walked across the bridge to join his Sect¡¯s leader. He had blonde hair like Basima but much darker skin and bowed deeply to the deities. A new bridge had risen as Antoni had made his way across the first, this one connecting the Sect¡¯s dais with that of the gods¡¯. The first Champion walked across this second bridge, and then he kneeled before Lion. Then the god spoke again, ¡°Who among us offers patronage to this Fighter?¡± ¡°I do,¡± a much smaller black cat said as it stepped forward. ¡°Antoni has displayed his dominance well.¡± ¡°I, as well,¡± a horse said. Its mane and tail were comprised of flames, and suddenly, the incantation Jin had spoken previously made much more sense to her. ¡°Antoni has displayed the passion of both a Fighter and a winner.¡± ¡°I will offer,¡± a white tiger with silver metallic stripes added, ¡°Antoni has displayed careful control over his body and mind.¡± After a moment of silence, Lion spoke again, ¡°I will also offer Patronage. You have displayed pride in your accomplishments and have made others proud of you in turn. You may only choose one to be blessed by, however. Choose your Patron, Antoni.¡± ¡°By your Radiance, Lord Lion, I would choose the pride of the king of the gods. I shall fight for the victory of you and my Sect,¡± Antoni replied, never looking up from his bowed position on his knee. Then the Lion moved forward to place that massive snout on the young man¡¯s head, causing Antoni to glow with a brilliant golden light for a moment before the god backed up again. ¡°Go with my Blessing and await the opening of the gates,¡± Lion said, and the crowd of deities parted to let the Fighter pass to the gate that had been previously hidden by falling water. Jin continued watching in fascination as people were called up and offered various Blessings from the gods. The Fighters, then Speakers, then Workers, then Whispers, then the Lovers all presented their Champions in order, and the more names that got called, the more nervous Jin began to feel as the Servant¡¯s turn approached. She was actually surprised that the Workers had apparently come in third place last Season, and it raised her hopes that points could be gained for more than just killing things. Fifty Champions had been chosen and presented. Jin didn¡¯t think she would ever remember all the names or faces there. Especially not the Whispers, whose faces were all hidden by black cloth. When it was Salman¡¯s turn, Jin wished she could quiet her own heart as it hammered in nervousness for the handful of people she hoped wouldn¡¯t be sentenced to their deaths. She wasn¡¯t that lucky, however. ¡°The Servants humbly present our chosen for your consideration,¡± Salman said to Lion with a bow. He then called out the first victim. ¡°First, I offer Basima.¡± A cry came from nearby, and Jin turned slightly to see an older blonde woman clinging tightly to the younger girl as an older man hugged both women just as tight. She couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, but a Fighter guard that had been waiting nearby extracted Basima from the people Jin assumed were her parents. Basima was crying and trembling as she made her way across the bridge to bow to Salman and then kneel before the gods. None of them offered her a Blessing. She stumbled past the deities to the gate where the other Champions were all gathered. ¡°Why didn¡¯t any of them offer to bless her?¡± Jin asked, offended by the lack of patronage. ¡°It costs the gods Aetherius to give Blessings, and it costs them even more later if the Blessed person dies. They won¡¯t offer it if they feel certain the person won¡¯t make it to the top,¡± Karam quietly explained. ¡°Honestly, the fact that all the others got one is unusual, but the gods see everything and are better at calculating the odds. It means they have faith in whatever training or plans the other Champions have in place.¡± ¡°Next, I offer Maximus,¡± Salman said from the dais, and Jin breathed a small sigh of relief that she had no idea who that was. A young man strutted forward, not needing the Fighter¡¯s encouragement. Again, no Blessing was offered, and the boy actually sneered at them. ¡°You¡¯re making a mistake. I¡¯m going to reach the top and show you all how idiotic you are,¡± Maximus told the gods as he moved past them, and Jin suddenly understood why he had been selected. That kind of arrogance didn¡¯t fit among these Servants at all. ¡°Kian,¡± was the next name called by their Sect leader. Jin didn¡¯t recognize the older man who seemed to be trembling with every step. He must have been at the limit for their age requirements though, which she thought Basima had mentioned was thirty¡ªor sixty in Earth years. Kian didn¡¯t get an offer from the gods either, but silently kept his head bowed as he moved past them. ¡°Hadia,¡± Salman called out, and Jin¡¯s gaze searched for the woman who had been brash but friendly enough to her. Hadia didn¡¯t look scared at all as she purposely walked across the bridge. Instead of bowing to her Sect Leader, she made some kind of rude hand gesture towards the man as she walked past him. She didn¡¯t kneel before the gods either, crossing her arms as she stood there until they moved out of the way. She gave them the same rude gesture as she walked beyond them and joined Basima and Maximus. Jin didn¡¯t recognize the next three Servants called out. ¡°Mary,¡± was an older woman she would have guessed was the same age as Kian and seemed to have trouble seeing as she shuffled forward with a cane guiding her way. Ignored by the gods, Jin thought it was lucky she didn¡¯t fall into the waters surrounding the area, but she managed it by going slowly. ¡°Daren,¡± was a younger man that seemed to nervously look everywhere but ahead of him, and ¡°Celia,¡± seemed to be related to him as their appearances were so similar. Both had short brown hair and lighter skin, with round innocent faces, but Celia¡¯s gaze stayed laser focused on the other man and Jin assumed they were brother and sister. The gods didn¡¯t seem to care one way or another about either of them or their relation to one another. ¡°Alim,¡± the Servant leader offered next. Jin¡¯s heart sank further, and she wanted to punch the Fighter who had roughly grabbed the man who couldn¡¯t hear his name being called out. ¡°No,¡± Karam said with a broken voice. ¡°He¡­ why would he pick Alim? He was doing good. He¡ª¡± His voice caught, and he muttered, ¡°He was my friend.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t talk about him like he¡¯s dead already. You said it yourself that he¡¯s smart. He showed me that he knows how to do some magic, so he has a better chance of surviving, right?¡± Jin tried to reassure him. She wasn¡¯t surprised, though, when none of the gods offered Alim a Blessing. ¡°Karam,¡± Salman called out next, and Jin¡¯s grip on her friend¡¯s arm tightened. ¡°Fuck,¡± she whispered as the gentle giant beside her stood and spoke to her through a watery smile. ¡°At least I¡¯ll get to go with Alim. Thanks for being kind to us, Jin.¡± ¡°Wait, no,¡± she replied, getting up to follow him. ¡°Can¡¯t you just go¡ª¡± The Fighter guard pushed her back away from Karam as he approached the bridge. Jin tried to get him off her, but he must have been a Caster like Salman was, considering he barely budged against her struggles. ¡°You can¡¯t make him! This is wrong!¡± she shouted at both the guard holding her and Salman standing on the dais, giving her a look of disdain. ¡°Somebody help them!¡± Jin shouted to anyone who might listen while none of the gods offered to give Karam even a chance. Salman¡¯s disdainful gaze twisted into a cruel smile as he offered up the Service Sect¡¯s final Champion. ¡°Our last chosen is Jin.¡± 11 - All the Luck Jin had thought there was a pretty good chance of her getting selected after pissing off Salman so much. She had contemplated making a run for it, but aside from the guard already holding her, she didn¡¯t want to leave the other Servants to die. She woodenly crossed the bridge, barely paying attention to the stares and murmur of the thousands of people watching her do so. She didn¡¯t bow to Salman; she didn¡¯t even bother looking at him as she moved toward the people she actually cared about. The glowing gods blocked her path to them, however, and she stared up into the brilliant gaze of the Lion as he asked the others, ¡°Who among us offers patronage to this Servant and Wayfarer?¡± The murmur of the crowd grew as rumors were confirmed, but Jin ignored them, glancing around at the other gods briefly. This would probably be the only time she¡¯d get a good look at all of them. Every single one of them appeared as a variant of the mundane animals she knew of back on Earth, but there was something slightly off about them, aside from the glowing that was. It was like someone had described what the animals should look like to someone who had never seen them before. They were recognizable but not exact. Jin thought, like every other Servant, that she wouldn¡¯t be offered a Blessing, but a small Rabbit hopped forward and shocked everyone by saying, ¡°I offer Patronage to Jin the Wayfarer.¡± The bunny actually smiled at her and said with a chuckle, ¡°She¡¯ll need all the luck she can get.¡± Eagle spoke up next. ¡°I do as well. Jin has already displayed courage in the face of adversity.¡± ¡°And I,¡± a growly voice said, and there was a collective gasp from the crowd as a large crocodile waddled forward. ¡°I have felt Jin¡¯s hatred towards those who take what isn¡¯t offered.¡± Crocodile surprised her then by adding in a quieter voice directly to her, ¡°That hatred can fuel your climb if you embrace it.¡± After a long moment of silence, Lion spoke again, ¡°You may only choose one to be blessed by. Choose your Patron, Jin.¡± She looked between the gods, who had offered to bless her¡­ offered her but not her friends, who needed more help to survive. They endorsed their deaths. Ultimately, they were the entire reason for all of the deaths in the Tower. They were gods; they had the power to stop this insanity, and instead of making things better, they reinforced and reveled in all of it. Finally, she replied, ¡°How about no, and kindly go fuck yourselves.¡±
Karam stared in shock with the rest of the crowd as Jin stood before the gods and threw their offered Blessings back in their faces. ¡°Oh, I like her so much more now,¡± Hadia said from beside him with a chuckle. ¡°She¡¯s an idiot that¡¯s going to get killed even faster by doing that,¡± Max retorted. ¡°Nobody turns down a Patron. She might as well have tossed an Aspect into the Pool of Reflections.¡± At the mention of the pool, Karam glanced at the currently still waters that surrounded the Tower. He had feared this day for years. Knowing Hadia had been right earlier when she predicted this moment. Despite his adaptability, Salman had always seen him as lesser, as a burden to everyone. He had tried to prove Salman wrong¡ªtried to be a good Servant¡ªbut apparently, it hadn¡¯t been enough, and now he would die within the day. Basima was crying as she hugged herself and rocked back and forth on her heels. He wanted to console her but felt numb himself as the world seemed to move in slow motion around them all. He wasn¡¯t used to the stares of the crowds and didn¡¯t want to think about the death that awaited them. Lion spoke again and drew Karam¡¯s attention to the dais once more. ¡°You dare to insult the gods, pathetic mortal?¡± ¡°Better than being a pathetic god who stands by to watch kids and elders die for your entertainment,¡± Jin said before walking forward. ¡°Now, excuse me while I go help my friends survive your stupid game.¡± The gods merely stared after the Wayfarer, who stomped past them and walked straight toward their group of gray-clad Servants. She walked up to Basima first and put her hands on the blonde¡¯s shoulders as she said firmly, ¡°Hey, remember what I told you last night?¡± Basima nodded and recited, ¡°I am not going to die. I¡¯m not going to give up and will fight back.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re going to survive this,¡± Jin said, then turned to meet each of their gazes. Then she surprised him by moving her hands in the sign language he had seen Alim use once in a while that he couldn¡¯t learn well while saying, ¡°All of us are going to live. We¡¯re going to make it to the top and prove those douche-gods wrong.¡± ¡°You¡¯re insane,¡± Max said, crossing his arms. Karam wasn¡¯t too surprised by Maximus¡¯ inclusion in the group of ¡°failed¡± Servants. The guy was always rude to everyone and lazy compared to any other Servant he had ever seen. Even if he managed to not get punished for disobeying an order, the man did a crappy job at whatever it was. Not even the bare minimum would be accomplished as Max apparently saw every job as beneath him and not worth the effort. The two elders, Kian and Mary, gave small smiles and indulgent shakes of their heads but were quietly conversing with one another instead. Karam had known them both his whole life and was sad to see them here today but Salman always seemed to choose those that he thought couldn¡¯t fulfill their duties properly. The twins, Daren and Celia, were a pair that Karam had interacted with a handful of times, and he knew the boy struggled with understanding things and following complex tasks. They had both been too young for the start of the last Season, but he wasn¡¯t entirely surprised that Celia had chosen to follow her condemned brother. ¡°The Champions have been chosen!¡± Lion called out, carrying on with the ceremony without paying any more attention to the insolent Wayfarer. ¡°The Gates shall now open, and the waters will flow once more. The Champions have time to prepare until the Season of Salvation begins at Sun¡¯s peak. We will be watching and waiting at the top of the Tower of Polarity. May the greatest Sect be victorious!¡± Then the deities vanished, and the large gates leading into the Tower slowly swung inward to allow the Champions¡¯ entrance. Karam stared at that blanket of white light beyond it. He was going to be swallowed by it and never see the outside again. ¡°Kar? Hey, look at me, big guy,¡± Jin said from beside him, grabbing his forearm to drag his attention to her. ¡°Look, you¡¯ve done great about explaining things to me so far, and I¡¯m gonna need you to focus on doing that right now, okay?¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. He nodded, pushing the looming threat of death from his mind as he focused on giving Jin the information she needed. ¡°R-right, um, what do you¡ª¡± ¡°Everything. Walk me through what¡¯s going to happen for that prep the wannabe-Aslan lion talked about.¡± ¡°Ah, right. The gate is a portal. We¡¯ll go to a room specifically for our Sect to prepare in. It¡¯s stocked with basic matching outfits, the bracelets we¡¯ll need to wear, and the choice of a starter Aspect.¡± ¡°Bracelets?¡± she asked as people started walking through the gates already. ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s going to be a Caster in there making sure we each attune to one. It will monitor our vitals and Caste level and record our surroundings. They are synced to the display network that lets people choose who or where they watch things from. We won¡¯t be able to remove them until we leave the Tower or die.¡± ¡°So basically, they can spy on our every move and know any plan we come up with?¡± He nodded but clarified, ¡°Yes, but there¡¯s no way for them to pass that information along to the other Sects inside. There are ways to send some items, but any informational pieces are strictly filtered to prevent using the display network like you¡¯re suggesting.¡± Alim distracted him from his explanation as he tapped on Jin¡¯s shoulder and signed something to her. She thankfully responded both out loud and in sign, ¡°Yeah, I can translate inside for you.¡± Then she added to him, ¡°He¡¯s worried they won¡¯t let him take the board he uses to write in since it¡¯s technically an outside tool. Which I think is just bullshit, like do they honestly expect him to kill a monster with it?¡± ¡°Blanket rules make things simpler,¡± Hadia said in his stead. ¡°If they let one person bend the rules, then everyone is going to want to bend them¡­ according to them.¡± ¡°Sounds like a lazy excuse to me,¡± Jin retorted. ¡°There¡¯s a pretty obvious difference between that board and a gun.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a gun?¡± Basima asked, rubbing the tears from her eyes. Jin rubbed at her temple and muttered, ¡°Of course, something simple like that isn¡¯t going to be an option here.¡± Then she waved a hand in the air. ¡°Never mind that for right now, though, I¡¯ve heard people mention Aspects before, but nobody has actually explained them to me yet.¡± ¡°They¡¯re basically magic items that can grant abilities?¡± Karam tried to explain as best he could. ¡°Like a Caster?¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re a requirement for that. You need to absorb four of them to unlock your Class, which triggers the ascension to the Crystal Caste and labels you as a Caster. We¡¯re each going to be able to choose one from an assortment, though I¡¯m not sure what the theme will be this Season.¡± ¡°Theme?¡± Hadia spoke up to answer again. ¡°Aspects can be representations of almost anything. Last Season, the starting theme was ¡®emotions.¡¯ So it was options like Wrath, Hope, Love, Terror, etcetera.¡± ¡°My parents said a lot of people believed that theme was one of the reasons for the full wipe,¡± Basima added. ¡°They said such esoteric options were terrible as a foundation to hope to kill monsters with.¡± ¡°So we get a theme and pick an Aspect to absorb, but you said we need to get four to actually become a Caster?¡± Jin asked. Karam nodded. ¡°Yeah, the rituals take some time, which is one of the reasons we¡¯re given some to prepare beforehand. We¡¯ve got about two hours until midday, and the Season officially starts.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s our turn to go through,¡± Max said, having stayed on the edge of the conversation and didn¡¯t wait for them as he walked through the gate. The twins followed closely behind, Daren looking excited at the appearance of the portal. They were followed by the elders, who seemed to decide to lean on one another as they interlinked arms and carefully made their way through the portal. ¡°We can keep explaining inside and get a better idea of what we¡¯re working with,¡± Hadia said as she turned and went through as well. Alim glanced back at him and gave a firm nod of encouragement before silently following after Hadia. If Alim was going to face this head-on, then surely he could as well. ¡°I am not going to die,¡± he heard Basima recite once more as she stared at the white portal. ¡°I¡¯m not going to give up and will fight back.¡± Jin patted her shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s right, and I¡¯ve got your back.¡± Basima smiled at the Wayfarer and gave a nervous nod before walking through the gate as well. She turned to look at him and said, ¡°I got your back, too, but I¡¯m counting on you to be as badass in there as you already are out here.¡± He nervously chuckled and shook his head. ¡°I think you¡¯re the first person to ever tell me something like that.¡± ¡°Not my fault the others are idiots,¡± she said unapologetically with a shrug. ¡°Now let¡¯s show them all how awesome you can be.¡± Karam nodded, and they walked through the gate together. He had never experienced a portal before, but the feeling instantly made him feel a bit sick to his stomach when he found himself in the Service Sect¡¯s preparation room. Matching silver uniforms lined one of the walls in various sizes, and he hoped there was a set that would fit him. He wasn¡¯t exactly the fittest person, but he was also just big¡ªtall and broad, with thicker bones and flesh. ¡°Welcome, Champions,¡± the attending Caster said. They were a Servant like them, but he knew they were dedicated to a deity and under service to the Tower itself. ¡°I am Keeper Nell and am here to assist.¡± They gestured to the wall opposite the uniforms that was filled with various Aspects, and Nell said, ¡°This Season¡¯s starting theme is ¡®The right Tool for the job,¡¯ and you may only choose one each.¡± Luckily, each had a little label under them, but they weren¡¯t as necessary as the ones for emotions had been. These Aspects all looked like miniatures of the tools they represented, and even more fortunate were the weapons included among them. ¡°Awesome,¡± Max said, walking right up to one and picking it up. ¡°I¡¯m taking the Sword Aspect.¡± ¡°Hey, we should talk about it first and come up with a strategy¡ª¡± Jin started to say, but Max interrupted her. ¡°Look, I know you¡¯re new here, Wayfarer, so don¡¯t act like you know better than the rest of us. I was raised among the Speakers, and I know how to use a sword. Do you?¡± He noticed Jin clench her fists but luckily didn¡¯t punch the guy as she said, ¡°I don¡¯t, but that¡¯s not my point. We should make sure that we¡¯ve at least got the basic trinity down. Going all DPS is gonna get us killed.¡± ¡°DPS?¡± Hadia repeated in confusion. ¡°Damage-per-second,¡± she clarified with a sigh. ¡°It just means damage-dealers. We should make sure at least one of us is a tank and healer if this is going to be a work-together-as-a-party type of death game. We¡¯ll survive better against anything we need to fight if we can fill different roles like that.¡± ¡°I know what a healer is, but what¡¯s a tank?¡± Basima asked. ¡°Someone who protects the others and takes most of the damage; I¡¯m not sure if there are abilities that support that, though. But basically heavier armor or maybe a way to regenerate? Getting aggro will be the main requirement though. Is taunting a thing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all well and good, but I¡¯m still going with the sword,¡± Max interjected. ¡°You all can do whatever you like, but I''m choosing this and getting to the base first. I don¡¯t need any of you to win this, so just stay out of my way.¡± Karam shook his head at the Speaker outcast and turned back to Jin. ¡°I¡¯m with you. You seem to actually have some sort of plan to keep us alive, so I¡¯ll follow your lead.¡± He gestured towards Alim and asked her, ¡°Can you translate that for me so he knows where I stand?¡± Jin slowly nodded and began signing as Basima stepped closer to Jin and said, ¡°I¡¯m with you, too. You promised to have my back, but I can have yours too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in as well,¡± Hadia joined in. ¡°Max is an idiot. If we¡¯re going to have any chance to survive this, it¡¯ll only be together. Nobody else cares about us, so we gotta care about ourselves.¡± She nodded toward Jin and added, ¡°Let¡¯s show these pricks not to underestimate the people they try to step all over.¡± 12 - The Odds Are Rigged As Jin translated everyone¡¯s words for Alim, she tried not to let her rising panic cloud her mind. The idea that these new friends, who were barely more than acquaintances, were putting their lives in her hands was honestly terrifying. If she had learned anything over the years from participating in sports, though, especially the more team-oriented ones, it was that hesitation meant defeat. She couldn¡¯t afford to second-guess herself before every decision when quick actions were a necessity. She needed to learn fast and react even faster. ¡°I will help you,¡± Alim signed to her. Smiling softly, he added, ¡°We¡¯re woven in purpose now.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± she signed back. ¡°Like a cord or rope, the more strands woven together, the stronger it becomes. It just means we¡¯re stronger together. You¡¯re not alone in this either.¡± Jin smiled gratefully at him. Knowing that it wasn¡¯t completely resting on her shoulders alone made her relax a bit more, and she was able to refocus on the next step. She spoke aloud to the others while signing for Alim. ¡°Let¡¯s look at what all there is to choose from, and we can talk while changing into the uniform.¡± Jin wasn''t sure what to make of the elders who chose to go look at the uniforms first. They seemed quiet and oddly content, as though this were just another day and they were shopping for new clothing. The girl named Celia seemed to be herding Daren near the clothing as well and talking to him in a low voice. ¡°I know you¡¯re excited to finally get to see it all up close, Dare, but you have to remember not to run off this time. You stay close to me! Understand?¡± The boy giggled, sounding much younger than he looked as he happily replied, ¡°Yes, sis. I¡¯ll be good. We¡¯ll match!¡± Jin sighed as she realized some of her fears were confirmed about the pair, but she decided to focus on her own situation and the handful of people that seemed interested in staying with her. She moved to get a closer look at the wall of Aspects and realized they were labeled with a number and what it was to allay any confusion. There were thirty options total, and Max had already claimed number three: the sword. One was an Ax, and two was a Mace, which didn¡¯t really surprise Jin. Continuing down the list, with number four being a Bow, there was Sling, Spear, Shovel, Bag, Compass, and Rope. She paused at number eleven, labeled Perfume, wondering how that was even considered a tool. Perhaps it meant something a little different here than in her old world? Though she guessed it was a tool to smell nicer. She continued reading on to consider Trap, Needle, Glue, Hammer, Scissor, Quill, Wand, Dagger, Net, Anvil, Pot, and Manacle. Jin stopped again and squinted at the Aspect label that should have been number twenty-four but actually read ¡°42 ¨C Towel,¡± and she asked, ¡°Why is this one out of order?¡± Hadia walked up to look over her shoulder and shrugged. ¡°Probably just miswrote it. I know I¡¯ve switched numbers and letters around like that before. I struggle a lot with reading because of it.¡± Jin leaned closer to look at the Aspect, which indeed looked like a miniature white towel, and noticed that the words ¡°Don¡¯t Panic¡± were embroidered into it, which simply made her want to panic more. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how a towel would help anyone fight monsters,¡± Hadia muttered. ¡°Half of these seem like traps to get us killed off faster for choosing wrong.¡± Jin nodded and tried to push the disturbing towel from her mind as she looked at what else was available. Loom, Flute, Brush, Vial, Staff, and Hook were all that was left, causing her to frown at the wall. ¡°No shield or something obviously healing-related like I had hoped. I guess that means we should focus more on different damage types and potential survival options. What do all of you think?¡± she asked the group. ¡°Better than choosing one of the options that are obviously for the crafting Workers. I feel like the odds are rigged when these obviously favor them and the Fighters.¡± Hadia grumbled, moving back down the wall to look at the options again. Jin was about to ask why anyone, even the Workers, would choose an obvious crafting Aspect when Alim drew her attention by picking up two of the Aspects and seemed to be debating between them. He glanced up at her and raised a brow, the silent question obvious. ¡°Wand or Vial?¡± ¡°My vote is Wand,¡± she signed back. ¡°You already know how to use one, and magic damage should be useful, right?¡± Hadia pointed at the Wand to nod her choice to Alim as well while saying clearly for him, ¡°While you might get some kind of battle alchemist ability, the risk for pure crafting is too high when you already know alchemy.¡± Alim nodded and set the Vial Aspect back down. Jin asked, ¡°Why does his knowing alchemy already matter?¡± ¡°Because abilities that get unlocked are often based on what you¡¯re already capable of. The magic basically looks at the current state of your soul and responds to suit what you¡¯ve experienced already. If you¡¯re a Fighter who has trained in combat all your life and you pick that Vial, you¡¯ll probably get some kind of ability that either grants drinkable Boons or throwable potions that deal damage or Banes¡ªbasically something to help you fight. If you were someone who studied alchemy instead, though, and never fought a day in your life, you¡¯re going to get something to help you make potions,¡± Hadia explained as she walked over to the other wall and looked for a uniform in her size. Jin looked back at the wall of Aspects, which seemed like even more of a risk now. She glanced at the older pair who had surprised her by sitting down in chairs by the gate they had come through instead of joining them to choose Aspects. ¡°Are you not going to pick?¡± Jin called over to them. Kian smiled at her and shook his head as he explained, ¡°We¡¯ll pick last. Mary and I both volunteered this time. We asked Salman to give the younger ones another Season to prove their worth to the Servants.¡± ¡°There were a few others like us who had offered themselves up,¡± Mary added softly, her smile tinged with sadness. ¡°Based on the names I heard called, I¡¯m guessing Sal didn¡¯t believe my peers were worth giving these young ones that chance to prove themselves. I¡¯m sorry we cannot do much more and will likely drag you down.¡± ¡°Now, now, Mary,¡± Kian interjected, gently patting her hand in comfort. ¡°We can give them time to escape if nothing else. Perhaps the beyond is smiling upon them to send us a Wayfarer.¡± Jin grimaced at that idea. She wasn¡¯t some kind of cosmic hero. That crazy witch was probably just punishing her and everyone else for reasons unknown. Should she tell them that she was just a clueless teenager trying to make sure the girl that reminded her of her crush survived a little longer? It was such a selfish and childish reason. Basima moved closer to her, bringing her attention back to the wall of Aspects, and asked, ¡°I know I¡¯m pretty terrible with my feet. I¡¯m not sure I can fight like the others.¡± ¡°How¡¯s your aim?¡± Jin asked as she considered the options more. ¡°Being ranged usually means you won¡¯t have to worry about moving around so much. If you go with the Bow or Sling, you can probably stand in the back and still help fight.¡± The blonde hesitated for a moment and admitted, ¡°I¡¯m not sure? I don¡¯t really remember having a problem with throwing things; it¡¯s just the walking while holding things that usually makes things go wrong.¡± ¡°I think you should pick one of those then, but it¡¯s up to you. I¡¯m not going to force any of you about what to pick since it sounds like a permanent option. I¡¯m just trying to give my own advice based on how some games work in my world.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Basima nodded and looked at the wall again before going over and selecting the Bow Aspect. ¡°This is probably better than most of the other options for me.¡± ¡°Sounds good. That¡¯s a physical range, magic range, and technically Max¡¯s slashing damage,¡± Jin summarized but hesitated to include Max in the strategy. Luckily, Hadia seemed to reinforce that sentiment. ¡°Don¡¯t count on Max. If he¡¯s gonna run off and not consider us, we shouldn¡¯t depend on him to help. What other kinds of damage are you thinking we¡¯re missing?¡± ¡°Well, if I go off DnD knowledge, we¡¯ll want piercing and bludgeoning as well. However, I¡¯d really like to get something that¡¯s more supportive or survival-based rather than loading us up with all offensive weapons. I think someone mentioned it wasn¡¯t just killing monsters that could earn us points.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true; there will be puzzles and traps, too,¡± Karam confirmed for her. ¡°While there will definitely be monsters to fight, each floor will have its own environmental challenges and hidden treasures to discover. There¡¯s also a boss on each floor that needs to be defeated in order to move up to the next. That¡¯s why some cooperation between the Sects is usually required to reach the top.¡± ¡°Then we should definitely pick one of the non-weapons as well and hope it will help us survive,¡± Jin said. Hadia picked up the Mace Aspect and said, ¡°I¡¯m not really good with details or doin¡¯ things delicately. Plus, I have a Special Attack Disposition Talent; it makes me more likely to unlock an attack ability instead of some kind of support. Smashing things is something I¡¯ve always wanted to do, and it fits your bludgeoning goal, yeah?¡± Jin nodded and said, ¡°That works,¡± then she glanced over to Karam. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re thinking for yourself. I know you can probably use the smaller one-handed weapons, but I¡¯m not sure how quickly you can move. Being in melee range with how big you are just makes you an easier target to hit, too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not fast, but that will change if we can manage to reach Crystal Caste in here,¡± he replied. ¡°Your body changes when you ascend¡­ There¡¯s even a theory that I may be able to get my missing limb that way. It¡¯s happened in the past to others, but the soul itself has to want it.¡± Jin was surprised by that, but she knew healing magic was a real thing here. If there was magic that could change a person¡¯s body that drastically, she already knew of a few people who would have died for that chance. Phoenix herself wanted nothing more than for her body to match her soul, and Jin wished she could bring that magic back to her. Karam¡¯s movement brought her mind back to the present as he surprised her again by picking up the odd Perfume Aspect and saying, ¡°It might sound strange to you, but I think this might actually work for me as a support option.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about spraying scents, so I don¡¯t think it will require two hands. I¡¯m actually hoping it will result in warding off monsters, like creating an odor that repels them. I don¡¯t really like the idea of fighting at all, so having something to avoid that might be more beneficial for all of us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Jin replied with a thoughtful nod. ¡°Right now, surviving is goal number one, and one of the first things my evil Dungeon Master taught me was not every monster should be fought. Sometimes, it¡¯s better to run and live to fight another day.¡± Basima gave her a curious look and repeated, ¡°Evil Dungeon Master?¡± ¡°Yup,¡± she replied and gave an exaggerated shudder. ¡°My mom was brutal.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± the blonde replied with a sad look of pity. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to deal with that kind of abuse¡­¡± Jin laughed. ¡°Not like that. She was great usually, but let¡¯s just say I get my competitive streak from her. She would never just let me win any kind of game. I had to fight for it.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Basima replied. Smiling, she said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s better, at least. So what are you going to pick?¡± She glanced back at the wall of limited options and frowned. ¡°Well, I was only really ever good at the javelin throw in my old world. The closest thing here is probably the spear, which is piercing damage. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be the same, though. It might be better if I try something more survival-oriented, too, like the Trap one.¡± ¡°What experience do you have with traps?¡± Hadia asked from across the room as she finished slipping into the silvery long-sleeved shirt and pants. ¡°None,¡± Jin admitted and rolled her eyes at the flat look Hadia leveled at her. ¡°Alright, I get it. Spear it is.¡± She walked over and picked up the tiny glowing spear that was barely bigger than her palm. She was glad to see the little hologram above it, which gave her more information.
Item: Spear Aspect A magical aspect of the spear. Caste: Crystal. Availability: Common. Type: Consumable, ingredient. Requirements: Less than four unlocked aspects. Effect: Unlocks an aspect of one¡¯s soul, granting one passive and one cultivating ability. You are able to absorb the [Spear Aspect] with your Talent: [Aetheric Transmigrator]. Do you wish to unlock the Spear aspect of your soul?
Jin stared at the last two lines. She had a Talent that could let her just absorb these? She looked over to Keeper Nell, who was currently helping to do some kind of weird ritual-looking thing for Max, who was clutching his mini Sword Aspect. Hadia had moved to wait nearby now that she had finished getting dressed and needed to receive her own bracelet and ritual. She hadn¡¯t seen anyone else with a little hologram, so she could only assume it was coming from one of her unknown Talents, which she really wished she could know more about. She contemplated trying to grab four of them now to instantly become a Caster like the others had explained would happen, but she figured deliberately breaking the rules like that would just wind up with them killing her for cheating. For now, she decided to play it safer and keep this particular [Aetheric Transmigrator] Talent hidden. Jin shook her head at the display just to turn down the prompting question, which surprisingly made the whole hologram vanish a moment later. ¡°Dare! No! Come back over here and we¡¯ll wait our turn!¡± Celia¡¯s voice called out in the space as her brother rushed near them and happily picked up the miniature Towel Aspect. ¡°This one! Please, Cici? I can be a hero, too!¡± Daren said with a big grin. His sister gave Jin an apologetic smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Wayfarer. He¡¯s just really excited about getting the chance to get powers.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I think we¡¯re all done picking anyways,¡± Jin replied, more surprised than upset about anything. After a brief moment, she asked the other woman curiously, ¡°Why is he so excited? He does know what we¡¯re going to be walking into right?¡± Celia¡¯s eyes seemed to pinch with the pain that her smile refused to show. ¡°We both grew up watching the last Season. While I found out later that it didn¡¯t end well, the kids here are all shown the highlights of the Champions at their most heroic moments¡­ battling monsters, figuring out puzzles and traps, and slaying the floor bosses¡­ We were spared the darker details of how they got to that point until we¡¯re old enough to enter the tower ourselves,¡± she explained. Jin winced at the realization that Dare simply hadn¡¯t quite finished growing up yet. He still saw the Champions as heroes instead of sacrifices to the gods in this twisted tower game. ¡°We¡¯ll do our best to help,¡± Celia offered. Glancing back at her brother, she lowered her voice and admitted, ¡°I couldn¡¯t just let him come alone, but I understand what¡¯s at stake¡­ I don¡¯t want either of us to cost more lives.¡± With a nod of silent understanding, Jin whispered back, ¡°I¡¯ll try to help you both, too, but I¡¯m not entirely sure what I¡¯m even doing or what to fully expect. If you both want to follow Max, or do your own thing, I get it.¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯m going to have to figure that out on the way, too. Thanks for understanding, though,¡± she replied, and rejoined her brother to pick out an Aspect for herself as well. Jin refocused on moving toward the uniforms to find one that fit her too. As she touched one of the shirts, another display popped up and she finally realized it was reacting to things that were magical.
Item: Insulated Sliksilk Compression Shirt A magical uniform designed for minimal survival and modesty. Caste: Crystal. Availability: Common. Type: Armor, chest. Effects:
  • Increased resistance to tearing.
  • Slowly repairs damage over time.
  • Reduces the effects of extreme heat or cold from Mundane sources.
Well, that¡¯s useful, Jin thought to herself as she tried to find one that fit, not caring much about changing in front of the others in what basically amounted to a locker room. ¡°Congratulations, Maximus,¡± Keeper Nell said once the ritual was done and she lifted his arm that was already fitted with a matte steel bracelet. Above the bracelet was a small holographic display, much like Jin had been seeing, but this one was visible to everyone as the Caster read the displayed information out loud. ¡°Looks like your Aspect bonded to your Agility Attribute and unlocked a Passive ability to conjure a sword with a Special Attack that deals extra damage when you throw your blade at a target.¡± Max conjured the sword into his hand. It appeared to be a simple bronze gladius-style blade, like most of the swords Jin had seen other Fighters wield. Hadia snorted a laugh. ¡°Figures he gets an ability to disarm himself.¡± 13 - Half-Caster Jin watched as Hadia received her bracelet next and did the ritual to unlock her first Aspect. Unlike Max, she started glowing with a weird gray light. Thankfully, Karam explained without her needing to ask. ¡°One of her Talents is cultivating. It happens a lot with people when they absorb an Aspect. Some Natural Talents are even specifically for that, like mine and Alim¡¯s. It should change into something related more to the triggering Aspect itself.¡± Keeper Nell tapped a rune carved into the bracelet then and triggered the little holographic display to show the information as they said, ¡°Congratulations, Hadia. You¡¯ve bonded to your Strength Attribute and unlocked a Passive ability to conjure a mace and a Special Attack as well. It also looks like your Unknown Potential Talent cultivated to punish your enemies with every blow given or taken.¡±
Passive Ability: Mace of Might Type: Utility (construct) Current Caste: Crystal 1 Crystal Effect: Construct a mace weapon that inflicts additional physical damage against shields and armor.
Ability: Bone Breaker Type: Special Attack Cost: Moderate stamina. Cooldown: None. Current Caste: Crystal 1 (0%) Crystal Effect: Deliver a powerful melee blow that has an increased chance to break a target¡¯s supporting structure.
Natural Talent: Blunt Force Trauma Cultivated from [Unknown Potential] due to unlocking the Mace Aspect.
  • When dealing or receiving physical bludgeoning damage, the triggering enemy also gains an instance of [Bruised Ego].
    • Bruised Ego (bane, magical, death, stacking): Decreased resistance to physical damage, and stamina regeneration is slower.
Hadia flexed her fist for a moment then a heavy-looking steel mace with six flanges on its head and black leather wrapped around the handle appeared in her grip. She gave a grin that looked all the more wicked with the scar stretched across her face. ¡°Time to bash some Speaker mouths so they never talk shit again.¡± Jin raised a brow at the malevolent feeling coming from the woman, and despite the mild worry for her own safety, she was feeling better about their odds against the monsters. Hadia was obviously ready to beat them to death. Basima went next and looked extremely nervous as she stood as still as possible in the middle of the ritual circle. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t cultivate a Talent like Hadia had. Keeper Nell spoke again as Jin focused on reading the displayed information again once it was completed.
Passive Ability: Target Seeker Type: Perception Current Caste: Crystal 1 Crystal Effect: You have greatly improved eyesight and can quickly locate your target.
Ability: Arcane Arrow Type: Spell (magical, arcane) Cost: Moderate mana. Cooldown: None. Current Caste: Crystal 1 (0%) Crystal Effect: Cast a projectile arrow at a target inflicting a moderate amount of Arcane damage.
¡°Congratulations, Basima. Your Aspect bonded to your Strength Attribute as well and unlocked a Passive Perception ability and a Spell,¡± the Keeper said before gesturing for Alim to step forward and get his bracelet. Basima surprised Jin by running up and hugging her tightly. ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you!¡± she squealed. ¡°I was so worried I was going to get something terrible because I¡¯m no good at anything, but these are great, and I can see so much better now!¡± Jin chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the one who picked your powers. I¡¯m just happy that you¡¯re happy with them. Hopefully, that Spell has a homing feature so you don¡¯t even need to aim.¡± The other girl gave a small nervous laugh. ¡°Not really, I still have to aim it, but my passive seems to really help with that. It¡¯s like I can hyper-focus on something and easily track its movements.¡± ¡°That¡¯s useful,¡± she thoughtfully replied. ¡°Should make for a good scout if we need it.¡± Basima nodded in agreement and they both turned to watch Alim¡¯s Aspect in the shape of a miniature crystal wand seem to shatter before the pieces dug into the exposed flesh of his hands to sink into him.
Passive Ability: Wand Wielder Type: Utility (construct) Current Caste: Crystal 1 Crystal Effect: Construct a wand that can be used as a medium for Spell abilities, slightly increasing their effects.
Ability: Mana Barrier Type: Spell (magical, arcane) Cost: Moderate mana. Cooldown: 30 seconds. Current Caste: Crystal 1 (0%) Crystal Effect: Conjure a barrier around a target that absorbs a moderate amount of damage before dissipating.
Natural Talent: Mind of the Magister Cultivated from [Unknown Potential] due to unlocking the Wand Aspect.
  • Greatly increased Mind Attribute.
  • You can use material components for spells, rituals, or enchantments directly from an equipped storage container.
  • You can draw magic diagrams with conjured light, including ones that float in the air.
Jin actually grimaced as she thought about what Hadia had said about the unlocked abilities responding to a soul¡¯s past experiences and how that exact Spell would have been great to protect Alim from his past abuser. She was still happy about one of them getting some kind of defensive ability, though. All of these abilities would be helpful overall, she believed, but she glanced towards Karam as he struggled to find a uniform in his size. She was only slightly worried about what his weird Perfume Aspect might give, but she¡¯d decided to trust him. Hopefully, the abilities so far would be enough to cover if he got a dud. ¡°Congratulations, Alim,¡± Keeper Nell said. ¡°Your Aspect bonded to your Mind Attribute and unlocked a Passive ability for a wand and a defensive Spell. Your Talent also cultivated to allow for ritual support.¡± It was then that it finally clicked for Jin that they were already being watched by the crowds outside the Tower. That was the only reason she could think of for the Keeper to recite aloud everything that Alim could already read for himself and couldn¡¯t hear her say. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Jin hoped there was some sort of filter for when they were undressing but knowing what kind of perverts ruled this city, she doubted it. She sighed and pushed that unpleasant thought from her head; it wasn¡¯t like she could do anything about it anyway. ¡°Congratulations, Daren,¡± the Keeper announced. ¡°Your Aspect bonded to your Agility Attribute and unlocked a Passive ability for a cloak and a movement ability.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Dare happily replied, rushing over to his sister as a billowing white cape appeared behind him, continuously moving in a non-existent breeze. ¡°Cici! See me?!¡± he called out, laughing as he ran in a circle around her. Celia laughed but Jin saw the tears in her eyes as she replied with false cheer, ¡°Yes, you look just like a hero, Dare.¡±
Passive Ability: Hero¡¯s Cape Type: Utility (construct, magical, covenant) Current Caste: Crystal 1 Crystal Effect: Construct a cloak that increases the effects of Movement abilities. Once per day the cloak can be transformed into a solid shield for a short duration.
Ability: Rush to the Moment Type: Utility (magical, covenant) Cost: Moderate stamina. Cooldown: 1 minute. Current Caste: Crystal 1 (0%) Crystal Effect: Greatly increase your speed to rush to a target ally¡¯s side, and both of you gain an instance of [Dare to Believe].
  • Dare to Believe (boon, magical, covenant): Greatly increase all Attributes for a short duration.
She stepped into her own ritual circle then, clutching the small Ax Aspect in her hands that seemed to shake with nerves. It was only a few minutes later when Keeper Nell spoke aloud again. ¡°Congratulations, Celia. Your Aspect bonded to your Agility Attribute and unlocked a Passive ability for a dual axes and an offensive Special Attack.¡±
Passive Ability: Axes to Grind Type: Utility (construct, magical, blood) Current Caste: Crystal 1 Crystal Effect: Construct a pair of one-handed ax weapons that inflict additional physical damage against flesh and have a chance to inflict [Bleeding].
  • Bleeding (bane, magical, blood): Inflicts ongoing Blood damage for a short duration.
Ability: Twin Strike Type: Special Attack (magical, blood) Cost: Moderate stamina. Cooldown: 30 seconds. Current Caste: Crystal 1 (0%) Crystal Effect: Deliver a quick melee strike with both weapons that deals additional Blood damage and inflicts an instance of [Diminished Life].
  • Diminished Life (bane, magical, blood, stacking): Maximum health is reduced by a small amount for a moderate duration.
The sister looked slightly relieved as she said, ¡°Good. I was afraid it might give me something to polish axes better¡­¡± Hadia snorted a laugh. ¡°Given how much cleaning they make us do instead of training to climb the tower, I¡¯m surprised any of us actually got weapons.¡± Since Karam was still busy getting changed, it seemed like it was her turn next and she walked up with her chosen Aspect and held out her left wrist for the bracelet. It snapped around it with a soft click and the brushed steel almost seemed to melt at the clasp to become a solid metal band. Then she waited for Keeper Nell to finish drawing the ritual diagram before stepping into the center like she had seen the others do and waiting to feel magical. The Aspect seemed to melt in her hand and seep into her skin and she could already sense the new abilities unlocking within her, like suddenly remembering something she had forgotten long ago. The Keeper frowned, however, when they tried to activate the display on the bracelet and muttered, ¡°Well, that¡¯s odd.¡± Then they glanced up at her and asked, ¡°Do you have a Talent that prevents analyzing your abilities?¡± Jin shrugged but nodded. ¡°Petal seemed to think so when that stone tablet thing of his wouldn¡¯t work on me. We don¡¯t know for sure since we couldn¡¯t read the Talent doing it.¡± Keeper Nell nodded and said, ¡°Well, can you tell me what you sense as your abilities?¡± She barely thought about that before saying, ¡°I think I might just keep that a surprise for now. Build up some more anticipation, you know? That¡¯s what all the people watching want after all, right?¡± The Caster frowned for a moment then seemed to plaster on a fake smile as they replied, ¡°How exciting. Hopefully, you don¡¯t keep them waiting too long. Some viewers have little patience and want to know every little thing they can as soon as possible.¡± Jin nodded but didn¡¯t make any promises as she moved to sit over by the others as they waited in some seats by the currently sealed gate they had entered from. As she sat, she sighed in annoyance and looked closer at the bracelet that she had wished actually would have worked and read the display for the item itself now that she wasn¡¯t distracted by the ritual.
Item: Bracelet of External Insight A magical band designed for monitoring the wearer. Caste: Emerald, Blessed. Availability: Rare. Type: Jewelry, bracelet. Effects:
  • Relays information to the connected Fox¡¯s Illusion Network for external viewing.
  • Monitors health, mana, and stamina resource levels.
  • Highly resistant to damage.
  • Cannot be removed until the wearer no longer lives or has exited the Tower of Polarity.
  • Pressing the Display Rune and focusing on the desired information will display an Illusion detailing the request.
  • Pressing the Money Rune will display an Illusion detailing your current amount of points and the Reward Shop.
  • Pressing the Ladder Rune will display an Illusion detailing your current point ranking, the highest floor currently unlocked, and the time remaining to clear that floor.
Jin had more questions now but found herself idly touching the Display Rune and wishing it would work to at least show her what her new abilities did to be certain her intuition on them was correct. She was pleasantly surprised when it actually worked.
Passive Ability: Silent Spear Type: Utility (construct) Current Caste: Crystal 1 Crystal Effect: Construct a spear that greatly increases your Strength Attribute and produces no sound.
Ability: Piercing Thrust Type: Special Attack (magical, blood) Cost: Moderate stamina. Cooldown: None. Current Caste: Crystal 1 (0%) Crystal Effect: Deliver a powerful piercing attack that inflicts an instance of [Bleeding].
  • Bleeding (bane, magical, blood): Inflicts ongoing Blood damage for a short duration.
Jin grinned at the information, Finally some answers. She glanced over at Basima who gave her a curious look before whispering, ¡°Sorry your bracelet doesn¡¯t work, but you can still feel the ability like I can feel mine, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I know exactly what it does and both are pretty similar to Hadia¡¯s,¡± Jin replied in an equally quiet whisper. While the Keeper was preparing the next ritual and waiting for Karam to be ready, Jin decided to see if her new bracelet hack could work to show her the Talents she couldn¡¯t feel like the Aspect abilities. She was relieved to see it work and explain the particular Talent that kept hiding things.
Natural Talent: Poker Face
  • Your abilities, Talents, and emotions cannot be analyzed through external magical, aural, or divine means.
  • You can view information about yourself and magical items touched by your aura.
  • You have increased control over your body language.
Next she thought about the Talent that had been mentioned earlier and focused on showing the information as she pressed the Display rune.
Natural Talent: Aetheric Transmigrator
  • Increased resistance to negative Dimension effects. Dimension abilities have an increased effect.
  • You are a Natural Translator, allowing the understanding of languages you are exposed to.
  • You can directly use Aspects and Spirit Gems without the need for an Absorption Ritual.
Well, too bad I don¡¯t have Dimension abilities but that translation bit has probably saved my life, she thought before getting distracted once again as Karam finally entered his Absorption Ritual. She really hoped he got something useful for surviving the rest of the day at least. Jin smiled as Karam also began to glow with that gray light of Talent Cultivation and stood to go get a better look at the displays for his new abilities.
Passive Ability: Aromatic Type: Perception Current Caste: Crystal 1 Crystal Effect: You have a pleasing scent and can easily detect and identify the source of other scents.
Ability: Refreshing Mist Type: Spell (magical, life) Cost: Moderate mana. Cooldown: 1 minute. Current Caste: Crystal 1 (0%) Crystal Effect: Conjure a pleasant mist in a wide area centered on you that increases the regeneration of health and stamina.
Natural Talent: Scent Infusion Cultivated from [Unknown Potential] due to unlocking the Perfume Aspect.
  • You can imbue items or creatures with a temporary fragrance of your choosing for a low mana cost.
  • If the target is a willing ally, the scent can be made permanent for a severe mana cost.
¡°Congratulations, Karam,¡± Keeper Nell said. ¡°Your Aspect also bonded to your Mind Attribute and unlocked a Passive Perception ability based on smell. You also unlocked an area healing Spell, and your talent cultivated to manipulate aromas.¡± Karam was grinning broadly at her as he came over to sit beside her, and Jin returned his smile. It looked like she had her well balanced adventuring party after all. 14 - Bet On It Petal tried to remain calm and impassive as he watched from the prime seating reserved for the Sect leaders directly in front of the tower but high enough to watch the crowds below. Once the Champions had entered, the Servants outside the tower had returned to their roles of serving the others who all watched in excitement as the Champions prepared. Observing the selection that Salman had chosen simply made him sick to his stomach. Picking elders and children that were deemed too much of a burden for the man to deal with was both an affront to the concept of Champions and simply a vile disregard for anything resembling compassion. If nothing else came from the crazy rebellious plans he was privy to, he hoped he could argue for the removal of Salman as the Servants¡¯ Sect leader after this obvious disregard for the lives he sent in. He was relieved that the theme of tools was a more reliable one for survival than last Season¡¯s, but he was still nervous about the oncoming slaughter. Petal had joined the Pleasure Sect to escape the cruel brutality of the Pain Sect in the first place and being forced to smile and watch that same sentiment unfold before him as entertainment felt like a twisted form of torture. As leader of his Sect, though, he understood how important it was for him to play the role of devotee to the gods and their precious tower. That didn¡¯t stop him from making moves in the shadows to undermine it all, however. Already, he knew they had achieved a minor victory by getting a few rebels seeded into the Champions. Petal hoped the one from his own Sect survived long enough to be of help, but there was never any guarantee in the tower of tribulations. He was just glad they were well aware of the risk and hadn¡¯t made him feel guilty for potentially condemning them to death. ¡°Is my pretty petal enjoying the festivities so far?¡± Alaina said almost seductively as she slid over to sit in his lap. ¡°Of course, my dark temptress,¡± he replied, easily slipping his arms around her leather-clad waist. It was convenient for them to put on this familiar show in public. Pretending to be Alaina¡¯s frequent night companion, kept anyone from questioning too deeply why they spent time together so often. They knew better than to use the Whisper signs here to communicate more, but they could still speak in double-meanings and subtle glances. ¡°I know it¡¯s going to get much more exciting once those gates open and the competition truly begins, but I always found this preparation stage fascinating,¡± he said, adjusting himself slightly to pull her closer. ¡°I like listening to them debate and wonder what¡¯s going through their minds as they ponder the best choice for survival.¡± ¡°Not all of them make the smart choice, do they?¡± she replied, glancing over at the large floating illusions in the sky displaying the various preparation rooms as each team finished selecting their first Aspects. ¡°No, but some of them might turn out surprising,¡± he answered, nodding towards the Servants. ¡°Who would have guessed that perfume would have granted such a coveted healing capability?¡± She trilled a laugh, nuzzling into his neck as she playfully whispered, ¡°Or that the Worker¡¯s little cheater would choose glue for her first Aspect. Though, she did strike me as smart earlier when she nervously asked for survival tips from my little shadow.¡± Petal¡¯s eyes went wide for only a brief moment at that revelation. Having a Worker¡¯s Champion actually fighting for their cause was fantastic news. Any help they could gain from inside a Sect meant greater chances for helping the unexpected addition survive and reach the top. ¡°I was slightly surprised you offered up your little shadow as a Champion, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s all part of your meticulous planning.¡± She gently brushed her lips against his as she gave a slight moan and whispered, ¡°You know me so well. Is it still too early for us to retire for the night?¡± ¡°Tiger¡¯s balls, girl,¡± Buster loudly grunted from the seat nearby. ¡°Keep it in your pants until at least the Midnight Tally. I want you to see how my Champion wipes the floor with all of yours. I¡¯d even bet on it and wager my favorite sword.¡± Alaina gave the other woman a playful pout. ¡°Quit ruining my fun mood, Busty.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you not to call me that,¡± the Fighter grumbled, glaring daggers at her. ¡°But that¡¯s what you are!¡± she teased, grabbing her own armored breasts for emphasis. ¡°Yours are so much bigger than mine! It¡¯s not fair at all that you get to be so busty and I¡¯m left to beg for attention from our lovely flower here.¡± Buster merely rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh, grow up, you lusty tart. We both know you don¡¯t beg for anything.¡± Petal laughed at that. ¡°That she doesn¡¯t. I¡¯ll happily offer the pleasure she craves. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t want Lilac to come visit you later tonight, though. You do plan to celebrate after your boy got Blessed by the Lion today, yes?¡± A faint blush crossed the rough woman¡¯s cheeks, but she nodded. ¡°Getting all of our Champions Blessed was an unforeseen boon for us. I look forward to celebrating with Lilac later in private. She¡¯s busy dancing below for the crowds though.¡± Petal leaned forward across Alaina to look further down where he had scheduled various dancers, jugglers, and acrobats to perform for the crowd during what most people considered the boring preparation time. Once the gates opened and the bloodshed began, they would reduce their numbers down to a minimum and take shifts for the next week. ¡°Should I have scheduled her in here for you instead? I can likely rearrange a few things for tomorrow if you desire it,¡± he offered to the surly woman. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Buster seemed to contemplate it for a moment before waving her hand dismissively. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You gave me her nights, so I¡¯ll leave it at that. I¡¯m not as desperate as some others that I need a tryst in the middle of the day,¡± she added with a pointed look at Alaina. The Whisper just stuck her nose in the air and haughtily retorted, ¡°A girl has needs and it¡¯s boring at the moment so I¡¯m going to steal Petal for a few minutes and you can have him back as your conversational partner later.¡± With that she stood and tugged on Petal¡¯s arms, making him follow after her. He turned back with a wink at Buster. ¡°Duty calls. I¡¯ll be back but hopefully it¡¯ll last more than a few minutes.¡± That did elicit a laugh from the gruff Fighter as the older woman turned back to watch the displays before her gaze inevitably trailed downward to feast on the lovely dancer below. When Alaina pulled him into a rather small Servant¡¯s closet filled with shelves of cleaning supplies, she began unbuttoning her clothing while she talked. ¡°I got my shadow in, but he has very explicit orders, and he won¡¯t be able to survive outside of the tower again if things don¡¯t change by the end of it.¡± ¡°Gods, Alaina, are you serious?¡± Petal replied, working on removing the skirt he had been wearing as part of his costume. ¡°You would risk him like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s our best chance and the list I gave him needs to be taken out while he¡¯s in there.¡± ¡°But who¡ª¡± ¡°Not all of the Whispers are loyal to me,¡± she cut off, undoing her belt. ¡°As soon as he takes one of his own out, you know I can¡¯t keep him in the Sect. He¡¯ll be branded a traitor and this plan is his only hope.¡± ¡°This plan is barely a plan!¡± he retorted. ¡°A handful of Mundane children banding together to survive the Tower and somehow ignite the flames of a full on coup is not something we should be staking peoples lives on Alaina!¡± ¡°He knows the risks! They all do,¡± she snapped, and then pulled him into a harsh kiss, smearing both of their lipsticks on the other. ¡°Gods, I wish you wouldn¡¯t wear that kind. It tastes dreadful,¡± she muttered as she licked her lips. ¡°I know, but regretfully the orange you like more would clash terribly with this outfit.¡± He paused for a moment after running a hand through his hair. ¡°Do you think this is enough or should we actually copulate for the scent?¡± She rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You know I hate when you call it that. Just fuck me quickly and call it good. I¡¯m in a generous mood with everything going well so far, so I¡¯ll even let you finish this time.¡± ¡°How gracious,¡± he tersely replied with a flat look, running his hands through her hair as well to make it look even more disheveled. She tore some of his clothing at the collar, planting a kiss mark on his neck before glancing up and asking, ¡°Hey, Petal. When this is all over and we don¡¯t have to pretend we¡¯re sneaking around to fuck any more, are you actually planning to settle down with someone? I remember you mentioning something like that before, and I¡¯ve noticed the looks you give the older couples.¡± He gave her a curious look as he finished loosening his own undershorts and frowned. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Curiosity is in my nature,¡± she replied with a shrug. Petal softly sighed as he closed the distance between them and gave her a softer kiss than normal. ¡°I don¡¯t have anyone in mind, but yes, that is something I crave. I want the freedom to choose who I love and create a family with. We both know I¡¯ll never get it here. What is it you desire, my dark temptress?¡± ¡°I just want to stop seeing our people die for no good reason,¡± she whispered, and kissed him harder as they embraced in the dark.
Rabbit giggled as they watched the deceptive non-couple in their mind¡¯s eye. ¡°Look at them hiding in a closet and breeding like¡­ Well, Hen you must be so proud of how often they try to create new life.¡± The chicken goddess cocked her head at them. ¡°They never succeed with the potions they drink. It is an affront.¡± ¡°Well surely, Penguin enjoys the display of love.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not love,¡± the god huffed, waddling closer to the lovely pond at the top of the tower where they all convened. ¡°Yes, they care about each other, but that activity isn¡¯t being used for that purpose, and you know it.¡± ¡°They¡¯re obviously playing!¡± Fox happily replied, bounding over to tackle Rabbit with a laugh. ¡°Clever games in dark spaces! So much fun to watch and wager!¡± ¡°At least they are passionate in their ruse,¡± Horse added and he moved nearer, lowering himself to lay in the soft grass by the water¡¯s edge. ¡°Seeing them commit with fervor is enjoyable. Even if it is to further Chameleon¡¯s purpose rather than for my own sake.¡± ¡°It has been a good pre-Season for me so far,¡± the smaller god conceded, blending into the boughs of the large tree providing shade from above. ¡°I¡¯m sure it will come to an end soon, but I can enjoy this time while it lasts. I am glad that they don¡¯t give up their deceptions despite knowing we are always watching them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because they are hopeful fools,¡± interjected the hateful crocodile with a snarl. ¡°Mindless fools, the whole lot of them.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re just mad the Wayfarer rejected your offer,¡± Fox teased, jumping near but just out of reach of the god¡¯s massive chompers. ¡°She has been so much fun so far! Rejecting all of you was hilarious to watch!¡± Their giggles died down as Swan sadly said from the pond, ¡°Too bad she¡¯s going to die soon.¡± ¡°She might still live,¡± Firefly said. ¡°Those two sent friends to help her in the climb. There is always hope they prevail.¡± ¡°No,¡± Lions voice stated with surprising finality. ¡°She will not survive the tower. My Chosen Fighter won¡¯t allow for it. He will slaughter her before the end. Any hope she may have, is a false one.¡± ¡°Do you want to bet on it?¡± Fox said with a grin. ¡°I¡¯ll bet she makes it to the top at least. I got a feeling she¡¯s not like the other Servants. She¡¯s got that look in her eye that says she¡¯s not afraid of death.¡± ¡°That will just get her killed quicker if she¡¯s too reckless,¡± Owl said from a tree bough, but the Eagle next to him retorted. ¡°No, it will allow her to make the bold choices needed to keep the others alive. I will wager she¡¯s not the only Servant that will make it to the top.¡± ¡°Definitely not all of them, though,¡± the Owl replied. ¡°There are too many who want to see them all dead. The Wayfarer cannot protect them all alone.¡± ¡°You are forgetting, oh wise Owl,¡± the small beautiful Butterfly softly chimed. ¡°She is not alone.¡±